There's a lot to be said for cameras that can fit in your pocket, with enough space left over for a wallet and a set of car keys. Manufacturers have made huge strides over the last year in the 'slimline' sector of the market and, on the face of it, the BenQ X600 is yet another tiny miracle of photographic science, but it's hardly unique.

Not only does it bear a suspiciously striking resemblance to the Pentax Optio S6, but it also has a practically identical specification list, from the shutter speed and sensitivity ranges through the autofocus and metering options, to the image sizes, button layout and beyond.

As it turns out, the X600 even features the same 2.5-inch LCD around the back and, for sheer front, the very same Pentax SMC 6.2-18.6 f/2.7-5.2 lens. Still, there are plenty of worse compact cameras upon which BenQ could have so blatantly based its design.

The metal body of the BenQ X600 simultaneously lends it both a stylish look and a rugged feel. It's not only slightly smaller than the average packet of cigarettes but considerably better for your health, thanks to an amazingly low weight of just 130g, which is guaranteed not to put your back out or strain any muscles.

Ease of use

The X600 is easy on the brain as well, with a simple set of buttons and an easy control system that makes fully automatic, point-and-shoot photography a doddle. A press of the on/off button brought our review sample to a full state of readiness in three seconds flat, while the 2.5-inch LCD rear screen that would have been considered huge last year, is now what you'd expect for a camera with no optical viewfinder.

In its favour, the LCD is clear and bright, and has a fast refresh rate that's able to keep up with panning quite smoothly, rather than displaying stroboscopic tendencies that try to induce an epileptic fit in the photographer attached to the camera.

The down side is that, as with any camera without an optical viewfinder, you have to hold the X600 away from your face while you're using it, which makes camera shake a recurrent danger, especially combined with the camera's poor handling characteristics, which dog most ultra-compact models.