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Ricoh CX3

 
Ricoh CX3 front
 
  • 10MP - 1/2.3" Sensor
  • 3" Fixed Screen
  • ISO 80 - 3200
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 1280 x 720 video
  • 28-300mm (F3.5-5.6) lens
  • 206g - 102 x 58 x 29mm
  • Revealed June 2010
  • Read full specs
  • Alternatives
  • Size Comparison
  • FAQ
Portability
92
Imaging
34
Features
35
Overall
34

Ricoh CX3 overview

Ricoh CX3 is Ricoh's Small Sensor Superzoom digital camera first announced on June of 2010. The camera features a 10MP, BSI-CMOS 1/2.3" size sensor with a peak resolution of 3648 x 2736.

The CX3 stands at #222 out of 244 in Small Sensor Superzoom cameras & all-around #980 out of 1465 for cameras in our database. You can look at our Smart camera search to see camera rankings based on your personal requirements.

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

Ricoh CX3 history

The Ricoh CX3 is part of a family of cameras. You can read the full list underneath.

ModelVisualizeLensResolutionSensor SizeReleased
Ricoh-CX6 front thumbnailRicoh CX6
CX3 vs CX6
28-300mm
F3.5-5.6
10MP1/2.3"2011
Ricoh-CX5 front thumbnailRicoh CX5
CX3 vs CX5
28-300mm
F3.5-5.6
10MP1/2.3"2011
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Ricoh-CX4 front thumbnailRicoh CX4
CX3 vs CX4
28-300mm
F3.5-5.6
10MP1/2.3"2010
Ricoh-CX3 front thumbnailRicoh CX328-300mm
F3.5-5.6
10MP1/2.3"2010
Ricoh-CX2 front thumbnailRicoh CX2
CX3 vs CX2
28-300mm
F3.5-5.6
9MP1/2.3"2009
Ricoh-CX1 front thumbnailRicoh CX1
CX3 vs CX1
28-200mm
F3.3-5.2
9MP1/2.3"2009
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Ricoh CX3 Pros and Cons

Here is a checklist of pluses and minuses of the Ricoh CX3 based on things which are normally seen as useful in a digital camera.

built-in flash
built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
good min ISO (80)
has manual focus
high resolution screen (920 thousand dot)
in built lens has zoom (28-300mm 10.7 x zoom)
lighter than others in class (206g)
pretty good screen size (3")
pretty wide (28mm)
very long zoom (300mm)
cannot use external flash
doesn't contain selfie friendly screen
doesn't have external mic jack
doesn't have HDMI support
doesn't have headphone jack
does not have phase detect AF
does not have RAW support
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
manual mode not available
megapixel count low (10MP)
no aperture priority
no shutter priority mode
screen does not articulate
sensor size is small (1/2.3")
slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
sluggish at full zoom (f5.6)
video res low (1280 x 720 resolution)
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Ricoh CX3 Sensor specs

The Ricoh CX3 is run by the Smooth Imaging Engine IV processor chip. The sensor specification in the Ricoh CX3 is 6.17mm x 4.55mm (1/2.3"). The 28 mm² sensor has the capability to resolve 3648 x 2736 pixels with aspect ratios of 1:1, 4:3 and 3:2. The camera comes with Image Stabilization (Sensor-shift). Sensor stabilization is better than digital stabilization as the latter might lead to cropping.

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The BSI-CMOS sensor has 10MP and includes a standard ISO range of 80 - 3200. Sadly, RAW format is not supported so you have less margin for error.

The image underneath shows the CX3's sensor size compared to other popular sizes. The CX3 sensor has a crop factor of 5.8 and is outlined in green.

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To get an idea of specific aspect ratios, you can refer to the graphic below.

Camera sensor aspect ratios

Ricoh CX3 dimensions

Ricoh CX3 has a weight of 0.45 lb (206g / 7.27 ounces) & has exterior dimensions of 102mm x 58mm x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1"). The weight of general Small Sensor Superzoom camera is 387g so the Ricoh CX3 is lighter compared to various competitors.

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Here is a image of the Ricoh CX3 besides a soda so you're able to get a feel for its size.

Ricoh CX3 dimensions scale

The top view under will show you the button layout on the CX3.

Ricoh CX3 topview buttons dials

Ricoh CX3 Lens details

The CX3 offers a built in lens giving a focal range of 28-300mm giving it a 10.7 x zoom which isn't really outstanding however it can be convenient in certain situations.

At it's widest 28mm, the lens comes with an aperture of f3.5 and that is really sluggish and not good for low light conditions and you will likely struggle to get a shallow depth of field. You could also have to increase your ISO setting producing noisy photos. For the long end, 300mm is great zoom and comes with f5.6 making it quite sluggish and you would have to choose slower shutter speeds.

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Ricoh CX3 Connectivity

The CX3 has the following connectivity:

  • USB Yes

Cameras which have NFC and / or Bluetooth compatibility are able to be controlled wirelessly by smartphones. You are able to transfer images and sometimes alter camera settings with no need to connect physically with the camera.

Several apps also enable a Liveview and press the shutter whenever you aren't close to the camera. If the camera provides a HDMI port, it can easily be hooked up to an external display. A lot of cameras enable you to charge the battery with the USB port.

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Ricoh CX3 Video details

The highest video quality in the Ricoh CX3 is 1280 x 720 and you can save in Motion JPEG file format. 720p is low for today's requirements. You should really try to get a minimum 1080p quality for decent video. The body doesn't include a microphone and / or headphone jack so you get zero control over the audio. It is probably a better idea to purchase an alternative model should you need better audio for your videos.

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Ricoh CX3 Weather Sealing

Ricoh CX3 doesn't have weather proofing so wet conditions might affect the camera.

Ricoh CX3 Screen and Viewfinder

The Ricoh CX3 features a 3 inch fixed display with a resolution of 920 thousand dots.

Please be aware that the display screen has no touch support.

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The ViewFinder specifications for Ricoh CX3 are as follows:

  • ViewFinder None

For sunny outdoor conditions that make the camera screens washed out and challenging to see, viewfinders will be rather useful.

Ricoh CX3 Shutter details

The maximum shutter speed is 1/2000 seconds.

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Ricoh CX3 Flash and Hot shoe details

Ricoh CX3 comes with just built in flash with no external flash ability.

Ricoh CX3 Autofocusing details

Ricoh CX3 comes with only Contrast Detect AF & does not have Phase Detect AF. Phase Detection autofocusing is more faster & precise compared to Contrast Detect autofocusing.

Ricoh CX3 boasts manual focus in case it is needed for low light scenarios or you want more exact control on focus.

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Ricoh CX3 Battery life

The typical Small Sensor Superzoom camera battery life is 316. Fujifilm HS35EXR has got the highest (600) battery life for this kind of cameras.

Below is a collection of Small Sensor Superzoom cameras that come with the best battery life:

Ricoh CX3 for various forms of photography

The following graph presents a summation of the Ricoh CX3 for various forms of photography. To find out more, go to the specific paragraph underneath.

Ricoh CX3 Portrait photography factors

The Ricoh CX3 receives a points total of 27 which is terrible, and means the camera is simply not appropriate for portrait photography. Taking portraits leans greatly towards sensor specs, RAW support in addition to the ability to utilize external flash.

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focusing manually
manual mode not possible
can't use external flash
megapixel count low (10 megapixels)
sensor is small (1/2.3")
lack of RAW support

Ricoh CX3 as a Street photography camera

With a above average points tally of 61, the Ricoh CX3 is a fine pick to use in street photography. A good street photography camera provides a good balance of picture quality and portability.

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built in image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than competition (206g)
no moving screen
tiny sensor size (1/2.3")
no RAW files

Ricoh CX3 Sports photography features

A terrible sports photography points tally of 27 suggests the Ricoh CX3 is simply not appropriate for photographing sports. A camera really should have fantastic focusing and continuous shooting for sports photography.

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has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
no shutter priority
low MP (10 megapixels)
small sensor (1/2.3")
lack of phase detect auto focus

Travel photography with Ricoh CX3

Portability is really crucial in picking a camera for travel. Overall, the Ricoh CX3 gets a above average 66 for a travelling camera which makes it a fine fit to buy for your vacations.

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lighter than others in class (206 grams)
flash built-in
decently wide (28mm)
long reach (300mm)
sensor resolution low (10MP)
display is not selfie friendly
sluggish maximum aperture (f3.5)

Ricoh CX3 as a Landscape photography camera

For anybody who is planning to buy a digital camera for landscape photography, the most critical factor is going to be image quality. The Ricoh CX3 and it's terrible grade of 42 as a landscape camera is simply not appropriate compared to its competitors.

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you can focus manually
reasonably wide (28mm)
decent sized screen (3 inch)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
fixed lens (fixed lens mount)
sluggish max aperture (f3.5)
manual exposure not available
sensor resolution not great (10MP)
sensor is tiny (1/2.3")
doesn't have RAW format

Ricoh CX3 Vlogging highlights

A camera for vlogging should really offer a moving screen, microphone input and ideally image stabilization. Considering all the details, the Ricoh CX3 is simply not appropriate for vlogging as it gets a terrible rating of 30.

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rather wide (28mm)
has image stabilization (Sensor-shift)
lighter than competition in class (206 grams)
somewhat slow maximum aperture (f3.5)
doesn't posses selfie friendly screen
video resolution low (1280 x 720 pixels)
lack of external microphone socket

Ricoh CX3 Alternatives

If you are interested in alternatives to the CX3, below is a selection of the highest placed cameras that fall in to the family of Small Sensor Superzoom.

The graph just below offers you a summary of the CX3 versus it's top ranked competitors suggested above.

These are various other cameras you may have a look at as alternate options. To look at a complete comparison, just click on the "compare" link.

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Specifications

General Information
Company
Ricoh
Model
Ricoh CX3
Category
Small Sensor Superzoom
Revealed
2010-06-16
Body design
Compact
Sensor Information
Sensor type
BSI-CMOS
Chip
Smooth Imaging Engine IV
Sensor size
1/2.3"
Sensor dimensions
6.17 x 4.55mm
Sensor area
28.1mm²
Sensor resolution
10MP
Anti aliasing filter
Aspect ratio
1:1, 4:3 and 3:2
Full resolution
3648 x 2736
RAW images
Max native ISO
3200
Min native ISO
80
Autofocusing
Manual focus
Autofocus touch
Autofocus continuous
Autofocus single
Tracking autofocus
Autofocus selectice
Autofocus center weighted
Multi area autofocus
Live view autofocus
Face detection focus
Contract detection focus
Phase detection focus
Lens
Lens mount
fixed lens
Lens focal range
28-300mm (10.7x)
Maximal aperture
f/3.5-5.6
Macro focus range
1cm
Focal length multiplier
5.8
Screen
Screen type
Fixed Type
Screen size
3"
Screen resolution
920 thousand dot
Selfie friendly
Liveview
Touch screen
Viewfinder Information
Viewfinder type
None
DXO scores
DXO All around score
not tested
DXO Color Depth score
not tested
DXO Dynamic range score
not tested
DXO Low light score
not tested
Features
Lowest shutter speed
8s
Highest shutter speed
1/2000s
Shutter priority
Aperture priority
Manually set exposure
Custom white balance
Image stabilization
Built-in flash
Flash range
4.00 m
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
Video resolutions
1280 x 720 (30 fps), 640 x 480 (30 fps), 320 x 240 (30 fps)
Max video resolution
1280x720
Video file format
Motion JPEG
Mic input
Headphone input
Connectivity
Wireless
None
Bluetooth
NFC
HDMI
USB
USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec)
GPS
None
Physical
Environmental seal
Water proof
Dust proof
Shock proof
Crush proof
Freeze proof
Weight
206g (0.45 pounds)
Physical dimensions
102 x 58 x 29mm (4.0" x 2.3" x 1.1")
Other
Battery model
DB-100
Self timer
Yes (2, 10 or Custom)
Time lapse recording
Type of storage
SD/SDHC card, Internal
Storage slots
One
Cost at launch
$329