Olympus SP-500 UZ Digital Camera Review

Olympus announced the SP-500 UZ digital camera in late August 2005, heading their new SP series. The ‘UZ’ refers to "ultra zoom;" this camera aims to make an impact in the increasingly popular ultra zoom segment of the digital camera market with its 10x optical zoom lens. The lens cannot be detached, but will accept conversion lenses when increased magnification or viewing angle are sought. The SP-500 UZ packs 6 megapixels and 27 shooting modes, ranging from fully manual to specific scene modes into its compact SLR-shaped body. The 4.15 x 2.93 x 2.8-inch digital camera applies a 2.5-inch LCD screen with 115,000 pixels as well as an electronic viewfinder, providing users with multiple means of composition and image review. Also capable of recording VGA video at 30 frames per second, this ultra zoom aims to be the all-in-one solution for a wide range of photographers at a relatively low retail price of $379.99.