Digital photography has made enormous strides in recent years, and as a result, the technology is being incorporated into affordable consumer products.

The first thing that struck me about the Camedia C-990 Zoom was that it looks and feels like a camera.

Olympus first introduced SLR (single lens reflex) to digital cameras in early 1998 in the form of the Camedia C-1400L.

It used to be a case of whoever had the largest CCD was going to sell the most cameras.

It used to be a case of whoever had the largest CCD was going to sell the most cameras.This may have held true when there was only a handful of digital still cameras on the market, but today it is a different story.

Ever since the dawn of the digital camera age Olympus has graced the market with a series of excellent products. Its C-800L may have had a lukewarm reception, but the C-820L soon rectified that.

The Camedia C-5050 is a 5.3-megapixel camera offering a good balance of automatic and manual settings, catering for users who like a professional look and feel. It also offers USB connectivity, separate status LCD, optical resolution of 2,560 x 1,920, support for RAW output format and video-out.

Olympus’ Four Thirds imaging system comes of age in a classy compact SLR that makes the rest look ordinary

Worth the wait. The E-3 matches pro SLR capabilities with the ease of use of an entry-level cam

An older camera, and expensive in its day, but the impressive image quality and choice of optical and LCD viewfinders make it worth a look for DSLR hunters

An attractive, light and well-built camera, but it has average image quality.

A completely new digital SLR system has arrived in the shape of the Olympus E-1 and is perhaps the most eagerly awaited professional camera this year.

A superzoom without stabiliser is like a car without suspension. Prepare for a rocky ride

The Olympus Mju Mini S makes a unique style statement for the cost of an everyday budget snapper

If used properly this rugged camera is well worth the money and makes you feel a little more manly into the bargain

Undoubtedly the key feature of the Olympus C-750 is the huge 10x optical zoom lens. This is ideal for sports photography or getting close to camera-shy subjects. We’d expect a lens of this size to introduce severe chromatic aberrations, but Olympus has used extra-dispersion lenses, which make sure light is evenly distributed across the CCD.

The Olympus Camedia C-740 is a 3.2-megapixel camera offering images at 2,048 x 1,536, with a maximum 10x optical zoom. Offering USB connectivity, miniature xD-Picture card support and video output that allows pictures to be viewed on TV as well

The Mju has hidden depths with aperture-priority and shutter-priority modes, but alas no fully manual mode

Not the pinnacle of image quality, but superbly compact with plenty of neat features

The E-510 has a barrowful of features and is a joy to use but we miss the size and convenience of the cheaper E-410