Ricoh CX1 Shoots HDR Images Automatically

The camera composites multiple exposures of the same shot to better replicate the scene visible with the naked eye.

Shooting high dynamic range photos is no longer just for those with DSLR cameras and lots of patience with Photoshop anymore. On Thursday, Ricoh announced its new CX1 point-and-shoot, which can actually processor HDR shots right in the camera.

HDR imaging uses multiple shots of the same scene, with different exposures, to capture all of the detail seen by the naked eye, when a traditional camera sensor cannot. For instance, taking a photo indoors with a window in the background usually results in a near pitch-black view of the room, and a clear view out the window, or a well-lit room and a window that looks like pure white. HDR combines the most detailed images from both photos to produce a better representation of what the room actually looks like to someone in it: a clear view out the window and of the room.

Ricoh’s Smooth Imaging Engine IV allows the CX1 to take up two different exposed shots of the same scene and composite them right inside the camera, technology the company calls “dynamic range double shot mode.”

Other, blander specs on the CX1 include a 9.3-megapixel CMOS sensor, a 3-inch LCD with 920,000 pixels, 7.1x optical zoom, and the ability to snap photos at up to four frames per second.

The CS will initially only be available in the UK, where it will sell for £299 ($430 USD).