Build and handling
Ricoh’s history in producing high-quality compact cameras, such as the GR series, continues with the CX3. Its predecessor, the CX2, was a camera of real beauty, classic style and substance, so Ricoh is following the ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ mantra, with virtually no changes to the ergonomics of the CX3.
The thumb pad on the back and the textured front on the right-hand side allow the camera to rest securely and comfortably in your hand. Ricoh’s original retracting lens system fits the high-magnification 28-300mm (equivalent), 10.7x optical zoom lens in a modest 29.4mm deep body, which means the CX3 will fit comfortably in a pocket.
In the absence of a viewfinder there is a bright, 920,000-dot resolution LCD screen with anti-reflective finish, so viewing from a wide range of angles in strong daylight is possible. When examining pictures there is the function to flag up to 20 images, which is useful for quick viewing.
Handy features that remain from the previous model include approximately five frames per second, multi-target AF and manual focus, which is particularly useful when used in the 1cm macro setting.
Shooting modes include the in-vogue ‘miniature’ effect that blurs the top and bottom of an image and can be adjusted manually. It gives a ‘toy-town’ effect and best results are achieved from a high vantage point.
The new ‘pets’ mode is virtually identical to the ‘discreet’ mode and removes any audible noises, flash and AF auxiliary light from the camera that may startle an animal or give you away in an environment such as a gallery (not that I have ever taken photographs in a gallery, honest).
