A new entry to Nikon’s ‘Life’ series, the L5 is an entry-level point and shooter sold exclusively through DSG Retail – that’s PC World, Currys.digital and PC World to you and me. The L5 does not offer many manual settings, but instead incorporates 15 scene modes. Features include a 5x optical zoom lens, a 7.2MP 1/2.5in CCD, a 2.5in LCD monitor, face recognition and Nikon’s VR (Vibration Reduction) lens-shift image-stabilisation system. A standard-looking digital compact, the L5 is a fairly small handful of silver plastic. Limping to life in around three seconds, the L5 is not a sprightly performer, and this extends to slow shot-to-shot and reaction times. Scene modes present multiple options, which are helpful as often as they are distracting.

Image Quality
Sharp, colourful shots are abundant in bright outdoor conditions, but images captured indoors or in low light lack contrast, while automatic white balance struggles to perform well.

Value For Money
While £199 presents fair value for a camera of this resolution and feature set on paper, the slow performance and iffy image quality mean there are plenty of other compacts out there that will pip the L5 to the post.