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December 28, 2004 — Ricoh announced an addition to their Caplio line, the 5.0 megapixel Caplio R1V is set to supersede the Caplio R1, released earlier this year. The Caplio R1V flaunts extremely rapid shooting and processing speeds, a retractable wide-angle zoom lens, and impressive macro mode, all contained within an extremely thin, aluminum frame.
The Ricoh Caplio R1V exudes an appealing design and unique features within its slim, 5.4oz., 25mm wide body; however, the most impressive element is the camera’s remarkable recording speeds. Rivaling digital SLRs, the Caplio R1V starts-up and records an image in 0.8 seconds, continuously captures subsequent frames 0.9 seconds apart, and minimizes lag time within 0.05 - 0.1 second. This near-instantaneous capture will dramatically reduce the dreaded delay exhibited by most point-and-shoot digital cameras and propel the Caplio R1V into a unique category of performance-driven compact cameras.
Heading the slim point-and-shoot camera is a unique wide-angle zoom lens with an equivalent focal range of 28-135mm, spanning across a 4.8x optical and 3.6x digital zoom. The lens is composed of 9 glass elements, placed in 7 groups and fully retracts into the slight frame. According to Ricoh, the retractable lens system functions by "allowing a part of the lens group to slide out from one cone and become thin enough to fit in the compact body."
The Caplio R1V appears to be ideal for the wide-angle enthusiast, equipping the camera with both wide-angle and macro shooting features. The rare inclusion of a 28mm equivalent lens on a point-and-shoot camera provides the user with a 75-degree angle of view, as opposed to the 62-degree angle of view, inherent to the human eye or standard 35mm lens.
The Caplio R1V encourages its user to get close to subjects, featuring a 1cm "wide" macro mode. Used in conjunction with the camera’s wide-angle view, the R1V user has the opportunity to get within 1cm of its subject and record a detailed, focused exposure. This feature remains accessible to the night time photographer, as the Caplio R1V’s fixed flash will illuminate scenes as close as 13cm from the edge of the lens, without blowing out the scene.
The camera is initially slated for release in Japan, with no current intentions to reach the US.