For those who want a compact digital camera small enough to fit into a pocket, the M1033 does a good job of offering a slim design without compromising features like LCD size. Made of durable plastic casing, this isn't a camera that's going to wear easily and it feels pretty lightweight at 126g with a dominant 3-inch LCD monitor.

Simplicity is the name of the game with the M1033 and most of the features that make it stand out from the compact crowd are designed to help you achieve the best shots with little fuss. The 22 different Scene modes accessed by pressing the ‘mode' button at the top of the camera body are testament to that.

Ranging from common favourites such as ‘Portrait', ‘Landscape' and ‘Sport', the M1033 also features more exciting, creative options like ‘Panning' (for capturing speedy objects like cars) and two Panoramic modes. With so many buttons scattered around the camera body it can feel a little fiddly selecting options like the Scene Modes, especially as the directional control - the only means for manoeuvring through the menus - is so small and dainty. However, in terms of menu design the choices are clear and concise.

Available in six different colours to suit everyone's taste - including the more original ‘Red', ‘Pink' and ‘Pewter' - the Kodak Easyshare M1033 features a set of buttons on the top of the camera body including controls for power, the aforementioned ‘mode', shutter and flash. Whilst the LCD takes up the majority of the rear, a large zoom control makes changing the focal length easy and smooth.

As with all of the cameras in the Easyshare range the ‘share' button on the bottom right-hand side of the body makes it easy to print or e-mail the photo files on the camera without having to get the images off onto your computer first.

There's a couple of welcome features on the M1033 that make shooting more enjoyable and easier. Most important is the Face Detection feature that automatically locates faces within a frame and adjusts the camera settings in order to achieve the best shot. You know when the camera has detected a face within your shot as the focus information on the LCD frames the face. Once the face has been spotted, even if the subject moves or the camera adjusts position slightly the Face Detection will follow.

‘Smart Capture' is designed to work like an advanced Auto mode in that it can reduce unnecessary noise and adjust settings for the most pleasing exposure, meaning you can spend more time snapping than getting bogged down in operational settings.

The Kodak M1033 has a sensor that can record 12 megapixels, meaning you can print a large 76 x 102cm shot without the quality suffering. Alternatively, if you're also keen on video capture then you can also record HD video in 16:9 format. A fun extra here is that you can print out multiple frames from the video capture as a 10 x 15cm print.

Although the camera comes with a whopping great big manual, you'll need to install the supplied CD to get any information on making the most out of its more creative features as only 22 pages are in English. Once this software has been installed a lot more opportunities open up to you, like easy home printing help and some basic greeting card templates, but there's still a lack of obvious manual instructions. You will also need the CD to help you set up your EasyShare dock (available separately) for wireless connection.

The M1033 isn't the quickest camera on the market, particularly when it comes to the zoom, so you may find you miss those photo opportunities where you have to be snappy. However, image quality is pleasing enough with no obvious colour casts or unnecessary noise. Using Smart Capture the images are automatically treated with Kodak Perfect Touch algorithms, which can prove to be a little temperamental in some shots. It's a good option for quick editing, though, especially with the chance to see a ‘before' and ‘after' preview, and it worked pretty well for getting rid of tired-looking bags under the eyes and improving general exposure.

A durable, compact camera that features a generous-sized LCD monitor. There's a whole host of exciting features on the M1033 that would be especially welcome for the photographer who has little skill or interest in post-editing. However, getting to grips with these features is a little tricky as the manual is thin on the ground when it comes to detailed instructions.