Front
The front of the Olympus SP-320 has a pronounced right-hand grip that visually alludes to a more expensive DSLR camera design. The top of the right-hand grip extends even more and provides a notched curve for the user to comfortably rest the camera on the top of the index finger for greater stability during shooting.

When facing the front of the SP-320, the lens is positioned to the left side of the camera. When not in use, the lens barrel retracts into the camera and is efficiently protected via an automatic lens cover that closes quickly. Located adjacent and to the right of the top edge of the lens ring is an AF illuminator. Above this feature in the upper right corner of the front face is the in-camera horizontal flash, placed in a position that will lead to it being easily obscured by the fingers of the left hand during shooting.

Above and to the left of the lens is the real image optical viewfinder window, unfortunately placed so that an inevitably inaccurate frame will result when using this feature for viewing. The in-camera microphone is positioned between the viewfinder window and the notched top of the right-hand grip, an intelligent placement that distances this feature from fingers during shooting.

Back
Taking up nearly two-thirds of the back face, the LCD for the Olympus SP-320 is 2.5 inches diagonally and is raised from the surface of the camera by approximately one-quarter of an inch. Centered above the top edge of the LCD is the real image optical viewfinder. This viewfinder is raised above the surface of the LCD screen, although not enough to avoid pressing your nose against the screen during usage.

To the right of the viewfinder is a small, partially raised Power button that is a bit undersized, and with an identical coloring to the camera body, it is easily lost when shooting in less than adequate lighting. The flash button and the AEL buttons are located to the right of the power button along the top of the LCD frame. When reviewing photos, the flash button doubles as a delete feature and the AEL button functions as a quick one-touch key for printing photos directly from camera. This print button is by far the simplest and best designed control interface found on the SP-320.

There is a scalloped area directly beneath the Mode Dial on the top of the camera body which should provide some grip and stabilization of the camera when shooting with one hand. Also along the right side of the LCD are two controls allowing access to Display/Guide or Quick View reviewing. These controls are labeled with nearly full text descriptions that are printed in white for clarity. Beneath the thumb pad and these two controls is a raised platform which contains the four-way controls with an OK/menu button positioned in the center. Each direction on the four-way control is separated from one another, which is great; the clarity in external control will alleviate some of the camera’s overwhelming menu structures.

Left Side
The left side of the Olympus SP-320 is devoid of features or controls, and the design provides a flat smooth surface.

Right Side
The right side of the Olympus SP-320 features two port covers. The top port cover is made of a rubber and is a lighter tone of gray so that this feature stands out distinctly from the rest of the camera body. This port cover is opened via a tab located in the upper corner. When open, this port cover swiveled neatly away to reveal the DC in and USB / A/V (mono) ports for the camera. A second port is located directly beneath. This port is covered by a hatch that is constructed out of the same material as the camera body and flips open from the back edge to reveal the xD-Picture Card slot.

Top
The controls located on the top of the Olympus SP-320 are positioned to the right side for comfortable access with the index finger and thumb of the right hand. The shutter button is placed on a slightly downward slope between the top and front of the camera and has a zoom ring surrounding it. The zoom doubles as a playback image/multi-up toggle when the camera is placed in review mode.

The mode dial is located behind the shutter button and has a ridged side so that the modes can be easily switched by passing the thumb along this edge. The mode dial settings for the Olympus SP-320 provide fast access to these features: manual mode, my mode, scene mode, movie mode, playback mode, auto mode, program mode, aperture priority and shutter speed priority. The mode dial displayed an appropriate amount of resistance when transitioning between settings for precise mode alterations.

Bottom
The battery cover is located underneath the right-hand grip and features a locking switch that must be unlocked before the user can slide the cover forward to reveal the batteries contained beneath. The tripod mount is located at the center of the camera body and deserves to be voted “Most Likely to Block Access to Batteries” by the yearbook committee. To the left of the tripod mount and beneath the lens of the camera is the in-camera speaker, which allows for users to monitor audio levels in playback.

Intro	Page 2 of 10		Components
Olympus SP-320 First Impressions Review Navigation
Intro	Physical Tour	Components	Design / Layout
Modes	Control Options	Image Parameters	Connectivity / Extras
Overall Impressions	Conclusion