$999
Accessories: DW-6 wide angle lens $168, Ha-2 hood and adapter $68
Get it from authorised dealers

One has to admire Ricoh's ability to produce some interesting and capable cameras for the prosumer market. Building on the success of last year's GR Digital, Ricoh now has the Caplio GX100.

At first glance, the GX100 has not changed much from the GR Digital in terms of physical dimensions. What has changed dramatically is the placement of the flash.

Unlike other point-and-shoot cameras, Ricoh's G series has adopted a pop-up flash mechanism to house its flash so that you don't inadvertently cover it when you hold the camera. The grip is comfortable, thanks to the well spread out buttons within reach of my thumb and forefinger.

To keep the GX100 small and compact, there is no electronic view finder (EVF). Instead, Ricoh has provided a box-like attachment to the camera that allows shot composition under harsh sunlight conditions that might otherwise overwhelm the LCD screen. Together with the pop-up flash housed just above the lens, the whole camera looks like a shrunken digital SLR.

On to the essentials - camera controls and image quality. The GX100 gives full control with aperture, shutter and manual settings for various shooting conditions and is armed with a fast 3X zoom lens of F2.5-4.4 rating to allow more light to be recorded by the sensor.

The camera comes with a hot-shoe for third-party flash units.

The Caplio GX100 produces photos that are nothing short of stunning with superb skin tone capture, bright colours and well-exposed pictures.

FINAL SAY

If you want better camera controls and can live with bulky cameras, any DSLR will do; otherwise get the Caplio GX100 that does not take up much luggage space.