Mju Tough

Digital cameras can be delicate things. The Olympus MJU Tough 6000 is somewhat different. While digital cameras cough and splutter and reach a strike if they meet the a little water or collapsing when they fall from a height small, the MJU Tough 6000 is built to withstand the odd lump or bruise. It can cope with the strange soak well. Olympus has built the camera to be waterproof to 3m and shock resistant to falls of 1.5m. For good measure have become frozen to -10 degrees Celsius. Altogether, these features offers a lot of flexibility. The camera should be able to cope with the action around the pool and on the ski slopes. The fact that it can overcome the occasional drop can make a good choice for a family in a camera may fall on the young, shaky hands occasionally.

Apart from these qualities obviously there are a number of other reasons why you may be attracted to the camera. To begin, it is easy to use. Screens menu are bright and easy to use. Olympus has also added a function button. This gives you access to some of the most common options that may wish to change occasionally. These include white balance and ISO settings. The camera also has something called tap control available. This allows you to change some settings by tapping on the camera rather than access the menu.

In terms of looks this camera is a bit different from most digital cameras in stores identikit. The lens is in the upper right corner. It has a small piece of protection around him. You also have the choice of four colors. These are white, yellow, blue and orange. The four are bright and flashy.

The 10-megapixel sensor offers additional opportunities for large prints. Alternatively, given the opportunity to cut out pictures for a more dramatic effect and still be able to make a smaller print. The lens offers 3.6x wide-angle capabilities. This is great for group shots of the family while away on vacation. It also means you can squeeze into broader landscapes. You also have access Image stabilization if necessary to counteract camera shake.

As expected features like face detection are available. These can help produce sharper portrait photos. There is also a beauty shot mode. This can help produce smoother skin, and also clarifies the skin as well.

Images can be stored in either xD Picture Card or Micro SD cards. Olympus has also built 42 MB of storage the camera to start.

When it comes to image quality had no real complaints. Here and there I noticed the sharpness disappear, especially on the right side of the photo. This was the case in the most distant scenes. For more on the shots there were no problems of this nature. If you are photographing reflective surfaces bright colors of the body of the Olympus Tough 6000 can cause problems if you are in close, as they tend to be reflected in the subject.

One area where I think the camera can be improved with the implementation and shutter lag times. Here the camera was on the slow side and it always increases the chances of a missed shot here and there.

Up to now, Olympus has taken this corner of the market itself. In the spring of 2009, both Canon and Panasonic have announced cameras on lines similar to the MJU Tough 6000. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on models later this spring to see how they compare.

Andy writes and reviews digital cameras for Cameras.co.uk. See his test shots and ratings for the Olympus MJU Tough 6000

Mju Tough

Mju Tough