Samsung Digimax V4

Despite not being particularly well known as a digital camera manufacturer, Samsung will certainly woo the punters with this exceptional performer. It’s a compact and sturdy little device, featuring an impressive 4-megapixel CCD and a superb razor-sharp Schneider Kreuznach lens, both of which help the Digimax V4 serve up superb images time after time.

With a focal length that’s the equivalent of 38mm to 114mm on a 35mm camera, the Kreuznach 3x optical zoom certainly provides a useful optical range, although its 12x digital counterpart is probably better left disabled (you can do this sort of thing in Photoshop anyway).

Operating the Digimax V4 is simplicity itself. Using the small thumbwheel at the back of the camera, you can opt for full auto-exposure, particular aperture and shutter priority settings – or, if you’re feeling bold, full manual control. In addition, you can use preconfigured Scene modes to optimise your night or portrait shots. To choose these options/settings, you simply glide through intuitive menus using the four-way rocker switch on the body of the camera. This also doubles as a selector for the camera’s flash mode, macro and self-timer settings. To compose shots, there’s an optical viewfinder or a small colour LCD screen on the back of the device (which also conveniently displays the camera’s numerous menu settings).

The image quality of the Digimax V4 is very impressive. It should provide sparkling prints up to A4 and, in some cases, beyond. It’s also the perfect compact camera for taking positional shots for layouts or rough drafts for projects.