Olympus VR-340 is an overall good Value, always with you, P & S Camera

I picked one up on sale for about $110 US. So far, a good little pocket camera with a reliable JPEG engine and nice saturated colors, usually an accurate auto WB, and the right amount of sharpening. I like to keep it in P mode and set a few things to taste, especially the WB, which is usually pretty smart, but can be fooled by flourescent lighting. The Fireworks mode is very good, and I had fun using it for july 4th., as it is able to capture about 4 sec. exposure.

I don't use most of the Art filters but a couple are pretty cool, sparkle and vivid, but file size will be reduced and processing takes time. The Video recording is decent too at 720P, however the MotionJpeg encoding is too bloated and you cant zoom when filming! I convert all the vids later to MP4 for TV watching. The zoom range is good and with a mini-tripod or a good rest, fairly sharp at 10x! So, the dual IS works well handheld even at 4-5x. Focus is ok in low light with the assist beam, but at more then 10ft, shot to shot time is a little slow if you recompose (2sec) and focus is soft. Action photos are not this camera's strong suit, but you can help that with practice.

Super Macro mode is where this camera shines, but at max mag., you will be very close to the target, 1cm, so bugs may get spooked. Still, fun to use and great colors outdoors from the JPEG engine. The LCD is not super bright so the Sun will cause issues if you are at the beach, in snow, etc. Finally, the build quailty is about average for this class, mostly good hard plastic, but the lens cover and zoom mech. are a little delicate so I try not to bump it or push on them by accident, lest they get stuck and require some on/off cycles to correct. This camera needs a rubber grip because it is slippery, and with my giant hands, I have dropped it a few times. I put on grip tape here and there and it helps. However, this is a camera that you can toss in a pocket and have with you all the time, and not have the worries that you would with a high end P&S or a PEN type camera.