Olympus SP-550 UZ

Olympus-Sp-550-Uz-1 The Olympus SP-550 UZ is an ultra telephoto digital camera that will get those in the market for a long zoom on a reasonably compact camera interested with it's whopping 18x optical zoom lens.

This 7.1 megapixel camera comes with image stabilization (CCD shift) for it's 28-504mm equivilent lens as well as the ability to shoot in burst mode at up to 15 frames per second (with the ability to take five shots before you even fully depress the shutter to account for those of us a little show off the mark).

The Olympus SP-550 UZ is expected to hit stores in February 2007.

Olympus SP-550 UZ - Features
• 18x wide optical zoom 1:2.8-4.5
• Dual Image Stabilization
• 7.1 Megapixels
• 6.4cm/2.5” LCD with 230,000 pixels
• High burst rate (up to 15fps)
• Super Macro mode (from as close as 1cm)
• P/A/S/M exposure modes
• BrightCapture Technology for better low light photography
• BrightCapture Technology also available in movie mode
• 23 scene modes (including Portrait, Sports, Night Scene)
• 25 languages on board
• Internal memory plus xD-Picture Card slot
• Supplied with Olympus Master software and four AA batteries

Get a Price on the Olympus SP-550UZ

Olympus SP-550 UZ Reviews

Digital Camera Info has a first impressions review of the Olympus SP-550UZ and writes, "The Olympus SP-550UZ may have the longest optical zoom lens on a digital camera with its 18x power, but it has other merits too. The body is sturdier and the components are of higher-quality than its predecessor, the SP-500UZ. The LCD screen and electronic viewfinder have better resolution, the flash pops up higher and provides more even coverage, and the lens is almost twice as long and comes with optical image stabilization. Olympus packs in other great features like manual control, slave flash compatibility, and simultaneous RAW and JPEG shooting. The 7.1-megapixel ultra-zoom digital camera does have some drawbacks as well. It had some serious processing delays, a slow burst mode, and confusing menus. The SP-550UZ comes at a $499 price and that seems to be more for the 18x lens than anything else. Still, the lens is so long that it almost creates a whole new category in the market. There isn’t much out there that can compete with an 18x compact camera with decent video capture. Overall, the Olympus SP-550UZ has a competitive feature set, but it will ultimately have to prove its worth with image quality. Check back in the coming months for our full review of the SP-550 UZ to see if it lives up to the hype. "

DCRP has a first look review of the Olympus SP-550 Ultra Zoom and writes, "The SP-550UZ has more image quality choices than any other camera I can think of. It also supports the RAW image format, and a JPEG of the size of your choosing can be saved along with the RAW file. ... Olympus even has a RAW editor built into the camera -- but more on that later. Another thing to note about RAW images are their size: they're four times as large as a super high quality JPEG. ... As part of their apparent mission to have the most impressive specs of any ultra zoom camera, Olympus has given the SP-550 the ability to crank the sensitivity as high as ISO 5000. Yes, you read that right. The catch is that once you get above ISO 3200 the resolution drops to 3 Megapixel. I'll show you how things look at high ISOs in the final review."

Imaging Resource has a preview of the Olympus SP-550 UltraZoom and writes, "achieving 28mm with a 504mm at the other end is impressive indeed. We'll have to wait for our test results before we rave further, but if they've held chromatic aberration and distortion in check, the SP-550 could be quite the little darling of the enthusiast crowd. ... A few other features of the SP-550 that are prominently mentioned might seem to exceed the capabilities of modern digital SLRs, like the ability to capture 15 frames per second. While that's probably true, they don't mention that the resolution is reduced to 1.2 megapixels to achieve that. It's actually a capture mode that is included on many other digicams, and is not invalid, but it's a little misleading, again. ... Just from holding and using the SP-550, it seems like Olympus is listening to the market and designing accordingly. The SP-550 looks and feels great, and its optical specs do indeed impress."

CNET Asia has a preview of the Olympus SP-550 UZ and writes, "The 18x optical zoom begins at a wide 28mm angle, F2.8, stopping down to F4.5 at the telephoto end. The SP-550UZ uses the CCD shift-type stabilization system to compensate for camera shake at longer focal lengths, though it wasn't clear on our preproduction model how many stops advantage it provides since we couldn't test it out. Like the Panasonics, there are two stabilization modes to choose from; we assumed that one would turn the system on continuously and the other only when you click on the shutter."

Pop Photo takes a first look at the Olympus SP-550 UZ and writes, "upon our initial inspection, this camera appears to merit its price. The lens barrel is well-damped and glides smoothly while it extends more than you'd think possible. The buttons and overall build feel solid. It's not quite as rock-solid feeling as the mostly metal Canon PowerShot G7, but feels exceptionally solid for a composite body. The only exception to the overall feeling of build quality is the battery cover, which felt stiff and didn't open and shut as smoothly as we'd like -- but this being a pre-prod, its possible that this battery cover issue will be resolved before the unit ships."

Scared of the Dark has a review of the Olympus SP-550 and writes, "Feature wise, I believe it is currently at the top of the ultrazoom pile and it is competitively priced, with optics and image quality that deliver on the spec sheet’s promise. I’ve owned a whole load of compacts and used many more, and I am almost certain that I’m going to be using this camera far more than any other [compact] in the past. It is just about portable enough to be carried on a regular / daily basis and more importantly (for me), combines great images with an advanced set of features and unrivalled reach. I have high expectations of being able to deliver great images with this ... this really is a camera where Olympus managed to get several innovations right in the same body."

PopPhoto has a review of the Olympus SP-550UZ and writes, "Overall, the Olympus SP-550UZ is a very capable camera, especially at lower ISOs with the sensor-shift image stabilization activated. The reach of this lens is record-breaking, and it covers that long distance while keeping distortion mostly contained, except at the extreme wide angle setting, which is typical for this camera class. The built is rock-solid for a composite camera, and it feels great in the hands. Its burst performance at full resolution is sluggish and limited to three shots, and it crawls in writing a single RAW file. At the lower resolutions, it's lightning-fast, but you are seriously or severely limiting your printing size options by dropping the resolution to gain that touted blazingly fast burst rate. The actual full-resolution, low ISO performance, RAW capture, and full manual controls of this camera will make it attractive to a certain breed of advanced photographer, and the ease of use, scene modes, and guide modes will appeal to another, less-experienced breed of shooter."

LaptopMag has a review of the Olympus SP-550 UZ and writes, "Overall, the SP-550 UZ performed well when taking a variety of shots. The 18X optical zoom is the SP-550 UZ's standout featureSP-550 UZ. We were able to see the details of the bricks on a building across the street clearly and were able to get within one centimeter of some paperclips on our desk. ... The Olympus SP-550 UZ is a solid camera that will produce pleasing images in almost any situation. That said, we recommend it only for more advanced users who want the control--but not the expense and extra weight--of a DSLR."

Trusted Reviews has a review of the Olympus SP-550UZ and writes, "The massive zoom range and impressive image stabilisation make the SP-550UZ a camera with unique capabilities, and at low ISO settings the image quality is very good. Handling, build quality, style and low-light performance are also highlights. The range of manual options and RAW mode will appeal to experienced users, while the beginner-friendly Guide mode is a boon for those keen to learn. However slow focusing and shot-to-shot times, high-ISO image noise and lens distortion at both ends of the zoom range are serious handicaps."

Digital Camera Review has a review of the Olympus SP-550 UZ and writes, "I really enjoyed using the Olympus SP-550 UZ. It’s comfortable to hold, has plenty of advanced features and takes great shots. Beyond that, you get the world’s first 18x optical zoom in a point and shoot digital camera. The dual image stabilization is a must for such long zoom shots and the system in the Olympus does a good job of handling blur from camera shake. While I normally wouldn’t use the 15fps sequential shooting capability very often, it is also a nice feature. The camera also has great battery life. If you’re interested in a long zoom camera, the SP-550 UZ is a great choice. Don’t be intimidated by all of its features, plenty of in-camera help and Olympus’ built-in Guide system do a great job of helping a beginner to get comfortable with the camera."

Digital Trends has a review of the Olympus SP-550 UZ and writes, "Olympus is to be congratulated for taking the mega zoom category up a level to 18x—and it appears this will be the most powerful model in 2007. Where Olympus continues to fall short is beefing up its processing so its cameras can move quickly rather than forcing photographers to wait for it to save files. No one expects it to have the response of a D-SLR but the company needs to put the new TruePic III processor used in its new Evolt D-SLRs in its compact point-and-shoot editions. Sony uses a variation of its Bionz processor originally used in the alpha D-SLR in its new mega zooms and it really showed—even with a pre-production model. With those caveats on the table, the SP-550UZ is a good camera for vacationers and for having around the house. The 28mm wide angle option is a real plus while the extreme telephoto will capture faraway subjects. I just wish the darn thing moved faster."

Digicam Review has a review of the Olympus SP-550 Ultra Zoom and writes, "Image quality is very good, the images have very good colour, with good contrast and detail, with fairly low noise except for the higher ISO settings. Images were slightly soft straight from the camera and could benefit from sharpening (this can be changed in camera). Purple fringing was quite low although was noticeable at the telephoto end of the zoom range. Red-eye was low. The camera did a good job focusing the majority of the time, with low light focusing aided by the focus assist lamp. I did notice some vignetting in photos when taking photos at 18x optical zoom, and there was some barrel and pincushion distortion however this shouldn't affect the majority of photos. There is a very good range of image sizes, aspect ratios (including 3:2 and 16:9) and a good choice of compression options (including RAW mode). Auto white balance and metering, and exposure seemed to be good to very good. The camera gives very good control over image quality - you can change the saturation, contrast, sharpness, noise reduction etc. The built in CCD-shift anti-shake image stabilisation is especially useful in low light or at the long end of the zoom. The camera has an excellent macro mode."

DCResource has a review of the Olympus SP-550 Ultra Zoom and writes, "Photo quality was very good for the most part. The SP-550 takes well-exposed photos, with accurate colors, pleasing sharpness, and relatively little purple fringing. The one exception in the color accuracy department comes when you're using custom white balance -- as my test photos hopefully illustrated. Noise levels on the camera are low at ISO 50 and 100, and reasonable at ISO 200 and 400. I would save ISO 800 for desperation only. The photo quality at ISO 1600, 3200, and 5000 isn't what I'd consider acceptable. While the camera has a bit of a redeye problem, the in-camera redeye reduction took took care of it in a matter of seconds. ... Though not without its share of flaws, the Olympus SP-550UZ is a very good (though not best-in-class) ultra zoom camera. It offers virtually every feature known to man, though some of them aren't implemented terribly well. Still, if you want a camera with a lot of zoom, and you won't be using custom white balance very often, then it's definitely worth a look."

CNET has a review of the Olympus SP-550 Ultra Zoom and writes, "While we noticed some image artifacts not related to sensor noise, we also saw ISO-related noise as early as ISO 200. Even at ISO 100, we saw the beginnings, though it was extremely minor and would only be visible slightly when viewed 100-percent magnification on a high-quality monitor. Even at ISO 200, the noise present wouldn't show up in most prints, though you'll notice it on monitors. At ISO 400, noise was much more noticeable and chopped away at the finer details present in these already-soft images. At ISO 800, the noise grew more, ate away more detail, and shadow detail began to fall off. You may still be able to get passable 4x6-inch prints at ISO 800. ISO 1600 should be avoided at all costs. ... Given its performance and image quality issues, it's tough to recommend this super zoom."

CameraLabs has a review of the Olympus SP-550UZ and writes, "If the image quality had no issues, the SP-550UZ would easily have earned our top Highly Recommended award, but as discussed earlier, visible coloured fringing when zoomed-in and a general softness throughout the range let the camera down. To be fair, there’s always a compromise with such a massive optical range, and it’s up to you to weigh-up the convenience of the lens against ultimate image quality. That said, the SP-550UZ remains a very impressive camera which can delight in many respects. The build quality’s great, the stabilisation effective and the zoom range extremely seductive. So long as you’re willing to accept the caveats above – and the lack of a flip-out screen – the SP-550UZ comes recommended."

Megapixel has a review of the Olympus SP-550 UZ and writes, "Equipped with a stabilization system that is remarkably effective and a powerful 18X zoom, so far the SP-550 UZ is in a realm of its own. Yet the SP-550 UZ is probably at the vanguard of a new wave of compact cameras that will offer very long optical zooms and active stabilization systems that operate either within the lens, or at the level of the CCD. We can only hope that with its excellent image quality and convincing optical performance, the SP-550 UZ is also a herald of a new class of bridge cameras that will place a strong emphasis on image quality and overall capabilities, and which will, in turn, offer many people with an alternative to bulkier digital SLR cameras."

DPReview has a review of the Olympus SP-550UZ and writes, "The SP-550UZ is, then, a camera that tries a little to hard to be a true jack of all trades, and ends up being master of none; a perfect example of the whole being lesser than the sum of its parts. And yet the funny thing is, that after all that, I actually quite liked it. I guess - in a perverse way - it's sometimes nice to use a camera that forces you out of the lazy 'point and shoot' mentality and reminds you that photographers, not cameras, take pictures. Ultimately however, after a lot of debate here, we decided that the SP-550UZ has just too many flaws where it matters (image quality and performance) for a $500 camera, and that (though a close call) it fell short of a Recommended rating. As always we'd recommend having a good look at all the sample images before deciding if you agree."

Steve's Digicams has a review of the Olympus SP-550 UZ and writes, "As a sports shooter, the SP-550 UZ is a bit of an enigma, hampered by its slow autofocus performance and poor image quality in its 2 high speed drive modes. But no other consumer digicam can come close to its high speed capture rate and the pre-capture mode that renders anticipating the decisive moment a moot point. The SP-550's high-quality lens can't be matched either, offering a versatile focal length range that is equally at home in tight interiors and athletic playing fields. Combine that with its very good image quality in standard drive modes, and the SP-550 UZ represents a good value at its $499 MSRP. Please have a look at our Sample Photos and see for yourself; included are some action sequences taken with the camera's high speed drive modes and pre-capture."

PhotographyBLOG has a review of the Olympus SP-550 UZ and writes, "I found that images followed the familiar Olympus trait of colours being a tad washed out straight out of the camera, which had the effect of making skin appear ever more porcelain-like. The aforementioned noise starts to appear very visibly upwards of ISO800, and at ISO1600 detail is noticeably being lost and images take on an impressionistic, painterly appearance. Why then Olympus has gone on to shoehorn in even higher ISO3200 and ISO5000 options – with a resultant drop in resolution – mystifies, though the suspicion is that it’s only to beef up the spec list."

Photoxels has a review of the Olympus SP-550 UZ and writes, "My personal take is that the Olympus SP-550 UZ is a well designed and very good ultra zoom digital camera, is enjoyable to use, and the 18x wide-angle optical zoom blows past all its ultra zoom competitors. If you must have that much zoom power (and the wonderful wide-angle), no other ultra zoom can match it. Just don't expect to be able to track and follow fast moving action at that long focal length. The SP-550 UZ is full-featured but it might take a knowledgeable photographer (or a beginner willing to learn) to make the most out of it."

PCMag has a review of the Olympus SP-550 UZ and writes, "Image quality on the SP-550 UZ is very good. My daylight test shots exhibited very little noise, although the flash shot had some colored noise. Color was pretty good, too—both vibrant and accurate. I saw a bit of purple fringing, but nothing too strong—though my real-world test shots of trees shot against a blue sky had more fringing. Overall, I found that the SP-550 UZ's images displayed a very nice dynamic range and good contrast—just strong enough without having the shadows swallow up the details. Flash coverage was even and powerful enough to provide proper illumination without blowing out highlights. And you can make the strobe stronger or weaker, which is a nice touch."

Imaging Resource has a review of the Olympus SP-550 and writes, "While I had a little trouble focusing on subjects that wouldn't sit still, the Olympus SP-550 UZ let me shoot things I couldn't even see without looking through its lens. And I found that a lot of fun. A whole new world of birds, fish and buffalo, in fact. But the Olympus SP-550 UZ was just as capable taking shots at wide angle and in Macro mode. Some of my flower shots really surprised me with the quality of the color and detail. And its optical image stabilization and high ISO performance took great low-light shots as well."

Get a Price on the Olympus SP-550UZ

Posted by Darren in our Olympus category on January 25, 2007

Comments

I bought a 550UZ in Singapore at the weekend and I fully agree with the above pre-reviews. It is a superb camera in many ways- the feel, the lens, the reproduction. I am 73 and have a very shaky hand and with the zoom fully extended my shots are rock steady. At this stage I haven't been able to fault it. Unlike one of your previewers I found my way around the camera very quickly. I haven't tested the rapid 15 frames per second but then again I doubt I will have much use for it. The video reproduces sharp as a tack. All in all I am very satisfied with my purchase. ( I have been using Olympus cameras for several years.)

Posted by: Alan Steel at February 14, 2007 10:11 PM

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