Ricoh R1

Voightlander bessa R system!
If you can't afford then go for and P&S Af like Leica minilux zoom or Ricoh R1.
They are good for general work like for family holidays pictures or as a back up to keep on the camera bag just in case.

Well made.

None for this size of camera.

Leica minilux.

None.

I bought myself an R1 about 3 years ago after hearing good reports about it, and, after having a play with it at the local camera shop where I found it everything I wanted it to be - very compact and very well made, and with a highly regarded lens. Unfortunately I was very dissapionted with the results which generally lacked contrast and were all very grainy. The only exception to this was those taken on bright sunny days, which indeed came out rather well. I'm not a highly critical photographer, and generally only get through 5 to 10 rolls of film a year, but when my daughters disposable camera produced better results I knew something was not quite right. I can only guess that I had a bit of a lemon, as most people do rate this camera highly, and I'm sure they would not have done so had they had my example. After trying 5-10 rolls of film, at different speeds ( generally 200/400 ASA ) and different developers, I traded it in.. Anyway, 3 years later I am the proud owner of a Nikon F55/N55 and an Olympus Stylus Epic/mjuII, and I can honestly say I could not be happier. The Stylus Epic is truly amazing, to the point that my Nikon gets used less and less ( even with its 50mm 1.8D ). Maybe I'll get a superzoom for the Nikon because as long as the Stylus Epic is functional the Nikon probably won't get any use with the similar 50mm lens. Sorry but mine really is that good. I believe there must be considerable sample variations in many budget camera's sold, and I unfortunately got a bad example of an R1.

Very well built. Compact. Nice handling and flash options.

In hindsight I must have had a bad sample.

Nikon N55/F55 Minolta X300 Konica Revio Olympus Stylus Epic/mjuII

Maybe I should have used them..

Nice, flexible compact camera. Great metering and 24mm Pano is a nice feature on a point and shoot compact. Very small and portable.

Size, lens quality, lens choice!

None so far

Olympus 35 RC Olympus Mju2 Rollei XF30

Not needed

This is a follow-up review. I still love the R1. I have used it in Homer, AK, Death Valley, Haight-Ashbury, Napa Valley and lots of other places and it still has great contrast and sharpness. I blew a Kodak E200 slide up to 16x24" and I could have still blown it up more! Now that's lens quality! I heard so much about the Olympus Stylus Epic and so I got one. Maybe it's an apparition but the Ricoh still creams it in a head to head sharpness comparison! My photos/slides w/the Ricoh outdo my Nikon stuff easily when it comes to contrast. It has made me look at getting a Contax G camera setup to pump up my colors. You could easily pick the Ricoh slides off of a light-table. Easily. It would get a 5 star rating from me if I didn't have to repair it new in 2001 and if the 'dang' flash was any good for shots more than a foot away.

Mine has a super lens and is compact enough to take anywhere. It's a good street camera-just remember to turn the flash off!

The flash is about 1/10th as strong as ONE bulb on those cheap 100 light Christmas tree strings. It is too weak to use even for fill-in for me. I just avoid using the flash-period.

Olympus XA, Pentax Espio 110M, Olympus Stylus Epic, all kinds of Nikon, Leica and Carl Zeiss stuff.

Had to repair the flash when I got it new but I have not had any problems since 2001. Ricoh was great in servicing it and overnighting it to me for my Alaska trip. I kept it inside a ziploc in Death Valley except when I needed it. I follow the same procedure when it's raining too. Other than those precautions it's been carefree for me!

My favorite out of all the P&Ss I've owned. The pictures are amazingly sharp and have a lot of punch. Easily the best pictures I've ever gotten from a P&S. The black camera body is slim and cool looking, with a great button layout. Classic. I also like that it prewinds the film and shows you how many shots you have left. The only downfall is that there is noticeable distortion at the edges. I bought this camera used over a year ago, it's been clanging around in my bag everywhere I go, and I have not had one problem with it. I'd buy two of them if I could..

sharp photos, slim body, well designed, wide lens\

lens distortion

Konica Big Mini F, Konica Lexio 70, Pentax IQ Zoom 120mi