Compact companions - the search goes on - Part II

by Jonathan Eastland

Moving on from the first part featuring the diminutive Ricoh GRD, I now have to hand the latest GX100 on review with its optional 19mm (35mm equivalent) lens adapter and electronic viewfinder. Before going there, it may be worth noting that since the last post on this subject, I have now seen a result on the printed page from the GRD.





Several files from that camera made on the hoof with the standard lens (equivalent, 28mm) were captured at an ISO sensitivity setting of 200 in Fine>JPEG mode on a cold but bright and contrasty winter's day in Scotland; one was recently reproduced at half A4 page size in the magazine Warships IFR. I am still waiting to see the results of other images captured at the same settings, but this one in particular is of some interest because it illustrates what is possible with standard magazine repro using half the original file size. In this instance, the full image file was first of all upscaled to A3 dimensions and then pretty severely cropped, losing almost 50% of the image.

Subsequently, the finished file was resized for rapid transmission down to 6 inches on the longest side and recompressed to jpeg level 6 before being pinged; original data loss was therefore quite high. The outcome is repro I can live with. The image is clearly not as micro-detailed as I would have liked, but then neither are the full size files captured in RAW on the GRD as clearly detailed as those I can expect to obtain from the Epson RD1s when that camera is set to Normal Jpeg capture mode. This notwithstanding, it's pretty clear that with improved software tweaking, the images this camera is capable of capturing will satisfy most editorial reproduction needs up to and possibly beyond, A3 spreads. For anything less than this, the quality is very good.

Now however, the new GX100 appears to offer a further image quality hike with 10mp resolution, but based on the same tiny sensor size as the GRD, and with the inclusion of a short zoom objective of 5.1mm to 15.3mm (equivalent to 24mm to 72mm in 135mm format), plus the option of an optical converter taking the wide angle end to an equivalent of 19mm at a maximum aperture of f/2.4 while the tele end closes down to f/4.4. This camera also features the tiny EVF module which slots into the camera's top-plate accessory shoe and connects to the electronics via a small USB type port.



Overall, the dimensions of the camera are similar to the GRD in depth and height (GX8; 113.6X29X58mm. GX100;111.6X25X58mm. GRD;107X25X58mm.), but extended by half a centimeter on the right hand side of the body and grip. This gives the GX100 an altogether better feel in the hand than the fixed lens GRD, though not the same tactility. Whereas the GRD body shell is metal (die-cast magnesium alloy), the GX100 outer shell material isn't specified and is finished with a smooth silky matt surface instead of stippled paint. The placement of all the controls on the GX100 more or less replicate those on the GRD and the body dimensions are so close, it seems likely the same shell materials are used, especiallly as the GX model type has a sharply cut and brushed white metal surface. At any rate, the finish seems to take knocks and abrasions well although there is no automatic protective cover for the wide maximum aperture lens when the camera is turned off.



The extra few millimeters added to the body length of the GX100 has enabled the designers to fit another function button on the top plate, moving the pop-up flash from the left hand side (on the GRD) to on-lens axis, on an ingeniously devised hinged bracket surrounding the accessory shoe. The right hand side hand-grip is also deeper than on the GRD, enabling a couple of millimeters spacing to be added to the position of the front control wheel, making it easier to access.



Attending the HP (Hewlett-Packard) Labs 10th anniversary in Lisbon recently, provided a good opportunity to thrash the GX100. By attaching a long lanyard on a swivel screwed into the camera's base tripod socket, I could wear it in the same way as the (compulsory) HP i.d. tags, thus having it to hand for what ever motif opportunity arose; plenty did.



With the power cut-off set to 5 minutes and random but fairly frequent use through each day and at evening events, a single overnight battery charge provided more than sufficient power. I only noticed the indicator running down to orange levels (battery about to expire or in need of instant charge.) on one late night occasion. Spares are available (also the same size and specs as for the Panasonic FX3.) on the web at very reasonable prices.

I still have some review way to go with this camera. It's plus points thus far are the way it feels in the hand, ease of use (apart from the shutter timing adjustment wheel which also has a second function by pressing of instantly accessing white balance or ISO settings and which needs some modification to make both functions more positive.), excellent Adobe RGB and sRGB colour palette and for its sensor diode size and A-D signal processing, a good level of detail resolving ability, marginally better perhaps, than film users might expect to obtain from a half frame stills camera with Plus-X or Kodak Gold Select 100 colour negative but with a similar level of noise at higher sensitivity settings.



The increasing use of images across all sorts of media obtained with small compact digital and phone cameras makes owning one of these devices almost mandatory in the freelance tool-kit; there is no longer an excuse for not carrying a camera of some description when the heavy weight arsenal for want of social politics (or other spurious reasons) needs to be left in the locker. The GX100 fits easily in a shirt pocket.



However, like a lot of the type, including the LX2 (and Leica D-Lux 3.), lens geometry at the wider end on the Caplio GX100 is, to be generous, pretty bad. Architectural motifs made in the conventional manner (levelling the camera), display severe barrel distortion. The more confused scene will benefit, but it rules out using the camera for many motifs where straight lines are important to the resulting image.



Considering the advance in the developments of lens design in the past 100 years, it seems totally unacceptable to me that camera manufacturers, whoever they may be, should be allowed to get away with this kind of, in market speak, 'trade-off', where the functions and features of the device are hyped over and above ultimate image quality. The GX100 would be highly recommendable, were it not for this major let down (and no, I do not see why I should have to use yet another piece of software to make geometric corrections.). This observation not withstanding, it is the way things are going and we will see more of it in future generations of small cameras featuring flexible polymer lenses with better or worse corrective and user-suggested-complexion-picker in-camera firmware.



For the moment, there may only be a short way to go before the first of these devices hits the shelves. In the meantime, I still want a very small and highly featured pocketable digital compact camera which fits all my ideals using currrent technology, so I will continue to harrass Panasonic and Leica et al for that and in the meantime most likely bite the bullet on one of the Ricoh's.



For further info from Ricoh see -

http://blog.ricoh.co.jp/GR/archives/ttcaplio_gx100/

http://www.ricoh.com/r_dc/caplio/gx100/

to be continued.

ends.

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www.ajaxnetphoto.blogspot.com 2007.
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