For the best image quality, many digital camera buyers look exclusively at the number of megapixels a camera is capable of capturing.

If that was the only measure, the 5megapixel Olympus Camedia C-50 Zoom would be one of the best on the market. But there are other things to consider.

Looking beyond the mammoth megapixel rating, the Camedia has some good figures.

It offers a 3x optical zoom with a high resolution of 2560 x 1920, producing clear images. The camera has a metal case, so it should be hard wearing, and is turned on by sliding back the lens cover.

As with most cameras a fully automatic mode makes taking a simple snap dead easy, but if you fancy playing around with the options you'll appreciate the six settings for portrait, landscape, night, sports and self-portrait modes.

For those keen on custom settings, 'My Mode' allows users to store their favourite settings.

Preferences such as zoom position and aperture can be set to suit particular needs.

Anyone wanting to photograph themselves will enjoy the small remote control that can be used instead of the self-timer, so you don't have to sprint back to join your family before the shutter clicks.

In playback mode, your pictures can be viewed on the 1.5in colour LCD display.

On the minus side, the wealth of settings can be fiddly to navigate and if you want to view previous shots, the camera needs to be switched off.

As with a lot of digital cameras, the C-50 has a protection button to stop you accidentally erasing pictures.

The built-in flash has five modes including red-eye reduction and fill-in flash for better results.

A simple video mode lets you take either 16- or 70-second clips, depending on the chosen resolution.

The supplied 32MB XD-card memory card can hold around nine 16-second high-resolution clips and around 12 photos at the highest quality.

The camera uses a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and a charger is included.

It can also be connected directly to your PC with the provided USB cable for easy image transfer.

DETAILS

Price: £550
Contact: Olympus 0800 072 0072
www.olympus.co.uk