Ricoh's enthusiast wide-zoom compact of 2007 — 10MP CCD, 24-72mm equiv f/2.5-4.4, DNG raw, removable tilting EVF.
The Ricoh Caplio GX100 was an enthusiast digital compact announced in March 2007, the wide-zoom counterpart to Ricoh's GR Digital and the last GX-series generation to carry the Caplio name before the GX200 dropped it. It targeted serious photographers wanting GR-style controls with a flexible wide-angle zoom.
It combines a 10-megapixel CCD with a 24-72mm-equivalent 3x zoom opening to f/2.5 at the wide end (f/4.4 at tele), CCD-shift image stabilisation, raw capture in Adobe DNG format, and aperture-priority alongside scene modes. Its headline innovation was the first removable electronic viewfinder on a digital compact — an optional EVF that slips onto the hot shoe and tilts through 90 degrees. The 25mm-deep body runs on AAA cells as well as its rechargeable battery.
The 24mm wide end, DNG raw and proper manual control made it a favourite with street, travel and landscape shooters, and it retains a following as a characterful CCD compact. Limitations are of its era: modest high-ISO performance and a leisurely buffer, so it rewards deliberate daylight shooting.
The tilting EVF is frequently missing from used kits and adds meaningfully to value, so check what is included, along with the lens cap and battery charger. The AAA fallback softens battery worries, but test the retracting zoom for dust ingress and smooth travel, confirm the rear screen is unmarked, and inspect the hot shoe contacts if the finder matters to you.