Olympus Mju 300

The Olympus Mju is a 3.2 megapixel digital camera that can achieve a maximum resolution of 2048 x 1536. It has a 3x optical zoom and can record up to 70 seconds of video, depending on the quality setting. The supplied 16Mb xD-picture memory card is good enough for six high-quality snaps and around 100 on the lowest setting. The flash offers four modes for various lighting environments and a panoramic mode can be set for landscape shots.

The build quality of the Mju is excellent. The weatherproof steel shell feels solid without being excessively heavy, making it ideal for country jaunts.

Our only real criticism of the Mju is its lack of manual mode. Although fine for those who are happy to just point and shoot, it doesn't leave much open to serious photographers. The macro mode is also quite poor, which is surprising considering its price. However, it does come with a remote control for taking self-portraits and the picture quality is excellent.

Windows XP will automatically detect the Mju via USB for transferring images, while any editing can be performed using the supplied Olympus software.

It's a good halfway house between expensive and technical digital cameras and the cheaper, lower-quality models.

Contact: Olympus 020 7253 2772
www.olympus.co.uk