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Olympus Stylus Infinity (Mju-1 / μ-1)

Olympus always knew how to make compact cameras that you carry with you all the time. Do you remember the OM series? Or maybe the legendary XA ? This one was the next step, the Mju-1 in Europe (Stylus infinity in America), is a nice little compact with sexy sleek lines that can fit into your shirt pocket. It was followed by the Mju-II, an improved version with a 35 f/2.8 lens and a spot meter and then there were numerous version with Zoom lenses and so on..

Olympus got it right straight from the start with this camera. It had everything the amateurs wanted and it was taking very good pictures. There are the usual flash modes but unfortunately there is no way to disable permanently the flash (once you shut the camera, it resets to default - Auto). Good news though: the fill in flash does not pop up in almost every occasion like the Fuji does. In the little Fuji i need to remember to turn it off every time i switch on the camera, with the olympus you might get away with it. I tend to prefer this camera's ergonomics over the next generation's one (the Stylus Epic), it is still quite small but i have a better grip. Still, i prefer the Fujifilm DL Super Mini, that although smaller, it's a bit chunkier to hold. The camera is made out of plastic but it does not give you the impression of being flimsy. In fact it has a better fit and finish than the more expensive Yashica.
The lens is a beautiful triplet design (3 elements in 3 groups), not quite as contrasty as the T4's tessar or Nikon's Sonnar or the fantastic Fujinon, but still a very capable performer. Actually, my mju-1 produces a somehow lower contrast pictures which gives the impression of being less sharp. When i boost the contrast on photoshop, the pictures do appear much better. 
Certainly we can't complain about the picture quality - when you boost the contrast the picture really comes to life.
There are not much i can say about this camera really. There are numerous webpages out there that praise this little camera and every bit they say is true. I would prefer this camera every time over the much more expensive Yashica T4 but if money is not an issue or they are similarly priced then go for the T4.
 
Conclusion
 
Is this a fantastic camera? Yes, it definitely is. Does it deserve the (highly subjective) "Pan's Ultimate Point-n-Shoot camera"? No but it is a near miss. It has everything you want, small size, a wonderful lens, good build quality but having tested the little Fuji, it just leaves me nor hot or cold. Of course it is not fair to compare the Fuji with the Olympus, the Fuji was a much more expensive camera at it's time. It is definitely a keeper though, the 35mm focal length is much easier for me to use and it will complement the little Fuji just fine. If you come across this little jem, don't walk away. It has a lot going on to give more expensive cameras, a run for their money.

Comments

  1. deafburglar3 November 2012 at 13:18

    I like this one much better than the mju II in almost every respect regarding design and ergonomics, however this little test shows that the mju II is simply a better camera:

    http://photo.net/modern-film-cameras-forum/00a9Oo

    ReplyDelete
  2. edwardolive14 June 2018 at 15:58

    Nice blacks

    ReplyDelete

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