Olympus u [mju:]-mini Digital review

What you need to know

Reviewed by: David D. Busch

Reviewed on: 5 November 2004

Tags: Olympus, Olympus mju-mini Digital, macro mode, special effects, prints

We like:

Eye-catching design; selection of camera colours; weatherproof body; lots of scene modes and special effects such as fish-eye distortion

We don't like:

No optical viewfinder; zoom limited to 2x; awkward shape precludes one-handed shooting; slow autofocus in dim light; mediocre image quality

You might also need:

An xD-Picture Card with a capacity of at least 64MB

CNET UK judgement:

A sexy design can't overcome the average picture quality and mediocre performance of this ultracompact 4-megapixel shooter

Full review:

The Olympus µ-mini Digital's sexy design is sure to attract the attention of photographers using more conventional digital compacts, but so-so image quality and middle-of-the-road performance hamper this study in style over substance. Lacking manual controls other than exposure compensation, the µ-mini Digital compensates with lots of interesting scene modes, along with post-shot editing that lets you add special effects such as fish-eye and soft-focus looks. If you can compose all your shots on an LCD without an optical viewfinder and your goals involve small prints and owning the trendiest camera in your crowd that doesn't also place phone calls, this might be what you're looking for. Continue Reading...