Olympus Mju Tough-6010

The basics

A 12MP ruggedised camera shockproof to 1.5m, waterproof to 3m and freezeproof to -10C. 2.7-inch LCD and 3.6x zoom lens, with stabilisation. There’s a 640x480-pixel movie mode and Tap control. It measures 95x63x22mm and weighs 165g.

The good

Whenever we’re deciding whether or not to buy a gadget, we just ask ourselves “WWTRD?” – “What would The Rock do?”. Something tells us the wrestling legend/‘actor’ would just love this pumped-up chunk of digital danger. The 6010 soaks up bumps, scrapes, falls, dunkings, dust, sand, hailstorms and all-out physical attacks without so much as a wobbly lip, confidently shooting off massive, colourful 12MP images. The above average lens has spacious 28mm wideangle and a decent-ish 102mm telephoto settings. It has a sensitive side, too, with 16-person face detection and an intelligent Auto mode enabling even punch-drunk washed-up beefcakes to take decent pics.

The bad

Subtlety isn’t this mju’s strong point. Images are noisier than average even in daylight, and verge on unusable in really low light. VGA video clips are a long way from the HD movies you’ll find on some similarly priced compacts and there’s little excuse for using overpriced, underpowered xD memory cards and a proprietary USB cable these days. Also, the Tap control (for use with gloves) is limited and a bit gimmicky.

The bottom line

This camera laughs in the face of danger, sneers at extreme conditions and looks a bit awkward at a posh tea party. An essential purchase if you want stunning ski, surf or stag party snaps, just don’t expect the best image quality ever.