Ricoh WG-5 GPS Rugged Camera Announced

Ricoh has introduced the WG-5 GPS rugged compact system camera.

The brand-new Ricoh WG-5 GPS is designed to be waterproof to a depth of 14 metres, shockproof against falls from heights of 2.2 metres, and cold-resistant to temperatures to as low as -10°C. The WG-5 uses a 16MP BSI CMOS sensor, a 25-100mm equivalent zoom lens and as its name suggests, built-in GPS.

New to this model is an updated ‘Mermaid‘ underwater mode feature called Flash Off + Flash On which records two images with one shutter press – one with flash and one without. The camera’s 3″ LCD offers a wider 16:9 format, and interval shooting options have been expanded in still and video modes.

Ricoh WG-5 GPS rugged camera launched with Mermaid mode

Ricoh WG-5 GPS Rugged Camera Price and Availability

The Ricoh WG-5 GPS will be available in March for $379.95 / £259.99. The new Ricoh WG-5 GPS’s exterior design is easy-to-hold owing to it’s non-slip body, and comes in a a choice of two colours – orange and gun metallic.

Ricoh WG-5 GPS Rugged Camera Features

• Six LED macro lights surround the lens to produce brighter, more even lighting when working with close-up subjects.
• A 3.0″ 460k-dot LCD monitor provides a large, bright means for live view monitoring, image review, and menu navigation. Its wide viewing angle of 170° supports easier use from both high and low working angles.
• A 9-point contrast detection focusing system provides quick and accurate focusing performance and is also capable of detecting subject’s faces using Smile Capture, Blink Detection, Self Portrait Assist, Self Portrait Assist + Smile Capture, and Pet Recognition settings.
• The processing engine contributes to a fast shutter lag time of 0.016 sec. and a startup time of 1.8 sec.
• Interval shooting modes allow you to record a series of exposures at pre-determined intervals for producing time-lapse imagery.
• In-camera HDR imaging combines three captured images at once and blends them to realize extended shadow and highlight detail. Additionally, an HDR playback filter can be used to simulate the HDR effect.
• Including Shutter Priority and USER modes, 29 different shooting modes are available to creatively enhance the look and feel of imagery.
• A series of playback modes, effects, and filters can be used to further refine the look of images post-capture: Image Rotation, Small Face Filter, Ink Rubbing Filter, Collage, Digital Filter(B&W/Sepia, Toy Camera, Retro, Color, Extract Color, Color Emphasis, High Contrast, Starburst, Soft, Fish-eye, Digital filters (playback): (B&W, Sepia, Toy Camera, Retro, Color, Color Extract, Color Emphasis, High Contrast, Starburst, Soft, Fisheye, Brightness, Miniature), HDR Filter, Original Frame, Movie Edit, Red-Eye Edit, Resize, and Cropping.
• Language support: English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Dutch, Danish, Swedish, Finnish, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Turkish, Greek, and Russian.

RICOH WG-5 GPS

Top-of-the-range waterproof digital compact camera, providing 14-metre underwater shooting, advanced GPS functions and enhanced shockproof performance

The latest ultra-rugged, outdoor camera to join the RICOH series is here!  RICOH IMAGING EUROPE S.A.S. is pleased to announce the launch of the RICOH WG-5 GPS, digital compact camera, which boasts outstanding waterproof capability, advanced GPS functions and the best shock-resistant performance in the RICOH digital compact camera lineup.

The latest high-end model in RICOH’s waterproof digital compact camera line up, the RICOH WG-5 GPS is designed to be waterproof to a depth of 14 metres, shockproof against falls from heights of 2.2 metres, and cold-resistant to temperatures to as low as -10°C. Thanks to the combination of a large-aperture, four-times optical zoom lens with a maximum aperture of F2.0 and a highly sensitive, back-illuminated CMOS image sensor, it delivers high-quality, noise-free images, even when shooting poorly illuminated subjects like underwater scenes, nightscapes and indoor sports events.

This model also includes several new features to enhance photographic creativity, including scene-specific optimisation of white balance; a flash mode dedicated to the Mermaid shooting mode; and Vibrant and Reversal Film finishing. Its basic specifications are solid and dependable, thanks to advanced features like dual anti-shake protection, Full HD movie recording (1920 x 1080 pixels), and a 3.0-inch, wide-frame LCD monitor. The WG-5 GPS also comes equipped with a GPS unit to record position data and travel log data onto captured images, a pressure/altitude/depth gauge and digital compass.

The WG-5 GPS’s exterior design is easy-to-hold owing to it’s non-slip body, and comes in a a choice of two colours – orange and gun metallic.

Main Features

1. Heavy-duty construction for underwater shooting down to 14 metres deep, for up to two continuous hours:The solid, airtight body of the WG-5 GPS is not only waterproof to a depth of 14 metres for up to two hours of continuous operation (equivalent to IPX 8 or JIS Class 8), but also shockproof against a fall from heights of 2.2 metres,* dustproof (equivalent to IPX 6 or JIS Class 6), cold-resistant to temperatures as low as -10°C, and crushproof against weights up to 100kgf (kilogram force).** This dependable, heavy-duty construction meansthe WG-5 GPS performs superbly and dependably in harsh, demanding outdoor conditions.

* Measured under RICOH IMAGING-original testing standards — from a height of 2.2 meters, onto a surface of 5cm-thick plywood — conforming to Method 516.5-Shock of the MIL-Standard 810F.

** Measured under RICOH IMAGING-original testing standards. 

2. Exceptional image description, thanks to a large-aperture zoom lens and the latest imaging technologies: Equipped with a bright zoom lens with a maximum aperture of F2.0 at its wide-angle end, the WG-5 GPS produces beautiful, noise-free images. With its four-times optical zoom coverage from 4.5mm to 18mm (equivalent to approximately 25mm to 100mm in the 35mm format), this versatile zoom lens accommodates a wide range of photography, from macro shooting of flowers to wide-angle photography of sweeping landscapes.

3. High-quality image reproduction: The WG-5 GPS features a state-of-the-art, back-illuminated CMOS image sensor, which excels in high-sensitivity and low-noise characteristics. Coupled with a high-performance imaging engine, its image sensor delivers a top sensitivity of ISO 6400 and super-high-resolution images with approximately 16.0 effective megapixels. The WG-5 GPS also provides advanced image processing functions, to guarantee sharp, clear, high-resolution images. It also includes innovative features like Handheld Night Snap mode, which automatically captures several images of the same nighttime scene and produces a single blur-free composite image from them. When shooting in the Landscape scene mode, it is also programmed to optimise the white balance to depict woods and forests in brilliant shades of green.

4. A comprehensive selection of underwater shooting modes: The WG-5 GPS is programmed to reproduce vivid shades of red, which are often lost in underwater photography, by optimising the colour and contrast of images recorded underwater in the Mermaid and Mermaid Movie modes using actual image data of those underwater scenes. It is also designed to produce sharp, clear images by compensating for the degradation of contrast caused by the diffusion of light in the water. The aperture and shutter-speed regulation has also been reviewed to minimise camera shake in underwater shooting. In the Mermaid mode, a (Flash Off + Flash On) mode has been added to the list of flash modes to consecutively capture two images of the same scene — one without a flash illumination and another with it — with a single shutter release.

5. Dual anti-shake protection for sharp, blur-free images: The WG-5 GPS’s dual anti-shake protection system combines an image-sensor-shift-type SR (Shake Reduction) mechanism with a Digital SR mode to more compensate for camera shake and subject shake in shake-prone conditions, such as when photographing a poorly lit subject using ambient light only, or when shooting sunset scenes.

6. Six Macro Lights to assist close-up shooting: With six LED Macro Lights positioned around the circumference of the lens barrel for macro shooting, the WG-5 GPS provides bright, uniform illumination on the subject when the Digital Microscope mode is selected.*** Thanks to these Macro Lights, the user can clearly see on the camera’s LCD monitor a magnified view of the microscopic world undetectable by the naked eye, and effortlessly capture it in beautifully illuminated, eye-catching images. In order to minimise camera shake and subject shake, the instant illumination enhance function allows for the use of a higher shutter speed by automatically raising the illumination level of the Macro Lights at the moment of shutter release. The Macro Lights also provide other useful functions, such as Self-Portrait Assist mode, which uses the blink of an LED lamp to check if the subject’s face is captured within the picture frame, and the LED Lighting mode that uses the Macro Lights as a lighting device in the dark.

*** When this mode is selected, the recorded size is fixed at 2.0 megapixels (at 16:9 proportions).

7. Full HD movie recording for extended shooting of high-quality movies: The WG-5 GPS provides Full HD movie recording in the H.264 recording format, allowing the user to capture high-quality, extended movie clips (1920 x 1080 pixels, 16:9 proportions) at a frame rate of 30 frames per second. It also provides such creative movie-shooting tools as a high-speed camera function**** for slow-motion playback of captured movie clips, and a fast-forward movie function.***** A micro-HDMI terminal (Type D) is also provided on the camera body for simultaneous output of Full HD movie clips and sound to external audio-visual devices.

**** When this function is selected, the recorded size is fixed at 1280 x 720 pixels.

***** When this function is selected, the recorded size is fixed at 640 x 360 pixels. 

8. 3.0-inch, wide-frame LCD monitor for wide-angle viewing: The WG-5 GPS comes equipped with a large, 3.0-inch LCD monitor with horizontally extended 16:9 proportions. Its wide-view design provides a clear view of an on-screen image from approximately 170 degrees horizontally and vertically, making it possible to check the image from different angles. Its AR (Anti-Reflection) coating minimises annoying glare and reflections to ensure a sharp, clear on-screen image even under the harsh sunshine often found in outdoor shooting.

9. GPS functions, pressure/altitude/depth gauge and digital compass to facilitate outdoor shooting: The WG-5 GPS has a built-in GPS module, which automatically records position data and travel log data onto captured images and adjusts the built-in clock to local time. Its pressure sensor and digital compass also allow the user to check the data of a shooting location (pressure, altitude/underwater depth, and direction) on the camera’s LCD monitor.

10. Other features

• The addition of Vibrant and Reversal Film finishing touches, which are popular among PENTAX digital SLR camera users
• Two remote control receptors to widen signal coverage
• Digital level to check the camera’s horizontal/vertical inclination
• 12 digital filters
• Compatibility with Eye-Fi wireless LAN SD memory cards
• Carabineer strap (included) for hooking the camera to a backpack or other outdoor gear
• O-CC1352 Protector Jacket (optional accessory) to protect the camera from scratches and dirt
• O-CC135 Camera Case with belt loop (optional accessory)
• O-ST1352 Float Strap (optional accessory) to prevent the loss of the camera in the water
• O-LA135 Lens Adapter (optional accessory) to broaden the wide-angle coverage to approximately 20mm in the 35mm format using the DW-5 Wide Conversion Lens (optional accessory)

RRP: £259.99