Ricoh CX3
£300.00
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Ricoh introduces new sensor technology with the Ricoh CX3, which it claims will improve image quality in low light.
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We don’t get to talk about new sensor technology that often, but when we do it is generally the compact market that appears to be pushing for new ideas, while the DSLR market concentrates on definition. The CX3 from Ricoh introduces a 10MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor to the compact arena, with claims that this chip is better in low light. In simple terms, the sensor is designed to reduce the amount of reflected light, by placing the light-receiving surface in front of circuitry rather than behind it – the idea being it reduces noise and gives cleaner images.
For a compact design, the CX3 packs a serious optical zoom with the 35mm equivalent focal length of 28-300mm. You can fix the zoom to stop at eight focal lengths, which is handy if you want to achieve a specific effect. On the back of the camera sits a large 3in LCD with a quite impressive 920-dot resolution. This gives the CX3 a fine detail display with great menus and graphics that include an electronic spirit level. The camera’s macro facility with a minimum focusing distance of 1cm is very useful. Add to that a new scene auto mode and even a pet mode, and you see that this is a neat little camera in a number of ways. It lacks manual operation though, with no shutter speed or aperture control. Like many new compacts, the CX3 has the facility to record moving images in HD, here at 1280x720p quality. Capture can be achieved in 16:9 for both movie mode and still images. High speed shooting at 5fps can be achieved with the CX3 thanks to the smooth Engine IV processing that also manages the image quality.
Talking of image quality, the CX3 offers a rounded performance. The colour reproduction is very good, as is the image detail. Tonal range can be fine-tuned in the camera menus, and this can be an effective way to manage the captured images.
Few cameras offer such an extensive zoom for a camera so thin, and the CX3 is a very attractive looking product. The image quality is not at all bad in good lighting, but when the light levels fall, it all gets a bit noisy.
www.ricoh.com
Technical specificationSensor: 6.16x4.62mm CMOS
Resolution: 10MP
Lens (35mm equiv.): 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6
LCD: 3in
Media card: SD/SDHC
Image stabilisation: Sensor shift
Video output: 1280x720p
ISO: 80-3200
Size (wxhxd): 101.5x58.3x29.4mm
Weight: 185g