Giving approximately 28mm to 140mm coverage in 35mm equivalence, the latest camera from Ricoh, the WG-70, is an affordable compact for macro and underwater photography as well as HD video at down to 46 feet. 

It has a six-LED macro light array and digital microscope mode for close-ups, detail shots and other unique supplemental photos. The lights also flash as a meter during a Self-Portrait Assist mode to help in framing, making the Ricoh WG-70 potentially useful as an extra camera for weddings and event attendees and partygoers. 

Crushproof against weights of up to 220 pounds, the camera is also durable, dustproof and shockproof, the latter at drops of down to 5 feet.

The Ricoh WG-70 weighs an incredibly diminutive 0.43-pounds with battery and memory card. The 2.7-inch LCD monitor has an “outdoor-friendly” viewing screen.

To work in more exotic locations and weather, there are also dedicated Interval Shot, Interval Movie, Surf & Snow, Kids, Pet, Sport, Night Scene, Night Scene Portrait, Fireworks, Food and other shooting modes.

A new Cross Processing effect has been added to the series of cameras, useful for a fast turnaround on unedited images. It joins previously available Bright, Natural, Vibrant, Slide Film and Monochrome modes.

A Handheld Night Snap mode automatically takes several images of the same nighttime scene and produces a single “blur-free” composite image.

Underwater and Underwater Movie modes optimize color, contrast and white balance for working with spectrum shift beneath the surface. 

The 16-megapixel CMOS sensor has triple anti-shake to reduce blur in imagery as well as video.It’s planned for availability in mid-March at $279. Preorders are available now.

Related:
Ricoh’s GR III Is a Potent, Pocketable Point-and-Shoot

Ricoh Releases a Lightroom Tethering Plugin for its Medium Format Camera