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Ricoh CX2

 
Ricoh CX2 front
 
  • 9MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 1600
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 640 x 480 video
  • 28-300mm (F3.5-5.6) lens
  • 185g - 102 x 58 x 29mm
  • Revealed August 2009
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
93
Imaging
32
Features
35
Overall
33

Ricoh CX2 overview

Ricoh CX2 is Ricoh's Small Sensor Superzoom digital camera first launched on August of 2009. The camera uses a 9MP, CMOS 1/2.3" size sensor with a maximum resolution of 3456 x 2592.

The CX2 is positioned #228 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras and all-around #1016 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. Remember to try out our Advanced camera finder to find camera results based on your custom criteria.

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Here is a graph of specific criteria used in the scoring system.

Ricoh CX2 history

The Ricoh CX2 is part of a family of products. You can see the detailed list below.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Ricoh-CX6 front thumbnailRicoh CX6
CX2 vs CX6
28-300mm
F3.5-5.6
10MP1/2.3"2011
Ricoh-CX5 front thumbnailRicoh CX5
CX2 vs CX5
28-300mm
F3.5-5.6
10MP1/2.3"2011
Apple Innovates by Creating Next-Level Optical Stabilization for iPhone
Ricoh-CX4 front thumbnailRicoh CX4
CX2 vs CX4
28-300mm
F3.5-5.6
10MP1/2.3"2010
Ricoh-CX3 front thumbnailRicoh CX3
CX2 vs CX3
28-300mm
F3.5-5.6
10MP1/2.3"2010
Ricoh-CX2 front thumbnailRicoh CX228-300mm
F3.5-5.6
9MP1/2.3"2009
Ricoh-CX1 front thumbnailRicoh CX1
CX2 vs CX1
28-200mm
F3.3-5.2
9MP1/2.3"2009
Photography Glossary

Ricoh CX2 Pros and Cons

Here is a shortlist of benefits and drawbacks of the Ricoh CX2 based on criterias that are usually viewed as essential in a digital camera.

built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
flash built-in
focusing manually
good min ISO (80)
good zoom range (28-300mm 10.7 x zoom)
lighter than average in class (185 grams)
rather wide (28mm)
screen has good resolution (920 k dot)
screen is a decent size (3 inches)
very long reach (300mm)
can't use external flash
doesn't feature selfie friendly screen
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
has no phase detect AF
has no RAW support
lack of manual exposure
lack of shutter priority mode
missing external mic jack
missing HDMI support
missing headphone jack
no aperture priority mode
no moving screen
sensor resolution not great (9 megapixels)
slow max aperture (f3.5)
sluggish at long end (f5.6)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
video res low (640 x 480 resolution)
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Ricoh CX2 Sensor features

The Ricoh CX2 houses the Smooth Imaging Engine IV processor chip. The sensor size on the Ricoh CX2 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the capability to resolve 3456 x 2592 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3 and 3:2. The camera includes Image Stabilization (Sensor-shift). Optical stabilization is better than digital stabilization since the latter may produce cropping.

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The CMOS sensor boasts 9 megapixels and supports a standard ISO range of 80 to 1600. Sadly, RAW files are not supported which means that the user has less margin for error.

The image below illustrates the CX2's sensor size compared to other popular sizes. The CX2 sensor comes with a crop factor of 5.8 and is outlined in green.

Ricoh CX2 sensor size Japan-exclusive Leica Leitz Phone 3 features big sensor and new modes

To get an idea of various aspect ratios, you should refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Ricoh CX2 dimensions

Ricoh CX2 weighs 0.41 pounds (185 gr or 6.53 ounces) and the size of the camera is 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1"). The weight of normal Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387 gr and the Ricoh CX2 is lighter compared to various rivals.

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Listed below is a photo of the Ricoh CX2 besides a softdrink so you're able to have a sense of its size.

Ricoh CX2 dimensions scale

The top view below will highlight the button design on the CX2.

Ricoh CX2 topview buttons dials

Ricoh CX2 Lens features

The CX2 offers a built in lens giving a focal range of 28-300mm giving it a 10.7 x zoom which is definitely not very good nevertheless it will definitely be invaluable in a few scenarios.

At it's widest 28mm, it offers an aperture of f3.5 making it kind of sluggish and not good in low light occasions and you will find it hard to capture a shallow depth of field. You will also have to boost your ISO setting resulting in noisy shots. At the long end, 300mm is terrific zoom and comes at f5.6 which is fairly slow and you will have to apply slower shutter speeds.

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Ricoh CX2 Connectivity

The CX2 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes

Cameras that consist of NFC or Bluetooth compatibility can be controlled wirelessly through smartphones. You will be able to send images and usually alter camera settings with no need to connect physically with the camera.

Several apps also allow a Liveview and click the shutter when you aren't near the camera. If the camera features a HDMI out, it can be attached to an external monitor. A lot of cameras will allow you to recharge the battery through the USB port.

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Ricoh CX2 Video features

The maximum video quality on the Ricoh CX2 is 640 x 480 and it can save in Motion JPEG file format. 480p is awful by today's standards. You really should try to get a minimum FUll HD quality for good video. The body doesn't feature a mic or headphone port which means you have got zero control over your sound. It is perhaps a better idea to find an alternative camera should you need decent sound in your videos.

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Ricoh CX2 Weather Sealing

Ricoh CX2 doesn't have weather sealing so damp conditions can affect the camera.

Ricoh CX2 Screen and Viewfinder

The Ricoh CX2 houses a 3" fixed display with a resolution of 920k dots.

Sadly the display isn't a touch screen.

Ricoh CX2 screen and viewfinder Pentax 17 Pre-Orders Outperform Expectations by a Landslide

The ViewFinder details regarding Ricoh CX2 are below:

  • ViewFinder None

In those bright outdoor conditions that make the camera screens washed out and difficult to view, viewfinders will be particularly useful.

Ricoh CX2 Shutter features

The maximum shutter speed is 1/2000s.

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Ricoh CX2 Flash and Hot shoe features

Ricoh CX2 includes just inbuilt flash without external flash ability.

Ricoh CX2 Autofocusing features

Ricoh CX2 includes only Contrast Based Auto Focus and doesn't have Phase Detect Auto Focus. Phase Detection focusing is a lot more snappier and precise compared to Contrast Based focusing.

Ricoh CX2 has the ability to use manual focusing in case it is needed in low light or you require more accurate focusing control.

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Ricoh CX2 Battery life

The general Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR comes with the highest possible (600) battery life in this category of cameras.

Below is a collection of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras with the strongest battery life:

ModelVisualizeBattery LifeRAWNFCBluetooth
Photography Glossary

Ricoh CX2 for varying kinds of photography

The following diagram indicates a summation of the Ricoh CX2 for varying kinds of photography. To find out more, visit the specific paragraph below.

Portrait photography with Ricoh CX2

The Ricoh CX2 receives a points tally of 25 which is terrible, and means the camera is not acceptable for portrait photography. Photographing portrait photos leans greatly towards sensor resolution, RAW support plus the flexibility to use off-camera lighting.

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has manual focus
no manual exposure
cannot use external flash
low MP (9 megapixels)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
has no RAW format

Ricoh CX2 Street photography information

With a very good rating of 61, the Ricoh CX2 is a good choice to buy for street photography. A very good street photography camera gives a fine balance of picture quality plus portability.

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has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than average (185 grams)
no moving screen
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
has no RAW format

Sports photography with Ricoh CX2

A terrible sports photography points total of 26 means the Ricoh CX2 is not acceptable for photographing sports. A camera really should have great tracking and fast shutter speeds for sports photography.

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image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
no shutter priority mode
sensor resolution low (9MP)
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
lacks phase detect AF

Ricoh CX2 Travel photography information

Portability is extremely crucial when selecting a travel camera. Over-all, the Ricoh CX2 gets a above average 66 as a travel camera which is a good fit to take on your travels.

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lighter than others in class (185 grams)
built-in flash
decently wide (28mm)
great reach (300mm)
sensor resolution low (9 megapixels)
doesn't have a selfie friendly display
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)

Ricoh CX2 Landscape photography advice

For anybody who is looking to purchase a digital camera for landscape pictures, the most significant factor is going to be image quality. The Ricoh CX2 at it's terrible grade of 42 for a landscape camera is not acceptable among it's rivals.

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has manual focus
rather wide (28mm)
nice screen size (3")
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
cannot change lenses (fixed lens mount)
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)
no manual control
sensor resolution low (9 megapixels)
sensor size is very small (1/2.3")
has no RAW files

Ricoh CX2 as a Vlogging camera

A vlogging camera should really have a articulating display screen, mic port and ideally image stabilization. Taking everything into account, the Ricoh CX2 is not acceptable for vlogging as it receives a terrible score of 30.

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relatively wide (28mm)
image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than competition (185 grams)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
display is not selfie friendly
video resolution low (640 x 480 resolution)
no mic port

Ricoh CX2 Alternatives

If you need alternatives to the CX2, here is a list of the top placed cameras that fall into the class of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The graph below gives you a bird's eye view of the CX2 compared to it's highest scored competitors mentioned above.

There are more cameras you may check out as alternatives. To go through a full comparison, click the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Company
Ricoh
Model type
Ricoh CX2
Class
Small Sensor Superzoom
Revealed
2009-08-20
Body design
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
CMOS
Powered by
Smooth Imaging Engine IV
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor surface area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
9 megapixel
Anti alias filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 4:3 and 3:2
Highest resolution
3456 x 2592
RAW images
Highest native ISO
1600
Minimum native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Manual focusing
AF touch
AF continuous
AF single
Tracking AF
AF selectice
Center weighted AF
Multi area AF
Live view AF
Face detection AF
Contract detection AF
Phase detection AF
Lens
Lens mount type
fixed lens
Lens zoom range
28-300mm (10.7x)
Highest aperture
f/3.5-5.6
Macro focusing distance
1cm
Crop factor
5.8
Screen
Range of screen
Fixed Type
Screen sizing
3 inches
Resolution of screen
920k dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch function
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
None
DXO scores
DXO All around rating
not tested
DXO Color Depth rating
not tested
DXO Dynamic range rating
not tested
DXO Low light rating
not tested
Features
Slowest shutter speed
8s
Maximum shutter speed
1/2000s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Expose Manually
Set WB
Image stabilization
Inbuilt flash
Flash distance
3.00 m (ISO 400)
Flash settings
Auto, On, Off, Red-Eye, Slow Sync
Hot shoe
Auto exposure bracketing
WB bracketing
Exposure
Multisegment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF area
Center weighted
Video features
Supported video resolutions
640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Highest video resolution
640x480
Video format
Motion JPEG
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environment seal
Water proofing
Dust proofing
Shock proofing
Crush proofing
Freeze proofing
Weight
185 grams (0.41 lb)
Physical dimensions
102 x 58 x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1")
Other
Battery ID
DB-70
Self timer
Yes (2, 10 or Custom)
Time lapse recording
Storage media
SD/SDHC card, Internal
Storage slots
1
Cost at launch
$341