Review of the Ricoh Caplio R5

www.ricoh.co.uk Ricoh consistently produces interesting and innovative cameras. The Caplio R5 replaces the R4, and offers not only a long zoom but a wide and useful starting length. Features The 7MP sensor is a new addition as is the improved processor offering better image rendition and colour. The Caplio R5 also has optical image stabilisation and an impressive ISO range. Design About the size of a pack of cards, the R5 may be slightly larger than some of the superslim lifestyles, but when you consider that it has to retract a 28-200mm lens into the body, the small size seems more impressive. A decent 2.5inch LCD is on the back. Performance With reasonable start up and little shutter lag, the R5 is as good as most of its competitors. The IS system is needed though, especially at maximum focal length since there’s no viewfinder to add natural stabilisation. Image quality Images are sharp throughout the focal range and plenty of detail is captured. There’s some noise in the images as the gain is raised, especially at ISO 1600, but that’s expected.