Sony recalls Cyber-Shot DSC-T5
Click for: Sony recalls Cyber-Shot DSC-T5Sony has issued a recall on its Cyber-Shot DSC-T5 digital camera after identifying a manufacturing fault. Affecting just over 400,000 cameras worldwide with serial numbers between 3500001 and 3574100, the fault relates to the metal skin covering the base of the camera. Due to an 'irregularity' in the adhesive bonding it to the substructure of the camera this is at risk of peeling away and presenting a sharp edge which may cut or scratch the skin of the user. Sony will fix any affected cameras free of charge, link after the jump. (10:20 GMT)

Just posted! Ricoh Caplio GX100 review
Click for: Just posted! Ricoh Caplio GX100 reviewJust Posted! Our review of the Ricoh Caplio GX100 compact digital camera, nominally the successor to the GX8 but in spirit a lot closer to the GR-Digital. Key features for the keen photographer include a 24-72mm equivalent wide zoom, full manual control and the world's first removable tilting electronic viewfinder. Oh and there's a tiny 10MP sensor stuffed into the ultra-slim body too. Looks fantastic on paper, but what's it like in the real world? Check out the review after the link to find out... (09:30 GMT)

Nikon's new full-color RGB sensor?
Click for: Nikon's new full-color RGB sensor?Kudos to one of our forums posters, 'imagewest' for spotting US Patent 7,138,663, assigned to Nikon Corporation of Japan. This patent describes a new type of image sensor which uses three small dichroic mirrors below an opening to direct red, green and blue light to separate photodiodes. This design would provide full color detail at each photo sensing location, a bit like Foveon's X3 sensor (although this design is quite different). A single 'pixel' of light passes first through an element which reflects blue light to the blue photodiode but allows red and green light to pass, the next element reflects green light to the green photodiode but allows red light to pass and the final element reflects red light to the red photodiode but absorbs infrared. Of course this design has all of the advantages we have seen from full-color sensors including , the primary disadvantages must be the complexity of the design and the poor 'fill factor' (which is mitigated somewhat by the use of microlenses). This patent was filed in 2003 so we will have to wait and see if it ever comes to fruition. (15:30 GM

Ricoh Caplio GX100 Review

Announced back in March the Ricoh Caplio GX100 is officially the successor to the GX8, but it could equally well be described as a zoom version of the flagship GR-D, as it shares a very similar design, feature set and interface. The GX100 has several features to set it apart from the majority of 10MP compacts, most interestingly a 3x zoom lens with an unparalleled wideangle capability, covering a range equivalent to 24-72mm on a 35mm camera. This equates to an increase in the diagonal field of view of around 20 degrees field of view compared to the 35 or 36mm short end of most compact camera zooms - that's a huge difference if you're shooting interiors or landscapes. The GX100 is also the world's first digital compact to offer an (optional) removable electronic viewfinder, which slips into the flash hot shoe and tilts upwards through 90 degrees.

Like the GR-D the GX100 offers 'SLR like' control thanks to twin control dials, raw capture (using the 'universal' DNG format) and a high level of customization options. All this, combined with the somber design and finish, is designed to leave potential purchasers in no doubt that this is a serious camera for serious users wanting an alternative to an SLR that they can slip into a jacket pocket. On paper the GX100 offers a uniquely appealing mix of features, so let's find out how well it does in practice, starting as ever with the headline features:

* 24 to 72 mm high-performance wide zoom lens in a compact body (25mm thick)
* CCD-shift image stabilization (Vibration Correction function)
* 10.01 MP CCD
* Smooth Imaging Engine II Processor
* 7 blade iris aperture
* Tilted and removable electronic viewfinder
* 2.5-inch 230,000 LCD panel with a wide 170° view angle.
* Twin-dial control system
* Raw & JPEG capture
* Optional 19mm equivalent wide converter
* Manual, Program, Program shift AE and Aperture Priority modes
* 1 cm macro mode
* Rechargeable Li-Ion battery or AAA cells
* 4:3, 3:2 and 1:1 aspect ratio options

24mm lens

As mentioned above the GX100 is one of the only digital compact cameras to ever sport a 24mm equivalent wideangle zoom, and this brings huge practical as well as creative benefits for many kinds of photography. In the example below the 24mm equiv. lens on the GX100 has allowed me to capture the full height of the church from a fairly short distance, whereas the 36mm widest setting on the Fujifilm F40fd I was also carrying simply isn't wide enough. From interiors to large groups to architectural and landscape photography, the versatility offered by such a wide zoom cannot be overstated.