Casio EXILIM EX-Z1000 digital camera

Casio's compact takes whopping 10MP snaps.

This casio is the world's first ten-megapixel compact. That means it can produce prints up to 18 x 14 inches, but there's more to it than just huge pictures.

It's bulkier than many compacts and lacks the 'look-at-me' sheen of other Exilims. However, it powers up in just 1.5 seconds and picture quality is impressive, with bright colours and accurate exposures, though fine detail can burn out in sunny conditions.

The shutter is responsive, letting you easily capture moving subjects. What really stands out, though, is battery life - 360 shots from a single charge.

The widescreen LCD is better than most, cannily adjusting to suit different conditions. Real mode is dull, but swap to Dynamic and it gets extremely bright.

A mammoth 37 scene modes cover every conceivable shooting condition. Illustration mode is entertaining, letting you transform your world into a scene from a comic. Another neat feature is the operation panel, which lets you change the focus, sensitivity and white balance without needing to go through the menus.

Not everything is so nifty. Quick Zoom lets you jump to a preset zoom range at the touch of a button. However, it's digital, not optical, meaning plenty of unpleasant blockiness.

Also of dubious merit is the Zoom Continuous Shutter mode. This lets you compare wide and zoomed views of a scene, producing two snaps when you hit the shutter. It's a nice idea, but the zoomed picture is only a tiddly 3MP.

Despite a few undercooked features, and a price that's pushing it a bit, this camera is damn impressive. That 10MP sensor will turn the heads of spec-spotters, but it's the ease of use and great results that make it a real winner.