This camera is not for everyone:
IT HAS ***NO*** ZOOM LENS.
For anyone who knows anything about photography, that is a blessing. Yes, this is actually a digicam with a superb REAL, FIXED-LENGTH, PRIME LENS. Photography is about the lens, and this lens is fantastic, it blows away the laughable "zoom" lenses fitted to cheapie feature-driven digicams.
Ricoh's old-days film camera, the GR, was an eccentric compact -- fixed lens -- film camera; extremely solidly made and simple. It was the sort of camera a professional photographer might throw in their pocket for taking snapshots when away from their studio equipment.
Really, the digital GR is the same deal. It's not for everyone. But more people should try one. If you use a GR you won't be wasting your brain cells worrying about a stupid, stupid (and low quality) "zoom" lens, you'll be concentrating on making great photos.
Think about it - be eccentric and cool. Don't buy a stupid "zoom-lens" kiddie digital camera. Buy one of these Ricoh GR. Some of your friends will think you're silly because you "don't have a zoom." Your yuppy friends will be bitterly jealous that you have by far the best made camera for snapshots - it's all matte black stealth and hard materials. And if you cross paths with any working professional photographers, they'll know you have a clue.
The only other digicam with a real prime lens for high quality results, is an equally iconoclastic Sigma model.
Enjoy!
