Mustek is well known for its range of budget digital cameras. The latest addition is a multi-function offering that incorporates a 5-megapixel lens, 3x optical zoom, MP3 playback, movie clip recording and a webcam feature.

Our first impression of the product wasn't great. It has a chunky design that fits very awkwardly in the hands and, although the buttons are fairly well laid out, the camera doesn't feel particularly solid.

Some functions are easier to use than others. A mode selector wheel on top of the unit allows you to quickly switch between camera and viewing modes, but the on-screen menu can be quite confusing as the icons are small and inadequately labelled.

Despite its high-resolution lens, the MDC 6500Z's picture quality was average. Discerning users will notice that some fine detail isn't captured, but it is probably adequate for most. It comes with 32Mb of internal memory and an SD/MMC memory card slot for further expansion.

Copies of Ulead VideoStudio 6 and Photo Express Plus are supplied so you can edit images and movie clips but, given the quality of footage this camera records, we doubt you'd really want to.

The MDC 6500Z is a fairly decent camera but there are far better choices available. However, it's one of the cheapest 5-megapixel models we've seen, which may appeal to many people on a tight budget.

Contact:
Mustek (no UK number)
www.mustek.co.uk