Far and wide, the world's most powerful ultra zoom. Capture the moment, and capture the action, with the world's most powerful ultra zoom - the 7.1 megapixel SP-550 UZ. Its new 18x... more
personal in a whole new way. With the world?s first wide 18x optical zoom, the Olympus SP-550 UZ accepts no limits, bringing photographers closer to distant subjects than ever before. Capture candid street scenes from a discreet distance, grab the detail of your favourite sport from way up in the stands ? then even use the wide angle lens to take in the whole game ? as this model?s focal length spans an amazing 28mm-504mm (in 35mm camera equivalent terms)! Enjoy double protection against camera shake with Dual Image Stabilization. Even at high magnifications or when capturing fast-moving objects, this technology ensures results are significantly sharper. Packing 7.1 Megapixels of detail-capturing power, the SP-550 UZ opens up a new realm of creative possibility.
personal in a whole new way. With the world?s first wide 18x optical zoom, the Olympus SP-550 UZ accepts no limits, bringing photographers closer to distant subjects than ever before. Capture candid street scenes from a discreet distance, grab the detail of your favourite sport from way up in the stands ? then even use the wide angle lens to take in the whole game ? as this model?s focal length spans an amazing 28mm-504mm (in 35mm camera equivalent terms)! Enjoy double protection against camera shake with Dual Image Stabilization. Even at high magnifications or when capturing fast-moving objects, this technology ensures results are significantly sharper. Packing 7.1 Megapixels of detail-capturing power, the SP-550 UZ opens up a new realm of creative possibility.
- made specifically for Digital Camera's and any other equipment using AA or AAA Ni-Mh rechargable batteries. LED Indications with automatic current selection for batteries, can also charge 2 x AAA batteries (Not included). Automatic Cut off when charged.
A review by kirkby100 on Olympus SP-550 Ultra Zoom April 5th, 2007
Author's product rating:
Picture Quality
Excellent
Range & Quality of Features
Diverse
Ease of Use
Easy
Durability
Good
Overall Look & Design
Good
Value for Money
Good
Advantages:
Massive Optical Zoom, Compact, Packed Full of Features
Disadvantages:
A little too compact .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
I've had my Olympus SP550UZ camera for around a month now and I just LOVE IT ! ! !. The camera is packed full of features which you expect to find on a full blown D-SLR never mind a compact. The best thing about the camera is the optical zoom, 18x magnification, so you can get a crisp close up shot without the need to get close to your subject. I recently took to photos of the solar eclipse with fantastic results!!.
Some of the main camera features include: 7.1M pixel sensor 18x optical zoom 5.6x digital zoom 2.5" LCD screen Electronic view finder Image stabiliser 23 scene modes
The SP550 uses xd memory cards, which have recently been upgraded to a capacity of 2GB, allowing hundreds of high quality photos to be stored. The camera also uses 4 x AA batteries, which I find to be an advantage, as you don't need a special battery and charger. I use 2700mAH rechargeable batteries, and can fill a full memory card without the need to change them.
The SP550UZ from Olympus is an upgrade from the 500 and 510 models, I previously owned the 500 model and I found a couple of problems with it: 1: The camera did not include an image stabilizer. 2: Everything was made from cheap plastic.
However the 550 includes a mechanical image stabilizer, so any camera shake from a pair of unsteady hands wont be a problem. This is a massive necessity especially when using the full 18x zoom. In addition the camera can be set to a high ISO setting to help aid sharp images. Also the build quality has been improved massively since the earlier models.
There is also a number of additional accessories which can be purchased for the 550UZ, I don't have much information to share on all these products, however I do own the TCON-17 lens, which increases the magnification power of the camera by 1.7x, giving a massive 30.6x optical zoom, HUGE ! ! ! (Hence the title of the review). I would advise though that you use a tripod when using the lens with the camera, as camera shake does become a problem at such high magnification. Also an adapter ring is required to mount the lens, as the thread of the lens is larger than that of the camera, this is achieved using a CLA-10.
The only snag with the camera is its size, although some may find a small compact camera an advantage, I find my hands are a little too big and holding the camera can be a little awkward. And one other small thing, if you have read the camera can take 15fps (frames per second) in sequential mode, don't be fooled, this is only when the camera is set to 1,2MP not 7.1MP.
Before I finish I would like to point out that Olympus offer a two year warranty, which is pretty standard on most cameras, however they also offer a repair service which, even if your camera is out of warranty, they can fix or replace any broken parts. I have used this service twice with previous products with high satisfaction.
Overall this camera is very rewarding, it offers great features and is reasonably priced at around £300. If I had to recommend a compact camera for an enthusiast who needed high performance and versatility, this would be the one, NO DOUBT !
Advantages: Great Zoom, Manual Shooting, Range of Shooting Modes Disadvantages: Bulky, Battery Powered
The Olympus SP-550 UZ has an impressive 18x optical zoom, one of the biggest zooms on a non-SLR camera. Combined with "Dual Image Stabilization" it is very good for taking close-ups without the need for a tri-pod. The 7.1 megapixels produce high resolution pictures and the camera's ability to shoot in RAW mode allows for extensive manipulation in the editing studio. The camera can be manipulated to shoot manual photo's, giving far more control than ... ...from f 2.8- f 8.0, and the shutter speeds range from 1/2000-15seconds. There is also a "Bulb" setting which leaves the shutter open for as long as the shutter button is pressed. The ISO can also be changed, with values from 50-5000. For people who are beginning to expand their digital photography ability the SP-550 has frame assist and can also show histograms on the 2.5" colour LCD screen. In my opinion it is one of the best non-SLR cameras for ...
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Continuous Shooting Speed: 15 frames per second for 20 frames (1.2MPix), 7 frames per second for 15 frames (3Mpix)
Video Capture:
AVI - 640 x 480 - 30 fps
AVI - 640 x 480 - 15 fps
AVI - 320 x 240 - 30 fps
AVI - 320 x 240 - 15 fps
Memory / storage
Supported Flash Memory: xD-Picture Card, xD-Picture Card Type H, xD-Picture Card Type M
Integrated Memory: 20 MB
Image Storage:
RAW 3072 x 2304
JPEG 3072 x 2304
JPEG 3072 x 2048
JPEG 2560 x 1920
JPEG 2304 x 1728
JPEG 2048 x 1536
JPEG 1600 x 1200
JPEG 1280 x 960
JPEG 1024 x 768
JPEG 640 x 480
Camera flash
Camera Flash: Pop-up flash
Flash Modes: Fill-in mode, slow synchro, auto mode, flash OFF mode, red-eye reduction
Red Eye Reduction: Built-in
Effective Flash Range: 4.5 m
Features: Flash +/- compensation
Manufacturer's product description
Far and wide, the world's most powerful ultra zoom. Capture the moment, and capture the action, with the world's most powerful ultra zoom - the 7.1 megapixel SP-550 UZ. Its new 18x wide-angle super-telephoto zoom lens gets you closer to your subject than any other compact digital camera on the market. Dual Image Stabilization eliminates blur. And with high-speed sequential shooting and new Pre-Capture technology, you'll capture anything that moves. Even shoot in low light without a flash, thanks to Bright Capture Technology, and it's easy to preview, shoot and share with the large 2.5" high-resolution LCD.
Lens system
Type: Zoom lens - 4.68 mm - 84.24 mm - f/2.8-4.5, Zoom lens - 4.7 mm - 84.2 mm - f/2.8-4.5
Focal Length: 4.68 mm - 84.24 mm, 4.7 mm - 84.2 mm
Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera: 28 - 504mm
Focus Adjustment: Automatic, manual
Auto Focus: TTL contrast detection
Min Focus Range: 10 cm
Lens Aperture: F/2.8-4.5
Optical Zoom: 18 x
Zoom Adjustment: Motorised drive
Lens Construction: 11 group(s) / 14 element(s)
Features: ED glass, aspherical lens
Additional features
Self Timer: Built-in
Self Timer Delay: 2sec, 12sec
Additional Features: Audio recording, direct print, USB 2.0 compatibility, auto power save, digital noise reduction, DPOF support, digital image rotation, PRINT Image Matching, PictBridge support, histogram display, cropping an image, resizing an image, saturation control, in-camera red-eye fix, interval shooting mode, brightness control, Automatic Pixel Mapping (APM), in-camera lighting fix, Bright Capture Technology, dual image stabilization
Operating System Support: Apple MacOS X 10.3 or later, MS Windows Vista, MS Windows 2000 Professional, MS Windows XP Home Edition, MS Windows XP Professional
Peripheral Devices: USB port, CD-ROM Drive
Miscellaneous
Certified for Windows Vista: Certified for Windows Vista software and devices have undergone compatibility tests for ease-of-use, better performance and enhanced security.
Included Accessories: Lens cap, neck strap
Cables Included:
USB cable
A/V cable
Carrying Case: Case
Battery
Supported Battery: AA
Supported Battery Details: 4 x AA alkaline battery ( included )
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