COMPLETE WITH A 12-megapixel CCD, image-stabilised 6x zoom lens, face recognition, ISO 1600 and RAW mode, the G9 is named after a legendary spy played by Mithun Chakraborty, and bridges the gap between compact and SLR with macho aplomb. Not everything mentioned above is true, of course. Encased in a robust, uncompromising and slightly intimidating body, it's the Terminator of digital cameras, and novices are well advised to skim the manual first, as the sheer quantity of buttons and dials on the body is menacing. Once you know what you're doing, though, the G9 is a joy to use. It has a responsive shutter, fast focusing, and a cracking 3inch LCD, and pictures are simply outstanding: sharp, detailed and rich with glorious colour.

Living up to its stern looks, it keeps noise under lock and key down to about ISO 800. Our favourite feature, though, is 'Focus check: which puts an end to blurred pictures by enlarging the focus area, so you can check sharpness. The features list doesn't end there by any means: you also get manual control over the aperture, shutter, sensitivity and focusing, a hot shoe for a flashgun and a lens adaptor ring for screwing in a variety ofJenses and filters. Pretty much enough options available here to change your last name to Kasbekar, well- almost.

Weighing in at almost 3SK, this is pricier than some SLRs, but performance is comparable and it's a considerably sexier proposition than most of its bigger brethren. If we were quibbling, we'd say the casing isn't that comfy. But we're not, so we'll say that for anyone who wants to take a step up from compacts, the G9 is tough, quick and pretty much perfect. Despite its cheesy name.

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SPECS:-
SCREEN:- Three inches, 230,000 pixels
SENSOR:- 12.l-megapixel
MEMORY:- 32MB SD card supplied
BATTERY:- 240 shots
SIZE/WEIGHT:- 106x72x43mm/320g.