Back in Summer 2008 IT Reviews took a look at the Ricoh R8. This camera, from a long serving manufacturer, managed to impress us with some intuitive features, but we were put off slightly by its clumsy and box-like appearance and its price.

In comparison, the Ricoh R10 doesn't offer much in the way of enhanced features compared to its predecessor, sporting an almost identical specification list ranging from image spec to Vibration Correction, ISO and Face Recognition.

What is new, though, is a subtle improvement in design. Compared to other Ricoh models like the Caplio R6, the Ricoh R10 is still a brick of a compact camera, measuring 102mm x 58.3mm x 26.1mm and weighing in at 168g. However, small changes have been made to the size of the LCD monitor at an increase to 3.0-inches and resolution of 460,000 pixels. Adjustments have also been made to the rubberised handgrip of the camera body, making it slightly curvier and less imposing.

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As with the Ricoh R8, the build of the R10 is extremely rugged and durable, with an impressive 28-200mm wide zoom lens that retracts neatly into the camera body once it's powered off. One slight concern is with the lens's concertina-style cover that moves very easily if you sweep your finger across it, subsequently leaving the lens uncovered. If you kitted yourself up with a camera case that fits the R10 (Geebee incidentally manufactures a reasonable case for the R10 for less than a tenner) this shouldn't be a problem, but the ease at which this opens could leave the lens prone to irreparable scratches if you're carrying it loose in a bag.

Look at the rear of the camera body and you will notice a new Function button just below the main Menu control: this toggles between seven different useful settings including MoveTarget, Step Zoom and Minimum Aperture. The quality of the LCD screen is very good and, although refresh rate is a little slow, it's clear and bright enough to preview your shots on. The AE/AF feature accessed by pressing the Function button allows you to manually set your focus and exposure spot using the directional control pad. This is perfect if you are trying to capture a subject that's off-centre.

There's not much in the way of advanced exposure controls other than this; it's a camera that's targeted very much towards beginners and those who just want a point and shoot model.

A new feature that's been introduced to the R10 that helps with basic composition is an Electronic Level Function. A bit like an electronic spirit level, when you frame your shot a sensor in the camera body can tell you when your camera is dead horizontal. The level indicator moves appropriately if you attempt to frame a shot in portrait orientation. For those times when it's difficult to see the LCD monitor, like in bright sunshine, listen carefully and a small beep will let you know when your framing is straight.

Controls are kept to a minimum on the R10 with a basic scene mode dial at the top of the camera body and an intuitive menu system. You can opt to shoot in either fully Auto, Video, Easy Mode or set up two personal modes (MY1 and MY2), or choose from ten different scene modes (including Face Detection, Skew Correct Mode and Zoom Macro). This fuss-free way of presenting you with your shooting options means that you should be able to capture quick subjects, especially as the write speed is nicely responsive.

Able to shoot JPEG stills and AVI movies, the Ricoh R10 has an internal memory space of 54MB. That's fairly generous considering you can fit about 24 full-size, 10-megapixel JPEGs on the camera without the need for an additional SD memory card. It's good to see also that, as with the Ricoh R8, there's the option to shoot in square format to recreate that retro Polaroid style.

As the Ricoh R10 essentially has the same innards and, to some extent, outer shell as its predecessor, there were no real surprises when it came to image quality, which was pretty similar to the results we achieved with the R8.

Now, annoyances about lack of feature improvement since its predecessor notwithstanding, there is one improvement that is welcome any time. Although there are some slight enhancements made to the design since the R8, Ricoh has taken the decision to put the asking price of this model down considerably. A steep asking price was our main peeve with the R8, so to have a few additional shooting features with the bonus of a sub-£180 price label can only be a good thing.

The R10 is a reliable and responsive camera that's easy to control and would be a perfect choice for those who want an easy life. The Ricoh R10 is not going to win any style awards, although it has a certain retro charm about it. Features like an enlarged LCD monitor and an Electronic Level Function are very welcome and you can't argue with a lower asking price.