In an effort to appeal to the avid outdoor enthusiast and extreme sports thrill seekers, Ricoh is introducing a new line of three different digital cameras that are classified as “rugged” and highly durable. The WG-4, WG-4 GPS, and the WG-20 are the latest upgrade of the Pentax WG line and are said to be durable and tough enough to withstand the most extreme temperatures and weather conditions in addition to their ability to be used in deeper underwater photography.
They can even endure being subjected to enormous shocks due to falls or drops from up to 2 meters (6.6 feet) in height. Coupled with a new and innovative mounting system for action-oriented photography, the new Ricoh digital camera line is attracting a great deal of attention.
Ricoh purchased the Pentax brand back in 2011, but has since decided to transform the line into this new rugged design. From this point forward, cameras with the Pentax name will be synonymous with interchangeable lenses, lens cameras, and other sports optics while the Ricoh brand name will be assigned to the more portable, compact sized cameras.
The WP-4 and WP-4 GPS are the top-of-the-line digital cameras, offering a 16 megapixel CMOS sensor and a F2-F4.9 camera lens which provides a 35 mm platform with a focal distance that is equivalent to 25-100 mm. Pre-installed with sensor shock resistant technology and the ability to shoot full HD video at an impressive 30 fps, the new Ricoh cameras are living up to their rugged reputation.
Of course, the major difference between these two models is the GPS abilities that can be used to capture and record coordinates and travel log information for each of the pictures taken. On the front of the WP-4 GPS is a display feature that shows the GPS data and time. These new Ricoh digital cameras even come with a highly advanced digital compass and a customized waterproof gauge that measures and displays altitude, barometric pressure, and water depth. Pictures can be taken for up to 14 meters (45 feet) underwater.
All three of the WG series offer large and easy to manipulate buttons for those who are wearing extra thick gloves in the colder climates. A 3″ LCD display on the back of the cameras even have extra anti-reflection technology for easier use in extremely bright lighting conditions. All three new rugged Ricoh digital cameras are being offered in March 2014 and are expected to be priced in the $330 to $380 USD range.
Great cameras for those who are often out and want to record such wild adventures! The price seems reasonable for all the features, too! 16 megapixels is pretty impressive, too, for this type of camera. The GPS tracking and recording of where the pictures where taken is a neat feature too!
This seems like a good alternative to GoPro.
The gps tracking is always nice, so that you can map out where you’ve been. I soon going on a 2 month trip through South Amorica, and it will be fun to see all the places I’ve been with that feature.
And the 16 mega pixels will make some great photos !
Those specs seem pretty awesome, I would love to see the result of one of these cameras after it takes a picture. I’d like to buy one, but they’re expensive! I suppose for the quality of the product though, considering it is pretty close to indestructible, you’re getting what you pay for. It would be awesome to take a camera like that one, give it more armor, and make it shoot 360 degrees like those spherical ball cameras do, and throw it over the side of the mountain. You’d have to make sure you had some sort of tracking device for it, but you would capture some of the coolest things ever seen with a camera! This technology has some advancement opportunities, that’s for dang sure. Can’t wait to go mess with one if they hit the market in my area.
This would be a cool addition to my collection of tough cams as I liked to call it. I can go head to head with this using my GoPro. And the GPS tracking is quite a nice addition.
Good thing to have some love for this segment. There are many people who need to take photos outdoors, or on construction sites, or in the most unexpected places (such as cave exploration). Having a camera that will withstand the onslaught associated to these places (and ways of handling) is highly valuable.
If you ask me, I still see two meters as insufficient. They could place resources on making it even tougher to attract more extreme groups. Who knows, maybe it ends up being the favorite camera for BMX or other groups where they compromise their image capture devices routinely.
Yes, these sound pretty good. Outdoors people love having cameras on them and recording everything nowadays, and i love watching it on YouTube. Who doesn’t want to see a bear chasing a hiker up a tree!
This seems like it would be an awesome camera for people who scuba dive and love the outdoors. I do not think that I would buy a camera like this because it might have to many buttons that might make me confused. I never really liked high tech camera.
These look really cool! I do a lot of outdoor adventuring and a durable camera such as this would be perfect for my needs. I have broken too many cameras oudoors :/
Rugged cameras have always looked just awesome to me. The thought of having a piece of technology that is basically indestructible is just amazing. I am always careful with my electronics, ensuring that I do not damage anything and handle it all with the greatest care. It is a nice relief not to have to do this with rugged items.
Decent specs and a good competitor to some of the more established brands out there like gopro. I’ve heard of Ricoh before and I think they’re a decent enough company. Extreme sport enthusiasts will no doubt patronize these gadgets.