DPReview today published their review of the Ricoh R8, a very compact camera with a 28-200mm (equivalent) f/3.3-5.2 zoom lens coupled to a 10MP 1/2.3" sensor. On paper, the most glaring deficiency is the lack of RAW mode. In addition to DPReview, PhotographyBLOG has a recent review of the R8.

Earlier this week, Steve's Digicams posted their first review of a Ricoh, in this case the flagship GR Digital II. That review can be found here. DC Resource's GRD II review was their first Ricoh review since 2001.

As a rule, a Ricoh user can expect high lens performance, full manual controls, an excellent user interface, and good responsiveness. It's good to see the large review sites paying more attention to Ricoh compacts.

For the ultimate rundown of serious compact reviews, be sure to check out the Power Compacts Review Matrix at 1001 Noisy Bloggers. Special thanks to our noisy friends for highlighting Serious Compacts today.