Olympus µ [Mju] TOUGH-6000 review

The Olympus mju Tough 6000 is – as the name suggests – a tough cookie of a compact. Touting freezeproof, crushproof, shockproof and waterproof benefits to its name, is the Olympus mju Tough 6000 all muscle, even when it comes to quality pictures? What Digital Camera puts the Tough 6000 under some closer scrutiny in our Olympus mju 6000 review...

Olympus Mju Tough 6000 review - Features

The TOUGH 6000 doesn’t mess around. Its very name grunts ‘tough’ at you in bold capital letters, its main intent to be the black box of the camera world. Replacing the subtly titled SW series of old, the rebranded TOUGH series of Olympus mju cameras boasts capabilities of being freezeproof to -10C, shockproof to a drop of 1.5m, crushproof to a pressure of 100kgs and waterproof to 3m. It’s the kind of features list that’s outside the usual remit for a camera, though the mju 6000 marries this with the ‘normal’ compact camera details too.

Behind the hardened shell of a body, the mju TOUGH 6000 adds a 10MP sensor and 28-102mm (3.6x optical zoom) wide angle lens. A 2.7in Hypercrystal III LCD with 230K dots ensures decent image playback, whilst Dual Image Stabilisation helps those less than steady hands keep shots sharp. A ‘TAP control’ method means you can tap the camera rather than use the buttons – ideal for frozen fingers in big winter gloves up a mountain, or any similar ‘extreme’ activity. Intelligent Auto mode also heads up the features list, helping you to get the right shot every time. For those looking for a compact camera that provides super tough body – be that for extreme sports, activities, versatile holidays or just unpredictable kids – the Olympus mju TOUGH 6000 sets itself up as the ideal camera. But does image quality suffer as a result of this beefing up; is the mju all brawn and no brains?

Olympus Mju Tough 6000 review - Design

The Olympus mju TOUGH 6000 comes available in four flashy colours – yellow, orange, blue or silver – and, unlike some of the ‘hot pinks’ of previous, the shades are very pleasant. Given that the capacity for the TOUGH to be used in a variety of testing locations, there’s no doubt that the orange will shine up against the white snow in mountains, or the blue against the hot sands of a desert. For the more conservative, the silver is a more subtle touch.

The mju TOUGH 6000 has a small body and is of a good weight in the hand. The LCD is to the rear left side of the camera, with the control buttons and thumbwheel to the right. A lot of the buttons are close together which can get fiddly, and with the thumbwheel also mounted on the back – unlike on top as with many compacts – it’s not entirely easy to flick between modes. There is some suffice, however, as a ‘TAP mode’ means you can double tap the top, left, right or LCD of the camera to perform certain functions – namely playback and scrolling left and right. Whilst admittedly a little gimmicky and, unless perhaps wearing gloves in the cold, it’s a relatively limited use feature for the average person. Being continually prompted to turn this feature on becomes a little annoying too.

The mju 6000 – in order to keep up its tough persona – keeps the lens firmly tucked inside the body behind a steel-like shutter. Having such limited scale for the lens removes the need for protruding or moving parts and, although at the suffer of some quality, keeps those fragile optics kept firmly where they need to be for wear and tear.

Olympus mju TOUGH 6000 review pages:

- Page 1: Olympus mju TOUGH 6000 review - Features & Design
- Page 2: Olympus mju TOUGH-6000 - Performance, Image Quality & Value for Money
- Page 3: Olympus µ [Mju] TOUGH-6000 review specifications / specs
- Page 4: Olympus mju Tough 6000 review verdict

Olympus mju TOUGH 6000 review - other What Digital Camera links:

- Compare the Olympus mju TOUGH 6000 with other superzoom compact cameras
- Olympus µ [Mju] TOUGH-6000 review - product images
- Olympus mju TOUGH 6000 review - sample test image gallery