Overview
The Ricoh R8 is a 10 megapixel digital camera. It has a 7.1x wide angle lens. The design is different to all the more standard digital cameras out there, with a stylish, retro look.
Why Buy The Ricoh R8
The R8 is a step up from the more simple point and shoot cameras. This is true when it comes to build quality and picture quality. Among its features are image stabilisation, a 2.7 inch LCD screen (I found easy to see even in sunny conditions) and a face recognition setting for portraits. It also has an option to produce square photos.
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom):
This is a shot with a lot of contrast. There are the bright areas of the boats and the wooden slats underneath the roof of the building. In addition there are plenty of shady areas under the trees. The R8 manages to bring out an impressive level of detail, especially in the lighter areas where it outperforms many cameras. This helps to make the detail on the boats stand out.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom):
In this photo sharpness stands up well and the scene also shows vivid colours. Many digital cameras tend to lose sharpness when the lens is fully zoomed out, but this camera copes with the scene better than most cameras manage.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom):
As in the first test shot the light colours on the boats are handled well. There is a very small amount of purple fringing, but in my opinion the R8 handles this very well when you take into account the longer than standard zoom lens. Focusing is again above average.
Outdoor 4 (Building):
The R8 does very well in this test. The brickwork on the building is sharply focused. Even in the shady areas the camera does a good job. When it comes to focusing the R8 is up there with the best compact digital cameras.
Portraits
Outdoor Portrait:
Looking at this photo I can see that the colours are very strong. That is fair enough if you like strong colours, but they are a bit too powerful for my own taste. Otherwise the level of detail the R8 manages to pick out is impressive.
Indoor Portrait with Flash:
The sharpness of this photo is very good indeed and the R8 picks out the eyes very well. The skin tones are overdone. They give areas of the cheeks and nose a vivid pink that does not exist. This can also be seen in the lips.
Indoor Portrait without Flash:
When I looked at the indoor shot with flash I felt the skin tone problem may have been down to the light produced by the flash. Even with the flash turned off the skin tones are harsh. Otherwise the photo is o.k., but could do with a touch of extra brightness.
Macro, Colours and Noise
Macro:
This is another example of a sharply focused shot with plenty of definition. The R8 is well above average when it comes to close up shots.
Colours:
The colours produced by the R8 have a different feel to them than those produced by most other digital cameras I have tested. They are certainly vivid and have plenty of brightness too. In some cases the strength of colour is too much for me.
ISO 400 and ISO 1600:
At ISO 400 you should still be able to take a decent shot in brighter conditions, but darker areas will attract noise. Picture quality has broken down even more than usual at ISO 1600.
Summary
I found focusing and definition to be some way above average. The R8 also handled contrasting scenes well. Colours are very strong and I would prefer to see these toned down in a number of my test shots.
Style
Ricoh have given the R8 a bit of an old fashioned look. This helps it to stand out from the crowd. It is available in black, silver and in a two tone version.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
Turn on Time
0.34 seconds
8.98 seconds
0.51 seconds
14.4 seconds
2.36 seconds
Ease of Use
There are one or two extra features to get used to when compared to a more basic point and shoot model. If you are planning to use the R8 as a fully automatic camera then you should be up and running in no time.
Points I Like
LCD screen clarity - novel design - sharpness
Where it Could Improve
Skin tones in some portrait shots
Verdict
I like the Ricoh R8. It is certainly worth considering alongside some of the more widely recognised brands such as Canon, Sony and Panasonic. Aside from some issues with colour the R8 takes a decent photo in most situations.
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
Top Rated Cameras in this Category
Panasonic DMC FS30 Rating 85/100
I really like this camera. It offers some extra zoom and takes excellent snaps. I found it easy to use and struggled to find anything I did not like about it. If you are looking for a smaller compact camera with some extra zoom then this one is a good choice.
Read Review: Panasonic DMC FS30 Review
Pentax Optio i-10 Rating 79/100
The Optio i-10 looks radically different to other digital cameras. It has a design based on vintage SLRs. In my tests I found more distant shots lacked sharpness. Aside from the design the features included in this camera are fairly standard.
Read Review: Pentax Optio i-10 Review
Related Pages
Ricoh R8 Review Ricoh R8 Specification Ricoh R8 Sample Images Ricoh R8 Features
Review Date
August 2008
