Samsung's ST550 is great for a dual screen, less so as a camera

Welcome to the world of dual-screen cameras - one on the back and one on the front.

Aside from the obvious trick of allowing you to point the camera at yourself and still be able to frame your shots, the front screen will display a numeric countdown in self-timer mode.

The body is wider and taller than most, to accommodate a 3.5in touchscreen, which handles all adjustments in place of dedicated buttons.

Whether you consider this a gimmick is down to personal preference, but we didn't find it any more intuitive than standard push-button controls, and the sheer number of menus on offer is overwhelming.

Annoyingly, the ST550 takes microSD memory only, but more pleasing is its ability to charge over USB. A 27mm-equivalent maximum wide-angle setting is welcome too, and you also get the handy ability to record HD movies at 720p.

Still-image quality is a touch below the results from most Canons and Nikons, though. There's no doubt the ST550 is a camera designed with considerable flair, but it's overburdened with menu options, modes and trinkets that do nothing to make better photos.