Olympus Mju 9010

A year after releasing the µ9000, Olympus has updated its superzoom compact. The µ9010 has the same lens as its predecessor, but now has a 14-Megapixel sensor, SD-card compatibility, an HD video mode and almost 2 GB of built-in memory. With competition getting tougher and tougher in this particular product sector, it looks like Olympus has tried to bring its model it in line with new market standards.

Handling

The µ9010 is 30 g lighter than the µ9000, which mainly seems to be due to a lower-quality build. For example, the rubber thumb rest and grips on both the front and back of the camera have been done away with, making it less easy to grip that the previous model. Other design features have been downgraded too (such as the battery compartment) and the materials used are generally less flattering. The screen is still 2.7 inches (6.9 cm) with 230,000 dots. Viewing angles are decent enough but there's a slight delay to the on-screen image.


As you can see, there are very few buttons. In fact, no settings are directly accessible, and the four-way controller/scroll wheel can't be used to delete an image or display information. The general menu is tucked away in the quick menu, which can be accessed either via the Menu button or by pressing left or right on the four-way controller. The interface seems very similar to the SP-800 UZ, including the mysterious warnings which tell you your chosen settings are 'contradictory', but give no advice on how to correct them.

Anyway, to finish this section on a more positive note, the µ9010 has a 1.7 GB internal memory. That means it's perfectly possible to use this camera without a memory card, as it could easily store up to 500 photos. You'll then have to use the connection cable to transfer your photos onto a computer. Plus, you'll have to hook the camera up to a computer to charge it, as the µ9010 doesn't come with a separate charger. The internal memory also stores the Olympus software and an integrated user guide with tips for taking better pictures. At least you won't have to worry about losing the CD!

Responsiveness

The µ9010 is a little contradictory in this field. It starts up very quickly, photo turnaround is fast and the autofocus works well in daylight. However, the autofocus quickly fades with the light and the burst mode is simply ridiculous (two frames almost two seconds apart then it freezes. You'd be better off pressing the shutter release button yourself in normal mode!). The interface also slows down and seems to 'get stuck' from time to time (when displaying exposure correction or white balance test shots, for example).

There's a bit of a problem with the zoom too. It's certainly responsive, although perhaps a bit too much, as it's difficult to focus with any degree of accuracy. It takes under a second to move from the widest angle to the longest focal length, which is seriously fast!

Picture quality

If you remember reading up on any of Olympus' other recent offerings then what I'm about to say won't come as a surprise. The manufacturer has never managed to find a decent compromise for managing sensitivity effectively, with cameras that are plagued either with excessive smoothing (µ Tough-8010) or excessive noise. Here, the difference between a shot taken at 400 and 800 ISO is immediately obvious even on a small photo print or an on-screen view. Plus, pictures taken at 400 ISO are still not flawless in an 8" x 12" (20 x 30 cm) print.


It's a shame too, as the µ9010 lens does do its job properly. As is often the case, pictures are less sharp around the edges, but in telephoto mode they generally lack sharpness, even in the middle of the shot (with a lens of f/5.9 maximum, diffraction is likely to be a factor). On the whole though, the lens is still pretty good and is certainly comparable to competitors' models.

Just beware of stark differences in brightness, as white zones tend to leak into darker areas from 64 ISO.

Video

I'll keep things as brief as possible here. This may well be a 720p video mode but there's no zoom (not surprising, given the rattling noise its motor makes), and you'll have to make do with low-quality mono sound and barely average picture quality.