This little beauty ticks a lot of boxes in terms of price, picture quality and looks. Like its predecessor, the S1050 comes with a variety features, including Manual and Priority exposure modes and Auto Bracketing. With 10.1 megapixels, a 5x optical zoom, an ISO rating up to 1600 and a 38-150mm (35mm equivalent) lens, there is plenty of scope for the more adventurous photographer.

The build is solid and made up of metal and plastic, and the grip is more than comfortable. The controls on the camera are easy to use, and don’t get in the way too much, with clear paths mapped out in the menu section. Image quality on the camera is great, with noticeable noise not really occurring until ISO 800. In fact, the only real downside is the lack of battery life – typical of AA battery-powered compacts and remedied by using lithium rechargeables.