Ricoh Caplio GX200 VF Kit Reviews: Digital Compact Camera

+ Manual functions are good. It looks special. LCD screen is cristal clear.

- Play mode, you need to open the lens cap. It goes to recording mode first then play mode.

+ This is an amazing camera! As I use it, I am always staggered at its functionality in such a small and light black box; functions such as easy manual focus with presets on infinity (phew) and common distances such 5, 3 1m then a scale change showing closer distances down to 1cm! Another preset scale can turned on and off for zooming; when in fully manual mode (easy to use) just press a function button and the camera sets AE and AF ready for me to make final adjustments. This camera has a relatively large 1/1.7" CCD sensor compared to most compacts of this size. To give you an idea of what I was looking for when I chose this camera, I studied the following for several weeks: Sigma DP1 & 2, Canon G10, Leica D-Lux 4 & Lumix LX3, Ricoh CX1, Fuji F200EXR plus other high end compacts. My desire was a large sensor, hence the amazing DP1 at the top of my list, my interest is landscape photography so I wanted a wide lens. My Ricoh GX200 VF1 came with a stunning LCD viewfinder, a level indicator customisable screen display and an impressive (judging by the responses of friends) 2.7" LCD display. I haven't used my Nikon DSLR since I made this purchase simply because this camera is with me all the time and the results are to a consistent, reliable high standard. Take a look at my Flickr site to check my cameras results: search Flickr.com using "brian carter GX200" as search criteria. "Simply" always came out on top for price so they made the sale for me.

- Really, such a well designed and cleverly detailed specification would be supreme if it had a larger sensor. My Fuji S100fs has a 2/3" (or 1/1.5") sensor and the quality is amazing. The DP1 and 2 above have an APS-C Fovion sensor and the Lumix/Leica has a 1/1.6" sensor.