Labs

The HP's extra resolution shows in image quality. Pictures are much more detailed than those of the PowerShot A80 or Kodak DX6440, the two 4-megapixel models, and far better than that of 3-megapixel cameras. Colours are clean and accurate, though there's a touch of digital 'noise' (speckles of colour) in shadow areas. Colour balance was slightly iffy in some shots.

The HP's strongest selling point is its

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8x zoom. In other areas, its photographic features are a little bit above those of point-and-shoot snapshot cameras - but certainly not on a par with those of the FinePix S5000 or PowerShot A80. The HP offers shutter-priority and aperture-priority modes for greater creative control, but you can only choose from two light-metering patterns, and there's no auto-bracketing or manual exposure option.

Design is where things really go wrong for the HP. It feels chunky and solid, but the autofocus system is slow, the LCD panel on the back is poor and the electronic viewfinder verges on the diabolical. It's small, washed-out, woolly and barely usable. The menu is clumsy, and the whole camera soon gets on your nerves.

The HP's price tag reflects its high resolution and zooming range. But, despite the camera's versatility and good image quality, its design and the quality of the displays let it down. On paper, you get a great deal for your money. In practice, it's really not nice to use.