Who is it designed for? The Olympus Mju Tough-8010 is designed for anyone who likes to venture off the beaten track and has been constructed to survive a battering from everyday use. Tucked away inside its incredibly resistant aluminium plated body is a 14Mp sensor, a 5x zoom that offers a 28-140mm coverage and at the rear there’s a 2.7in, 230k-dot LCD screen.
Key featuresIf you want to try underwater photography, the TOUGH-8010 lets you shoot up to a depth of 10m. It’s shockproof from a height of 2m too, so if it accidentally slips from your grasp you can pick it up and carry on shooting. Cold temperatures aren’t out of the question either, as it’ll work in climates as cold as -10C. The LED illuminator to the side of the flash is handy for lighting macro scenes and we captured some cracking shots as close as 3cm from our subject in Super Macro LED mode.
Is it built to last? The Mju TOUGH-8010 is a hardy workhorse. Its chunky dimensions give it a robust feel and the construction and overall finish is super. The zoom buttons aren’t overly positive to use but the idea of a secondary lock for the battery compartment is a clever one and seals the door tight to prevent water ingress, whether intentional or not!
Performance & handlingOnce you’re familiar with the menu system, changing the settings for each shooting mode is pretty quick. Zooming from one end of the focal length to the other takes 3secs and if you decide you want to record a movie on the spur of the moment, there’s a perfectly placed movie record button within easy reach of your thumb. It’s a simple and effective control layout that allows you to operate the camera single-handedly if your left hand is busy.
Image qualityWith an ISO range of 80-1600, the clearest results are achieved between ISO 80 and ISO 400. The 4288x 3216 pixel dimensions it outputs produces bags of detail that’s well suited to A4 printing and A3 printing at a push.
ConclusionIf you demand a compact to be virtually bullet proof, the TOUGH-8010 should be on your wishlist. It’ll let you keep taking photos no matter what the weather or the situation and it’ll provide you with high-quality results. Importantly, it fits the pocket well and expresses a stylish look in its Midnight Black two-tone finish.
AT A GLANCEStreet price: £249
Resolution: 14Mp (4288x3216pixels)
Lens: 5x optical (28-140mm f/3.9-5.9)
Image stabiliser: Yes, sensor shift
Metering: ESP light Metering, Spot Metering
Shooting modes: iAuto, Program Auto, Beauty, Panorama, Magic Filter & 18 scene modes
Shutter range: ¼-1/2000sec
ISO range: 80-1600 Monitor: 2.7in, 230k dots
File formats: JPEG Storage media: SD/SDHC
HD video: 720p Weight: 182g
Dimensions: 95x62x22mm
www.olympus.co.uk