Compact Camera News

Ricoh Imaging has just unveiled the new rugged and waterproof WG-30W compact camera. The latest addition to the well-known WG series of tough cameras – which used to carry the Pentax brand that’s now owned by Ricoh – the 16-megapixel WG-30W features built-in WiFi connectivity and a snazzy, rough-and-tumble build.

The WG-30W has a durable, airtight body that’s waterproof to a depth of approximately 40 feet; shockproof from a height of five feet; crushproof against weights of up to 220 pounds; and coldproof to temperatures as chilly as -10 degrees C.

Inside, the Ricoh WG-30W has a new, back illuminated CMOS sensor that’s designed to capture images with low noise, even in dimly lit conditions when you’re not using a flash. (ISO goes up to 6400 on this model.) Speaking of flash, along with a small, built-in strobe, the WG-30W has six Macro lights around the 5x optical (28-140mm equivalent) lens for illuminating close-up subjects when using the Digital Microscope mode.

There’s also a full 1080p HD video mode that lets you shoot movie clips at 30 frames per second, and a revamped underwater mode designed to capture better images when the camera is submerged.

Like its predecessors that used the Pentax brand, the new Ricoh WG-30W comes in two cool colors: Carbon Grey and Flame Orange. There are 10 optional accessories for it including a handle bar mount, a helmet mount, and a magnet mount.

The Ricoh WG-30W goes on sale in December 2014 for $299.95. More details at www.ricohimaging.com.

Speaking of rugged cameras from Ricoh, the company announced a much less conventional-looking model last month: the WG-M1 digital action camera.