Auto Mode
To enter the auto mode of the Olympus SP-320, the user must turn the mode dial to the auto mode setting. The auto mode restricts the user’s ability to control features like manual aperture and shutter speed, but it lets users engage options like ISO and white balance. The auto focus struggled when adjusting focal depth or when used in lower light situations. This doesn’t bode well for the SP-320 user who is inexperienced; the manual settings would inevitably be even more overwhelming when the user tries to hunt them down in the confusing and circuitous menu system.

Movie Mode
The movie menu can be entered by turning the mode dial. The movie mode has resolutions of 640 x 480 at 30 fps SHQ, 640 x 480 at 15 fps HQ, 320 x 230 at 30 fps SQ1, and finally, 320 x 240 at 15 fps SQ2. The motion recording feature captures video clips in QuickTime Motion JPEG format with audio. Accessing movie mode format options requires entering the motion picture menu within the image format control, accessed in turn by pressing the menu button and then the left arrow to open the formatting options. The top resolution and frame rate of this camera should provide smooth video footage.

Drive / Burst Mode
The Olympus SP-320 comes with a drive mode, which can be entered by pressing the menu button followed by the right arrow on the four-way control. The right arrow controls the modes menu. Within the modes menu the camera menu must be entered and the drive mode submenu entered. The drive mode options for the SP-320 are high speed at 2.4 frames per second for only 2 frames, normal speed at 1.4 fps for a total of 10 frames in HQ resolution, and finally, the bracket mode will shoot with aperture compensation for up to five frames. The burst mode didn’t quite stand up to the 2.4 frames per second rate and the downtime between shots was lengthy enough so that snapping off two or three of these burst cycles wouldn’t be a feasible option.

Entering the drive mode will take some time, so users need to plan in advance. Check back for our full review of the SP-320 when we are able to put this camera to our speed and timing test and find out if this camera can perform with its advertised agility.

Playback Mode
There are two methods for entering the camera into playback mode: either press the down arrow on the four-way control or spin the mode dial on the top of the camera. The playback mode does allow some editing and manipulation of images, although it isn’t overly extensive in its options. When shooting in still mode, the user has the opportunity to apply the following digital effects: black & white, sepia, brightness and saturation. Image alterations of resize and rotation may also be applied while red-eye correction can be engaged to fix improperly captured portraits.

When shooting in movie mode, the additions of frame edit and frame index are included. Images which have digital effects applied to them are saved in addition to the original image. Playback zoom can be engaged and the user can choose to select between single or thumbnail views with four images, nine images, sixteen images, twenty-five images or calendar. Videos can be viewed in playback mode with simultaneous audio. This camera is DPOF and PictBridge compliant and features a simple one-touch printing process via the printer button located three buttons to the right of the electronic viewfinder.

Custom Image Presets
To enter the scene modes of the Olympus SP-320, the user can either select the scene mode option from the mode dial or press the menu button and then the down arrow on the four-way controller. The scene mode settings are displayed with each option listed along the left side of the screen while a sample applicable shooting situation demo is located in the right two-thirds of the LCD, which also displays a full text description of each mode.

The scene modes for the SP-320 allow the user to set generalized image parameters in an attempt to tailor the camera to fit the conditions of the shooting scene. These are the options which are included with the SP-320: Portrait, Landscape, Landscape & Portrait, Night Scene, Night & Portrait, Sport, Indoor, Candle, Self-Portrait, Available Light Portrait, Sunset, Fireworks, Museum, Cuisine, Reducing Blur, Documents, Auction, Shoot & Select1, Shoot & Select2, Beach, Snow, Under Water Wide1, Under Water Wide2 and Under Water Macro.

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