Ricoh has announced the release of the new Caplio R5 digital camera featuring a 7.1x optical wide zoom lens (28 x 200 mm in 35 mm camera format), the highest zoom in the compact class.

Combining the Caplio R5's Ricoh-original CCD-shift vibration correction method and brand new image processing engine greatly expands the range of shooting in low light areas producing high quality images at even higher ISO settings with low noise.

The new Caplio R5 succeeds the standard setting Caplio R4 with wide angle / high-magnification zoom (open priced, launched March 17, 2006, featuring effective 6.04 megapixel CCD).

Improvements include employing an effective 7.24 megapixel CCD, and achievement of high-sensitivity photography with low noise and edge to edge picture clarity through the New Smooth Imaging Engine II image processing engine SE.

For additional information see Ricoh's press release.