Reviews4,313 Reviews

All Reviews > Hardware > Cameras > Compact cameras

June 3, 2008

Olympus mju 850 SW review

The Olympus mju 850 SW is a truly waterproof, shockproof compact digital camera that doesn't sacrifice its looks or portability. It's not bad at taking pictures, either.

Olympus has been making all-weather cameras for a number of years, but until recently you needed to enclose your camera in a waterproof case to be sure that it would continue to function after a good soaking.

The Olympus mju 850 SW is a truly waterproof digital camera that doesn't sacrifice its looks or portability (although it's not the least heavy camera we've tested). And the Olympus mju 850 SW is shockproof too.

While we didn't don snorkelling gear to test whether the Olympus mju 850 SW fuilfilled Olympus' claims of being able to keep out the elements as far as 3m underwater, we relished putting it through some fairly gruelling everyday tests just to be sure.

Visit Digital World for the latest digital audio, games and home-entertainment news and reviews

First, we doused the Olympus mju 850 SW in lager – a quick dunk first; but then a full immersion. Bad behaviour, yes, but if you're going to buy a so-called waterproof camera, that's exactly the sort of hijinks your friends are going to indulge in. We even took a photo or two with the beer still dripping from its shiny black case.

The poor Olympus mju 850 SW then spent the day of our photoshoot dunked in a waterfilled coffee jug and being forced to take underwater snaps. We didn't achieve photographic excellence, but we did get proof that the mju 850 lives up to its claims of indestructibility.

What you do notice when you pick up the Olympus mju 850 SW is its weight. At 152g and with relatively compact dimensions, you notice it's bulk, but there's something reassuring about the solidity of its construction.

Even so, we were all set to dismiss the Olympus mju 850 SW as a bit of a gimmick. There were a few things that faintly annoyed us, such as the fact it has a proprietary mini USB connection and you have to invest in Olympus' own media storage, xD Card. However, where it counted, we were impressed.

NEXT PAGE: taking pictures with the Olympus mju 850 SW, and our expert verdict > >

Visit Photo Advisor for reviews of the latest cameras, and digital photography and video hardware and software products.

Continued...
1 | 2 | 3 | NEXT >

Independent customer reviews from

Olympus mju 850 SW scored:
8.9 out of 10 100% real reviews

The 2 most helpful reviews based on 71 reviews:

09 Jun 2008 Anonymous verified purchaser

5

Good Points

Fair pictures. waterproof camera is a good idea.

Bad Points

Returned it for a refund- was astounded to find that the battery needs to be removed to recharged!! Not only a fiddly idea, but a very daft plan in a waterproof camera- the seal on the battery door will wear over time! Also it maybe waterproof etc but the instructions re rinsing etc after any exposure to sand/salt are a pain and the lens cover is very fragile inappearence- a few grains of sand would be deathly to it.

31 Mar 2008 Craig, Surrey

10

Good Points

An easy to use camera that can be taken anywhere. Its small and compact but doesn't lose any image quality.

Bad Points

You have to purchase the memory card which is an extra cost

See more Olympus mju 850 SW reviews on Reevoo.com

Best Prices

£102
Go»
Prices, delivery and availability at 1 retailer
Go»

Keep up to date by adding PC Advisor Reviews to your iGoogle home page or Google Reader

What is this?

Subscribe to PC Advisor now and claim your FREE gift

Question of the day!

Does your smartphone replace your need for a laptop when on the move?

Question of the day!

Does your smartphone replace your need for a laptop when on the move?

% of PC Advisor readers agree with you

Yes
TBC
No
TBC

What tasks can your smartphone do that would have traditionally been done on a laptop?

119 characters remaining

Follow the conversation at @SmartphoneFocus

web browsing, search facilities, voip, email, word processing everything RT @Graham_D_C

Mainly email but getting better at spreadsheets etc, RT @IDGdan

Total reviews: 4,313

See product specs

expert rating

Build quality

4.5/5

Features

4/5

Value for money

4/5

Overall

4/5

expert rating

Olympus mju 850 SW

READER REVIEWS


Google


Recent reviews

Reviews index


Latest reader reviews

Latest reader reviews


Top news

News index


Latest blog entries

Blogs index


Sponsored Content

  • Take the internet to new places with the Nokia N800
    Communicate how you want to, where you want to with instant messaging, email and internet calling. View movies, browse the internet wirelessly and watch TV on the high-resolution screen and listen through high-quality stereo speakers with headphone jack.
    Buy now