Ricoh 500SE Digital Camera Review
This new dig cam is enabled with Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, and GPS capabilities.
Jan 21, 2007
It can be hard out there for an adventure-oriented gearhead. You want to travel to distant lands, explore new places, take high quality photos and not get hopelessly lost, but you also want to have on you your laptop, PDA, handheld GPS, digital camera...At this rate, your backpack will be stuffed before you even pack your toothbrush. What's a techie to do?
One recommendation is to buy highly rated portable multipurpose gadgets. A new high-tech gadget for mapping professionals is the Ricoh 500SE Digital Camera with Bluetooth, Wi-fi and GPS capabilities. That's quite a lot, for a digital camera.
What I like about the Ricoh 500SE Digital Camera
- The durable Ricoh 500SE is dust-resistant, waterproof and shockproof: It should hold up to the kind of abuse you'd expect from a real rugged outdoor adventure seeker - or the clumsiness of some less than graceful gearheads out there.
- According to Ricoh, this GPS ready dig cam has a 3x optical zoom, and photos have an 8 megapixel resolution. Pictures and video taken with the Ricoh 500SE are sharp and high quality. 8 megapixels really provides for high resolution.
- Because it's intended for outdoor use, the camera shake blur reduction is important; it operates by combining high ISO settings with fast shutter speeds. Its multipurpose apps are self-evident: The GPS instantly records the global position in which photos are taken. Very useful!
- Outdoor location-based photography is a niche market, but for those of you who need WAAS-specific positioning, the preloaded, integrated GPS can simplify your work. For digital photography fangeeks, the ability to tag photos with GPS coordinates may be reason enough to buy this new rugged multipurpose gadget.
- The Ricoh 500SE has fast wireless digital transfer of photos, from camera to other mobile devices, via Bluetooth radio support. These Bluetooth capable dig cams also accept new wireless transmission data from external Bluetooth enabled GPS devices. The Wi-fi version also transfers images quickly and easily, but you have to be sure to buy the Wi-fi version.
- Downloading digital images to your laptop or home computer is a snap - as it should be for all newer gadgets and operating systems. The Ricoh is Microsoft and Mac capable.
What I don't like about the Ricoh 500SE Digital Camera
- I'm not sure I like the look of its large buttons (reminds me of a preschool toy phone, albeit with no Elmo voice recording). This design is intended for ease of use while wearing gloves. Makes sense, but it cuts down on the eye candy factor.
- Ricoh is proud of the "large" 2.5 inch LCD screen, however, Sony Cybershots from the DSC-H5 on up have 3 inch screens. In 2007, a 2.5 inch screen just isn't that big a deal, anymore.
- This is one of the heaviest newer model digital cameras on the market. The durable, rugged casing is a big factor here.
- No doubt about it, this is a luxury item. I couldn't find it online for less than around a thousand bucks. One website has the Ricoh 500SE bundled with a 1GB Secure Digital Card and camera bag for around $1212, and that's when you use your own Bluetooth enabled handheld GPS. Upgrade to the GPS bundled in, and we're talking at least $1300.
What, no text messaging? Kidding. This is a serious dig cam, for serious users. Mapping professionals who work with geospacial technologies should be very happy with it. What to watch for: Battery drainage. GPS chips in cell phones drain their batteries in short order, and I'm curious about how the GPS chip will in turn affect the dig cam's battery life. Also, depending on where on the camera's frame it's mounted on, the GPS may take longer than, say, a Garmin handheld GPS to get a fix.
Gearheads and techies likely already have at least one portable GPS, but a big reason for buying this new digital camera is to cut down on the gadgets cluttering up you backpack, or Closet of Shame. Now, if you like to splurge on collecting new high-tech gadgets and gizmos, then this will help meet your goal. But the Ricoh 500SE really is a useful multipurpose camera. If you don't already have a portable GPS, money is no object, and you're thinking of upgrading from your current digital camera, then I recommend this durable new contender.
Related, on Suite 101:
Blackberry Pearl PDA Product Review
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