What an inaccurate and simplistic review. I have tried this camera and simply cannot understand how Ricoh expects to sell it to the high end amateur/pro market. It is responsive but no more so than Canon or Casio compact digital cameras and it cannot match even the cheaper 5 megapixel Canon Ixus range for noise which is the cameras achilles heal. I have used a GR1 for many years and I looked forward to the GR Digital but this little digital copy cannot begin to compare. Ricoh need to sort out the image noise problems they have had since launching their first digital cameras and cut the hype about this GR Digital being as good as its analogue cousin. It is a pity the reviewer only regurgitated the marketing hype rather than trying out the camera properly and as for the limited built in memory remark! I don't really understand why manufacturers feel they have to build in memory in the first place. I cannot see Ricoh surviving in the digicam market if they continue to produce such poor quality cameras.

I reviewed the Ricoh Caplio GR Digital. I didn't experience the noise you claim to have noticed in your evaluation of the camera, though most of the test shots I took were in good light. I find it hard to believe Ricoh would have sold as many cameras as it has, if they had had 'noise problems since launching their first digital camera'.

It's interesting to note your comments on the comparison with the GR1. I have not used this analogue camera, so can't comment.

I can comment on 'regurgitating the marketing hype'. Nowhere in the review have I regurgitated anything -- I have stated details of the camera's specification, where relevant to the comments I was making about it. Not everybody reading the review will be as familiar with the model as you are -- indeed, the review is primarily intended for those who *haven't* made their own evaluation yet.

When manufacturers sell cameras with insufficient memory, (internal or external) for a decent number of shots at their default resolutions, it's usually to pull the price down to fit a marketing price point. It serves the customer badly if the first thing he or she has to do is add £50 or more to the price, to buy sufficient memory to make the camera useful. I consider this extra hidden cost needs highlighting, which is what I did in the review.

I will look forward to contributing my opinion of this camera very soon. I've just ordered it straight from Ricoh, Japan, with every accy. I am a big Ricoh fan, having thoroughly enjoyed the R1 the past 10 years. Turns out my R1 won a prestigious award in Japan, and not until this new GR D has that feat been accomplished again. So, I'm very excited! I suspect the real beauty to GR-D's success is its size, and efficiency. I caught so many critical and important shots just because the R1 conveniently was always with me. For example, once I was on a bus in LA that had stopped on a railroad track. There was a big train coming right for us! I pulled out my little R1, put on the wide angle panoramic, and shot an important shot that showed the inside of the bus, the tracks coming under the center of the bus, and the bright headlight of the train coming at us. Fortunately, the bus driver was able to navigate out of that one, but it was helpful to the bus company to show county LA that the train corridor we were stopped at, backed up onto the tracks from traffic and an impacted intersection, was not safe. So my R1 was portable. And reliable. And consistent. And I couldn't distinguish R1 prints from N70 prints. That's what I love about the R1. And the picture quality of the R1 was awesome and consistent. I've thoroughly researched my decision to purchase this GR Digital camera, and I believe it is the camera for me, a serious street photographer. I'll be back soon to your fine website and offer my hand's-on experience with the GR-Digital!