The Olympus MJU 1030 SW really stands out from the crowd. This is a tough, almost unbreakable camera. It is drop proof, crushproof, waterproof and freeze proof too. It is small enough to fit into a pocket. It has 10 megapixels and a 3.6x wide angle lens.
Why Buy the Olympus MJU 1030 SW?
As you can see from the features above the MJU 1030 SW is a very robust camera. It can be used on the beach, on the ski slopes and in the desert. It is likely to also prove attractive to families. You shouldn't need to worry if this camera gets into the hands of younger members of the family as long as they are not planning to launch it form a bedroom window.
Image Quality Olympus MJU 1030 SW test shots
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)
The first outdoor shot gets us off to a solid start. I must admit to having had some problems with Olympus models in the past in terms of sharpness and their inability to handle sun glare. The MJU 1030 SW handles these potential problems much better than some other Olympus cameras I have tested.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)
This is a fair effort. Colours are again strong without being too powerful. The general level of definition in the photo is good, but focusing does soften up as you move towards the edges.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)
Looking at some of the key points in the photo that I use to check sharpness I can see that the MJU 1030 SW falls somewhere in the middle ranking. There are plenty of plus points though and there are none of problems I sometimes come across such as purple fringing in this shot.
Outdoor 4 (Building)
Pin sharp? No, not quite. When it comes to picture sharpness there are better pocket sized digital cameras out there, such as the Canon IXUS 85 IS, but if you are looking for a camera that can take decent enough snapshots, then this should not be a great problem.
Outdoor Portrait
This is quite a bright photo when compared with many other digital cameras. The amount of light in the photo does take a little of the colour away from the face, but this sort of thing is a matter of personal taste and I am quite happy with the final result.
Indoor Portrait with Flash
With this photo I am not so impressed with the way this Olympus digital camera handles the lighting. The flash has caused a red band to appear across the centre of the face. This area in the photo is far redder than it truly is.
Indoor Portrait without Flash
This is a much better and far more natural looking shot. In fact it is one of the better indoor shots I have taken without flash.
Colours
I like the colours produced during my tests. Compared to other brands I would say in terms of strength my test shots fall somewhere in the middle of the pack.
Macro
Without being brilliant the MJU 1030 SW should be able to take a decent close up shot for you.
ISO 400 and ISO 1600
One of the main reasons for taking picture with the ISO level adjusted is to combat low light. To be honest this Olympus digital camera is not very good once you boost this setting. In fact at ISO 1600 the picture just becomes a mass of noise and distorted colours. In my view this is not the end of the world. This is after all a snapshot camera and in most lowlight instances you are likely to be within the range of the flash unit.
Overall
I have no serious complaints when it comes to picture quality. It may not end up in my top 10 when it comes down to picture quality, but it still takes a decent shot.
Shutter Lag
The MJU 1030 SW is quite a speedy camera. Lag times without flash were 0.24 seconds for a single photo and 8.15 seconds for five photos. With the flash unit turned on I recorded 0.42 seconds for a single photo and 16.12 seconds for five.
You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.
Style: This camera looks a bit different to many others. It has a very shiny centre piece on the front with a matt section around it. The lens is in top left hand corner rather than holding a central position. It is available in black silver and green.
Dimensions: 93.2 x 61.4 x 21.3 mm
Weight: 173g
Batteries: Lithium ion. A battery and charger are supplied as standard.
Memory cards: Olympus have built 14.7mb of storage into the MJU 1030 SW. I was able to take 7 photos before the memory was full. The camera is compatible with xD memory cards.
Click here to save money on xD memory cards..
Ease of use rating: Very Good. I found my way around easily enough. My only complaint is that the menus are divided up quite a lot, so you need to work out which menu will hold the setting you are looking for.
Points I like:
Waterproof and shockproof - looks good
Where it could improve:
There is nothing that really stands out
Alternatives
Apart from other cameras in the same range there are not really any other cameras that are a straight alternative to this one. An excellent, but more standard pocket camera well worth taking a look at is the Canon IXUS 80 IS.
Verdict:
If I was looking for a tough, family camera then this Olympus digital camera is the one I would go for. It is very hard to break, works in just about any environment and fits into a pocket too. There is not a lot else to look for really.
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
| Olympus MJU 1030 SW Summary |
| Description: | 10 megapixels and a 3.6x optical zoom lens |
| Ease of Use: | 9 |
| Features: | 8 |
| Colour: | 8 |
| Macro: | 8 |
| Indoors: | 8 |
| Value for Money: | 8 |
| Style: | 8 |
| Movie Mode: | 8 |
| Image Quality: | 8 |
| Build Quality: | 8 |
| Total: | 81 |
| Verdict: | "The MJU 1030 SW is a tremendously tough and rugged camera. It is small enough to slip into a pocket and takes a good snap shot too. This camera is well worth considering if you are looking for a robust, take anywhere camera." |
| Review Date: | May 2008 |
| Click for: | Specification Sample Images Features |
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