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Ricoh's Caplio R2S digital camera. Courtesy of Ricoh, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Ricoh Japan updates the Caplio R2
By
(Thursday, June 30, 2005 - 13:33 EDT)

A press release distributed by office automation / consumer electronics company Ricoh Co. Ltd. of Japan announces that it has released an updated version of its Caplio R2 digital camera in that market.

The Ricoh Caplio R2, announced four months ago, offered a 28 - 135mm zoom range coupled with a five megapixel CCD image sensor and 2.5" LCD display (but no optical viewfinder). The new Ricoh Caplio R2S shares exactly the same hardware and a nearly identical body, the only noticeable styling differences being a rearrangement of the silk-screened text on the camera's front panel, and the removal of the engraved product name from the handgrip. The bulk of the changes are instead related to the camera's firmware.

Probably the most significant change is that the Caplio R2S' shutter can now be remotely controlled over its USB connection, allowing camera shake to be minimized. It is also now possible to store a group of custom settings in the camera, which are then automatically used when the R2S is powered on. These settings can include the zoom position, focus position, scene mode, burst mode, exposure compensation, white balance, image quality / size, focusing and metering area, ISO sensitivity, flash mode, macro mode, and quite a few more besides. Ricoh is also promoting the camera as compatible for direct printing to its IPSiO CX8800 and CX9800 color laser printers, although it is unclear whether this is actually a new feature using some proprietary connection type, since the original Caplio R2 and both of the printers are apparently PictBridge compatible. One last new feature is the ability to tag images with text or audio clips. Text can either be entered ahead of time over the USB connection, or entered using the camera's menu system and controls.

The Ricoh Caplio R2S is available immediately in Japan, at a price of ¥58,000 (approximately equivalent to US$523 / CAD$642 / £292 / €433, ignoring exchange rate fluctuations, taxes and duties). Monthly production is apparently set at 2,000 units.

Ricoh Caplio R2S
Ricoh's Caplio R2S digital camera. Courtesy of Ricoh, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
General
Camera Type Compact
Manufacturer Ricoh
Model Number R2S
Dimensions 3.9 x 2.2 x 1.0"
100.2 x 55.0 x 25.8mm
Weight 195.0 g
6.8 oz
Planned Availability Jun 2005
Image Capture
Sensor Type 1/2.5" CCD
5.19 megapixels (total)
5.02 megapixels (effective)
Filter Type RGBG
Aspect Ratio 4:3
Image Dimensions 2560 x 1920 (4.9 megapixels)
2048 x 1536 (3.1 megapixels)
1280 x 960 (1.2 megapixels)
640 x 480 (0.3 megapixels)
Image Quality 2 levels
Image Preview / Review
Viewfinder No
LCD 2.5", 114,000 pixels
Lens
Lens Type 4.8x optical zoom
Image Stabilization No
Focal Length 4.6 - 22.2mm (actual)
28 - 135mm (35mm equivalent)
Aperture Range f/3.3 (wide) / f/4.8 (tele) - ???
Focusing System with AF assist lamp
Manual Focus possible (0) steps
Focusing Range Normal: 12" - infinity (30 cm - infinity)
Macro: 0.4" - infinity (1.0 cm - infinity)
Exposure
ISO Sensitivity Auto, 64, 100, 200, 400, 800
Shutter Speed 8 - 1/2000 second
Metering Modes 256-segment multi, center-weighted, spot
Exposure Compensation +/- 2.0EV in 1/3EV increments
White Balance Image Sensor - Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Incandescent 1 / 2, Fluorescent, One Touch, Manual
Internal Flash Modes: Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Forced, Slow Sync, Off
Range: ISO Auto: 0.2 - 2.7m (wide); 0.13 - 2.1m (tele)
Creative
Scene Modes Portrait, Sport, Landscape, Night, Text, High Sensitivity
Digital Zoom 3.6x
Self Timer Yes, 2 or 10 seconds
Time Lapse Yes
Movie Format AVI (Open DML Motion JPEG) with audio
320x240 and 160x120
Max. frame-rate: 15 frames per second
Storage
Recording Medium SD/MMC, Built-in
File System Complies with Design Rule for Camera File System (DCF)
File Format TIFF, JPEG (EXIF 2.21)
Connectivity
Video Yes, NTSC / PAL switchable
Computer USB 1.1
Other DC In
Power
Battery Type Rechargeable
Battery Form Factor 2 x AA or 1 x proprietary DB-50
Product Bundle
Software Ricoh Gate La, Image Mixer 1.6, USB / WIA drivers, Mounter, Caplio Rescue, Acrobat Reader, DirectX, Ridoc Desk 2000 Lt, Caplio Transfer Software
Battery / Charger 1 x Proprietary DB-50 rechargeable battery and charger
Flash Memory 28.0MB built-in memory
Other
Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) compliant Yes
Internal Microphone Yes
Remote Control Yes, USB tethered
Operating System Compatibility Windows, MacOS
 

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