It seems barely a week goes by without news of yet another 5-megapixel camera launch, and on paper there’s little to differentiate the BenQ DC E520+ from other cameras in its class.

It has a 3x optical zoom, 2.5in screen, brushed metal casing and compact dimensions – roughly the size of a pack of playing cards – that have become the norm.

Although it boasts an SMC Pentax Lens, which supposedly allows more colour and light into shots, what really marks it out is its price-tag.

At £139 it’s considerably cheaper than most of the competition but doesn’t offer the breadth of features and settings you’d see in a pricier 5-megapixel camera.

Beyond automatic and manual shooting modes, the BenQ DC E520+ has a modest five automated scene settings. However, this does include a setting for backlit objects – a handy feature to look out for if you’re buying a camera to take on a summer holiday.

The 20Mb of internal memory stores around 16 images taken at the highest resolution and image-quality settings. And, while there’s an SD card slot, no card is included. It can take small 640 x 480 movies at 30fps (frames per second), though.

When reviewing photos, a summary of the settings is displayed on the right-hand portion of the screen, which is a great aid when experimenting with manual settings. Having said that, the manual settings on offer are limited to light sensitivity and metering options, white balance and exposure compensation modes.

We were impressed by the BenQ’s performance in macro mode, which allows you to take shots 6cm away from your subject. Our test close-ups were crisp and detail was well picked out.

Overall, though, picture quality was lacklustre. Images were very noisy, which gives areas of solid colour a speckled appearance. This was particularly noticeable in low lighting conditions.

Those in the market for a budget camera shouldn’t overlook the BenQ DC E520+, which offers ease-of-use and a range of essential settings at an affordable price. If versatility and image quality are important, however, the search for the right camera shouldn’t end here.

Also consider
Fujifilm FinePix S5600  
Verdict: More expensive but contains enough features to cater for varying types of photographer
Rating: 4/5
Price: £300