Kodak’s recent compacts have dared to be different by sporting two lenses for longer zooming, so the more conventional 3x optical zoom V803 immediately seems less headline grabbing.

It does, however, boast a resolution that, at eight megapixels, is higher than its V570 and V610 predecessors.

The lozenge-shaped V803 feels sturdy despite a build that’s mainly plastic. The rear is dominated by a 2.5in screen flanked on both sides by key function controls that resemble a games console.

Round the front, however, it’s most definitely a camera, the 36-108mm equivalent zoom stored flush to the body when not in use, and a bulb for the flash set to one side.

The Kodak Easyshare V803 takes three seconds plus to get going, the lens barrel extending to maximum wide-angle and the screen flickering into life.

To be picky it’s also sluggish in determining accurate focus, the lens hunting more than it should. Thankfully committing pictures to memory is much faster, even at maximum quality setting.

Menu options are clear and easily navigated. New features include sensitivity up to ISO1600 for naturalistic low light shots without flash – backed up with digital image stabilisation (anti-shake) to avoid the visible effects of hand wobble – while a ‘maintain settings’ feature saves preferred selections. A press of the favourites button stores thumbnails of special shots without clogging up the internal memory.

The beginner friendliness is maintained by 22 scene modes that automatically select the best settings for common subjects and conditions, while there’s a slot for an optional SD or MMC memory card shared with the battery at the base.

In low light the V803 delivers its fair share of soft images that benefit from sharpening afterwards. Outdoors it's a different matter, Kodak revealing its acclaimed film heritage by producing colourful, vivid shots that really zing. Use as a holiday camera would seem ideal.

Distracting from the fact that there’s not much new or original about the V803, the camera is available in a range of colours, including 'mystic' purple or pink 'bliss'. Lacking manual features it may be, but omissions are considerably offset by that appealing price tag.

Vista compatible: N/A