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Here is a camera that knows when to capture smiles. The Olympus µ820 will help you record smiling faces of your loved ones with its unique Smile Shot Scene feature.

The Smile Shot Scene mode can trigger the shutter button when a smile on a human face is detected. During testing, the mode takes just a couple of seconds to scan the frame of your face and snaps right after you show your teeth. While a smile has to be wide and curvy for the Olympus µ820 to recognize, with a little teeth bared, it quickly reacts.

The special feature also seems to work better when the subject is closer or zoomed up close. Otherwise, the camera might take a bit more time to find the face in its frame.

Another cool part about this feature is that it works for shots with multiple subjects in it, though it does trigger the shutter when only one of the people in the frame smiles.

Apart from the Smile Shot Scene feature, there are many other cool features aboard the Olympus µ820. With any µ series, you can expect each model to perform in rugged conditions with its weatherproof body. The same goes for the Olympus µ820, which works well come rain or shine.

The Olympus µ820 design is further enhanced by the eight-megapixel charge-coupled device and Olympus lens that comes with 5X optical zoom, as opposed to 3X which is considered a standard offering by cameras in this class.

To access menu items and review your digital files, the Olympus µ820 comes with a 2.7-inch HyperCrystal liquid crystal display.

As far as form factor goes, the camera is easy to grip. And with buttons grouped to one side, you can even operate it single-handedly.

With the Image Stabilisation mode and Shadow Adjustment technology, getting sharp, rich pictures is easy with the Olympus µ820. Shadow Adjustment technology is great for photographing dark backgrounds while another technology, BrightCapture, enhances the images taken under low-light conditions by adjusting the sensitivity level. Try taking photos outside at night under a full moon with no flash, you will get a good sense of how well the camera reproduces the different hues of shadowed and dimmed areas.

Also, the TruePic III image processing engine enhances photo realism and at the same time makes the camera work faster even when capturing photos as big as 3,264 by 2,488 pixels. Indeed, you can record shots one after another swiftly, or make use of the Sequence Shot mode which snaps at seven frames per second (fps).

For still shot recordings, there are many Scene mode options to choose from. Just a little bit of time is needed to get familiar with what each setting can produce. Otherwise, items such as ISO setting, white balance and focusing system can be set according to your preference.

A mode that will be useful for close-up shots is Super Macro, which lets you point the lens as close as three centimetres towards the subject. And there are post-capture features which allow simple editing.

You can also shoot video clips and get output of 640 by 480 pixels at 30fps. At such a high setting, you will find little jarring as you play back the files on the computer monitor or TV set.

The supplied software is a standard offering that will help you download, edit and organise your photos and videos easily. Interface cables are supplied as well, so the only extras you might want to ask from the vendor should you buy the model is a big-capacity xD-Picture Card to match the camera’s eight-megapixel capability.