Inside Story

“More than ever before, the CX4 expands
the range of scenes the photographer can
capture. E(Takashi Arai)

Have you see the CX4 edition of the Ricoh TV commercials created with a theme of “Transforming love into quality. EHolding the CX4, actor Osamu Mukai suggests, “Change your angle and see a new you. EAs befits this suggestion, the CX4 is a camera that provides everyday enjoyment of photography from a new angle.

CX4 CM page (Japanese)

A product planning leader for the Ricoh CX Series since the CX2 model, Personal Multimedia Company Planning Office member Takashi Arai explained, “In the CX Series, we have always focused on ‘expanding the range of shooting, Ebut with the CX4 we also put especially strong emphasis on ‘expanding the range of expression. E E/p>

For example, with the new  Eubject tracking AF Efunction, you focus on the subject once and the CX4 then tracks the subject’s movement, keeping it in focus.

The below photo was taken with subject tracking AF. It naturally captures the scene of the subject walking. In the past this kind of scene was difficult to shoot with the series of operations that included first focusing with the subject in the center and then following the subject’s movement with the shutter-release button pushed half way and finally taking the picture. “I think this function is a perfect fit for the CX4 concept of capturing as is just the moment you want to photograph, Esaid Arai. “The CX4’s enhanced image stabilization function also brings new possibilities for photo expression. E/p>

“We have achieved an image stabilization effect equivalent to approximately 3.7 shutter-speed stops so the photographer can pursue the subject without worrying about hand-motion blur, EArai explained. “One stop Eis equal to one EV* (exposure value) unit. When shooting indoors, at dusk, and in other situations with an inadequate level of ambient light, it is relatively easy for hand-motion blur to occur because exposure times are long. “Compared to the CX3, the CX4 achieves blur-reduction effects even at shutter speeds that are three times longer. Reducing the hand-motion blur that is particularly common in telephoto and macro shooting, the CX4 enables the photographer to shoot sharp images that could not captured until now, Esaid Arai.

• * EV = Exposure Value. When the aperture is F1 and the exposure time is 1 second, the exposure value is EV0 (zero).

Of course, exhaustive attention has been given to the basic capability sought in a camera: image quality. In high-sensitivity shooting, both the previous CX3 model and the CX4 are able to produce beautiful low-noise images while retaining fine details and smooth tone gradations.

The image below was praised as follows: “While it is shot with a high-sensitivity setting and mixes both bright and dark areas, the latitude (range of exposure that can be reproduced) is wide and the gradations in shadow areas are particularly smooth and beautiful. E “Ricoh’s goal for image quality is ‘pure image quality, true to what is perceived by the naked eye,’ Esaid Arai, adding “A major feature of the CX4 is the way that it simultaneously expands the fun of expressing yourself with photographs. ESo what is this “fun E

Photo taken with CX4
f=35mm 1/90sec F4.0 ISO1600 EV±0 WB: Fluorescent