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Olympus VR-340

For less than $150, the VR-340 packs a lot of specs in a pocket-friendly package.

Joshua Goldman Managing Editor / Advice
Managing Editor Josh Goldman is a laptop expert and has been writing about and reviewing them since built-in Wi-Fi was an optional feature. He also covers almost anything connected to a PC, including keyboards, mice, USB-C docks and PC gaming accessories. In addition, he writes about cameras, including action cams and drones. And while he doesn't consider himself a gamer, he spends entirely too much time playing them.
Expertise Laptops, desktops and computer and PC gaming accessories including keyboards, mice and controllers, cameras, action cameras and drones Credentials
  • More than two decades experience writing about PCs and accessories, and 15 years writing about cameras of all kinds.
Joshua Goldman

Olympus

The Olympus VR-340 has a lot going for it and for very little money.

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Inside its 1 inch thick, all-metal casing is a 10x f3.0-5.9 24-240mm lens and a 16-megapixel CCD sensor with sensor-shift image stabilization. On back you get a high-res 3-inch LCD and a one-touch record button for capturing 720p HD movies.

Shooting options are made for snapshooters with Olympus' iAuto scene recognition that determines the best settings based on 30 scene types; Program Auto for some extra control over your results; 14 scene modes; and seven of Olympus' Magic Filters including Pop Art, Pin Hole, and Drawing.

Also included are Beauty and Makeup modes for softening skin, smoothing wrinkles and blemishes, and more unusual options like whitening teeth, lifting cheek bones, and adding eyeshadow.

The Olympus VR-340 is available for less than $150, which makes it one of the least expensive 10x zoom ultracompacts on the market.