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The Ricoh Caplio 500G Wide is an 8 meagpixel (CCD) digital camera that comes in a water, dust and shock resistant casing with a 3x Optical Zoom which widens to the equivalent of 28mm and zoomes to 85mm. Also available is a wide angle conversion lens which enables the equivalent off 22mm.
The Ricoh Caplio 500G Wide has a 2.5 inch LCD and an ISO setting of up to 1600. It is water resistant to a depth of 1 meter and will handle being dropped from around that height also.
The Caplio 500G wide, the successor to the Caplio 400G wide (launched in January 2004), starts off with the same strong set of features as its predecessor, with superior water and dust resistance, a wide-angle optical 3x zoom (equivalent to 28-85mm for a 35mm camera), and functions for linkage with Construction CALS and other business systems. It goes further, however, with new features, such as more rugged impact resistance, a flash range of 10m, and an antiblur function. It is designed for customers who will use it on construction sites, for insurance loss appraisal in disaster areas, in schools, and in other outdoor situations.
Ricoh has been the leader in water and dust-resistant digital cameras since the launch of the Ricoh RDC-100G in July 1999, and the launch of the 500G consolidates our dominance in the field.
Main Features of the Caplio 500G wide
• Superior water and dust resistance plus shock resistance, making it ideal for hard outdoor use.
• A shock resistant structure and stronger camera cone create a robust body able to withstand falls from 1m onto 26 surfaces, in compliance with US Department of Defense “MIL Standard 810F” (previous models withstood 90cm). It can cope with rough handling outdoors.
• The Caplio 500G Wide boasts the same impressive water resistance as its predecessor’s, surpassing JIS protection grade 7 performance. Besides taking pictures in the rain, it can even take pictures underwater in depths of up to 1m.
• Dust resistance satisfies JIS protection grade 6. Pictures can be taken in environments with high concentrations of dust and sand.
• The skillful placement of large buttons makes operation easy, even with gloves on.
New flash has an effective range of up to 10m
• The high-capacity flash has an effective range of up to 10m for wide-angle and 6.5m for telephoto, broadening the range of photographic opportunities. (Previous models effective flash range went up to 5m).
New antiblur function
• The antiblur function raises ISO sensitivity to allow photography at faster shutter speeds. This feature is superbly effective for photography indoors and in other dark situations.
28-85mm wide-zoom lens
• The wide-zoom lens, equivalent to 28-85mm, was also popular on previous models.
• It can cover the whole of a large building, or frame pictures well in confined areas, while the 3x optical zoom can reach subjects that are too inaccessible to shoot from closer.
• For even wider shots, there is an optional wide conversion lens that is equivalent to 22mm.
CALS mode and other features are ideal for electronic data in construction work
• The CALS mode switches immediately to the optimum picture quality for electronic delivery to construction CALS (1,280x960 resolution, edge sharpening).\
• The Camera Memo function can be used to attach memos, containing information such as the location, to the photograph data. Such memos facilitate later searching and cataloguing of images.
• The high sense mode can monitor subjects clearly, even in dark places. It’s easy to take pictures at night, or in dim locations such as indoors and inside ducting. It also handles firefighting-related work on fire scenes.
Optical viewfinder and large 2.5 inch LCD monitor
The large, high-detail 2.5 inch LCD monitor is a new addition. There is also an optical viewfinder, so the photographer can use whichever is right for the situation, for more reliable photography.
Diverse useful features
• Superior responsivity, with only 0.10 seconds elapsing between pressing the shutter and the start of exposure, and startup time of approximately 1.2 seconds (when the flash is off).
• The large-capacity lithium ion battery provided with the camera gives battery life long enough for 400 continuous shots (CIPA standard). If the battery runs out, readily-available AA-size batteries can be used instead, and an optional AC adapter can be used indoors. Able to use three power sources.
• Macro mode gets as close as 1cm from the subject.
• Skew correction mode can compensate for photographs taken at an angle, so that they look as if they were shot from the front. Performs powerfully in various situations, such as message boards and display panels.
• When the camera is connected to the personal computer via a USB cable, it is recognized as an external storage device, so images in the camera can be transferred to the computer without using special software. Single-action transfer is also available from the special software.
• The Caplio 500G Wide is compliant with the PictBridge standard that allows direct connection to a printer without routing through a personal computer. More diverse printing is possible, such as printing onto forms registered to the printer, when connected to Ricoh’s high-speed color laser printers and MFP*.
• Please visit www.ricoh.com for compatible models.
• The high-quality CCD has an effective 8.13 million pixels.
DPexpert reviews the Ricoh Caplio 500G wide and writes - 'The Ricoh 500G is a highly specialised camera. It has a mode setting for “fire fighting�?, which “allows you to take clear, sharp pictures…unaffected by flames or smoke.�? This is truly a go-anywhere camera -- through dust, fire and flood. And it is no flimsy little point and shooter with a waterproof housing. The 500G is totally enclosed in a tough, flexible rubberised waterproof case. Ricoh invite you to drop it on a hard floor from a metre if you must. And, being a serious piece of gear, the 500G sports an external flash shoe.... The Ricoh 500G wide is a tool -- there is no other way to describe it. It’s not pretty but it’s certainly tough. And it has been well thought out for a particular customer who wants a camera that can stand abuse and still produce good pictures.'
Pocket Lint reviews the Ricoh Caplio 500G Wide digital camera where they give it a rating of 8 out of 10 and write - 'The Ricoh Caplio 500G Wide provides a tough package in terms of build, ease of use and versatility. Image quality is good thanks to a nice lens, fast, accurate focusing and good metering with the caveat on image noise at higher sensitivities. The optical viewfinder leaves a bit to be desired as does the overall clunky look of the camera, but when you bear in mind this camera is more tool than tasty-looking technology.'
Posted by Darren in our Miscellaneous category on May 09, 2006