Ricoh Introduces WG-80

2022.05.18

This morning Ricoh launched the latest iteration of their rugged waterproof digital camera. This is an incremental update over the WG-70 and not yet considered a flagship, currently the Ricoh WG-7, allthough all these models are similarly specified.

The new Ricoh WG-80 acquires the entire feature-set of its predecessor and is built around the same 16 MP 1/2.3" CMOS sensor and unstabilized 5X optical-zoom lens. The sensor spans a ISO 125-6400 sensitivity range while the lens covers a 28-140mm focal-range. The WG-80 is among the must rugged digital cameras around. It is waterproof down to 14m for up to 2 hours, freezeproof to -10C, shockproof to 1.6m drops and crushproof under 100kg of pressure. It is certified to be waterproof under IPX8 and dustproof under IP6X standards.

In addition to being a rugged digital camera, the WG-series is also designed for macro photography. It can focus down to 1cm from the lens. Normally, this would easily cause the subject to be shadowed but Ricoh fitted these cameras with 6 LED around the lens to uniformly illuminate subjects. The new Ricoh WG-80 adds 5 brightness levels to adjust the LED output in order to avoid overexposing such a close subject.

Ricoh expects to ship the WG-80 this July for $330 USD.

• Digital Camera