A digital camera is quickly becoming an essential piece of mtb kit, whether it is incorporated into a mobile phone or a dedicated SLR everyone seems to have one sort or another. MTB riding in our corner of the world involves dirt, water and mud three things that can easily spell disaster for delicate electronic equipment. For the last 12 months I have been carrying an Olympus Muj770sw digital camera basically because it is 100% waterproof, shockproof, mudproof and dirtproof.

The Muj measures 9x6x1.5 cm and easily fits into a small camera bag that is then attached to the straps of my Camelbak, which means it is very easy to get out and snap away. The camera functions are pretty basic, it has a 3x optical zoom lens and 7.1 mega pixels (which is more than suitable for printing photos up to A4 size). The automatic setting produces pretty good pictures when I get it right – like most cameras, the operator makes the photo not the technology. The main downside of the Muj770 sw is the shutter lag, the delay between pressing the button and the shutter opening to take the picture, it is noticeably longer than any other digital camera I have used either SLR or compact. The long shutter delay introduces a randomsation factor into every photograph taken which greatly compromises the usability of the camera.

In my opinion the best feature of the Olympus Muj 770 sw is the fact that it can be used in any conditions without me worrying about whether the rain or trail crap will get into the camera and ruin it. The confidence of weather proofing needs to be balanced against the things such a long shutter delay. I carry the Muj in winter and rainy conditions but rely on a Canon Powershot A700 for photos unless the weather causes me to worry about it getting ruined.

In summary, not the most sophisticated or feature laden digital camera but one that with care takes good photos and can be used and carried outside of the main bag in any whether conditions. An expensive luxury rather than an essential purchase.