Ricoh CX1 review

The new Ricoh CX1 makes its debut with its CMOS sensor

Ricoh has described the CX1 as a tool to create art. This is perhaps a little far-fetched, however the CX1 should not be denied its recognition. It is a fantastic compact camera.

There has been much excitement surrounding the Ricoh CX1 and this is because of its new CMOS sensor. This also explains the hefty price tag at £300. At first, the nine-megapixel sensor may be off-putting. But remember this is more than sufficient resolution for a compact camera lens to deal with, and its great to see a compact on the market that understands this. The resolution is only going to be a problem if the images are going to be enlarged over A4 size, so for most compact users this is not an issue.

The CX1’s main competitor on the market is the Fujifilm FinePix F200EXR. Both are similarly priced and both have impressive modes and features. The Fujifilm FinePix F200 does perform better on the automatic EXR mode, whereas the Ricoh CX1 requires the user to think about the conditions they are shooting in. To try to overcome this Ricoh has included a MY1 and MY2 setting that allows the user to set modes they frequently use. This is not enough to compete with the Fujifilm’s EXR mode and this is the CX1’s main downfall; it needs to extend to the amateur market and not rely so heavily on the photographer selecting the correct exposure mode.

Unfortunately for the CX1, when compared to the Fujifilm F200EXR, the close-up results from the F200’s 12-megapixel EXR sensor are marginally superior. This could be seen in the resolution and colour balance of the images, which in the CX1 tends to lean towards the cooler side of the scale, however the colours are still vibrant and the images are crisp. The CMOS sensor produced no noise and the test shots taken in low-light conditions were of high quality and well beyond what the average compact can achieve. The Ricoh CX1 should not be overlooked when compared to the Fujifilm F200EXR, as it includes many other features that equal it or in some cases place it ahead of its competitor.

The D-range (Dynamic Range) mode is the most impressive function the CMOS sensor can perform. This setting can be used in high-contrast conditions. It will take one image of the highlights and one image of the lowlights and place the two frames together. The results, after thorough testing, were most impressive. 90 per cent of the time the D-range mode produced accurately exposed images, showing much more detail when compared to images taken in Auto mode. This is a major selling feature of the Ricoh CX1 and should not be overlooked if contemplating stretching the budget. There is a reason the CX1 is priced so high – it will deliver the shot you want. 

Feature-wise the Ricoh CX1 comes with an impressive 7x optical zoom and built-in image stabilisation. It can extend a further 4.8 digital zoom, however this is worth staying clear of. The image quality immediately suffers and the 7x optical zoom is more than sufficient for most circumstances. The 28mm wide-angle lens is an excellent addition, although this feature is becoming standard for most compacts at the top end of the market. The results of the landscape tests were impressive, especially when compared to cheaper compacts on the market. The macro lens will focus at a decent 1cm, and when tested it did not disappoint, capturing sharp and detailed images. 

The multi-targeted autofocus is another key feature of the Ricoh that proved highly effective. This enables the photographer to quickly snap several shots of the same image at different focus points. The user can then transpose these images in post-production to achieve a perfectly focused photograph. The Fn button on the back of the camera proved useful, as one touch enables the focus target to be moved around the screen to position the desired focus point.

An excellent selling point for the Ricoh CX1 is its Continuous Shot mode. The CX1 menu informs the user how much image quality they will discard against the ratio of images taken per second. The Ricoh CX1 can shoot up to an absurd, yet impressive, 120 shots per second. This makes the CX1 a superb choice for sport or action photography, although the image quality does suffer with the more images taken.

The only way to describe the design of the CX1 is retro. It’s not pretentious and sticks to what a camera needs to be. It is solid and easy to hold. The Ricoh CX1 states its claim in the compact camera market by showing domination.

The Ricoh CX1 controls are reasonably simple to manage, however the Mode button on the back of the camera did feel awkward. It needs to be flicked rather than pushed. Ricoh have overloaded the menu options and at first it can feel confusing. Given time, the menu does become easier to navigate and the functionality of the CX1 grows to become more understandable.

The CX1 has an array of other features that would take too long to list, but it deserves to have attention drawn to a few. A unique feature is the spirit level bar on the LCD screen. This tool is useful for any amateur photographer that has problems composing a shot and can be very useful when taking images with straight lines, for example, buildings. The LCD screen is a large three inches and 920,000-dot VGA that can be easily adjusted to compensate surrounding light. This means it is easier to edit photographs as they appear on the screen. Included on the LCD screen is a useful histogram that functions efficiently and makes it easy to ensure the correct shooting data is being used. 

Ricoh has added a number of other features that lean toward the tradition of film. This includes a square Format mode that will evoke nostalgic memories of medium format film for any professional photographer. It also hosts a number of different shooting mediums and the photographer can choose black and white, sepia, or colour. To bring this compact back to the digital age, Ricoh has provided the user with a mini-editing programme. The white balance, along with a number of other options, can be easily adjusted. This addition is a little unnecessary, as the majority of users will likely post-edit their images in a dedicated app.

It is undeniable that the Ricoh CX1 is a fantastic camera, although this has to be balanced against its price. The CX1 is worth the money, but as with all top-end compacts there is a lot that can be purchased for a similar price. However, this camera stretches the gap between compact and superzoom and the CX1 leaves a long-lasting impression.