BenQ C1050 review

The C1050's 10-megapixel sensor is impressive for such an affordable camera.

Otherwise, its design is unremarkable, with a plain plastic case and two AA batteries for power. Priority and manual exposure modes are an unexpected treat, and aperture and shutter speed settings are easily accessible. However, other modes are less successful, with a Shake Free option that simply activates the flash and which took a hopelessly underexposed shot after we chose to switch the flash off again.

Performance is the weakest area. It took four seconds to switch on and capture a photo and around five seconds between shots - the worst we've seen for over a year, except for BenQ's T700. The autofocus took a second to find its subject and often failed on the first or second attempt. In low light, it didn't try to focus. Pressing the shutter button without half-pressing it first and waiting for the autofocus gave an out-of-focus shot.

This is a shame because the C1050 is capable of impressive image quality. Detail was on a par with the Pentax Optio A30 (see 'Also consider...' on page 42), although the unreliable focus spoiled many test shots. Noise levels were acceptable at ISO 800, giving excellent indoor photos for a camera at this price. Colour accuracy was more variable, though. Skin tones were excellent in natural light and under the flash, but less reliable in artificial light on automatic settings. High-contrast scenes revealed a limited dynamic range, with clipped or over-saturated highlights manifesting as blocks of white or garish yellow.

Clearly, judging a camera purely by its megapixel rating and price is a mistake. Fujifilm's 6-megapixel FinePix F20 (see 'Also consider...' on page 43) is far superior.

Author: Ben Pitt