Mustek DV5000

A 4.1 megapixel digital video camera for £130 sounds too good be true. Indeed, the actual resolution of the DV5000 is 3.1 megapixels, but ‘hardware enhancement’ gives it an artificial boost. However, this isn’t to say the device doesn’t provide a fantastic bargain. Not only does it capture high-quality movies and still images, it also serves as a webcam, voice recorder, MP3 player and portable hard disk. MPEG4 clips are shot at a resolution of 640 x 480 and stored either in the 32MB internal memory or on an additional SD or MMC card.

To be honest, there isn’t a great deal of difference between the DV5000 and our Gold Award winner. Both share the same specifications, price and basic build, though the Goodmans 3300CC has a slightly more stylish design. It also comes with twice as much memory as the Mustek camera, though in fairness the latter has been available for longer.