Olympus µ-7010 review

Packed with features and super-stylish to boot

There are very few compacts these days that appeal to us from the start. Generic looks and specs can lead to a certain apathy about the latest releases. However, the [mju:] 7010 changed that. We loved it from the moment we picked it up. Our version came in a soft pink that somehow managed not to look too ‘girly’ mostly thanks to the chunky silver lens casing. It does come in a less Barbie-esque silver too so it has unisex appeal.

It’s really tiny and light in the hand, so it’s hard to believe that, somehow, folded inside is a whopping 7x optical zoom. It’s a wide-angle lens that offers an equivalent of 28mm, which accounts for the lens taking over so much of the front panel.

Small is not always good when it comes to the buttons, and as expected, you will find the options here on the mini side. However, they are all shaped in such a way that you do, usually, hit the one you want, and the tiny Mode dial has ridged edges to make it easier to turn. The black finish on the back and the buttons helps to toughen up the camera, both aesthetically and practically – the black plastic feels durable and scratchproof. One problem that we do have with the exterior is that the USB/AV connection is on the bottom and not protected from the elements in any way, which could be problematic in bad weather conditions.

Powering the camera on takes a few seconds for the screen to spring into life and the lens to extend out from the casing. Similarly it takes a few seconds in-between each shot before it is ready for the next. Sluggish performance thankfully doesn’t affect every area of the camera. Focus is super-fast in most conditions, with a reassuring beep when it is ready to shoot.

For shooting, there are several options to choose from. The Mode dial hosts various exposure choices, though manual users will remain disappointed. Instead, the focus is on getting great shots without user interaction. iAuto selects from five common shooting modes automatically. It takes a second or two for the camera to analyse the scene and select the right mode, which results in a written confirmation of the mode being used: ‘Taking a picture with x mode’, where ‘x’ is replaced with the icon of the mode selected. Program mode gives you control over the white balance, ISO, image quality and continuous shooting options with a press of the OK/FUNC button. You can also select from 15 scene modes and Beauty mode, the latter of which is designed to recognise faces and make skin smoother, brighter and more youthful. It’s certainly no 10 Years Younger, but it adds a pleasing soft-focus effect over portraits.

A small touch built into this camera is that it uses some rather funky transitions to in Playback mode, where images fold and slide into view. Also in Playback there are various in-camera editing options: Perfect Fix and Beauty Fix, which can fix shadows, red-eye, skin tones and eyes automatically. For those adverse to post-production on a computer, this is a nice extra.

Images produced by the 7010 have their ups and downs. Generally, images are lovely, with great colours and good sharpness. However, this sharpness doesn’t always extend right to the edges of the frame and it can appear soft. Ironically, it is exactly this that makes macro shots look so good, but for landscapes and architecture shots, it’s not so appealing. There is some evidence of distortion at the long end of the zoom too (though not the wide end), which is hardly uncommon with folded lens optics. We’re being picky here, as for most purposes you’d find little cause for complaint for day-to-day shooting.

Despite the image quality issues, we still love this compact. Its operation is great and it is lovely to use, easy to set up and durable enough for the whole family to use. For this, we can forgive the problems it does encounter, especially when they are comparable to its price-range peers.