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Its U4R and i4R products boast Carl Zeiss lenses, 3x optical zoom, and 4megapixel CCDs coupled to Contax' RTUNE processor, which makes processing image data faster and more efficient.

So much so, says Contax, that the resulting jpegs are smaller in size while offering better quality images. The increase in speed means that the cameras can offer multi-shot exposures at bursts of three frames per second - suitable for action shots when it is difficult to judge the exact moment to get the best picture.

There are eight preset shooting modes to help with night time, action and other difficult photographic environments. The cameras also offer full VGA (640x480) video and are supplied with USB cradles and software for managing your photos.

The U4R has a a 2in LCD display while the i4R has a 1.5 LCD display and are supplied with a 256MB memory card.

The U4R costs £399 inc VAT and the i4R £299 inc VAT available immediately and from 1 December respectively.