Overview
The Olympus MJU 5010 is a mid priced pocket camera. It has 14 megapixels and a 5x, wide angle lens. Strengths include ease of use and many people will like the fact the battery can be charged by connecting the MJU 5010 to a computer.
The feature set is fairly standard for this type of digital camera, although Olympus has included 1BG of internal storage. This is far greater than the norm and allows you to store around 250 photos without needing a memory card. Other features of note are image stabilisation and High Definition movies.
When it comes to picture quality the MJU 5010 is able to produce good quality snapshots. In fact I really liked my portrait test shots.
All in all I would say the MJU 5010 is fairly priced.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
14
5x
2.7 inches
94.7 x 55.8 x 19.9 mm
126g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
7cm
Yes
No
Lithium-ion Rechargeable
SD / SDHC
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
On the whole my outdoor test shots work well. The colours reflect the way the scenes looked on the day and the camera does a better job at showing detail in the lightest areas of a scene then some of the other cameras I tested at the same time.
In the main focusing is sharp, but there is a tendency for focusing to soften as you move out towards the edges of the shot. Although this is only likely to show at print sizes larger the loss of sharpness is more noticeable than I am used to seeing with cameras at this price point. The loss of sharpness is most noticeable when the lens is fully zoomed out.
One or two blue lines also took on a purple tinge, but the common problem of purple fringing is minimal.
Portraits
Looking at my three portrait test shots I am very happy with the results. The camera is able to work with the light available outside to create a shot with plenty of brightness. Focusing is sharp.
The shot taken with flash has plenty of brightness compared to some of the cameras I have tested recently. This does lead to a bit of shine where the light bounces back of the face, but personally I would rather have that than a dull shot that lacks brightness.
I really like the colours produced by the MJU 5010 in the shot taken without flash. As with the outdoor portrait there is a feeling of warmth. At the time of year the shot was taken there is more light for the camera to work with, but even so I think this is a very good effort.
Macro, Colours and Noise
My macro shot is so, so. The MJU 5010 cannot get in as close as most current cameras> There is also a blue colour caste as the camera finds it difficult to work with the artificial lighting. You may be able to get rid of the colour caste if you are prepared to experiment with the white balance setting. This should not be an issue for shots taken using natural light.
As I have seen with other Olympus digital cameras colours have a subtler look than other main brands that go for a more powerful look. In the end it all comes down to how you prefer colours in photos.
I found noise to in areas of light shade. In these areas noise levels would be enough to take the edge off definition in larger prints.
Summary
Picture quality is about average or slightly better for a mid range pocket camera. The MJU 5010 works best when you are closer in to your subjects. If the majority of the photos you plan to take are more distant then it is likely to pay to look around for pocket cameras that are better equipped to handle landscape style scenes.
Style
The design of the camera is very simple. There is not a great deal to distinguish the MJU 5010 from other digital cameras. It is available on silver, blue and pink.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
0.45 seconds
13.39 seconds
1.67 seconds
20.33 seconds
Ease of Use
Olympus has recently included details of current settings on the right hand side of the LCD screen. This makes it easy to see current settings and to change them.
Points I Like
Ease of use - USB battery charging - 1GB of built in memory - built in manual
Where it Could Improve
Turn on time - shutter delay
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Olympus MJU 5010 Review Olympus MJU 5010 Specification Olympus MJU 5010 Sample Images Olympus MJU 5010 Features
Review Date
July 2010
