Olympus has held its own in an increasingly design-led compact digital camera market with its Mju range and its latest is no exception.

The 7.1-megapixel Mju 700 has a brushed metal body that comes in a choice of four colours and, measuring just 2cm in thickness, it’s extremely portable. It’s also comfortable to hold, with all the most frequently used controls in sensible positions on the back and top edge of the camera.

The 3x optical zoom range is fairly standard in a camera of this size and was smooth to use in our tests.

Just to the left of the zoom control there’s a roomy 2.5in screen that responds well to changing lighting conditions, which is a real advantage when composing an image in low lighting conditions.

With 23 automated scene modes, this is a camera that even novice photographers will find easy to use and there are basic manual settings for the more confident photographer.

The Mju 700 also offers a small range of photo effects such as black and white and sepia modes and the selection of frames you can add to images adds a touch of fun.

Overall, image quality was good but the Olympus really excelled taking close-up shots. Using the super macro mode, which fixes the zoom at the widest angle possible, you can take snaps at just 8cm from your subject – the pictures we took using this setting were crisp with plenty of detail.

Although there’s no xD-Picture memory card included as standard with the Mju 700, the camera does offer 19Mb of internal memory. This isn’t particularly generous, but it’s enough to store five shots taken at the highest resolution and image quality settings.

It will prove handy when you’ve filled up the memory card and spot a photo opportunity that just can’t be missed.

In short, this is a well-designed, good-looking camera you won’t be of shy getting out in public, with performance that means your shots won’t disappoint when you get home.

Also consider
Fujifilm FinePix s5600
Verdict: A camera with enough features to cater for varying types of photographer
Rating: 4
Price: £300