Overview
The MJU 840 Olympus digital camera is a stylish, little camera that should fit into a pocket. The MJU 840 has 8 megapixels and a 5x optical zoom lens. The lens being that bit longer than standard can help you to get in that bit closer when you need to. The camera is not over burdened with features and should appeal to someone looking for a simple, point and click model.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
8
5x
2.7 inches
96.4 x 56.5 x 24.0 m
130g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
3cm
No
No
Lithium ion
xD
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom):
Looking at my first test shot taken with the Olympus MJU 840 digital camera, the first points I notice are the colour and brightness of the photo. The colours have plenty of depth without being overpowering, while I also like the brightness of the picture.
In terms of sharpness the photo is not as sharp as some digital cameras manage and I would rank this camera in the middle rank when it comes to focusing. Sun glare is handled well, but I would like to have seen a bit more definition in some of the more shady areas of the shot.
Outdoor 2 (No Zoom):
The second test shot runs along similar lines to the first one. The colours are very strong. This gives a very powerful blue sky. I would say the sky is a darker shade of blue than it was at the time the picture was taken.
Focusing is again about average. The picture is sharper in the centre with the focusing slipping out towards the edges. This is true for many cameras.
Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom):
I like the way this photo looks. Focusing is softer than with some of the other cameras I have reviewed recently. This should not be a problem if you are planning to print at say 7 x 5 inches, but if you blow the photos up to be larger than this the prints are likely to have a soft feel to them.
Outdoor 4 (Building):
This is another decent photo. Again I like the colour and brightness of the shot. Focusing is much better than with the Olympus FE-310 digital camera I reviewed recently.
Portraits
Outdoor Portrait:
By using a white balance setting of cloudy the outdoor picture takes on a slight orange colour caste. Without changing the white balance the original picture was rather dull.
Indoor Portrait with Flash:
Using the flash has created plenty of light. The MJU 840 does well to ensure that although the photo is bright there is still plenty of colour left in the picture. Many digital cameras blast out the skin tones when flash is quite strong, but here the camera manages to preserve them.
Indoor Portrait without Flash:
Without the flash this Olympus digital camera struggles to produce a sharp focus. The lighting I use for this photo is quite good and to be honest I am disappointed the camera is unable to produce a sharper picture considering the conditions. This means that once the light begins to dip you will nearly always have to revert to flash.
Macro, Colours and Noise
My macro test shot is roughly in line with my expectations. It is certainly bright, but it lacks a bit of definition. As with other Olympus digital cameras the MJU 840 gives the photo a small purple tinge in places.
Colours have been strong through my test shots. In places you may feel they are too strong.
At ISO 400 the camera produces another bright photo. Noise levels are quite acceptable and there is still plenty of detail in the shot.
When you push ISO up to 1600 the camera really starts to struggle and most of the detail has been lost to noise. I would only use this setting when there is no other way to grab a picture.
Summary
I found the pictures produced by the Olympus MJU 840 digital camera to be colourful and bright. Focusing could be a shade sharper in places, but overall I am happy with the picture quality.
Style
The MJU 840 is just about small enough to slip into a pocket. The front of the camera slopes away giving it a look that is different to so many similar digital cameras. It is available in black, silver, pink and blue.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
0.3 seconds
8.37 seconds
Ease of Use
This is an unfussy digital camera. Most of the key controls can be found on the back of the camera and you should not have to dip into the menu system too often.
Points I Like
Design - ease of use
Where it Could Improve
Lowlight without flash
Verdict
The Olympus MJU 840 digital camera may not be top drawer, but it does the job it sets out to do well enough.
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
Top Rated Cameras in this Category
Canon IXUS 310 HS Rating 86/100
The Canon IXUS 310 HS is one of the best touch controlled digital cameras. It has 12 megapixels and a 4.4x wide angle lens. The screen is very responsive to touch. This is due partly to the larger screen size than many touch controlled digital cameras offer. Picture quality is excellent and the build quality is top quality. If you are looking for a touch controlled digital camera the IXUS 310 HS is worth a very close look.
Read Review: Canon IXUS 310 HS Review
Canon IXUS 220 HS Rating 86/100
The Canon IXUS 220 HS is a pocket sized digital camera. It looks good, is well made and can take an impressive snapshot in most situations. It may not have every in vogue feature, but it has an extra touch of all round quality about it
Read Review: Canon IXUS 220 HS Review
Canon IXUS 115 HS Rating 86/100
The Canon IXUS 115 HS is a classy looking, pocket digital camera. It can shoot Full HD movies and has a high quality 3 inch LCD screen. When it comes to picture quality the IXUS 115 HS outclasses many of its direct competitors.
Read Review: Canon IXUS 115 HS Review
Related Pages
Olympus MJU 840 Review Olympus MJU 840 Specification Olympus MJU 840 Sample Images Olympus MJU 840 Features
Review Date
March 2008
