CNET Asia Review

With the market dominated by 4-, 5- and 6-megapixel digital cameras, Olympus aims to lead the pack of compact shooters with its 8-megapixel unit. If the number of pixels hasn't blown you away, the Mju Digital 800's intuitive control dials and user-friendly built-in help manual should make life more convenient for the scatter-brain and for budding photographers who wish to have a certain amount of control over their all-weather camera.

Design
Available in glossy dark blue and silver, this 8-megapixel compact camera with 3x optical zoom comes with a weatherproof metallic body. Though not as slim and slender as the ultracompacts, the Mju Digital 800's size measuring 103 x 57.5 x 33mm makes for a comfortable fit in the hand. Rather than feeling the weight of 181g, it lends to an overall sturdy and secure feel.

The main controls including the selector dial and the zoom buttons are to the right of the 2.5-inch LCD.

Additional features of the camera are positioned to the left of the screen.

Curves, edges, carefully sculpted control dials and a large 2.5-inch LCD dominate the rear of the camera. Most of the commonly used functions including a four-way navigational button and the rotating wheel dial that is usually found at the top of most models are accessible within a thumb's reach. Even the zoom button is ergonomically shaped to fit the contours of the thumb. Though it is possible to work this camera with one hand, it requires two hands to access the full functions of its features for the Quick View, Guide, Display and Timer/Delete buttons which have been relinquished to the left of the display screen.

The connections for USB, AV out and AC adapter share the limited space in the battery compartment.

The Mju Digital 800 uses xD-Picture card.

The xD-Picture card and battery reside in different holding areas on the Mju Digital 800. As part of its weatherproof feature, both compartments are lined with a piece of rubber to protect the contents in its interior. When used with a dedicated Olympus xD-Picture card, it opens up the option of stitching panorama photos with the card's built-in software.

The angled profile of the camera with its protruding lens. The shutter and power buttons get to stay on top of the unit.

The lens cover is easily identifiable on the front of the camera body. It slides under and inside under a second when the unit is powered up to reveal a protruding lens. One concern we had was that the underneath of the cover felt hollow and as if it would chip on impact. Sharing front row seats are the flash unit, AF assist lamp and the microphone--the speakers are located strangely at the bottom of the unit. In stark contrast to the high tenancy at the back of the camera, only the shutter and power buttons line the camera's top. The slot for the strap hides within the body itself so there are no protruding edges.

Rate It Now

Rating guidelines

Olympus Mju Digital 800

Rate this product:
1 - Abysmal 2 - Terrible 3 - Poor 4 - Mediocre 5 - Average 6 - Good 7 - Very good 8 - Excellent 9 - Spectacular 10 - Perfect

Need help? Read our guidelines for what each number rating represents.

Submit your opinion

User Reviews

Good compact camera

Oct 31, 2005

Rating: 8 out of 10 (Excellent)
Pros: 
Cons: 
Opinion:
A very simply build camera with manual aperture and speed control. Very good for bright-day pictures. Again
due to high resolution, shutter speed may slow down without flash. Have to switch to antishake to reduce the resolution.

 

Couldn't be better

Jul 29, 2005

Rating: 8 out of 10 (Excellent)
Pros: 
Cons: 
Opinion:
For:
1) 8-megapixel image resolution
2) Good low-light performance
3) Bright and clear 2.5-inch high-RES LCD screen(230,000 pixels)
4) All-weather metal body
5) Good video quality (although only 15fps)
Against:
1) No viewfinder
2) A little bulky but still compact enough to carry around in your pocket
I have had this camera for two weeks now and I am very happy with it. It produces very sharp, detailed and clean photo prints as well as a surprisingly smooth and colorful video quality. Two thumbs up.

 

becksatic@h...

 View profile
 Send mail

Awesome

Jul 25, 2005

Rating: 9 out of 10 (Spectacular)
Pros: 
Cons: 
Opinion:
8 megapixels, all-weather camera with a metal body. Affordable price. Many preset scene modes and the in-built manual for easy usage. 2.5" hyper-crystal LCD. Though a bit bulky, it fits nicely in hands, thus allowing a firmer grip when taking pictures.

 

See all user opinions »

• Most Popular

• Upcoming

What's Hot