Although people are aware that more pixels doesn’t always mean better quality, it hasn’t stopped Konica Minolta from releasing the first 8megapixel compact camera – the Dimage X1.

The main advantage of an 8megapixel camera is that you can crop images and still print at decent sizes without pixellation. Alternatively, if you don’t crop, you can print A3-sized photos.

Most compact digicams house a small 1/2.5in CCD. With its high resolution, the Dimage X1 has a larger 1/1.8in sensor. However, this is still an incredibly small CCD on which to cram eight million pixels.

The result is increased image noise – if you look close up at indoor shots you’ll see a nasty speckled effect in darker areas. However, it’s by no means detrimental, and when printing 6 x 4s you’re unlikely to notice the noise. Furthermore, outdoor images aren’t so affected and we were very pleased with their overall quality.

An interesting feature is the image stabilisation, which combats camera-shake. Usually only found in more expensive, high-zoom cameras, it also lets you shoot in low-light conditions with a slower shutter speed without resorting to a high ISO setting, which would brighten an image but also increase noise. Image stabilisation can be turned on or off as required.

Konica Minolta has taken the design of the Dimage X1 seriously. The front is similar to the Nikon Coolpix S1, while the rear has a classy mirrored effect. Thanks to the folded optics, the 3x zoom lens doesn’t protrude from the casing. This keeps it compact, but also makes it easy to slip your finger over the lens.

There’s a lot to like about this camera, but we have to question how many people require an 8megapixel compact digicam. A 5megapixel version would suit most amateur photographers, result in less image noise and, presumably, would cost less too.