BIOS: Technology Means Business

Ricoh’s Caplio R30 (£219/$386) is an extremely compact 5.13-Megapixel digital camera, featuring a 5.7x optical wide zoom (28- to 160mm equivalent) in a trim body measuring only 95x26x53mm (135g). The camera is positioned as a more affordable version of last year’s Caplio R3, which featured a 7.1x optical wide zoom lens and image stabilisation. This means you’ll likely capture blurry images at the long end of its zoom range.

Inheriting the Caplio R3’s unique Double Retracting Lens System allows part of the lens assembly to protrude from the camera cone during lens storage. This enables the body, a mere 26mm thick, to hold a 28- to 160mm 5.7x wide zoom lens (f4.6 to 26.4). The benefit of a wide zoom lens is that it offers greater shooting versatility, whether it’s capturing a vast landscape in one shot, wide-angle images in a room where everything is very close, or the fine details of distant objects.

The macro function, Ricoh’s specialty, has been further strengthened. The camera has the popular macro mode, which can take a macro shot of an object from as close as just 1cm. The Zoom Macro Function automatically sets the focal distance of the lens at the optimum distance for capturing an image as large and close as possible. If AF Target Selection is used, it is even possible to focus on objects without moving the camera.

The high-speed response capability enables stress-free shooting. Release time lag (the time from the instant the shutter button is fully pressed is as fast as approximately 0.09 seconds. Quick responses are essential in order to capture picture-perfect but near-instantaneous moments such as the expressions and movement of children or pets.

Time calculated from the instant the focus is locked (half-press) until exposure actually starts is a speedy 0.007 seconds. Shooting interval and start time are both rapid, approx. 0.5 seconds and power up in approximately 1.1 seconds, respectively (measured while the flash is off).

The long-life rechargeable 1150mAh Lithium-Ion battery and charger included as a standard accessory lets you shoot approximately 330 pictures on one single charge, so there’s no need to have to worry about packing extra batteries. Thanks to the power-saving features of the internal circuit, it is possible to capture up to 330 separate images under CIPA standards using the DB60 and BJ6 long-life rechargeable battery and charger even while using the LCD display.

The Caplio R30 has a built-in 2.5-inch LCD monitor. During playback, 12 pictures can be displayed simultaneously on the screen. While checking previous and subsequent pictures, the screen can be separated into three parts to allow fast forwarding and rewinding. The brightness of the LCD can be increased to maximum with a single touch and visibility can be adjusted to suit well-lighted areas.

Available recording modes include Still (Continuous, S-Continuous, M-Continuous), Scene Mode (Portrait, Sports, Distant Landscape, Night Scene, Text, High Sensitivity, Skew Correction, Zoom Macro), Motion, and Sound. ISO sensitivity comprises 64, 100, 200, 400 and 800, while White Balance modes supported include Daylight, Overcast, Tungsten light, Tungsten light 2, Fluorescent, or Manual. Captured JPEG still images and AVI short movies are stored onto SD/MMC.

It’s not all good news, we’re afraid. The zoom is locked to only seven steps over the entire range, so you’re back to stepping forward or backward if you’re trying to frame something in between. The lens aperture is f/3.3-4.8, which means that like most compact cameras, if you’re shooting something indoors that’s beyond the reach of your flash, you’re out of luck unless you have a tripod.

The worst is that the vaunted 0.007 second time interval is actually from end of focus to start of data capture. Actual startup is 1.1 seconds, and that’s if you’re not using the flash! In short, good luck if you’re trying to get a picture of Bill Gates from row five in a dark auditorium. And while the macro mode is excellent and the dedicated Adjust button gives quick access to WB, ISO and Exposure compensation, we noticed high noise above ISO 400 and the flash can over-expose images.

Ricoh’s Caplio R30 is a relatively powerful digital camera packed into a very compact metal body. The 5-Megapixel model is very good feature wise, with quick access to options and speedy performance, but is let down by average image quality - expect high noise, soft focus, and purple fringing.

When deciding upon a digital camera you’ll have to decide how important you consider a powerful zoom. If it’s critical and you need a very compact camera the Ricoh Caplio R30 is definitely worth considering. But if image quality is a top priority then there are better offerings, such as Canon’s excellent Digital IXUS 750. We also missed image stabilisation - a lot. [7]

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