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Ricoh RDC-7 A 3 megapixel "Image Capturing Device" for mobile professionals with some unusual capabilities! Select a topic 13. Reference: Datasheet 14. RDC-7 Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index (Next): Executive Overview>> Page 1:Intro and Highlights Review First Posted: 8/2/2000

	*	3.3 megapixel CCD for sharp 2048x1536 images
	*	Double-exposure "PRO" mode provides ~7 megapixel effective resolution(!)
	*	3x optical zoom lens
	*	Sound and movie recording
	*	Very sleek & compact for on-the-go professionals

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Manufacturer Overview
Thus far, Ricoh has been one of the lesser-known players in digital photography, although their cameras have consistently shown innovative features and excellent price/performance value. Way back in the very early days of consumer digicams, Ricoh's first model the RDC-1 introduced the then-revolutionary concept of a digital still camera that could also capture sound-and-video movies. With the RDC-7, Ricoh has returned to those roots, producing an unusually flexible "Image Capturing Device" as they term it that is not only a very capable 3.3 megapixel digital still camera, but which can also record high-quality "QVGA" (320x240) QuickTime movies with sound, or act as a pure audio recorder. A very unusual "PRO" resolution mode snaps two pictures in quick succession to effectively double the camera's resolution, producing very high resolution images of stationary objects. Finally, a pure black & white "text mode" is one of the most effective such features we've yet seen on a digicam, very compactly storing images of printed text at high enough resolution to actually be usable for OCR (Optical Character Resolution) input. Overall, the RDC-7 is very interesting in that it is clearly aimed at the "mobile professional" rather than the traditional shutterbug, and we think it meets the needs of that market admirably.


Highlights

• 3.3 megapixel CCD delivering up to 2048x1536 pixel images
• Special "Pro" resolution mode doubles effective CCD pixel count, produces 3072 x 2304 pixel images.
• 2.0 inch TFT, color LCD monitor (200,640 pixels).
• 3x, 7.3 to 21.9 mm lens (equivalent to a 35 to 105 mm lens on a 35mm camera).
• Automatic and manual focus options.
• Maximum aperture of f/2.6 to f/3.4, depending on lens zoom setting.
• Shutter speeds from eight to 1/1,000 seconds. (Actually to 1/2,000 in our tests)
• Program AE, Movie, Continuous, Interval and Time Exposure modes.
• Built-in flash with five operating modes.
• User adjustable white balance with five settings.
• JPEG and uncompressed TIFF file formats.
• Image capture on 8MB of memory built into the camera, with slot for SmartMedia expansion memory.
• NTSC and PAL video formats.
• USB and PC serial cables for connecting to a computer.
• Extensive complement of imaging software for Windows and Macintosh operating systems.
• Rechargeable lithium battery pack, battery charger included.