Reviews

A slimline waterproof, shockproof and snowproof digicam for family snapshooters.Olympus has increased the resolution at the entry level in its popular ‘Tough’ series of digicams with the 8-megapixel Mju 850 SW, which has a 3x optical zoom lens. This second-generation digicam confirms the success of the ‘Tough’ series and present some interesting new updates to previous models. It’s the same size, weight and design as the earlier Mju 790 SW model and is available in silver, black or an arresting lipstick pink.

A high-resolution slimline digicam that is waterproof, ‘drop-proof’ and has a wide zoom lens.Available in black or silver, the Mju 1030 SW is the first in the ‘Tough’ series with a 10-megapixel image sensor. Waterproof to 10 metres, it is also capable of withstanding a drop of two metres and can tolerate temperatures down to -10 degrees Celsius and pressures of up to 100 kilograms, making it the ‘toughest’ in the range. The new camera’s feature set has also evolved since the original 795 SW model, making it even more attractive to photographers who enjoy water sports, skiing and similar adventurous activities.

A small, slim, high-resolution digicam for snapshooters who want a long zoom range.Claimed as the smallest 10x optical zoom digicam, the Olympus Mju 9000 has a slick pocketable plastic body accented in stylish chrome. Equipped with a 12-megapixel CCD sensor, this flagship of the Mju line-up is targeted at travellers who want a small, light, point-and-shoot digicam. Physically smaller than competitors like the Canon PowerShot SX110 IS, Panasonic TZ7 and Ricoh R10, the Mju 9000 is also less capable in many ways.

An affordably-priced slimline digicam for everyday picture-takers.Designed primarily for snapshooters, the Olympus Mju 840 is affordably priced and comes in black and silver with a 2.7-inch HyperCrystal LCD. It features the traditional Mju slimline design and sports an 8-megapixel CCD imager and 5x optical zoom lens. The sensor itself is slightly larger than the 5.76 x 4.29 mm imagers on most current digicams (unfortunately we don’t have its exact dimensions).

A well-built slimline digicam with some useful features for snapshooters but rather small controls.Featuring the slim, ‘Splashproof’ metal body that characterises the Olympus Mju series of cameras, the new Mju 820 combines an 8-megapixel CCD imager with a 5x optical zoom lens and 2.7-inch HyperCrystal LCD screen. Available in black or silver, it is targeted at point-and-shoot photographers and includes a range of features that make picture-taking easy.

A shockproof, waterproof digicam that will suit adventurous snapshooters.In the new Mju 770 SW, Olympus has brought photographers its toughest model to date. Underwater rated to 10 metres, the 770 SW goes twice as deep as last year’s 725 SW model and adds a ‘Crushproof’ rating against loads of up to 100kg as well as being ‘Freezeproof’ to -10ø‚ °C. Like its predecessor, it can also withstand drops of up to 1.5 metres. Otherwise, many of the features of the new model are identical to the 725 SW.

A solidly-built shockproof, waterproof camera that will suit many active photographers.Sought-after successor to the Mju 720 SW, the Mju 725 SW is now even tougher, offering underwater shooting up to five metres. Shockproof and Waterproof, it also resists sand and dust, making it an ideal camera for active photographers. A new Underwater Snap mode has been added to the available Scene Program modes, along with “Nightproof” capabilities and an extended battery life.

A stylish and affordable, slimline digicam with features to appeal to point-and-press snapshooters.Offered in three contemporary colours – Mirror (silver), Phantom (black) and Hot Chilli (red) – the Olympus Mju 1040 is designed for snapshooters and comes with a 10.1-megapixel CCD image sensor and retracting 3x optical zoom lens. Features to suit its target market include a new ‘Intelligent Auto’ (iAuto) function for point-and-press picture-taking and Face Detect and Shadow Adjust technologies that aim to deliver sharp, correctly exposed pictures in most situations.

A stylish, high-resolution, slimline digicam with a good feature set for snapshooters.Packed inside the stylish black metal body of the Mju 1020 is a 10-megapixel CCD imager that is only marginally larger than the sensors in the 8-megapixel Mju 840 and Mju 850 SW models, although we don’t have its actual dimensions. While the difference in maximum output file sizes between the Mju 1020 and its ‘sisters’ is relatively small (3648 x 2736 pixels in the 1020 vs 3248 x 2436 pixels in the other models) Olympus is asking a lot from this tiny imaging chip.