Ricoh WG-M1: a rugged camera built for adventure
Many digital cameras of late have touted high-end, and some mid-range, features, but almost all of them, though designed for performance, are more or less delicate pieces of machinery. But what if needed one that could not only perform well enough but also survive extreme conditions? Then you might want to feast your eyes on the WG-M1, Ricoh's latest Extreme model built to be as rugged as you might be.
In the photography department, the Ricoh WG-M1 might not stand up to the higher-end but will still pass for a decent digital shooter. It sports a 14.0 megapixel CMOS sensor and is capable of burst mode speeds of 10 images per second. Its lens boasts of an ultra wide angle, up to a maximum of 160 degrees, capable of four angle-of-view settings, including Wide, Medium, Narrow, and Underwater. The camera is capable of recording video in 1920x1080 Full HD resolution at 30 fps but it can also do high-speed recording at 120 fps though limited to a smaller 848x480 resolution and without sound.
This camera's selling point, however, will always be its ruggedness. For waterproofing, it boasts of IPX8/JIS Class 8 rating, which means it can survive a watery depth of 10 meters or 32 feet. Not only does it survive, it is, in fact, actually usable underwater, as one of its view angle options indicates. It is also shockproof and can survive a fall from a height of 2 meters or 6 feet. It is can also stand extremely cold temperatures down to -10°C. Despite its ruggedness, however, it doesn't lose its portability. The WG-M1 was designed in such a way that you will not need protective shells or cases just to get the aforementioned rugged features. It also possesses large control buttons so that you can comfortably operate the camera even when wearing gloves.
On the more digital aspects, the Ricoh WG-M1, it has 1.5-inch LCD monitor and built-in WiFi. The latter can be used for the usual connection with smartphones and tablets, allowing these mobile devices to act as remote controls for the camera. That WiFi can also be used for easy transfer of recorded images and videos from camera to phone for easier upload to social networking sites and saving on storage. That storage can either be a regular micro SD card or a higher capacity micro SDHC. The camera features several software options like "Motion Detection" which automatically triggers the shutter or video recording when movement is detected in the image frame, or "Loop Recording", which continuously records videos while simultaneously saving it to file in five or 10 minute intervals.
The Ricoh WG-M1 will be available from Ricoh's online store in the US other retailers around the world starting October. It will also a price tag of $299.95.
SOURCE: Ricoh