Overview
The Olympus MJU 1000 is likely to appeal to people for two main reasons. First this camera offers protection from rain and bad weather in general. The second reason is that the camera has ten megapixels. In my view the importance of a great number of megapixels is overstressed, but I know that many people will like the idea of owning a camera with a very high number of pixels.
In terms of features the MJU 1000 is a standard point and shoot camera. It has the additional attraction of being just about small enough to slip into a pocket.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
10
3x
2.5 inches
97 x 56.2 x 22.7mm
145g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
1cm
No
No
Lithium-ion Rechargeable
xD
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
I know more or less exactly what to expect from the Olympus MJU range now. In terms of brightness and in most cases colour too the MJU 1000 does a good job. It does have a tendency to turn blue lines into purple and to struggle with focusing when the light starts to get low.
Outdoors in bright light the camera is able to focus well. In fact I would describe focusing as above average when compared to other similar digital cameras. Working with the first outdoor shot there are a number of key pointers for picture sharpness. These include the bricks on the building and the names on the boats. Both of these have a good level of sharpness. With the names on the boats being sharp this also means that the MJU 1000 is able to hold the level of focusing as you move away from the centre of the photo.
This picture also highlights a couple of weaknesses with the camera too. The lines on the boats show up as purple when they are in fact blue. Where the sun catches the edge of some of the bright coloured objects a thin purple line is often added as well. There is also a greater loss of detail in the photo than normal where the camera finds it difficult to cope with the glare of the sun.
When the zoom lens is not being used as in the second outdoor shot focusing is softer, especially towards the edges of the shot. This is a common problem with consumer level digital cameras. A plus point is the fact that whereas many digital cameras lose a lot of light towards the corners of this shot the MJU 1000 handles this well.
The third outdoor shot once again highlights the issues of blues showing as purple and also the problem of purple fringing.
The outdoor portrait works well. I like the balance of colours and the photo is sharp too. Skin tones look natural and the camera handles the light as it falls on the face without overexposing sections of the shot.
Using the MJU 1000 indoors in lower light the results are not as impressive. The indoor portrait is poorly focused. It is possible that by moving the camera around you will be able to find places where the camera can focus, but the camera is likely to prove unreliable in lowlight. The indoor shot of beer bottles underlines this point. I had to try the camera in different positions before I was able to produce an acceptable photo.
For close up photos the MJU 1000 produced a shot I would describe as about average. There is nothing that stands out as being wrong with the photo and it is bright and clear without being one of the best I have taken. It should be noted that the camera cannot focus any closer than 10cm away from the subject. This means that my test photo required a fair degree of cropping to make it appear a true close up.
You can take photos all the way up to an ISO rating of 6400. At that level picture quality is very poor as I would expect it to be. At a more standard ISO 400 there is a loss of quality, but I would say the quality of the photos you can take on this setting are usable.
Style
Olympus have made the MJU range slimmer and the MJU 1000 should just about squeeze into a fairly small pocket. It has a stainless steel body and is available in silver. The design includes some curves to help make the camera look a little less like other models. It has dimensions of 97 mm x 56.2 mm x 22.7 mm and weighs 140g.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
0.45 seconds
14.25 seconds
Ease of Use
The MJU 1000 is relatively easy to use. There are more straightforward cameras on the market, but this one should not take too long to get to grips with. One useful feature is the in camera guide.
Points I Like
Weatherproof - User guide - LCD screen performance in Lowlight -Style and design
Where it Could Improve
Indoors in Lowlight - Purple tinge to blue areas of photos
Verdict
Oh Olympus! I have reviewed so many of the MJU range now and I nearly always reach the same conclusions. A weatherproof camera is a great idea, but surely better lowlight focusing and the ability to avoid the tendency towards turning blue lines to purple could be overcome. As much as I would like to be able to recommend the MJU 1000 when it comes to picture quality there are many better cameras around.
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Olympus MJU 1000 Review Olympus MJU 1000 Specification Olympus MJU 1000 Sample Images
Review Date
December 2006
