advantages

• Robust credentials, quad display performance, manual mode expansion

disadvantage

• General lack of updates for the previous iteration, poor LCD screen, rather high price

Panasonic Lumix FT4 review – features and design

It’s a difficult trick to balance robust credentials with a level of usability you’d expect from a regular compact camera. It is not uncommon for manufacturers to achieve the former at the expense of the latter, or even at the expense of image quality. A line of life-safe compact cameras that has recently managed to combine a life-safe specification and good image quality while maintaining a level of usability that is similar to a standard compact camera is Panasonic’s FT series.

The FT4 is the latest model at the top of this range and features characteristic robustness. The compact one can withstand water to a depth of 12 m, survive a fall of up to 2 m, works in temperatures as low as -10 °C and is also dustproof.

It’s not just the tough credentials that will appeal to the active photographer, as the FT4 also features a range of indicators aimed at aiding budding explorers. The FT4 features a “quad display” that combines GPS tagging, compass, altimeter and barometer, the data of which can be displayed on the model’s LCD screen for reference. GPS functionality has been improved over previous models and now not only labels latitude and longitude but also provides landmark information from over a million locations for easy labeling.

The good news is that the stringent specification and various features tailored to the outdoor photographer are accompanied by an image specification that rivals many conventional compact cameras. The model features a 1/2.33-inch CCD sensor with an effective resolution of 12.1 MP, accompanied by Panasonic’s Power OIS stabilization technology. As is often the case with Panasonic compact cameras, the FT4 features a Leica-developed lens with a 4.6x optical zoom, covering a focal range of 28-128mm in equivalent terms. A disappointing feature of previous FT models, although likely a compromise given the compacts’ life-safe attributes, was the 2.7-inch, 230k-dot LCD screen – this is on the lower end of the LCD quality scale and unfortunately remains.

The FT4 offers HD movie recording at 1920 x 1080p resolution, recording movies in either AVCHD or MP4 format. One feature that will be welcome for those looking to capture video in potentially difficult conditions is that the FT4 has a dedicated video capture button on the camera’s top plate.

The FT4 has a variety of shooting modes. An intelligent automatic settings function that selects from a range of scene modes to suit the subject, while allowing photographers to choose from these scene modes themselves when required. A welcome introduction to the FT Series with the FT4 are the new Program and Manual shooting modes, giving the photographer greater control over camera settings. Another new capture mode is a time-lapse capture – the setting allows the photographer to capture images automatically and in a timed sequence to combine them in the future. This time-lapse mode, while good in theory, is limited to a maximum duration of just 60 shots at a minimum one-minute interval.

If you’re familiar with the design of previous models in Panasonic’s FT series, the design of the FT4 will surprise you in a few ways. In fact, there is very little evidence that the FT4 differs in any way from the previous model in the range, the FT3 – the model bears exactly the same dimensions as its predecessor and accordingly shares the same styling. That’s not necessarily a bad thing: as mentioned, one of the key aspects of designing a rugged compact is that it remains operational in tough conditions, and that’s something the FT4 achieves. The function keys on the back of the camera are all comfortably raised and are easy to use even with cold or wet hands. The same goes for the shutter button on the camera’s top plate, although unfortunately the power and dedicated video capture buttons are built into the camera to most likely prevent accidental actuation.

The body isn’t the lightest of compacts, although that weight definitely gives the FT4 a solid and reliable feel that will no doubt stand up to a decent brawl. A raised section on the right side of the camera body helps provide a sure grip, although the body’s smooth stainless steel finish could benefit from some sort of contouring to provide a more secure grip.

The model’s menu system is kept rather simple, although again this is no doubt intentional to allow for easy operation in difficult conditions. Basic shooting functions are easy to adjust, advanced settings are easy to find.

Performance, Image Quality and Judgment

Panasonic Lumix FT4 review – performance and picture quality

As with previous models in the FT range, the FT4 performs well in the field without reporting any real problems or performance issues. The compact benefits from two of Panasonic’s leading high-end performance tools – the Venus Engine and Sonic Speed ​​AF. The latter of these technologies offers excellent focus speeds that also have a dependable level of accuracy.

As already mentioned, cameras with robust characteristics often have to make compromises in other areas, which in turn can lead to problems with image quality. However, the FT4 largely avoids most of these problems and the camera is capable of taking some good pictures. The first thing to notice is the overall tonal range – images show great balance between shadows and highlights, with exposure generally being even. While exposure is consistent, the camera’s dynamic range has difficulty managing highlight detail, and a tendency for highlights to blow out is evident.

Another problem with image quality is lens flare, which can blur image details in difficult lighting conditions. Lens flare issues aside, the Leica optics do a good job, with no general distortion in most shots and maintaining sharpness even towards the edges of the frame. Colors, while generally a pleasing neutral palette, can appear oversaturated in bright lighting.

Image quality at high ISO settings is also pleasing – noise is treated fairly aggressively by the camera’s in-camera noise reduction, albeit not at the expense of fine detail, with images up to ISO 800 being usable without too much loss in quality.

Panasonic Lumix FT4 review – conclusion

The world of rugged compact cameras has changed from where it once was and as such the consumer has the right to demand far more performance, both in harsh conditions and in general use. Panasonic’s FT series was one of the first to really manage to combine ease of use with a robust specification, and the same goes for the FT4.

That’s not to say the FT4 is flawless though – improvements over the previous model in the range, the FT3, are conspicuous by their lack. As a result, you must really want the changes to justify paying the premium for the new FT4 as opposed to the FT3. All in all, however, it remains a worthy showcase for Panasonic’s impressive FT series and one of the best life-safe cameras on the market.

points in detail

• value 9

• draft 9

• functions 9

• picture quality 9

• performance 9

Pros

• HDMI output
• Good low-light performance
• Suitable for camera beginners

Cons

• Average speed performance
• Some loss of sharpness at edges

Key Specifications

• Review Price: £170.00
• 12.1-megapixel sensor
• HDMI output
• Full-HD video capture
• Stainless steel body
• 5x optical zoom

In many ways the new Canon IXUS 220 HS is about as close to the definition of a standard point-and-shoot camera as you can get, but with high-end build quality and a thickness of a mere 19.3mm it still stands out from the crowd. Canon sent us a vivid scarlet review sample, against which the black top plate shutter release and power controls stand out very clearly. With large backplate buttons to match, it’s a very approachable camera for first-time users.

Not much wider or taller than a business card, the IXUS 220 HS is an easy fit for the trouser pocket or clutch bag. Like the IXUS 310 HS model we reviewed recently, this IXUS boasts a resolution of a modest 12.1 megapixels from a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor. Its low-light shooting credentials are suggested by the ‘HS’ suffix, standing for ‘high sensitivity’, delivered here by a back-lit sensor and Digic 4 image processor. It supplies 60% lower noise levels at high ISO speeds, according to Canon – a claim we’ll test in due course.

Under the IXUS 220 HS’s shiny casing lurks an optically image-stabilised 5x zoom, starting out at a usefully wide 24mm and running up to an equivalent 120mm at the telephoto end. Rather more of a surprise is that the camera captures full-HD video clips of 1920×1080 pixels at 24 frames per second with the benefit of stereo sound – the dual microphones are located on the top plate. We also get a dedicated video record button to the top-right of the back plate LCD.

Press this and video clip recording commences no matter what mode the camera is currently set to. There’s no optical viewfinder, as we’ve come to expect of point-and-shoot compacts, and the screen is a modest 2.7in in size, offering a run-of-the-mill 230k dot resolution.

What do you get for your £170? Decent build, a dose of style and a better-than-average feature set, including HDMI output alongside standard AV/USB output.

The IXUS 220 HS’s stainless steel body lends the camera a sturdy yet lightweight feel, but there’s no hand grip here. Coupled with the camera’s smooth-as-a-pebble surface, this makes it hard to get a firm grip when shooting handheld. As a result, the rear LCD quickly becomes covered in fingerprints as you try and steady the IXUS with both hands instead – so you’ll be constantly rubbing the screen clean.

On the IXUS 220 HS’s back is a simple slider switch allowing you to alternate between standard Smart Auto mode, which uses face and subject detection technology to compare the scene to 32 on-board presets and selects the most fitting for optimal results, and Program Auto. The latter allows a greater degree of hands-on control – a press of the ‘func/set’ button to the right of the camera’s backplate providing access to a much wider range of manually selectable options. Manual control is welcomed, but this remains a camera for those who want to point and shoot and achieve respectable results with the minimum of fuss. Photo enthusiasts wanting a more feature-packed portable model should direct their gaze towards the Canon PowerShot S95 and G12 cameras.

The Canon IXUS 220 HS does offer a few advanced skills that will be of interest to casual snappers though. Among these is a high-speed burst shooting mode for action fans, which captures up to 8fps at a lower three megapixels. If you’d rather stick at full 12 megapixel resolution then speed drops to 3.4 fps.

Speed also adds to creativity when filming video clips, thanks to the 240fps Slow Motion movie mode – although footage is shot at a low-quality 320×240 resolution. When played-back, it produces footage an eighth normal speed, giving that The Matrix-style bullet time effect. Higher-definition 640×480 pixel clips 120fps can also be captured. As in the new 310 HS model, there’s an esoteric Movie Digest mode on the camera too, which records a short video burst at the point a still image is taken and then automatically stitches these clips together to form a little movie to tell the backstory of your day.

This feature of the IXUS 220 HS may appeal to travel snappers wanting to record a bit more of their surroundings, but the camera doesn’t feature the latest must-haves of GPS, nor is it moisture resistant. However, Canon offers a couple of waterproof cases for the 220 HS, recommended pricing ranging between £55 and £225 (dearer than the camera itself!) dependent on which option you go for.

This IXUS 220 HS, like the rest of the Canon compact range, provides the ability to adjust colour tones via the function toolbar. Tucked away beyond the shooting modes, there’s also a range of digital effects that mirror those on its pricier 310 HS, taking inspiration from the ‘creative studio in a box’ Art Filters and Magic Filters of the Olympus Pen and Tough compacts.

There are the usual fisheye and pinhole camera style effects, plus a super vivid setting and monochrome for those who want to inject an artistic moodiness into shots. Our favourite was the miniature effect, which apes the result from a specialist tilt and shift lens, narrowing the portion of the image in-focus to give the illusion that you’re looking at a photograph of a model rather than an actual building, car or landscape. This can be applied to video clips as well as stills, at 1.5, three or six frames per second to provide a time-lapse movie style effect, further extending the camera’s creative uses.

The Canon IXUS 220 HS’s power switch is slightly recessed into the top plate to prevent accidental activation when handling the camera. Give this a press and with a sprightly chirp the camera almost instantly bursts into life, LCD switching on and lens defaulting to its maximum wide angle setting. The controls are well-labelled and larger than average for a camera of this size. The IXUS isn’t daunting for first-time users.

A thumb-operated slider switch swaps between Smart Auto and Program Auto capture – the latter mode providing a greater range of image tweaking options. With playback of captured snaps given its own dedicated button, a half-press of the shutter button will have you right back in shooting mode, without needing to mess around with any other dials or switches. In fact there’s no bottle top style shooting mode dial here at all – controls have been pared-down to the essentials to allow users to take and review shots quickly.

Ranged around the dial on the back are exposure compensation options (a modest /- 2EV), flash settings, display settings and focus adjustment between infinity and macro. If you’ve opted for the simpler Smart Auto instead, the focus point is decided by the camera. Pressing the exposure comp option calls up an AF tracking point instead, for those who want to maintain focus on a particular subject – for example children or pets who won’t stay still.

A press of the ‘func/set’ button in Smart Auto mode brings up a toolbar on the left side of the screen with a very limited array of options: self timer, the ability to control image aspect ratio, plus a choice of JPEG image size (Large, two Medium options, Small) and compression level (Fine or Normal) depending on how many shots you want to squeeze on to your SD, SDHC or SXHC memory card – there’s no internal memory supplied with the camera.

Flick the switch to Program mode instead and a press of the function button opens-up a rather more extensive array of options. Metering can be controlled, with the choice of flitting between evaluative, centre weighted average and spot, and it’s here we get access to the ‘My colors’ colour tone options. You can leave this set to ‘off’ whereby the camera deploys its factory presets for naturalistic results. Or alternatively you can select vivid, neutral, sepia, black and white, our favourite ‘positive film’, darker skin one, and bias individual red, green or blue colours in the frame. There’s also a further custom colour option. White balance and ISO speeds can also be adjusted, with options ranging from ISO100 up to the maximum ISO3200 setting. An auto setting is also on-hand.

The rest of the shooting modes are hidden within this same toolbar, including Movie Digest mode, dedicated portrait and “kids and pets” scene options, smile shutter, high speed burst shooting, best image selection (the camera choosing the best representation of a given scene from a sequence of shots), handheld night scene, Low Light (three megapixel resolution), plus fisheye, miniature effect, toy camera, monochrome, super vivid and poster effect. The slow motion movie clip option is also squeezed into this long list of possibilities.

While the autofocus is not lightning fast, it’s fast enough for this class of camera. Press down fully to take the shot and in single shot mode the camera takes around three to four seconds to write a maximum resolution JPEG to memory. Again, not the fastest ever but neither is it something you notice holding you up as you progress from one shot to the next.

We were very pleased with the image quality of the IXUS 220 HS. Sure, like any compact camera it has its issues with pixel fringing and loss of sharpness towards the corners of the frame heightened by that wider than average 24mm equivalent wide angle setting. But most of us will be looking dead centre at our subject, which is generally well-exposed and crisp. The camera obviously functions at its best in good daylight conditions, so is an ideal sea and sun holiday companion in that respect. However, its performance in lower lighting impressed us too, with its top ISO3200 actually being usable rather than just there to bump-up the spec list. It’s a better-than-expected result from this relatively low cost Canon IXUS.

Verdict

The Canon IXUS 220 HS continues Canon’s run of sleek, attractive pocket models and at under £200 it’s not going to break the bank. That may sound like feint praise, and indeed it is – there’s little here that we haven’t witnessed before from the range. That in itself doesn’t of course make the IXUS 220 HS a bad camera, it’s just not an especially exciting one.

It does, however, stand out from the crowd by virtue of its noise-free results at higher ISO settings, Full-HD video, HDMI output, and fun digital effects filters. It may lack the 3D mode found on Panasonic Lumix and Sony Cyber-shot models for £100 more, but in truth most of what anyone would require from a snapshot pocket camera these days is present and correct. It’s not revolutionary in any particular way, but the Canon IXUS 220 HS is a competent, consistent performer.

A selection of images taken at the camera’s incremental light sensitivity settings, using only available daylight. The IXUS 220 HS ISO range is relatively modest and straightforward, starting out at ISO100 and working its way up to ISO3200, though Canon does throw in an additional Low Light shooting mode for fully auto snapping, the caveat being that resolution falls then falls to three megapixels. Let’s see how well the Canon copes…

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With the camera’s Auto ISO setting choosing the lowest manually selectable option of ISO100, as expected detail is good, the shot is crisp overall and there’s no noise to report in shadow areas; pretty much as expected then.

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Same lack of noise to report at ISO200, if we’ve lost a tiny bit of contrast over ISO100.

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We’re at ISO400, usually the setting at which noise begins to creep in on cheaper compacts. But again here even when zooming in close on detail we’re hard pressed to witness any degradation in the image from the Canon.

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The same test subject at ISO800, and overall the image is still fairly clean if we’re slightly losing edge definition on close inspection.

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Slightly softer again when it comes to detail examining our test image at ISO1600. But again most would be hard pressed to spot any deterioration when viewing the full frame.

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More soft at ISO3200 but not a pronounced jump in terms of noise over ISO1600. Overall the Canon 220 HS has performed very respectably in this task, giving an identical showing to the marginally pricier 310 HS which boasts the exact same ISO range.

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…And so we’ve tried shooting our test image with Low Light mode selected, which effects an image drop to three megapixels. Here the camera has itself chosen a setting which equates to ISO400, so again, no apparent noise.

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A more general selection of test shots are revealed on this page and next to act as an evaluation of the IXUS 220 HS in a variety of shooting conditions.

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This unadulterated wide angle shot at 24mm equivalent setting and straight from the 220 HS reveals a good grasp of detail centre of the frame, getting progressively softer toward the corners. Some quite alarming pixel fringing is noticeable top left of frame on the upper tree branches, even without the need for close inspection.

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By contrast a handheld maximum 120mm equivalent telephoto setting shot from the same vantage point. Detail is noticeably softer centre of frame and could do with contrast being tweaked to add some missing definition, but on the whole not at all a bad result from a pocket point and shooter.

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Another maximum wide angle shot of a closer subject with plenty of inherent detail which will give a better impression of the crispness captured in the 220 HS’ 12 megapixel shots. We’re not seeing obvious barrel distortion at this range, but corner detail is again softening.

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Our rusty gate shot reveals more detail than we might expect from a humble 12 megapixel snapper with a physically smaller lens.

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Here are some general test shots taken with the IXUS 220 HS to give an idea of performance ability when it comes to image quality, dynamic range, colour rendition and focal range.

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Lovely natural colours from the Canon in this extreme close up shot; those who do purely want to point and shoot and get decent results without spending a lot up from could do far worse than consider the Canon IXUS 220 HS.

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No we haven’t deployed the fish eye digital effect here; the illusion is merely due to the subject’s proximity to the lens at the 220 HS’ maximum 24mm equivalent wide angle setting.

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Again, when faced with plenty of colour in the frame the Canon comes up trumps in this wide angle snap. Yes, the buildings do appear to be leaning slightly, but we were shooting from a low-ish vantage point.

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By contrast a shot taken handheld towards the telephoto end of the zoom; again natural colours and a decent level of detail.

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Features

advantages

• DAB, FM, CD and iPod all in one box
• Simple, muted design
• Great sound quality

disadvantage

• Chunky remote control
• Not the most elegant design
• Limited auxiliary inputs

key specifications

• Evaluation Price: £249.99
• DAB, FM, CD, USB and iPod playback
• Separate stereo speaker layout

For some reason, the term iPod dock has become synonymous with compact all-in-one sound systems. While, of course, a dock is simply the part where your phone or MP3 player sits, and the rest can be any type of sound-making machinery. So while the Pure Contour, B&W Zeppelin and Arcam rCube have a lot to offer for their compact size, if you’re short on space and looking for a more expansive sound, the Onkyo CS-545UK should tick all the boxes on the road.

This very conventional looking mini hi-fi system may seem unassuming, but it packs a CD player, FM and DAB radios, an iPod dock and USB playback into its body and comes with a quality set of stereo speakers, so that both features are packed and ready to go right out of the box.

The central unit, which is available in either silver or black, measures 300 x 215 x 90mm and should therefore easily fit in most TV cabinets and Hi-Fi shelves, or next to your TV. It’s a bit deep for just snuggling up on a windowsill or bookshelf, but you should probably try to give a system like this a better home anyway.

The main chassis is all metal with a high quality finish in the case of the black model and a brushed aluminum finish for the silver model. Everything feels very good, and its rather heavy weight of 4.2 kg only adds to this feeling. The hole for the USB port on the front panel is a little noticeable, but nothing to worry about. Insert a USB stick into this port and you can play MP3 files on it.

Also on the front panel, from top left to bottom right, are buttons for power, input, tone/balance, eject, track skip/preset skip, stop, and play/pause, as well as controls for adjusting tone/balance and volume. All are milled from aluminum to match the chassis and anodised in the black version. They all feel securely mounted and exhibit a slight but defined click as the key drops. The tone/balance control is a notched infinity spin affair that’s wonderfully accurate, while the large volume control has a stiff but smooth infinity spin action.

Hidden behind a chunky plastic flap on top is the iPod dock, which uses standard Apple dock inserts to attach various types of iPods, as opposed to the ingenious universal docks of the B&W Zeppelin and Fatman iTube ValveDock. A choice of black ones are included, but as we’ve gotten used to, none seem to fit the latest iPods and iPhones, so you’ll need to source the correct dock adapters yourself – and an iPad won’t fit at all. It’s fully compatible with iPhones and we didn’t notice any squeaks and beeps when a phone was docked.

Other connectivity is very limited with only a headphone jack on the front and line in, video out, antenna, subwoofer pre out and speaker connections (both banana clip and bare wire are compatible) on offer. The video output is designed to send video from your iPod to your TV, but since it’s only a composite connection, the quality is so poor it’s not worth bothering with. While this system is ideal for a living room sound system, you’ll have to rely on other means to manage everything as it’s easy to set up the speakers on either side of your TV and offer most of the basic sound sources through your AV connections from sources such as Blu-ray players and Sky boxes (one solution is to connect the Onkyo to your TV’s stereo audio output and let the TV do the rest).

If you look a little closer, the 250 x 225 x 150mm speakers are sturdy constructed of fibreboard with a black textured veneer covering the top, bottom and sides. This could be mistaken for a faux wood effect but is more of a brushed metal style that looks very attractive. Each contains a pair of drivers with a 12cm woofer and 2.5cm tweeter in the front, a bass port in the back and of course the connections too. Standard fabric covers are included which can be removed if you want a slightly edgier look. All in all, they look classy and feel well made.

The power cord for the amp is hardwired so cannot be swapped out for a longer or shorter one at will, but at around a meter long it seems sufficient for most people’s needs. The same applies to the supplied speaker cables, which are quite thick and made of pure copper. They don’t have any proper connectors (although that’s typical of hi-fi gear) but are a decent 1.5m in length. You can of course easily and cheaply replace these if you need extra length.

Turn on the device and the two-line display will appear. It shows basic track, station, time and song information and is clear with good viewing angles. Some of the finer text can be a bit difficult to read in a modest living room, but general navigation is easy.

Pop a CD into the drive and the unit works as intuitively as you’d expect, with front panel controls letting you navigate to the right input, start playback, navigate through tracks and adjust the volume. However, turn on the radio or dock an iPod and you’ll be stuck without the remote.

Unfortunately, the remote control isn’t the most elegant or intuitive design we’ve come across. The angular edges, stubby shape, plastic construction, and rubber buttons all combine to make it feel a little cheap, while the layout is perfunctory at best and a bit unwieldy at worst. For example, you’re basically unable to properly control iPod playback other than skipping tracks and starting/stopping – navigating albums is a nightmare – while there are seemingly unnecessary dedicated play/pause buttons for USB, iPod and CD there. In the meantime, you’ll have to resort to the fast-forward buttons to skip through radio stations (again, something you can’t do without the remote).

You get to know its quirks over time, but how a company that makes such high-quality products in terms of performance can still come up with such a rudimentary remote control is something we don’t know. It would be nice to have backlit keys too, although that omission is more understandable given the price of this device.

Luckily, what the Onkyo CS-545UK lacks in usability (and inputs), it more than makes up for in performance. From classical music to the latest dirty beats to the most bombastic movie soundtracks, this device’s all-round sound lets it shine.

We started our test with a quick spin of our favorite CDs and were quickly impressed with its immersive stereo reproduction and warm, even tone. The lack of a dedicated subwoofer means some dance music won’t be as boomy as some might like, but twice the 40W output is more than enough to fill a house with loud, undistorted music when party time is the order of the day.

You won’t be surprised to hear, given the price of this device, that detail levels don’t quite reach truly mesmerizing levels, with the top end feeling a bit flat, but there’s more than enough to make for a very engaging and enjoyable listen.

As mentioned, navigating through radio stations can be a bit of a headache, and handling presets is almost a complete waste of time. As long as you tend to listen to the same station or two you shouldn’t fret too much, but other than that this might not be the system for you.

Moving on to movies and TV via the line input, the lack of a center channel means you don’t get the perfect dead-centre reproduction of dialogue that a surround set would give you, and again the lack of a dedicated sub results in less as defecation rumbles during explosive scenes. However, the overall experience is very enjoyable with again a warm and steady tone meaning you’ll never have trouble hearing dialogue or defending yourself when the action begins. This is certainly a great upgrade for the vast majority of standard TV speakers.

If you’re looking for alternatives, you could opt for a dedicated surround system and just plug in an iPod dock, but of course you lose the CD and radio functionality. There are a number of alternative mini systems too, but few have the built-in iPod dock or offer the same audio quality for the price. Compact all-in-one systems like the Pure Contour can’t be set up around your TV and tend to offer less impressive overall sound.

“‘Verdict”‘

While the Onkyo CS-545UK isn’t a super-slick all-in-one iPod dock, a bombastic high-end hi-fi, or a mega multi-channel surround system, it’s a great all-rounder. With DAB, FM, USB playback, an iPod dock and a CD player on board, it covers most music listening needs, while the line input and separate stereo speaker array mean you can use it as an easy upgrade to your TV’s audio can provide a complete living room audio solution. However, a somewhat cumbersome user interface prevents it from getting a higher score.

advantages

• Cheap
• Good call quality
• Attractive design

disadvantage

• Touchscreen is not very responsive
• Software is a little rough around the edges
• Bad camera

key specifications

• Touch screen
• 2 megapixel camera
• FM radio
• dual band.

The Orange Miami is a basic touchscreen phone available from Orange for just £30, but you’ll also have to pay for a £10 minimum top-up when you buy the handset. Although the phone is Orange branded, it’s actually a facelifted version of the ZTE G-N281, so it might be available on other networks in countries other than the UK.

The Miami is available in either pink or black and the design looks pretty snazzy for a budget model. The battery cover is tastefully rounded which, combined with the handset’s smaller size and light weight, makes for convenient handling. We also like the chrome effect used on the band that runs around the front edge of the phone, as well as the hardware buttons for power, volume control and camera. Complementing these physical buttons are two touch buttons at the bottom of the screen for call control functions, with the on-hook button also acting as a back button when navigating through the phone’s software.

Unfortunately, there’s no dedicated headphone jack – instead, the included headphones plug into the micro-USB port on the bottom of the phone. At least Orange included a short adapter cable with the box, which you can use to connect your own headphones to your cell phone – but then you don’t need the hands-free microphone built into Miami’s own headphones.

The phone’s software is mainly controlled via the small 2.75-inch touchscreen. But unlike most smartphones today, the Miami uses a resistive rather than an older-style capacitive display. Capacitive displays are generally much more sensitive to touch input than resistive displays, and that’s certainly the case here. In fact, the screen turns out to be one of the phone’s biggest weaknesses, as it responds inconsistently to finger presses. At times it feels quite responsive, but other times you have to press the screen multiple times to make it respond.

The handset’s user interface is similar to that of Samsung’s older mid-range touchscreen phones like the Tocco Lite. There is a single home screen with a column of quick launch icons on the left for quick access to features like phone book, text messaging, camera and internet. Tapping it will open a small submenu giving you more options. For example, when you tap the phone icon, you have the option to view call history, missed calls, received calls, or recently dialed calls. It’s a quick and effective way to jump to the types of features you’re likely to use on a daily basis.

Alternatively, you can press the soft menu button at the bottom of the screen to bring up the phone’s main menu. Here you’ll find some extras like the widget player, which is really a very basic RSS news reader, alongside an FM radio, image and video viewers, FM radio and some basic games.

Overall, the Miami’s software feels a little rough around the edges and some of the menus are difficult to understand at first. For example, we had to wonder why there are three different ways to access the music player when they all lead to the same app.

There is only about 19MB of free space in the phone’s internal memory. So if you want to use the music player, you really need to insert a microSD card into the slot under the battery cover. However, the music player is very basic as it’s really just a file browser and lacks niceties like the ability to show album art.

Predictably, the included headphones aren’t great, as they have poor bass response, but if you swap them out for your own cans, you’ll find the Miami puts out good quality audio.

Although there’s a web browser on board, we wouldn’t recommend this handset for internet use. This is not only because the web browser is rudimentary and renders pages slowly, but also because the phone lacks 3G and Wi-Fi support, so even simple web pages take ages to load.

The cameras on most budget phones are paltry, and unfortunately, the Miami’s is no different. It’s a very basic 2-megapixel shooter that lacks a flash or autofocus, but at least the camera app offers a few extra features, including a night mode, white balance presets (tungsten, daylight fluorescence, etc.), continuous shooting, and a delay timer . However, none of these extras can get over the fact that the results are poor even by budget cameraphone standards. Images tend to look quite dirty, especially around the edges of the frame, and highlights often look very burned out. Also, the shutter is slow to respond and you’ll have to hold the phone very still if you don’t want the result to be a blurry mess.

Call quality is pretty good, it’s both clear and accurate, but battery life is disappointing. It is only designed for three hours of talk time. So if you like long chats with your friends, it’s not the right phone for you.

verdict

At £40 including the £10 top-up fee, the Orange Miami is very cheap for a touchscreen phone. But even at this low price we find it difficult to recommend it, mainly because the touchscreen just isn’t responsive enough to provide a satisfying user experience. Factor in the phone’s rough and finished UI and second-rate camera, and we’d recommend looking to something like Samsung’s Toco Lite – it costs around £20 more but is a lot more user-friendly.

How we test phones

We put every cell phone we test through its paces. We use industry standard tests to properly compare features and we use the phone as our main device during the review period. We will always tell you what we find and we never accept money to rate a product.

Learn more about how we test in our Ethics Policy.

Used as our main phone during the period

Verified against respected industry benchmarks and real-world tests

Always has a SIM card installed

Tested with phone calls, games and popular apps

points in detail

• performance 5

• design 7

• value 6

• functions 5

MSI is one of those companies that can be counted on to release a new gaming laptop with every major hardware revision. It’s also generally very good value for money without being hampered by ODM designs like Rock or Novatech. When we looked at the company’s previous MSI GT627-246UK, the only real issues keeping it from a Recommended award were its somewhat unbalanced specification and unattractive design. Now let’s look at the MSI GT740-021UK, a similarly priced 17-inch gaming laptop, to see if it fixed these bugs.

A decent value at first glance. A powerful Intel Core i7 quad-core CPU, a generous 640GB hard drive, Blu-ray drive and nVidia GeForce GTS 250M graphics card are all provided for just over £1,300. MSI even includes a decent backpack and a 1600 DPI gaming mouse to further increase the value – more on that in our GT627 review.

MSI has also made some subtle changes to the exterior design. Gone is the ugly red hinge area of ​​previous models, replaced with an all-black lid and red trim, making for a far more coherent, less distracting exterior. We also like the brushed metal finish, which is both stronger and requires less maintenance than the glossy plastic lids found on so many laptops.

Unfortunately, all that good work comes to naught when you open the laptop. MSI’s continued use of garish and cheap-looking bright red plastic really doesn’t add to the device’s looks, especially when combined with the discordant blue backlight for the power button and touch controls. There are a few comfort crumbs, like the slim, non-reflective display bezel and comfy palm rest with metal sockets, but overall the GT740’s design is more tolerable than admirable.

This discomfort is well illustrated by the touch controls, housed in an unattractive bar above the keyboard. These buttons include the usual playback controls, as well as separate Bluetooth and Wi-Fi switches and a handy custom application launch shortcut. There is also a shortcut to launch the 2.0 megapixel webcam. Despite the ugly looks, the blue backlit controls are well spaced and responsive, with no annoying beeps to spoil the experience.

We’ve never been big fans of MSI’s keyboard layouts and the GT740 does nothing to mitigate that. Even though it includes a full number pad, the layout feels cramped, which is entirely unnecessary as there’s plenty of free space on either side. Our real complaint, however, concerns the company’s insistence on having the “Fn” key outside of “Ctrl” – an anomaly that most manufacturers can avoid.

It’s a pity that the keyboard is excellent in terms of feedback. Each well-spaced key has just the right amount of travel with a nice, defined click, making both typing and gaming a really enjoyable experience.

Just as it harks back to earlier times with its non-chiclet keyboard, MSI also seems to be stuck in the past with the touchpad, which doesn’t support multi-touch. Mind you, it’s hardly an essential feature, and at least the ergonomy of the sensitive pad matches that of the keyboard. Its matte finish is very pleasant to the touch and its metal-etched keys, while a little stiff, have a defined click.

Connectivity is excellent. For internet and networking tasks there’s a 56K modem (still essential for a few unfortunate souls) and gigabit ethernet along with Wireless-N Wi-Fi and Bluetooth V2.1 plus EDR on the wireless side. Three standard USB 2.0 ports are complemented by a dual USB/eSATA port. There’s even mini FireWire for those who still use it.

The rear features both VGA and HDMI outputs for video, while no fewer than four 3.5mm audio jacks cater for 7.1 digital or analog audio. Thankfully, they’re now tastefully finished in black rather than the garish colors of previous MSI gaming laptops. A memory card reader and 54mm ExpressCard slot round out the picture, while the optical drive is taken over by the aforementioned Blu-ray ROM and DVD+/-RW combo drive.

However, despite the inclusion of this high-resolution DVD sequel, you cannot enjoy Blu-rays in Full HD (1080p) without an external monitor or TV, as the 17-inch screen has a 1,680 x 1,050 (16:10 aspect ratio) native resolution . A logical choice considering the relatively weak graphics.

Whatever your opinion on the matter, overall the screen is good. There is little to no sign of backlight bleeding or banding, color reproduction is punchy and consistent, and very sharp. Black details are also good, but at the expense of white purity. This compromise makes sense for a computer designed for movies and games. Viewing angles are also surprisingly good, almost on par with the Dell Studio XPS 16 and its RGB LED backlit display.

Although the GT740 has four speakers, they don’t quite match the performance of its display as they lack bass (despite a dedicated subwoofer) and tend to distort slightly at maximum volume. If you stay below this maximum, the speakers still produce a relatively deep and wide soundstage. You’ll get better quality with decent headphones or speakers, but they’re serviceable and occasionally impressive.

With a good display and an ergonomic keyboard, the GT740 has the key outside ingredients for a decent slot machine, but how does its inside hold up? Like every other Core i7 laptop we’ve looked at, the GT740 features the relatively low-end 720QM, which has a core clock speed of just 1.6 GHz. However, depending on the load and how many cores are being used, this CPU will clock up to 2.8GHz, so the stock speed is a bit misleading. In fact, the 720QM won’t have the slightest problem with any game currently on the market or in the near future.

It’s backed by the usual 4GB of DDR3 RAM, although unfortunately MSI still ships a 32-bit version of Windows 7 Home Premium that won’t take full advantage. On the other hand, the hard drive equipment is unusually generous with a single 640 GB drive. We suspect this is a new addition to this laptop as the MSI website still lists the maximum capacity of the GT740 range as 500GB. Unfortunately, however, this means that the drive spins at 5,400 rpm and not the faster 7,200 rpm that’s common on gaming laptop hard drives.

As always, the most important consideration with any slot machine is the graphics card. Unfortunately, in most manufacturers’ minds, plugging in a Core i7 CPU seems to excuse the use of a relatively low-end graphics card – the most popular choice being a 1GB nVidia GeForce GTS 250M, as also found in the Toshiba Qosmio X500-10T .

As we’ve seen on several occasions, the GTS 250M doesn’t really offer the gaming performance that one would want from a gaming laptop. This shortcoming is reflected in the price, of course, but in some respects the GT740 is more of a multimedia gaming laptop than a thoroughbred gaming machine.

But that doesn’t mean it’s incapable. Our entry-level gaming test, Trackmania Nations Forever, presented no particular hurdle and registered 117 fps in our standard run. The more demanding STALKER: Call of Pripyat benchmark, on the other hand, returned a reasonable average of 46.8 fps across its four tests. However, so that we can compare the results, these tests are run at a lower resolution than the GT740’s native and only at medium detail settings, highlighting the compromises required to play modern games.

To support this point, we tested the GT740 with Crysis and it didn’t fare well. In DirectX10 with medium details and the native resolution of 1680×1050, for example, the GT740 only managed a barely playable 23.5 fps – we had to reduce this to 1280×1024 to get over 30 fps. To put things in perspective, the Scan 3XS i3 OC-PC, which was almost half the price when we tested it in January, offered such frame rates at high detail and anti-aliasing enabled. If you’re looking for gaming, laptops still offer poor value for money.

If gaming performance is only okay, the GT740 surprises with excellent battery life results. In fact, it offers some of the best performance we’ve seen from a gaming laptop, lasting almost three hours in MobileMark 2007’s Productivity segment thanks to its 7,800 mAh (85 Wh) nine-cell battery. DVD playback at 100 percent brightness was less impressive, but still more than enough to watch most movies at an hour and a half.

Ultimately, that’s not the yardstick by which we judge a gaming laptop, and despite the extras (backpack and mouse) and generous two-year warranty, even MSI can’t boast of superior value. A new version of the Qosmio X500 we reviewed, the Qosmio X500-11M is now available for £1,399 and offers comparable overall specs and a faster GTS 360M GPU. It might have a smaller hard drive and its screen probably won’t be as good, but if you can get over the glossy overall finish, it offers a Full HD resolution and an extra inch of viewable screen, a backlit keyboard with a superior layout, and a multi -Touch touchpad, not to mention the best laptop speakers.

If you don’t mind a smaller display, you should also consider the 15.6-inch Novatech X70. The faster GTX 260 graphics card and Full HD screen only cost £50 more, although the battery life, speakers and keyboard will be far inferior to the previous two machines.

verdict

While the MSI GT740-021UK offers decent value for a mobile gaming machine and an excellent screen combined with impressive battery life, it is let down by a cumbersome keyboard layout, underperforming graphics card and 32-bit operating system.

How we test laptops

Unlike other websites, we thoroughly test every laptop we review over an extended period of time. We use industry standard tests to properly compare features. We will always tell you what we find. We never accept money to rate a product.

Learn more about how we test in our Ethics Policy.

Used as our main laptop during the period

Tested for at least a week

Consistent benchmarks used for fair comparisons to other laptops

Verified against recognized industry benchmarks and real-world usage

points in detail

• performance 7

• draft 5

• value 7

• functions 9

• battery life 7

In an attempt to look the best, stylish audio products often lose sight of their function. As a general rule, the sharper the guts of a device, the worse its performance. The Miffy MP3 player, for example, probably won’t put out amazing quality music. As with any rule, however, there are exceptions, with the B&W Zeppelin being a prime example. The Audio Chi W series headphones are said to be another such case, offering good looks and performance. To be too good to be true? you might think.

The way the W Series headphones are packaged gives a positive indication of the thought that went into their production. By that I don’t mean the physical packaging that they are presented in, but the equipment that comes with the headphones themselves.

The carrying case is useful as these phones are likely to be slipped into a backpack, purse or, dare I suggest, a man’s bag when not in use. A 3.5 mm to 2.5 mm adapter is similarly well thought out. This will no doubt please those looking to connect their W series to a cellphone with the smaller connector – a fairly common feature. Small details, yes, but they indicate that Audio Chi actually paid attention to the needs of its target audience.

Continuing the thoughtful design theme is the use of a detachable wired connector on the left ear cup. So if the wiring breaks, you don’t need to buy new headphones, just a new cable. The 1.2m cable also uses a woven, as opposed to a rubberized, coating which is said to prevent tangling – a claim I can’t dispute.

As a bonus to these practical considerations, the W Series headphones come in a range of funky colors. I’m particularly fond of the pink variety I borrowed, but they all look pretty chic. The stitched faux leather headband pulls off the look nicely and has the added bonus of being beautiful and comfortable. So does the ear cups, which apply enough pressure to stay in place without pinning my head in a vise-like death grip – unlike some headphones I’ve had the misfortune of wearing.

The W Series headphones sit on top of your ears rather than around them, so there’s not much noise isolation. This tends to be more of an issue for people close to you, as the sound will leak out and disturb anyone sitting nearby. Still, annoying fellow passengers on a subway or bus is certainly less likely than blasting your “tunes” out of your phone’s speaker, which clearly should be a hanging offense.

When it comes to audio performance, to my liking the Audio Chi W series offer better sound than the WeSC Bongo Art Marok headphones we looked at. There’s full, but not overwhelming, bass response and decent mid-range clarity. The very high end could be a bit sharper, but you’ll never get everything at this price point.

The W-series can’t match headphones like the Sennheiser HD 485 in terms of playback clarity, but the W-series are a lot less cumbersome, making them a particularly handy offering that you might be more likely to wear – an often neglected consideration .

If you were to spend a little more for a pair of Grado SR60i phones, the difference in sound quality would be noticeable as well. But as awesome as the Grados are, they feel far too fragile to carry around. Also, some would argue that the grado’s characteristic sharpness is too harsh to be heard for extended periods of time.

As much as other headphones may sound better, the W-Series’ design aligns better with real-world considerations, such as: B. connecting to a device with a 2.5mm jack or storing your headphones in a backpack when not in use. Plus they come in pink, that’s all that really matters, right?

verdict

The appeal of the Audio Chi W Series lies primarily in its styling. It’s a nice bonus, then, that they’ve got a decent dose of substance to go along with it.

Pros

• Excellent image quality
• Versatile
• Manual controls
• 1080i video with stereo sound
• Inbuilt GPS
• 10x zoom lens (25-250mm)

Cons

• Prone to wind noise in video
• Sow flash recharge
• Heavy-handed noise reduction at high ISO

Key Specifications

• Review Price: £300.00
• 10x zoom lens (25-250mm)
• Manual controls
• 1080i video with stereo sound
• Inbuilt GPS
• Touchscreen
• 10.2 megapixel Exmor sensor

(centre)

In recent months the long-zoom compact has become one of the busiest areas of the digital camera market, with most of the major manufacturers launching new compact cameras with 10x or greater zoom capabilities. In order to make their products stand out in such as crowded market the manufacturers have had to load their cameras up with advanced features; we’ve already seen the Fujifilm F70EXR with its revolutionary new sensor design, and of course Pansonic’s Lumix TZ10 with built-in GPS and 720p HD video and stereo audio. Last week I reviewed the new Canon SX210 IS, with its 14 megapixel sensor and 14x image-stabilised zoom lens, but today I’m taking a look at the new Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5, which manages to make even those outstanding cameras look a bit primitive.

Like most of its peers the HX5 is designed more for practicality than for style, but it’s still a good looking camera, and is available in black or silver. It has an all-metal body which is rather box-like, but which has a rounded grip moulded into the right-hand end making it very comfortable to hold. It’s quite small by long-zoom compact standards, measuring 102.9 x 57.7 x 28.9mm and weighing 200g including battery and memory card.

This is quite a bit smaller and lighter than either the TZ10 or the SX210. The specification is also impressive. It has a high-quality 10x zoom lens with a 25mm wide angle and the Sony G branding of the company’s high-end DSLR lenses. The sensor is a 7.9mm (1/2.4-inch) 10.2 megapixel Exmor R CMOS chip, while the LCD monitor is a 7.5cm (3.0 inch) 230k unit which is nice and bright, although the angle of view is rather limited compared to the gorgeous screens on the Canon and Panasonic models. The HX5 has only just gone on sale this month and is available for around £300, which is pretty good value compared to its main rivals.

The HX5 is one of three recently announced Sony compacts featuring its new Sweep Panorama function, previously seen on the TX1 ultra-compact. This clever feature replaces the photo-stitched panorama function that has been a common feature of digital cameras for many years. Instead of taking single photos and then pasting them together in a photo editing program, with Sweep Panorama you simply pan the camera around while holding down the shutter button and it captures a rapid series images which it stitches on the fly into a single uninterrupted panoramic shot, in the case of the HX5 up to 7152 pixels wide and 1080 high. It can also be used in the vertical format to produce a 3424 x 1920 ultra-wide angle shot.

As well as the innovative Sweep Panorama function, the HX5 is loaded with even more advanced features. Perhaps the most significant is its full HD 1080i video recording mode, with stereo audio recorded via a pair of microphones on the top panel. Video is recorded in the high quality AVCHD format, which does mean you’ll need a big memory card, since a minute of HD video is around 80MB.

The video quality is superb, with a huge amount of detail, virtually no visible compression and excellent exposure and colour reproduction. The image stabilisation provides very steady hand-held shooting, and the optical zoom, which can be used while recording, doesn’t affect the soundtrack.

The sound quality is also very good, but the microphones are very prone to wind noise when shooting outdoors in even the lightest breeze. Unfortunately there isn’t any provision for an external microphone, although with the way that video recording on compact cameras is going I wouldn’t be surprised to see this on future models.

The HX5 is also the latest compact camera to feature built-in GPS location tracking, and also has an on-screen compass which appears to actually be magnetic, since it works indoors and is affected by a magnet moved near the camera.

The GPS tracker automatically adds longitude and latitude co-ordinates and direction data to the EXIF data of photos and video clips, for geotagging your shots using applications such as Google Earth or Locr. Unlike the Panasonic TZ10 the GPS doesn’t appear to have any seriously detrimental effect on battery duration, so presumably it’s not permanently active.

Another advanced feature is in-camera HDR, or High Dynamic Range imaging, which helps to improve very high contrast images. It works by taking three shots in quick succession, exposed for highlights, mid-tones and shadows in turn, and then merges them together into one picture with greatly expanded dynamic range.

One has to feel slightly sorry for Ricoh, who were the first to introduce this feature on a compact camera with their CX1 in mid-2009. Ricoh keeps on coming up with clever ideas which are then appropriated by other more popular brands. The HDR feature on the HX5 does work, but I have to say it’s nowhere near as dramatically effective as Ricoh’s implementation.

The HX5 has a list of other useful features that is too long to fully explore in this review, but some of the highlights include optical image stabilisation, D-Range Optimisation for improved results in high contrast shots, advanced face detection with smile detection and the option to set children as a priority, and a hand-held twilight mode, which helps low-light capability by taking a rapid series of shots and combining them into one blur-free image. It offers optional manual exposure with an aperture range of Features in playback include red-eye correction, sharpening, rotating and resizing, as well as the option to play a slide show with effects and music.

The HX5’s overall performance is impressive to say the least. It starts up and is ready to shoot in approximately two seconds, and shuts down again in just under three seconds. In single shot mode at maximum quality it has a shot-to-shot time of approximately 1.5 seconds, which in continuous shooting mode it three different speed settings, the fastest of which can capture ten shots at 10fps. The other settings are 5fps and 2fps. One minor niggle is that the continuous shooting mode is activated by a button on the top panel which I found myself constantly mistaking for the on/off button.

The autofocus system is also exceptionally good. It has the option of centre spot, single zone or nine-point multi-zone focusing, and is amazingly fast in all of them. It does slow down a little at longer focal lengths and n low light, but still focuses reliably and accurately even in pitch darkness thanks to an AF assist lamp with a range of several metres.

The built-in flash is fairly powerful, with a range of 3.8m at 125 ISO, but the recharge time of approximately eight seconds is a bit on the slow side. Frame coverage is excellent though, and the flash is well metered, working equally well at very close range.

Image quality is, for the most part, excellent. The Sony G lens is particularly good, producing no distortion at any focal length, with excellent edge-to-edge sharpness and not a trace of chromatic aberration. I assume that Sony has learned some tricks from its long association with Carl Zeiss, and the results are superb. The level of fine detail recorded is among the best I’ve seen from a 10MP camera, and gives the 12MP TZ10 a fair run for its money.

Colour rendition is also superb, with rich well-saturated colours even in slightly overcast lighting, and exposure is also generally accurate, striking a good balance between shadow and highlight detail. The only slight issue in image quality is noise reduction at higher ISO settings, which is a bit heavy-handed compared to the many excellent examples I’ve seen recently. It’s not at all bad, but there is some blurring of very fine detail at 400 ISO, and the 3200 ISO maximum setting is decidedly blotchy.

”’Verdict”’

The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-HX5 once again demonstrates that when it comes to technical excellence Sony should never be underestimated. The camera is well made, handles and performs extremely well, and is capable of producing very good results under a wide range of circumstances. It is a technological tour-de-force loaded with more features than anything else on the market.

”Over the next few pages we show a range of test shots. On this page the full size image at the minimum and maximum ISO settings have been reduced to let you see the full image, and a series of full resolution crops have taken from original images at a range of ISO settings to show the overall image quality. These pictures were taken indoors using shaded natural light. ”

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This is the full frame at the minimum ISO setting.

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At 125 ISO the image quality is excellent.

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Still excellent quality at 200 ISO.

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Noise reduction has started to blur out detail at 400 ISO.

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Colour gradients are still good, but more detail is lost at 800 ISO.

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Noise is visible at 1600 ISO but colour rendition is still very good.

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Things are getting a bit speckley at 3200 ISO.

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This is the full frame at maximum ISO.

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”A range of general test shots are shown over the next two pages. In some cases, the full size image has been reduced for bandwidth purposes, and a crop taken from the original full resolution image has been placed below it to show the overall image quality. ”

—-

Here’s the usual detail test shot of the West Window of Exeter Cathedral, for you to compare with other cameras. See below for a full res crop, or click for the full sized image. The downloadable file is approximately 4.2MB.

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The level of fine detail is exceptionally good, especially for a 10MP sensor.

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The superb Sony G lens produces no wide-angle distortion at all.

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Centre sharpness is outstanding.

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Corner sharpness is also very good, with no visible chromatic aberration.

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”Here are some general test shots to help evaluate the camera’s overall image quality, including dynamic range, colour rendition and the zoom range of the lens. Some pictures may be clicked to download the full size original image. ”

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The wide-angle end is equivalent to 25mm.

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The telephoto end is equivalent to 250mm.

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With HDR switched off there isn’t much shadow detail in this shot.

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In HDR mode there is more shadow detail, but the highlights look a bit pale.

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Colour rendition is superb even on an overcast day.

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The Sweep Panorama mode produces some stunning results.

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Score in detail

• Value 8

• Image Quality 9

• Build Quality 9

Features