Olympus VR-340

Olympus VR-340

Replacing the VR-320 as Olympus' cheapest and slimmest travel zoom, the recently announced VR-340 condenses 10x optical zoom into a pocketable chassis, and captures shots on a new 16 megapixel CCD. The VR-340 will be available this March, in black, white, silver, red, and purple. The VR-340’s all metal body is attractive for a compact camera. The new right hand grip has been brought toward the center of the camera, and the triangular upper lip of the feature is reminiscent of a Nikon SLR. The chassis’ rounded corners are a bit last season, but this is certainly a visually appealing camera overall. Olympus tends to go with relatively simple button layouts, and the VR-340 is no different. Not too much has changed from the VR-320, except the upper video hockey has been shifted right, to make room for a new rubberized thumb rest. Olympus’ dedicated in-camera guide button also makes a return, and the guide is helpful for getting to know your camera without having to break open the paper manual.