Too often, low cost digital cameras are selling themselves off the back of a digital zoom function, which effectively uses clever software to do the work of a proper zoom lens. The end result? Generally pretty poor, which is why we were curious about this new Trust device, which packs in a 3x optical zoom, proper 3.3 megapixel resolution and an integrated flash light.

First impressions? Not too bad. Despite the decent enough exterior, the camera does have the feel of a budget device, but it goes about its business well enough. The TFT screen display is good enough to help frame your shots, although we were alarmed at just how quickly it ate up a pair of Duracell batteries. Make no mistake, the 770Z hogs batteries at a very quick rate. Furthermore, it's not always easy to focus your shots, despite having auto focus built in. It is exceedingly easy to use, though, with the unit labelled clearly and allowing even novice users to be taking shots in little time at all.

And the shots you take, crucially, are really rather good. We tried and tested a variety of lighting conditions, and found that - despite those aforementioned focusing issues - the majority of images were perfectly usable and made for good prints. Outputting those images is a doddle, too. Supplied with 8MB of storage, it's as simple as you'd expect to hook the unit to a PC via a USB lead and sort them from there, and it's likewise possible to buy additionai storage space.

So, in all, really quite a commendable camera. If you're looking for something that's for casual use on a reasonably tight budget, then it does fit the bill quite well. We wouldn't advise it for users after plenty of features, though, nor for those who do demand quite a bit more from the hardware. Yet, considering that good optical zoom in this price bracket isn't incredibly common, it's a camera that deserves at least further investigation.

Price: £150 Manufacturer: Trust Website: www.trust.com Required Spec: USB power (for PC connection)