Olympus u1070
Face detection software is a common feature for most digital cameras these days, but Olympus' u1070 gives you Beauty mode, which not only emphasises the face in every shot, but gives that face an 'instant makeover'.
According to Olympus, the Beauty mode will automatically detect people's faces, both during shooting and playback, and enhance their appearance by 'brightening the face tone, highlighting the eyes, and smoothing the skin'.
Besides making people look better, the u1070 is a pretty good looker itself. The slim design and the sliding lens cover is a bit like Sony's ultra-compact models. It is also available in a range of colours, including this season's hip colour - purple.
The u1070 offers 12 mega-pixel images and comes with a variety of auto shooting modes, such as the Intelligent Auto function which analyses the composition of a scene to determine the most appropriate settings. The Smile Shot mode also helps by releasing the shutter when the camera detects a smiling face.
Additional features of the u1070 include a 3x optical zoom lens, a 2.7-inch HyperCrystal II LCD monitor, 44 MB of internal memory expandable via an xD-Picture or microSD Card slot, and built-in flash.
The lens supports Macro mode for super close-ups. Even more close-ups can be achieved with the Super Macro mode, which allows you to shoot objects only 7cm away.
The Olympus u1070 sells for HK$1,890.
Pros: instant makeover for everyone, 12 Mega-pixels, Super Macro mode
Cons: few manual controls
