36. Ricoh CX1

The tech specs for the Ricoh CX1 will make you want to take a closer look: 7x zoom, wide-angle (28-200 mm) lens, mechanical stabilization, a large 3-inch screen displaying 920,000 pixels (VGA resolution) and a 9 Megapixel CMOS sensor, along with a new processing chip (Smooth Engine IV) that should expand possibilities.

Handling

The new Ricoh CX1 brings Ricoh’s R series to an end (R6, R7, R8, R10). New name, new strategy (not simply an increase in the number of pixels the sensor can cram in), but the design of this compact is very similar to other recent models. It is relatively compact, with a hansome matte black coating and an exemplary finish.

You might conceivably grumble about the disappearance of the rubber pad on the front of the camera that originally offered better grip, but that would be thinking excessively critical. There are some slight changes in the interface. On the top of the camera, you’ll find a dial to select exposure modes (scene modes, auto, custom modes, DR…), the start-up button and the zoom control.

The zoom is still just as noisy, but remains relatively easy to adjust to get the focus you’re looking for. The lens has an f-aperture of f/3.3-5.2, but this is fine for the available zoom field (28-200 mm). The CX1 also has a stabilization system that moves the sensor to facilitate focussing with the telephoto lens.

At the back, the CX1 has inherited a small practical joystick that allows you to both activate common functions rapidly (macro, flash) and display five options on the screen that you can customise from amongst ten . There is also a custom button (Fn) on the back of the camera. Although you need a bit of time to get used to it, once you’ve adapted to the interface, the CX1 is very pleasant to use.

There are several very simple but devilishly practical options such as an electronic spirit level with visual and audio alerts, a custom delay (an interval delay) or focus bracketing, so you can take pictures with greater depth of field.

Among its other interesting functions, the CX1 has Snap and Infinite focus modes. With Snap, the camera sets the focus at 2.5-m and (obviously) at infinite for the infinite setting.  What use is this? It makes shooting faster, with the focus being almost instantaneous. This is very practical for party photos for example.  As the CX1 has two custom modes, you can programme the compact in black and white, Snap, 800 or 1600 ISO and with an aspect ratio of 1:1, ideal for low light photos.

The 3-inch LCD screen is quite simply exceptional for a compact: it displays 920,000 pixels (VGA display 640 x 480 pixels) and has excellent fluidity. In low light, the display is still reactive and not marred by electronic noise.  Of course, in bright sunlight, it isn’t as easy to use, but the screen is much less reflective than the screens on some competing cameras. The only slight complaint is that fingerprint traces are very visible.

The CX1 does pretty well in terms of responsiveness: the focus (spot mode) is fast, even in low light. Start-up is under two seconds, which is pretty good. In standard burst mode (full definition), it manages more than four frames per second, which isn't bad. Moreover, you can go up to the much higher speeds of between 15 and 120 fps at the cost of severe reduction in size of images. There is one drawback, however: the different shots recorded in burst mode are all in a single .MPO file that can only be edited with the Ricoh software (Windows only). There is however an option that allows you to export from the camera itself.

In playback the Ricoh CX1 has a few interesting functions such as altering exposure, white balance or angle compensation of a subject.

Image Quality

With a 9 Megapixel CMOS, Ricoh has gone for the opposite strategy of most of the competition who only seem to have eyes for higher and higher sensor resolutions.  We were therefore impatient to test the CX1 at high sensitivities, conditions in which Ricoh's cameras have never done very well. The results are pretty good and A4 prints are nice up to 400 or even 800 ISO; this is clear progress. At 1600 ISO, rather disturbing bands show up on tinted areas and we’re far down on the performance of a Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR, for example.

The lens is well made and the image is pretty sharp right down the focal field and on the whole image. You do get some distortion but it isn’t too marked. The macro mode at 1-cm is very good indeed. Exposure on the CX1 is fine, but the sensor has reduced flexibility and strong light is not handled as well as it could be.

In neutral lighting white balance works well. In our studio, though, the results were not as good. The CX1 has a pretty effective multiple white balance, focusing on a subject in both natural and artificial light, such as in front of a shop window. The compensated dynamic mode is unfortunately very disappointing with very little or no gain in many situations.

The video mode is also a little disappointing: no HD mode, the quality is just about OK, limited sound recording and no optical zoom during video capture... nothing to get excited about.

You wont go for the Ricoh CX1 for its HDR mode as it is not dependable enough. This compact does however come with several advantages such as its 7.1x zoom, its nice LCD screen and overall responsiveness. The new CMOS sensor, without producing any miracles, is more than ok and means the CX1 is a credible alternative to the higher megapixel option from the competition.