Labs

The A800 is the only 8-megapixel camera in this group, but a high megapixel count doesn't necessarily result in sharper pictures. More important is the large 1/1.6in CCD, which helps to reduce image noise. The camera is a little larger than the others, but its 2in screen is welcome despite its low 115,000a-pixel resolution. Both xD and SD slots are included, so you're not obliged to use slow, overpriced xD memory cards.

At first we thought the A800 lacked

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manual ISO speed and white balance settings, but the last entry in the list of scene presets, labelled Manual, provides access to these features. Most people who buy £100 cameras don't want these options, but hiding them like this seems odd. Metering options are unavailable in all modes, so you'll have to resort to exposure compensation to cope with very bright or dark backgrounds.

The 320x240-pixel maximum video resolution suggests that the camera's processor is underpowered. Its still image performance confirms this, as the camera takes around three seconds to recover between pictures. There's no continuous mode, but this is no real loss: judging by the lag between normal shots it would have been extremely slow.

The A800's image quality was above average and its large CCD produced relatively little noise, but automatic settings tended to under-expose high-contrast scenes. The amount of detail in images was no better than in those from the 6-megapixel FujiFilm F20. With annoyingly slow performance, the A800 isn't a good buy.