Olympus Mju 1030 initial review

As posted previously, this pocket compact was a new addition for a trip to Sicily, where it was used as a carry around companion to the Canon EOS40D.

First impressions from a week's use:

Pro's

The camera is incredibly robust and very convenient to carry around.
Waterproofing is excellent - it takes brilliant pictures in a swimming pool (including underwater) or in the sea.
It is not bothered at all by a sandy environment.
Powers up quickly.
Menus are intuitive and much better that the Panasonic TZ3 predecessor
LCD screen (2.7") is clear and bright except in very bright direct sunlight
10.1 Mp is same as the 40D
Takes good remote/self portrait pictures
Good close up capability

Cons

Typically exposes incorrectly to a significant extent on standard settings and this does not become obvious until the images are downloaded
Images lack colour vibrancy in standard settings
Images are not as sharp as the Canon
Hence post processing is generally necessary. Further familiarisation with the camera may well improve pre-processed IQ
Cannot switch straight from picture view to taking pictures (as one can with the Canon)
Battery life is not fantastic and is well below advertised figures. Battery will just about do 200 images on a full charge. Hence essential to take charger on holiday. EOS 40D is still showing plenty of battery after 600 images.
3.6X optical zoom is not as good as the 10X panasonic we had before (I ignore digital zoom as it is just a gimmick)

All in all it is a great little camera that is easily the most practical we have ever owned for holiday/pool/beach use. Very user friendly and pretty much childproof. Great fun to use in a pool (people look astonished). Excellent for snaps out and about.

However, for IQ it is (unsurprisingly) not remotely in the same league as the 40D. I have always believed that factors such as lens quality are more important than the much hyped Mp count.