Another Rough-and-Tough Digicam Debuts

Theresa Stone

Ricoh announced a new camera line, the PX series, which the company says resists water, dirt, and being dropped from as high as 1.5 meters. Other than that, the first model in the series has pretty standard specs: 16MP sensor, 28-140mm lens with 5x optical zoom, and the ability to shoot HD video as well as still photos. The Ricoh PX captures 1280 × 720 videos at 30 frames per second.
Ricoh has tested the camera underwater and says you’ll have no trouble with shoots as long as 60 minutes and as deep as three meters. For added protection on dry land, you may opt for a “protective jacket”, which comes in several colors. The camera itself is available in black, silver, and bright green.
This is not the camera for photographers who enjoy exercising manual control. It’s a mode-driven camera, with choices such as “Cooking,” “Sweets,” “Beach,” “Snow,” “Party”, and “Soft focus”.
Ricoh has not yet announced pricing or an availability date.