Ricoh RZ-105 Zoom - What does "28/38mm" mean?

[skorpiius]

I was browsing around the web and came across this

Dead Link Removed

I notice on the lens it says "28/38-105mm macro"

There's not much info on this camera on the web, but what pages I did find indicates it's 38-105. Any idea what the "28/" refers to?

 

[skorpiius]

Hmm, looks like it's similar to this

http://camera-wiki.org/wiki/Ricoh_Myport_Zoom_Wide

Which states "Optics are a bit unusual as it features a typical 38 to 105mm f/3.6 to f/5.9 zoom lens, but oddly enough also has a 28mm f/8 as well."

Weird.

I was hoping that it somehow had a 28mm 3.6. Oh well.

 

[AgX]

There are some compact cameras that got inside a flippable lens-assembly, yielding thus two fixed focal lenghts to chose from. But the combo of in effect a fixed focal length lens and a zoom lens is rare/unique.

There does not seem to be a special switch for that 28mm lens. Likely it is switched on at the wide-angle end of the common rocker switch.

 

[MattKing]

I'm wondering if the camera originally came with one of those removable wide angle adapter lenses to permit an effective 28mm focal length.

 

[AgX]

There is no feature to hold an attachment. Also in a review that internal change of lens assemblies is described.

 

[Sirius Glass]

It is one of those mysteries in life like:

Olives contain olive oil and sardines live in salt water, so why do olives come packed in salt water and sardines packed in olive oil?​

 

[BrianVS]

It is an electric zoom. It could easily have a mechanism that flips an element into place on the widest position of the zoom.