Archive: Compact Digital Cameras 2007-08 >

Olympus Mju 790 SW

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Caractéristiques
Sensor	CCD 7 MP, 1/2,3
Lens	3 x 38 - 114 mm , F3,5 - F5,0
Optical stabilisation	non
Internal/external memory	14 / xD Picture Card
Sensitivity (ISO range)	N.C.
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Video mode	640 x 480 pixels / 30 fps
Power source	Batterie Lithium -Ion LI-42B
Dimensions/Weight	93.6 x 60.9 x 21.3 mm / 136 g
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Renaud Labracherie
Test date: January 3, 2008

An ironclad camera

As a compact for clumsy and/or adventurous users, the Mju 790 SW certainly fulfills this role. Its shock resistant design protects it from falls of 1.5 meters while its sealing allows it to go up to 3 meters under water. We therefore didnt hesitate to test the 790 SW in extreme conditions (see the video). One reservation we had is that this version is only limited to 3 meters while the µ 770 SW (which the 790 SW doesnt try to replace) can go as deep as 10 m. Divers will then probably try to find the last stocks of this last model.

Digital cameras usually have the reputation of being fragile. Bent lenses and broken or scratched screens can be the result of small falls and simple shocks damaging these small technological wonders. For this reason, it’s dangerous to get caught in the rain or lend your camera to your child. With its shock and water resistant body up to 3 meters the Olympus Mju 790 SW could be a solution.

Handling

The “all resistant” camera category is quite thin. In the waterproof category, we find the Pentax Optio W30 and Ricoh G500W (which is actually an all weather camera). For shock resistance, the µ SWs (790 and 770) are resistant to falls of 1.5 m (see video below). The buttons on the interface of this Olympus are rather small and sometimes difficult to press with just your fingers (not to speak of with gloves when out in the snow, for example). However, it is still a rather classic camera designed to point and shoot. There are no priority modes or white balance adjustment and automation is king here with a large variety of scene modes. As for menus, unfortunately Olympus did make things too clear. Another small downside is that with the position of the lens on the very edge of the camera, fingers tend to easily get in the way. In terms of speed, the Mju 790 SW’s scores are relatively good with one second for startup, one second between images and autofocus which are rather reactive. The only blemish here is an utterly slow burst mode speed of 1 i/s.

Image quality

The µ 790 SW is also surprising with its image quality. In the middle of the picture, precision is excellent and the little Olympus produces better results than the Canon Ixus 75 or Sony Cyber-shot W80. Edges are slightly less précis, but overall precision is satisfactory. Color fidelity is relatively good but automatic white balance is a bit heavy in blue (slightly cold rendering). Noise control is rather classic and up until 400 ISO grain is well contained. Beyond this sensitivity there is severe degradation. As for the video mode, it’s somewhat disappointing. Definition (640 x 480 in 30 i/s) isn’t the cause and it’s more a recording time limited to 10 s. This is really too little to capture anything of interest.