Review of the Ricoh Caplio R4

Ricoh has carved a niche for itself by offering something a bit different. The company has often impressed us with its unique features, innovative outlook and optical excellence even if some of the cameras don’t match that promise. The Caplio R4’s standout feature is the 7.1x optical lens, first seen on its sibling the R3. The lens equates to 28-200mm, a favourite for SLR users wishing to cut down on their photographic luggage. This is supported with image stabilisation via a moving CCD, similar to the old Konica Minolta system. If that doesn’t impress, the camera also has a 6MP 1/2.5in CCD, along with a 2.5in LCD with 150,000 pixels, the two main differentials between this one and the R3. Ricoh also claims a longer battery life, up to 330 shots between recharging, although these claims always depend on the amount you may use the flash or LCD. Even so, it’s respectable. The R4 incorporates many of Ricoh’s other well-known features, including 1cm macro, fast start up, minimal shutter lag and the reasonably new skew correction, for fixing diverging parallels in photos.