The CX2 has the same 9.29Mp CMOS sensor as the CX1 we reviewed earlier this year, but its optical zoom has been upgraded from 7.1x to 10.7x, its burst-mode upped to 5fps, and its face-recognition and auto-focus have been improved.
Ricoh has also added "High Contrast B&W" and "Miniaturize" modes. The latter blurs areas of the photo to give you that tilt-shift depth of field effect. Other key specs include a 3-inch LCD, and an ISO range from 80 to 1600.
The camera hits the UK this September for £299.99 ($500). Stay tuned for U.S. details. [Ricoh]
Tokyo, Japan, August 20, 2009-Ricoh Co., Ltd. (president and CEO: Shiro Kondo) today announced the development and release of the CX2, a new digital camera featuring a high magnification 10.7x (28-300 mm) optical wide-angle zoom lens in a compact body only 29.4 mm thick. The CX2 is capable of 5 frame/second high-speed continuous shooting of still images with the maximum number of pixels.
The new CX2 inherits many popular features from its predecessor, the CX1 (introduced March 13, 2009), such as the high image quality and expanded dynamic range made possible by image processing engine Smooth Imaging Engine IV and a high-speed image processing CMOS sensor. At the same time, it enhances functions that expand photo possibilities in a number of areas, including (1) a 10.7x optical zoom lens that expands shooting capabilities from wide-angle through telephoto range, (2) high-speed continuous shooting (approx. 5 frames/sec. at maximum number of pixels) functions so you won't miss the target scene, and (3) the easy-to-use AF functions Pre-AF and Continuous AF.
New scene modes such as "high-contrast B&W mode" and "miniaturize mode" have been added to stimulate shooting creativity, and various CX1 model functions have received enhancements, such as the addition of face recognition to easy shooting mode and the addition of an AUTO option for automatically defining the range expansion effect in dynamic range double shot mode.