14 DAY TRIAL // As was anticipated yesterday, Pentax has rolled out into the wild the brand new XG-1 camera. The device comes to replace the X-5 superzoom model, which saw the light of day back at 2012.
The XG-1 comes packing a 52x optical zoom lens and boasts a small, compact body, which is easily carried around.
Ricoh claims the XG-1 is a versatile, all-purpose bridge camera and should appeal to those just starting out in the field of photography and who are looking to upgrade from a compact camera.
The device might prove to be quite handy if you like to photograph family, friends and pets, but won’t disappoint you if you take it out for a spin into nature. The XG-1’s 1cm-from-lens macro mode will enable you to easily shoot close-ups too.
The camera’s lens starts at 24mm wide-angle and goes all the way to super-telephoto 1248mm (f/2.8-5.6). The sensor inside the XG-1 is a 16megapixel, 1/2.3-inch back-illuminated CMOS sensor that can shoot ISO 100-3200.
Ricoh’s new device takes advantage of sensor-based Shake Reduction, which should translate into photographers being able to shoot clear images with no blur insight.
You’ll be able to have your choice between three modes, including the standard continuous 9fps, high-speed at 30fps (4MP in 2304 x 1728 pixels) and ultra-high speed at 60fps (VGA format in 640 x 480 pixels).
What’s more, Ricoh claims the XG-1 will be able to keep moving subject in focus at such high speed, thanks to its Auto Tracking AF. This remains to be seen, as a lot of device makers tend to make bold claims when they launch a product.
On the back of the camera lives a 3-inch 200k-dot LCD monitor, which will display images from multiple angles during composition.
Full HD video recording is also made possible and users have a choice of digital filters (white or black) at their disposal. The X-G1 also takes advantage of a range of pre-set shooting modes, including Program, Face Beautifier and Scene Mode.
One negative point is the X-G1 doesn’t come with in-built Wi-Fi connectivity, but there is a solution to this problem. Users can add Wi-Fi cards, thus bringing this particular functionality to the camera.
If you fancy the camera we have outlined above, you should know BHPhotoVideo is the authorized seller for the new product. Interested parties can place a pre-order with the online retailer, with expected shipping outs starting in August. The X-G1 sells for $399 / €292 a pop.
