05.25.07
Olympus SP-550 UZ Review
Digital Photography Review?
Pros
- Amazing 18x zoom range
- Truly versatile 28-504mm range, with real wideangle
- Comprehensive and extensive feature set
- Effective Image Stabilization system (good for two stops)
- Decent resolution
- Good, though by no means class-leading results at lower ISO settings
- Generally natural color rendition (slightly anemic reds aside)
- Raw mode (with JPEG duplicate options)
- Superb battery life
- Excellent handling & build quality
- Decent electronic viewfinder
- Nice screen - gains up well in low light
- Good level of customization available
- Excellent flash exposures
- In-camera editing (including raw conversion) of saved files
- Decent movie quality
Cons
- Images lack biting crispness, some loss of fine detail to noise reduction
- Some corner softness at long end of zoom
- Distortion throughout the zoom range
- Focus slow at long end of zoom and in low light
- Occasional focus errors (where the camera says it’s in focus and it isn’t)
- Full resolution burst mode unimpressive
- Purple fringing and chromatic aberration (fairly mild, but visible)
- Slow file writing (xD-Picture Card)
- Poor artificial light Auto White Balance and slightly unreliable Custom White Balance
- Screen blooming and slow reaction to brightness changes in live preview
- Movie mode restrictions (can’t use sound with IS or zoom turned on)
- Mild overexposure of bright scenes leading to highlight clipping (can be fixed with AE-C)
- Supplied raw converter produces unimpressive results
- HIgher ISO settings noisy and soft (due to noise reduction)
- Almost pointless low-resolution ISO 3200 and ISO 5000 settings
- Disappointing macro performance