Ricoh GR II Intro

The Ricoh GR II is an update to the previous Caplio GR Digital model, with the most notable change being the use of a 1/1.75" CCD image sensor with ten megapixel resolution in place of the lower-res eight megapixel CCD used in the previous camera. The new sensor is coupled to a new GR ENGINE II image processing engine as well.

Ricoh GR II Features

The Ricoh GR II's fixed focal length 5.9mm lens is equivalent to 28 mm on a 35mm camera, a very useful, true wide-angle. A 4x digital zoom is provided, with up to 5.7x at 640x480 pixels. Aperture range is a reasonably fast f/2.4 to f/11. The Ricoh GR II includes a 2.7-inch LCD with 230,000 pixels with a high 160 degree viewing angle, but no optical viewfinder is provided. An optional add-on optical viewfinder is however offered.

Other features offered by the GR II is a relatively compact and thin magnesium alloy body, the ability to shoot in RAW mode, and a unique electronic level function that allows users to know if the camera is level. The GR II stores its images and movies on SD/SDHC cards or in 54MB of internal memory. Connectivity includes high-speed USB 2.0 and analog A/V out. The GR II's CIPA-rated battery life is 370 shots using the provided DB-60 lithium-ion battery pack.

Ricoh GR II Pricing and Availability

The Ricoh GR II digital camera ships from December 2007 in European markets, with United Kingdom pricing set at £400 inclusive of value-added tax. The Ricoh GR Digital II is available at select retailers in the the US for about $700.