I'm beginning to settle in with the Ricoh GX100 in a way that I never realized with the Canon G7. The following is just a simple photo which highlights a few aspects that make the Ricoh special amongst current compact digital camera offerings.

(Click for full size)

The first and perhaps the most significant feature is that the zoom range starts at 24mm (35mm film equivalent), which is the focal length I used here. Second, it gives one access to the RAW file, which I needed in order to bring push the exposure enough to selectively bring out some shadow detail to match the scene as I recalled it. The image stabilization performs well, allowing me to get a blur-free ISO 80 image in this relatively low light. Finally, it is very compact, facilitating the important matter of having the camera present.

As an aside, my family recently moved from Baltimore City out to the Maryland suburbs, very close to this great park which is home (or hunting grounds) for a variety of wildlife including herons, beavers, swans, geese, and eagles. For the first time, I am tempted to get some equipment with true reach. Still not sure whether I should stay compact (eg. Panasonic FZ50) or think about carting around a long lens for the DSLR. If I weren't lugging around two small children with me, it would be a much easier decision!

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