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| Ricoh RDC-7 |
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Hardware Reviews November 2000 • Vol.3 Issue 11 |
Ricoh RDC-7 | ||
 Any review written about Ricoh's RDC-7 digital camera is almost certain to mention its unique design. We'd be remiss if we didn't also. The camera's pop-up, swiveling 2-inch LCD (liquid-crystal display) and ultra thin body give it a gadget-like appearance straight out of an espionage-flavored movie. With the LCD folded in, the camera measures just 1 inch thick and 5.3 inches wide. When extended, the LCD cleverly swivels on two axes to frame nearly any shot. Also unique are two shutter buttons on the camera and three Pro shooting modes. These modes can remove jaggies from images interpolated past 7 million pixels and use pixel-shifting technology to merge two images taken instantly into one. This increases the resolution without increasing the image size. An additional "scanning" mode captures text images in uncompressed TIFF files. The camera records audio and video at 320 x 240 pixels. It has a built-in speaker; 8MB of internal memory (storing six to 165 shots); a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection; diopter adjustment; an optional remote control; and built-in flash with manual soft, normal, and strong flash settings. A SmartMedia card is optional. Considering the camera's multiple functions, levers, buttons, and dials, navigating the menus isn't difficult using the mode dial and intuitive buttons. We recorded audio, video, and still shots minutes after unpacking the RDC-7. The camera's recovery times are slower, but our shots rate as being above average. Most shots had good brightness and focus, while others displayed problems with white balance and exposure. The camera shoots at true resolutions of 2,048 x 1,536 pixels, 1,024 x 768 pixels, and 640 x 480 pixels. Onboard imaging technology can interpolate images to 3,072 x 2,304 pixels. The camera also features nine recording modes, a 3X optical zoom lens (f7.3mm to 21.9mm), passive auto focus and macro focus (up to 1cm), selectable ISO settings, manual exposure steps, and four manual white balance modes. Less positive is the placement of the flash unit, which leaves it vulnerable to fingerprints. There's also little tactile feedback from the shutter buttons and more limited aperture and exposure options than other three-megapixel cameras have. More positive is the inclusion of a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and charger. Overall, the RDC-7's unquestionably unique design should attract many users in need of a solid camera built to travel. by Blaine Flamig
$670 Ricoh (800) 225-1899 (775) 352-1600 http://www.ricohzone.com
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