Ricoh CX1 - Multi Target AF

Other than the DR mode, the CX1 has a few other unique and interesting features. In this last part I will look closer at the 'Multi Target AF'.

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Ricoh CX1 - DR Mode

One of the main standout features of the Ricoh CX1 is the DR Mode. Small sensors have two major shortcomings when compared with larger sensors found in dSLRs. The first is the noise, which is often smeared away by the in-camera noise reduction, the second is the limited dynamic range, this is more difficult to hide or fix in-camera.



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Yellow Roses

CX1, f4.4, 1/380, ISO 80, JPG, 66mm

There is something about the color yellow recently when I take macro pictures, I have quite a lot of yellow flowers or roses. While this is yet another flower macro it is something the CX1 is very good at.

Another reminder about the Ricohforum meetup tomorrow, hope to see some of you there.

500th Post :-)

CX1, f3.3, 1/32, ISO 1600, JPG, 28mm

Today, I reached my 500th post on my blog. I would not have thought I will get to 500 posts and certainly not by posting every day.

It was great so far and since starting the blog a lot has happened. I met some great people and fellow bloggers (see blogroll), have met some great people from Ricoh at Photokina 2008 and other occasions, had a factory tour kindly arranged by Ricoh and organized not one but two unofficial and one official Ricoh meet-ups in London and another one is coming up in just two days, I even started to write my own reviews about Ricoh cameras and accessories.

I really enjoy posting here and the comments I have recieved from people, both on the blog and via email, are what keep me going so thanks to all of you.

Everything started with the Ricoh GRD, that I carried around every day and just needed a reason to make use of it every day. This blog provides me with a very good reason to keep taking pictures and post here every day.

Yellow Flower

CX1, f4.8, 1/160, ISO 109, JPG, 177mm

I have been out during lunch and after work to take some pictures in order to update my CX1 Review Diary. I took a lot of macro pictures and used the continuous and DR modes. I will have more updates up soon.
The quality of the CX1 is great if only Ricoh could fix the excessive noise reduction or maybe add RAW, it would be so much better.
This is my favorite picture from today. I am not a great macro photographer but having seen a lot of nice macro pictures taken with the CX1, I thought I give it a try and see what I can get out of it.

Walking by the Fire

CX1, f5.2, 1/620, ISO 80, JPG, 200mm

On my way home I walked past a group of kids who were very excited about what they have done. It became clear o me after walking a few meters what exactly it was. They set fire to dry gras next to a path through Mudchute Farm.
I took this picture with the CX1 and found it quite funny that there were three people standing around or walking past and the only thing one of them did was to call the police. None of them actually thought of just putting out the fire which could not have been very big at that time. I did step on it and put a part of it out while walking past, the rest became too big by the time I got there and I was not dressed for putting out fires.

Helicopter Flying

CX1, f9.4, 1/1600, ISO 400, JPG, 200mm

The weather was great today, one of the best days this year. I spent is mostly in the sun relaxing and taking some pictures in between. This is the one I like most, it was taken using the continuous mode of the CX1.

As a reminder the 2nd Ricohforum meetup will be on next Saturday the 6th at 10pm. We will have two Ricoh representatives joining us this time and have prepared a walk to take pictures and more.

Snapshot or More?

CX1, f6.6, 1/810, ISO 80, JPG, 66mm

Today's picture is a simple snapshot, something people might take with the CX1. It is nothing special and I did not spend too much thought on it. Now what if you take a boring snapshot and process it, can it become interesting? This was the question I asked myself and decided to find out.
I took this picture while walking by and while it is a pretty boring picture by itself, I have tried to find out if processing it changes that. I wanted to give it a very processed look, almost Lomo like but still different. What do you think of this? Is it a interesting picture or does it remain a boring picture and can (over-)processing an image turn a simple snapshot into something more interesting or will it always be a simple snapshot?
One thing the processing does however is make this picture 3x bigger than the original size. I don't understand why some people say you can only really process RAW files, JPGs can be very flexible and you can push the files a lot.

Rays Through The Clouds

CX1, f6.2, 1/850, ISO 80, JPG, 200mm

I took this picture while having a drink in a pub near the heath. When I saw the rays coming through the clouds I thought it would make a very good picture. I really like the result but I had to use Photoshop to increase the contrast and brighten the shadows a bit.

PCSOs At Work

CX1, f7.2, 1/620, ISO 80, JPG, 105mm

Took this while out for lunch, it was a try at street photography in Canary Wharf. I find it more difficult here since people are closer together and there is not much space for interesting compositions.

Pick Up

CX1, f6.2, 1/870, ISO 400, JPG, 200mm

I do not like Canary Wharf that much, it is too artificial and too busy during the week. Going out for lunch is not very nice since everywhere it's packed and quite expensive compared with the city. The nice thing however is taht there are always performances and other events during the summer months so you can get some entertainment while having lunch.

Downhill

CX1, f5.8, 1/760, ISO 80, JPG, 177mm

Since moving to Canary Wharf I did not take that many pictures during lunch as I did in the City. It is not quite as inspiring a place so far, although I need to try taking some architecture shots. It provides me with the opportunity to spend more time in Greenwich Park however so this is why I have been taking quite a few of my recent pictures there.

Stairs

CX1, f3.3, 1/30, ISO 322, JPG b&w, 28mm

Took this picture in Westminster station, I really like the design of it and it does make for some nice pictures. It is worth taking some pictures if your there even if people give you suspicious looks ;).
I have added somenoise and boosted the contrast to get this look, the original JPGs from the CX1 are a bit flat and look 'digital'.

Sunday Afternoon Game

CX1, f4.5, 1/620, ISO 80, JPG, 74mm

Sometimes photography is 'only' about being in the right place at the right time and having a camera ready. This picture is one such an example. I am glad I had the CX1 with me and that it was ready to take the picture fast, only a split second later and the light was gone.
The CX1 captured the light and colors prefectly. This is taken in the normal mode and not using the DR mode, still the dynamic range is pretty good.
Still, looking at this picture I no doubt wish that the CX1 would offer a RAW mode or less processed JPGs, too much noise reduction is being appilied and Ricoh really needs to sort this out.

1:15pm at St. Pancras

CX1, f4.4, 1/70, ISO 141, JPG b&w

The 2nd Ricohforum meetup is approaching fast and it's in 2 weeks. This meant I had to sort out a few last things to organize everything a bit beter. We have a photo walk planned from Kings Cross St. Pancras along the canals to Camden and then finish in Primrose Hill. Today, I had to take the walk myself to see how long it would take and what we can do along the way. It is quite a nice walk and should offer plenty of nice photographic opportunities.
I took this picture in St. Pancras International station, it is really the nicest train station in London. This is not difficult however because most stations in London look pretty shabby but it is very nice.

Two Cranes and a Spire

CX1, f4.9, 1/10, ISO 200, JPG b&w

Been a mostly grey and dull day in London today. Did not get much time for photography but managed to take this picture while waiting for the bus. I like cranes and somehow I think they fit well in front of the grey backdrop of clouds.

The Dog

CX1, f5.2, 1/190, ISO 125, JPG, 200mm

Took this picture on my way home in Greenwich Park. The dog was really interested in whatever was in the hollow tree trunk, he was sniffing around there for quite a while and constantly moved around. It was difficult to get a good shot because of the movement and I was quite far so has to zoom in all the way.

Screens

CX1, f4.4, 1/16, ISO 80, JPG, 66mm

I decided to try out the in-camera editing on the CX1. Thanks to the high screen resolution it works pretty well and especially the level compensation is helpful to get more contrast in your images. The in-camera editing options also put a different spin to the phrase "Getting it right in-camera".
While it is better to use a computer and a decent program, it it nice to be able to adjust a few things quickly after taking or while reviewing the picture. The CX1 saves a copy with your changes so you won't lose the original image and can easily experiment a bit. It is a bit like drawing sketches so that you can get a quick idea about different ways to process your image.

Ricoh CX1 - Build & Controls

Another part in my ongoing Ricoh CX1 review diary. Today, I will look at the build and external controls of the camera. At the same time I will also compare it with the Ricoh R10 and see where there have been improvements and where the R10 is better.



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The Fence

CX1, f6.5, 1/203, ISO 80, JPG b&w, 58mm

I like walking along the Thames in North Greenwich on my way home. The industrial areas are really cool and I like taking pictures there.
This picture was taken in b&w and I then applied the Auto WB in ACR, this made it look sepia. I went on and sharpened it, added vignetting, noise and a lot of contrast to it. This is how I saw the scene, with the only difference being I saw it in b&w. Unfortunatelly there are no user settings for the b&w mode on the CX1 to get more contrast in-camera, this is something I really miss having.