Olympus Black Digital Cameras

Olympus mju Tough-6010

Ernest Shackleton would probably have been mightily taken with the shockproof, waterproof and freezeproof mju Tough-6010. Its picture quality isn't going to blow anybody's mind, but it looks smart, offers good value for money, and can withstand a fair degree of punishment

Editor's rating 6.1

Olympus FE-3010

The 12-megapixel FE-3010 isn't the fastest camera in its class when it comes to taking shots, but it offers good colour and white-balance performance. Considering how cheap it is, it also sports an attractive and impressively compact design, as well as solid build quality

Editor's rating 6.2

Olympus mju 7000

The 12-megapixel mju 7000 isn't going to make anyone wet their pants with excitement, but it's a capable snapper nonetheless. With a 7x zoom range, it offers serious telephoto capability in a compact body that can slip into your shirt pocket, and its pictures are good too

Editor's rating 5.7

Olympus E-620

The 12-megapixel E-620 is a solid and inexpensive entry-level digital SLR. Because it offers a host of advanced features and its interface is more complicated than it needs to be, some beginners might be put off. But those that persevere will be rewarded with good performance and picture quality

Editor's rating 7.3

Olympus SP-590 UZ

As superzooms go, the SP-590 UZ, with a 26x wideangle zoom, offers one of the best combinations of price, features, performance and picture quality that we've seen so far. It won't replace a digital SLR but, if you're looking for an ultimate do-it-all compact, the SP-590's definitely worth a look

Editor's rating 8.2

Olympus mju Tough-8000

If you're looking for a compact camera that can withstand extraordinary levels of abuse, you might want to check out the mju Tough-8000, particularly as it also functions perfectly well as an everyday camera. The lens could be sharper but, otherwise, you have to look pretty hard to find any flaws with this beast

User rating 7.0

Editor's rating 8.8

Olympus mju 5000

The 12-megapixel mju 5000 is an extremely stylish and well-made compact camera. With unusual but excellent controls, a 5x zoom and 8 frames per second shooting, it's also a pleasure to use and takes great pictures. We're not entirely sold on the supported memory-card formats though

Editor's rating 8.6

Olympus mju 9000

The 12-megapixel mju 9000 packs a 10x optical zoom into a body no bigger than that of the average compact camera, making it unusually pocket-friendly. It's also attractively finished, responsive and delivers good results, although it has a tendency towards overexposure

Editor's rating 8.2

Olympus E-30

The 12-megapixel E-30 is sturdy and comfortable to grip, packed with features and offers fast performance. Most importantly, it takes very good pictures, rendering colours accurately under most conditions. Advanced shooters not yet wedded to a Canon or Nikon system should give it a look

Editor's rating 7.9

Olympus Mju 1050SW

The Olympus mju 1050SW is especially pretty for being waterproof, shockproof and freezeproof. It's quite astonishing that such an elegant camera should turn out to be so tough, but its small size and slippery finish limit its usefulness in the extreme environments it's so good at surviving

Editor's rating 6.7

Olympus E-420

Olympus' entry-level dSLR is the world's smallest and lightest digital SLR. An upgrade of the E-410, the E-420 boasts a larger, better, 69mm LCD, improved autofocus in live view mode, face detection and slightly faster continuous shooting

Editor's rating 7.5

Olympus mju 1010

Another off the mju production line from Olympus, the compact 10-megapixel 1010 is slim and sleek, with good picture quality and reliable focus and exposure. The CCD-shift stabilisation works well -- this is particularly important with its impressive 7x optical zoom. Face detection is effective too, particularly with full-face portraits

Editor's rating 7.9

Olympus mju 1030SW

The Olympus mju 1030SW is a very tough and rugged 10-megapixel compact camera. It works to water depths of 10m, can be dropped from 2m and can even withstand a 100kg force. The camera takes great pics and is perfect for use in extreme conditions. Menus are easy to navigate

User rating 8.5

Editor's rating 8.1

Olympus SP-560 UZ

We loved its predecessor and we love the Olympus SP-560 UZ even more. Keeping the comfortable design, this superzoom's whopping lens stands out as its most prominent feature. Plus, it's packed with plenty of useful, advanced options, all available at a low price

Editor's rating 6.6

Olympus E-3

The long-awaited Olympus E-3 blasts on the dSLR scene with its feature-rich live view and a dust and splash-proof body. An unstoppable burst mode means it scores high for performance, and it certainly bowled us over with its professional, straightforward controls

Editor's rating 8.6

Olympus mju 1200

The Olympus mju 1200 certainly looks the part. It's a slimline, capable point-and-shoot for those more interested in style than photography. Under its glossy exterior, you'll find some basic features and quirky controls. If you're not bothered about manual options, take a gander

Editor's rating 6.1

Olympus mju 830

The Olympus mju 830 is no fair-weather friend. Its sturdy metal body with rubber seals means it's splashproof, and while you won't want to take it swimming, it can certainly withstand the weather. There's a wealth of scene modes available, helping to tick all the point-and-shoot boxes

Editor's rating 6.0

Olympus FE-300

The Olympus FE-300 is one of the lightest, least-expensive 12-megapixel compact cameras. Despite its small size, its controls are easily accessible and comfortable. Plus, it includes Perfect Shot Preview, which helps you take a shot without much trial and error. Sounds perfect

Editor's rating 6.4

Olympus mju 790 SW

The Olympus mju 790 SW is a compact that loves the active life. Waterproof and shockproof, it doesn't forsake smooth styling to be robust, and while the toughness will hit you in the pocket, Olympus hasn't skimped on photo quality or features

Editor's rating 6.6

Olympus E-510

If you're ready to move on from your compact to an SLR but not entirely ready to let go of the compact's framing style, the Olympus E-510 is your answer. Using a Live View LCD preview mode, it helps you gently make the transition. Loads of features will also help as you to bigger and better things

User rating 8.0

Editor's rating 7.1