The LCD screen is large and bright, one of the best on any camera. There is also a small and awkwardly placed optical viewfinder in the very top left of the camera body. Like all optical viewfinders it is useful but doesn't show the entire area of the captured image, but it is better than having no supplement at all to the LCD which is useless in bright light.

Controls are unusual on the V550. At first glance there don't seem to be any, except for the most basic buttons for review and delete. However on the flat top of the camera there are pressure-sensitive areas, one of which is for selecting Scene modes. One of the selectable modes is Custom and the preferred parameters for ISO speed, auto focus and exposure modes, contrast, saturation and so on can be set in this mode. Every time the camera is turned on a tap on the Scene pressure spot returns the camera to the last used setting, which most of the time will be Custom. It is like having a P setting although not quite as easy to select.

Focus and exposure are good. Colours are a little over-saturated with a tendency for the auto white balance to produce warm glows. Images are sharp without seeming to be over-sharpened. Kodak have really figured out how to produce brilliant images straight from the camera for printing at the standard 10cm by 15cm size.

The rechargeable battery doesn't have a long life. The camera takes SD cards.

Like this: The camera body is rugged and hefty, surprisingly heavy for such a small unit, but in a reassuring way. The inclusion of an optical viewfinder is applauded. The operation is simple without being insulting or inadequate.

dpexpert doesn't normally test the movie capabilities of these little cameras, considering it a marginally useful gimmick, but in the case of the V550 which promises image stabilisation in Movie mode we gave it a run. The results in the highest resolution/frame rate mode were excellent. The sound was surprisingly good. The investment in a 1gb memory card could pay off.

Dislike that: The layout of the camera invites laziness. Most owners will use it on Auto and will be unhappy with the results. Figuring out the Custom mode setting and how it works is not intuitive and requires some familiarity with the way digital cameras work.

Parting shot: The Kodak V550 and its little sibling the V530 ["dressed in the season's hottest colours–Absolute Pink, Red Shimmer, Midnight Black and Silver Essence–lets women take and share high quality videos and pictures in style"] are worthy additions to Kodak's bewildering range of compact digital cameras. The 4.9 rating indicates how difficult it is to distinguish between different cameras from different makers these days. If a camera performs its intended function perfectly then there is not much point in rating it comparatively with a 14mp full frame single lens reflex.

We like the Kodak V550 and recommend it to anyone looking for a compact camera in the $700 price range.

[See sample images from the Kodak V550 in the Gallery]