CX1 PRODUCT IMAGES

Used the Ricoh earlier today for these images, combined in Photoshop, illustrating the benefits of the Joby Gorillapod ...which I plan to put to much more use shortly.

Whereas the Panasonic LX3 can be set for slow shutter times - fantastic results (for night shots, especially) with a tripod, the CX1 has unfortunately far less control ... but redeemed itself with some daylight product images here that were exactly as I'd hoped.

There's a reason why Ricoh cameras are famed for their macro peformance ...

SHILLINGFORD ST, ISLINGTON

A b&w image from this morning - Shillingford Street, London Borough of Islington, on an overcast but reasonably bright day.

Islington is hugely mixed ... in this part, there's a superb Greek coffee bar, which also sells some unidentifiable food and odd ingredients, a high-end kitchen showroom, interior designers, music shop, you name it ... makes for an interesting place.

LIKE CAMERAS ?

Just as well ... they really are everywhere. These taken at the long end of the zoom on CX1 ... definitely something my LX3 unfortunately can't manage, which is why I use them both.

What's impressive is that I've not had a single blurred image with the CX1 due to camera shake - the image stabilisation works brilliantly at all focal lengths, right up to 200mm, which along with its ultra fast-focusing ability means its easy to grab a shot when there's little time.

DxO COOL TONE

CX1 f/5, 1/1620, ISO80, -0.7EV

Captured in the Hertfordshire countryside, this image has also had a touch of DxO FilmPack processing - rather than the original wispy-clouded blue sky, I went for a cool toning on this for a more interesting look that's decidedly more moody and less 'summery' than the original. Had to be 1:1 format for this one.

WARMTH

Ricoh CX1 f/6.6, 1/440, ISO80, -0.3EV

Foreign feel to this image, but actually fairly close to home - the warm colours & contrast caught my eye ...

CHANGING LIGHT

Ricoh CX1 f/5.9, 1/1230, ISO80, -0.7EV

Ricoh CX1 f/7.2, 1/540, ISO80, -0.7EV

Ricoh CX1 f/5, 1/1520, ISO80, -0.7EV

Just up the road from the filling station ...scenes like this (just above), bathed in sunlight occasionally, followed by darkened skies and a feeling almost of mid-winter at times. The 1:1 format keeps it tight & uncluttered, and I'm finding it a great option instead of the usual 3:2 and 4:3 images that we're all so used to seeing.

DESTINED FOR SUCCESS ?

Ricoh CX1 f/5.9, 1/620, ISO80, -0.7EV

Guess they did sell some fuel, sometimes ... reminded me of some American 50's movie. Passed this filling station, as was, on the Essex/Suffolk border today, down the back of beyond. I'm sure some motorists would have occasionally been delighted at the sight of this - an oasis when desperate to refuel. Whether they were ever tempted by an 'AfFORDable Classic' - who knows ? I suspect not.

7A JESUS LANE

Ricoh CX1 f/6.3, 1/1620, ISO80, -0.3EV

On my way from a car park in Cambridge today, passed this great-looking building : 7A Jesus Lane. The white building against (mostly) blue sky reminded me of how well the CX1 'Outdoors' white balance works, and I was pleased to grab this before the rain came very shortly after.

CLARITY

Ricoh CX1 f/4.5, 1/73,ISO135,-1.7EV

A 1:1 format macro shot - part of a 'lucky', if slightly dusty, pine cone that caught the daylight beautifully ...great detail in the usual CX1 style.

OLD/NEW

Ricoh CX1 f/4.6, 1/52, ISO200, -1.3EV

Ricoh CX1 f/4.6, 1/17, ISO200, -0.7EV

Couple more examples where the CX1's 1:1 image format lends itself to different - and sometimes ideal - compositions. As I often do, I was aiming for a commercial look to these images, with great clarity and a certain 'something extra'. Second shot is typical Ricoh macro, with great light draw (these images taken in early evening daylight) and fantastic detailing. And look at the flamed maple inside back of the violin, through the f-hole ... again, colours are spot-on in these shots of the stunning new Eastman Master Series instruments.

SILVERSTONE/SPRITE

Ricoh CX1 f/9.4, 1/570, ISO80, -0.7EV

Ricoh CX1 f/6.9, 1/540, ISO80, -0.7EV

Fantastic day at Silverstone on a 'Single Seater Thrill' Driving Experience today...didn't get too many photos from the cockpit of the Formula Ford, but I was pleased with this one, taken on the way out from the race track. We stopped to watch some of the Historic Car racing, and this parked Austin-Healey 'Frogeye' Sprite was well cared-for, and definitely in concours condition.

LINFORD WOOD

Ricoh CX1 images - shot at the weekend in Linford Wood, Milton Keynes

TRUE-TO-LIFE

Ricoh CX1 f/4.8, 1/189, ISO80, -0.7EV

Still no real sign of sunny conditions, but at least the wet weather enhanced the colour here - again very ably captured at the long end of the zoom on CX1 ...no post-processing on colours done here, they remain entirely true-to-life thanks to the Sony CMOS sensor and great in-camera processing engine.

INTRICACY

Ricoh CX1 f/4.9, 1/380, ISO80, -0.7EV

Near to the top of an old building, this intricate work got my attention from the roadside, with my CX1 at the long end of the zoom doing a great job of accurately capturing the colour and detail, despite fairly dull conditions.

ROUGH PART OF TOWN

Ricoh CX1 f/4.2, 1/620, ISO80, -0.7EV

Today was, weatherwise, a mostly damp day, and this scene to my left, while waiting in traffic, typified this part of Hornchurch, especially in the relative dull greyness ...thankfully, there are much nicer parts very close by, but again it was the light here that grabbed me.

IT LOOKS LIKE RAIN

Ricoh CX1 f/4.3, 1/540, ISO80, -1EV

Also the name of a great track on an earlier Steve Lukather album ('Lukather' - from 1989 !), I shot this image this evening, in what seemed very strange light ... a very dark sky, but anything at ground level remained fairly bright ...cars, trees, buildings.

That'll be the English Summer, then.

LIGHT PLAY

Ricoh CX1 f/4.8, 1/48, ISO200, -0.7EV

Loved the play of light on the violin, which was already in this position on the chair - all I had to do was capture it, and chose a 1:1 format (again !) for this image.

RICOH CX1 MACRO 1:1

Ricoh CX1 f/4.5, 1/153, ISO161, -0.3EV

Ricoh has long been noted for the stunning macro abilities of its cameras - the CX1 is no exception. This image was made in the useful 1:1 format, previously typified by Medium-format film photographers, that lends itself to new compositions with a different view from the norm - surely the aim of most creative photographers.