Ricoh is pleased to announce the release of Caplio RR10, a digital camera with a high quality 2.1 – megapixel CCD, 2X optical plus digital zoom and built-in MP3. The user-friendly Caplio RR10 comes equipped with a classy-looking cradle called “RICOH BASE,” that makes transferring images to a PC a breeze with just one click of a button. The stand-up cradle also acts as a battery re-charger that encourages users to get it to the habit of sliding Caplio RR-10 “back to its base” to ensure maximum battery the next time the camera is called into action.

Last year, Ricoh released RDC-i700, a tremendously successful flagship model targeting business users that was selected as “Invention of the Year” by the TIME magazine for its ability to capture, edit, and distribute images and text over the Internet.

Subsequently, RICOH created RDC-i500, keeping to the same communicating spirit as it had for RDC-i700, but at a more accessible price - thus setting its sights on a much broader range of personal users. Aware that the digital camera market seems to be expanding towards users with a more limited familiarity of PCs, Caplio RR10 was created and aimed to suit this needs of these people - a logical and intelligent extension for RICOH that will undoubtedly make new friends with this great compact product.

A majority of users presume that conventional digital cameras are too complicated to transfer images to a PC. To answer this distress signal, Caplio RR10 has implemented the RICOH BASE – a clever file-transferring device that’s quick and easy to use – leading the way for users to finally make the most of their captured images. “Incorporating a cool-sounding built-in MP3 Player on board the compact and stylish body, Caplio RR10 is so much more than a simple 35mm camera substitute. It’s a fun, beautiful digital camera that gives users every enjoyable reason to take it with them wherever they want to go.” Yasushi Okutsu, General Manager of Marketing Center, Personal Multimedia Company of Ricoh Company, Ltd. said. “We are confident that Caplio RR10 will be a new breed in the digital camera market.”

Main Features

RICOH BASE
This cradle makes data processing and management simple and enjoyable which helps to resolve the complicated file-transferring problem of conventional digital cameras. By simply clicking the start key on RICOH BASE, users can instantly upload files over a USB cable to their PCs while simultaneously launching the RICOH GATE software. This smart, user-friendly application automatically converts images into preset formats or sizes, stores information into desired folders and creates consecutive file names to avoid them being overwritten. Users can similarly download their favorite MP3 files with RICOH GATE with blissful ease and by clicking the start key also allows users to create email file attachments, thus making Internet communication child’s play. The attractive RICOH BASE is also couples as a battery re-charger that encourages users to get it to the habit of sliding the Caplio RR10 “back to its base” to ensure maximum battery power the next time the camera is called into action.

2.1-megapixel CCD and 2x optical zoom
The Caplio RR10 incorporates a 2.1-megapixel charge-coupled device that offers beautiful, near-print quality still resolution of up to 1,600 x 1,200 pixels. For remarkable shot composition, the camera incorporates a 2x optical zoom, equivalent to 38–76mm on a 35mm camera plus an additional 2x digital zoom delivering an impressive 4x zoom range of 152mm. Caplio RR10 can also take macros as close as 4cm (1.6 inches) which gives users the ability to reveal a subjects striking detail without sacrificing its definition. Other neat features include selectable ISO sensitivity settings equivalent to 200 and 400, white balance adjustment that’s terrific for challenging lighting conditions and a sequential shooting capability that allows the user to capture a few shots of a moving object.

MP3 Audio Player
Another great reason to take the Caplio RR10 wherever the user wants to go is by taking advantage of the built-in MP3 audio player. Through a USB interface and the super user-friendly RICOH GATE software, it’s easy for users to transfer MP3 music-files from their PCs through to the Caplio RR10. So even if the “camera functionality” is not being put to the test, one can stroll-along quite happily to the tunes being played inside.

Still, motion, text, and voice memo modes
One of the Caplio RR10’s greatest advantages is its unique multimedia versatility. Aside from its clear and wonderful image capturing capabilities, the Caplio RR10 gives the user the power of dazzling their friends by creating short movies by means of the Motion picture mode which records and plays back AVI movie clips. It’s this brilliant kind of creative freedom that allows RICOH users to sit squarely into the director’s chair. With years of industry leading document technology RICOH enables crisp capture of text in black-and-white and stills that can be also be annotated with an approximate 10 second voice stamp that helps to facilitate valuable information quickly and effortlessly.

SD memory card
RICOH employs an optional 64-megabyte “stamp size” SD memory card lets one store almost anything – from hundreds of images to a series of movie clips and cool sounding MP3 audio files. RICOH is committed to the removable and versatile SD memory card technology due its planned increases in storage capabilities and compatibility expectations in being the next generation storage tool for future mobile phones, PDAs and a variety of home digital appliances as an input/output device.

Web camera
When placed in the RICOH BASE, the Caplio RR10 can be flipped sideways for use as a web camera. Easily stay in touch with friends, family and business contacts - for Internet communication has never been so simple and enjoyable.
The new RICOH Caplio RR10 will be available in August 2001 at a price of EURO 615,00 (recommended price) from specialized dealers and stores.

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Caplio’s Concept
Under the corporate slogan “Image Communication”, Ricoh aims to provide products and services that enrich both business and personal communication by utilizing advanced digital image processing technology. By doing so, in an integrated environment users can process and manage graphics, pictures, text and figures in a manner that people can understand intuitively.

Ricoh’s digital camera is manufactured based upon this concept. Ricoh has been proposing a new style to flexibly capture image information with an ‘Image Capturing Device’ that enables users to input various kinds of image information whenever and wherever they are.