When considering a mid-range compact digital camera, manufacturer names likely to arise are Canon and Fujifilm, rather than Acer.

However, Acer has a range of a dozen or so digital cameras and the CU-6530 is a 6.3 megapixel, 3x optical zoom model at a very attractive price.

Its metal case gives it a good solid feel, but it’s still light enough to slip into a pocket.

The CU-6530's most notable feature, given its small size, is its viewing screen. Measuring 6.3cm diagonally across, it's large enough to show the image being taken as well as useful icons displaying things such as exposure, flash setting and battery level.

The display is also bright enough to use outside, which is just as well, because there is no room for an optical viewfinder. Dotted around the camera's back and edge are three buttons for the menu system, a jog-dial and a toggle for switching between wide-angle to telephoto shots.

The menu system is well organised and provides a useful level of control. This includes exposure compensation, a number of different flash modes and 17 shooting modes, including some unusual settings such as flowing water and pets.

Image quality is bright and reasonably natural, while flash photography is generally grainy (a trait of digital compact cameras).

The Acer CU-6530 comes complete with a dock that connects to a USB socket to recharge its lithium ion battery and to print to PictBridge printers. It also links to a slightly clumsy, black-block power supply.

The CU-6530 is supplied with a 64Mb SD memory card, which isn't very fast and limits the shot-on-shot speed, although it can hold around 20 images at the cameras highest resolution.

Costing under £170 and coming from a non-traditional camera manufacturer, the CU-6530 wasn't what we'd expected.

Although the eagle-eyed photography enthusiasts will spot the difference in quality between this and more expensive cameras from recognised brands, Acer has built a good quality camera for a bargain price.

Also consider
Fujifilm FinePix F11
Verdict: A 6-megapixel point-and-shoot that can ‘see’ in the dark
Rating: 4/5
Price: £299