Casio Exilim Pro EX-P505

Looks hard-core, but proves a bit soft.

Fancy yourself as a bit of an Henri Cartier-Bresson or David Bailey? Then you'll want one of these miniature SLR-a-likes hanging from your neck, ready to take "abstract" shots of chicken-soup machines and grim, tough portraits of life in the Women's Institute.

A five-megapixel sensor and 5x optical zoom lens head the line-up, with a pop-up flash and rotating LCD - which cleverly swivels to protect the screen when not in use and turns the camera on when opened.

The size is a real revelation. It may look chunky, but this camera has surprisingly minute proportions and can fit in many a jacket pocket.

Unfortunately, it's too slow in operation. The start-up time isn't bad, but it takes too long to take a shot. And although image detail is generally good, the colours are slightly subdued. The two-inch LCD is clear and good for framing, though.

The flash is quite impressive (and gets many admiring glances at parties when it appears), plus there's a top-mounted mode dial and a zoom control that's nicely positioned next to the shutter button, so it's always easily within reach.

The lens cap is a removable clip-on item like those found on SLR lenses, but much smaller, so it's fiddly to fit and remove - although at least it can be attached with a cord to stop it from going astray.

Ultimately, despite the pro appearance, its performance is more paparazzi-on-a-scooter than artistic genius.

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