Casio EX-Z280 vs Ricoh CX1: A Hands-On Compact Camera Showdown for 2024

If you’re hunting for an affordable, pocket-friendly compact camera – whether for casual snapshots, travel, or learning the ropes of photography without breaking the bank – chances are relatively unknown models like the Casio EX-Z280 and Ricoh CX1 might pop up on your radar. Both were introduced back in 2009, sporting modest specs and compact designs, but they still hold lessons for enthusiasts and collectors today about sensor tech, user ergonomics, and real-world usability.

Having tested hundreds of cameras over 15 years, including many budget compacts, I’m excited to dive deep into a side-by-side comparison of these two cameras that often fly under the radar but offer interesting contrasts. Let’s explore how each stacks up in performance, handling, and value for different photography styles and users.

First Impressions – Handling and Design Differences

Before I even shot a single frame, I paid close attention to the build, feel, and ergonomics of these two small-sensor compacts. Size and handling can make or break a camera, especially if you’re carting it everywhere or shooting street photography where discretion and speed matter.

The Casio EX-Z280 is surprisingly lightweight at just 133 grams and very slim, measuring only 97x53x20 mm, which straps nicely on your hand or slips effortlessly into pockets. Its fixed lens protrudes modestly, and the grip is minimal but serviceable for one-handed shooting.

The Ricoh CX1, while still compact, feels chunkier with 180 grams and dimensions of 102x58x28 mm. You get a more substantial grip and a sturdier feel - it’s less about being a tiny pocket rocket and more a compact you can really hold on to. Buttons are a bit larger and easier to navigate, which is a plus if you’re a bit clumsy or wear gloves.

Control-wise, both cameras keep things simple. Neither offers dedicated dials for shutter priority or aperture priority - no clubs for thumbs here - so these cameras suit point-and-shoot users or beginners who don’t want to fiddle with manual exposure modes. The Ricoh edges ahead slightly with a cleaner layout that felt more intuitive in my tests. The Casio’s controls felt a little cramped, which might annoy users with larger hands.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

At the core of any camera’s performance is its sensor. Both the EX-Z280 and CX1 use the same sensor size designation - 1/2.3-inch - but the devil is in the details.

• Casio EX-Z280: Uses a 12-megapixel CCD sensor with an effective resolution of 4000 x 3000 pixels. Max native ISO tops at 3200, though noise gets unruly past ISO 400 in practical use.
• Ricoh CX1: Houses a 9-megapixel CMOS sensor, maxing out at 3456 x 2592 pixels, with a lower max ISO of 1600 but with better noise handling due to the sensor type and Ricoh’s Smooth Imaging Engine IV processor.

Having conducted standardized test shots indoors and outdoors at various ISO settings, I discovered:

• The EX-Z280’s CCD sensor tends to produce slightly punchier colors but struggles with noise above ISO 200-400, representing an older tech hurdle CCDs faced with high ISO grain.
• The CX1’s CMOS sensor is less saturated but manages noise better at base and mid-range ISOs, producing cleaner images in low light - important for dimly lit events or evening street scenes.

Both cameras employ an anti-alias filter to avoid moiré patterns but at the cost of some resolution sharpness.

The Lenses – Zoom Range, Aperture, and Macro

Now, image quality is also heavily influenced by the quality and versatility of the lens you’re stuck with on these “fixed lens” compacts.

• EX-Z280: 26-104 mm equivalent, 4x zoom, apertures from f/2.6 (wide) to f/5.9 (telephoto)
• CX1: 28-200 mm equivalent, 7.1x zoom, apertures from f/3.3 to f/5.2

The CX1’s much longer zoom range (200mm vs 104mm) offers clear advantages for wildlife shooting, distant landscapes, and casual telephoto framing. However, at the tele end, you pay with slightly slower maximum aperture and potential image softness.

The EX-Z280’s wider aperture at the wide end (f/2.6) is beneficial for portraits or low light at short focal lengths, giving you a touch more light-gathering capability - which can help with shallower depth of field, even if these compact sensors can’t generate creamy bokeh easily.

Moreover, macro capabilities reveal a key advantage for Ricoh:

• EX-Z280 macro focusing starts at 5cm minimum
• CX1 can focus as close as 1cm - excellent for flower detail, textures, and true macro-style photography.

If you’re a macro enthusiast on a shoestring, the CX1 offers good extra flexibility.

Viewing and User Interface – Scrutinizing the LCD

Without an electronic viewfinder (EVF), the rear LCD is your window into the composition and menu navigation.

The CX1 flaunts a 3-inch, 920k-dot screen, which delivers a crisp and bright display for framing and reviewing images. The EX-Z280’s secondary 2.7-inch screen with 115k dots looks positively rudimentary in comparison - not only dimmer but also less detailed, making critical focusing and menu use harder.

In real-world use, this felt like a meaningful difference, especially outdoors in sunlight. I found myself straining to confirm focus and exposure on the Casio where the Ricoh’s screen gave confident visual feedback.

Neither has a touchscreen interface or articulated display, meaning you’ll be dealing with standard button navigation - nothing groundbreaking, but the CX1’s interface felt more responsive and thoughtfully laid out.

Autofocus and Speed – Catching the Moment

Neither camera boasts advanced autofocus features like face or eye detection, continuous AF, or tracking systems. Both rely on contrast-detection AF with a single focus point.

That said, in my testing:

• The Ricoh CX1’s autofocus was snappier and more consistent in decent light, locking focus faster and with fewer jitters.
• The Casio EX-Z280 lagged a bit, missing focus occasionally in lower light or low-contrast scenes.

Neither camera offers continuous shooting modes or high burst rates, capping their usefulness for wildlife or sports where split-second timing is crucial.

Image Stabilization and Low Light Performance

This is a clear divide:

• The Ricoh CX1 incorporates sensor-shift image stabilization (IS), which I confirmed softens blur from hand-held shake across the zoom range, allowing slower shutter speeds without washout.
• The Casio EX-Z280 lacks any form of image stabilization, making it riskier to handhold at slower shutter speeds or longer focal lengths, unless you have a rock-steady grip or tripod.

Low light test shots leaned heavily in CX1’s favor, thanks to better IS and CMOS noise control. The EX-Z280 could still pull decent frames indoors or in dusk settings but needed more care and steady hands to avoid softness and grain.

Flash and Exposure Control

Both cameras deploy built-in flashes with limited range:

• EX-Z280 reaches roughly 4.2 meters
• CX1 about 3.0 meters

Each offers auto, on, off, red-eye, and slower sync flash modes, but no external flash support or advanced bracketing features. Exposure controls are basic, with no shutter or aperture priority modes, meaning exposure compensation or manual control enthusiasts will find both frustrating. Still, custom white balance is possible on both, helpful if you tend to shoot RAW files converted later (though neither offers RAW capture, unfortunately).

Video Functions – Limited but Functional

Neither camera was designed as a video powerhouse, but here are the capabilities:

• EX-Z280: HD 720p video at 30fps (1280x720), plus standard definition modes.
• CX1: VGA 640x480 video at 30fps only.

Both record in Motion JPEG format, which is an older codec with larger files and less compression efficiency.

If you care about video, EX-Z280 marginally leads with the HD resolution. Neither camera has a microphone input or headphone jack, so sound options are minimal.

Battery, Storage, and Connectivity

Both cameras share some similarities here:

• Use proprietary rechargeable lithium batteries (NP-80 for Casio, DB-70 for Ricoh)
• Offer storage via SD/SDHC cards plus limited internal memory

Neither boasts extended battery life figures, but in my real usage tests, the Ricoh CX1 lasted slightly longer per charge, likely due to more efficient CMOS sensor and processor design.

Connectivity options are barebones: No Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, HDMI, or GPS. You’ll be tethering via USB 2.0 for file transfers. In today’s world, this feels archaic, but remember these are decade-old models.

How Do They Perform Across Photography Genres?

Let’s tuck the specs away and zoom out to see how each fares in popular photography styles:

Casio EX Z280 front Casio EX Z280 screen back Ricoh CX1 front Ricoh CX1 screen back

Portrait Photography

Both cameras struggle with shallow depth of field due to small sensor sizes, making true creamy backgrounds rare. That said:

• EX-Z280’s wider f/2.6 aperture on the wide end potentially allows slightly better subject/background separation.
• CX1’s longer zoom lets you compress perspective, helping portraits of distant subjects but with smaller apertures limiting background blur further.

Autofocus accuracy on faces isn’t a strong suit in either, so getting tack-sharp eyes is a challenge and requires careful focus positioning. Skin tone rendition leans warmer on Casio, which might please some portrait shooters.

Landscape Photography

Both offer decent resolution for 5x7-inch prints or web sharing.

• CX1’s greater zoom range adds framing versatility.
• Weather sealing and ruggedness: neither is officially weathersealed - so watch out in harsh outdoor conditions.
• Dynamic range is limited by sensor tech, so protect highlights and use exposure bracketing manually.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

Honestly, these cameras are pretty marginal for action or wildlife:

• Both suffer from slow autofocus, no continuous AF, and sluggish burst capture.
• The CX1’s longer zoom is more suited to wildlife, but it still lacks the speed and tracking features critical to nail those fleeting animal shots.
• Frame rates and tracking accuracy fall short for sports photography needs.

Street Photography

Quieter, compact, and quick cameras typically win in the streets - how do these compare?

• EX-Z280’s petite size and low weight make it less conspicuous, ideal for candid shots.
• The CX1, while bulkier, offers a superior screen, stabilization, and better zoom reach for a variety of street scenes.

Low-light flexibility is limited on both, but CX1’s image stabilization can rescue a few shots indoors or dusk.

Macro Photography

Huge bonus points to the Ricoh CX1 here with its 1cm minimum focus distance.

• Brilliant for close-up nature shots, small objects, and texture work.
• EX-Z280’s 5cm macro range can suffice for general closeups but misses that extra precision.

Night and Astro Photography

Both cameras pale in comparison to modern mirrorless or DSLR options, but still:

• EX-Z280’s max ISO 3200 is attractive on paper but noisy.
• CX1’s sensor stabilization and cleaner images at lower ISOs allow slightly longer exposures handheld.
• Neither camera offers bulb mode or advanced astro modes.

Video Capabilities

Video is a niche afterthought on both:

• EX-Z280 supports HD video (720p), which is barely acceptable for casual use.
• CX1 maxes at VGA resolution; forget about crisp HD here.

Neither supports external mics or has good stabilization for video.

Travel Photography

Both are small and light, but the EX-Z280’s thinner profile makes it easier to stash in a pocket.

CX1 weighs more but delivers better battery life, image stabilization, and a versatile zoom, making it arguably the better travel companion if you want richer framing options and steadier shots.

Professional Use

Professional photographers would probably dismiss both as primary shooters, though:

• Neither offers RAW capture, limiting post-processing flexibility.
• Exposure and focus modes are minimal.
• Connectivity is basic.
• Sensor size and image quality don’t meet professional standards.

They serve better as backups or casual cameras.

Diving Deep – Performance Ratings and Genre Scores

Based on real-world testing metrics juggling sharpness, low light, autofocus, and versatility, the Ricoh CX1 generally rates higher overall, especially for beginner to enthusiast use.

Across photography genres, Ricoh beats Casio on stabilization, macro, zoom, and low light, while Casio lags in many categories except for marginally better wide aperture and pocketability.

Final Pros and Cons Summary

Casio EX-Z280 Pros

• Ultra-compact, lightweight design
• Wider max aperture at wide angle lens
• Higher max ISO rating (3200)
• Basic HD video capture

Casio EX-Z280 Cons

• No image stabilization
• Smaller, low-resolution LCD screen
• Slower autofocus and limited zoom
• No RAW support
• Spiral button layout can be cramped

Ricoh CX1 Pros

• Longer zoom range (28-200mm equiv.)
• Sensor-shift image stabilization
• More responsive autofocus performance
• Superior 3-inch high-res LCD
• Closer macro focusing distance (1cm)
• Better battery endurance and processor
• Timelapse video recording

Ricoh CX1 Cons

• Heavier and bulkier than Casio
• Lower max ISO (1600)
• Video capped at VGA resolution
• No RAW support or manual exposure modes

Who Should Buy Which?

If budget is your top concern and you want something pocketable for quick snapshots or as a minimalist travel backup to your smartphone, the Casio EX-Z280 covers basics with an easy-to-carry form factor. It suits cheapskates and casual shooters who rarely zoom and only need daylight performance.

If you value image sharpness, versatility, and shooting flexibility - especially if you do macro, want longer reach for distant subjects, or need steadier shots in variable light - the Ricoh CX1 stands out despite added size, weight, and cost. It’s better for serious beginners or enthusiasts on a budget who want more bang for their coin.

My Takeaway from Hands-On Testing

Both cameras reflect their era’s mid-level compact designs with notable limitations. The Ricoh CX1’s CMOS sensor plus image stabilization technology gives it an edge for practical shooting scenarios, especially given its superior LCD and lens versatility. The Casio is more a value proposition for absolute minimalists.

I wouldn’t recommend either as a primary camera today given their dated tech and missing features like RAW, Wi-Fi, external mics, and manual exposure modes. Instead, they serve as fun, affordable options for beginners or collectors curious about earlier digicam designs.

Shoot wide and often, test those macro modes on the Ricoh, and don’t forget your tripod if pushing ISO limits on the Casio!

Happy shooting - and may your next camera fit your hand, style, and wallet just right!