Olympus Mju 790 - Expert Reviews

Pros: Camera is waterproof to 10 feet ; shock resistant to short drops and mild impact ; freezeproof down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit ; nifty Perfect Shot Preview function

Cons: No manual exposure controls ; slightly soft images

Verdict: If you need a camera that you can take snorkeling or skiing, then the Stylus 790 SW might be just the ticket, but you can find better image quality for the same price.

Pros: Build, image quality, easy to use, handling Face Detection AF

Cons: Noise at higher ISO settings, full manual on CD, purple fringing at wide end of zoom, 30fps movie's limited to 10-second clips, frame rate, lacks manual/creative control

Verdict: A 3m-depth waterproofing and robust build means it is droppable from 1.5-metres ? without it breaking into a sweat ? or any of its components, and it is also capable of good quality images

Review summary: Can this latest compact withstand a battering?

Pros: Build, image quality, easy to use, handling Face Detection AF

Cons: Noise at higher ISO settings, full manual on CD, purple fringing at wide end of zoom, 30fps movie's limited to 10-second clips, frame rate, lacks manual/creative control

Verdict: A 3m-depth waterproofing and robust build means it is droppable from 1.5-metres - without it breaking into a sweat - or any of its components, and it is also capable of good quality images

Pros: Incredibly sturdy design, suitable for a huge variety of users, sharp pictures

Cons: Colour and white balance issues, a little sluggish at times

Verdict: Olympus' latest tough model, the 790 SW, is a brilliant camera suited to a wide variety of users. Whether you want a family device that you can give to the kids or a rugged photography machine for skiing and hiking, it will do the job, and while its ...

Review summary: 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

Pros: Toughness ; respectable picture quality ; user-friendly guide function

Cons: Subpar screen ; meagre macro

Verdict: The Olympus mju 790 looks good, handles well and takes respectable quality images. A poor screen is the only real let-down, but you're paying a premium for the waterproof, shockproof, even freezeproof ruggedness