Front (7.0)
The front of the Olympus SP-500 UZ looks like the front of an extremely compact single lens reflex camera. The left side has a comfortable handgrip that protrudes quite a bit from the rest of the body. On the inner edge of the grip is a textured rubber strip of material that makes a nice landing pad for the fingers. At the top of the grip and slanted between the top of the camera and the front is a shutter release button surrounded by a zoom toggle.
On the right portion of the front is the Olympus ED lens barrel that sticks out just a bit more than the handgrip – even when the digital camera is off. When powered on, a single barrel protrudes even farther from the outer barrel. The end of the lens is threaded for attaching conversion lenses and filters. Directly above the lens is the pop-up flash with the Olympus logo visible when closed. When the flash is open, there is a gap between the bottom of the flash and the top of the camera body. Between the top of the lens and the handgrip is a built-in microphone with an auto focus illuminator below it.
Back (7.0)
While the front has characteristics of a SLR, the back of the SP-500 UZ looks more like the back on a compact model. Its 2.5-inch LCD screen graces the left side of the back; an Olympus logo appears below the monitor. Above the LCD and slightly off-center to the left is the electronic viewfinder. It is constructed of plastic and has a rectangular window through which the user can view subjects. To the right of this protrusion is a round black button that is used to pop up the flash. To the right is a silver button that switches the view from the viewfinder to the LCD screen and vice versa.
The rest of the buttons are located to the right of the screen. The multi-selector is located at the bottom. It consists of four directional buttons and a large OK/ Menu button in the center. Above this feature are three circular buttons. On the right, there is a flash mode button. To its left is a Quick View button and above that is a Disp./ Guide button. In the top right corner of the back, the mode dial protrudes just enough for the thumb to twist it to where it needs to be.
Right Side (7.5)
The right side is very plain, but it still has a few features. The side looks smooth, but there is a door toward the back that opens to reveal the slot for an xD-Picture card. Above this is a small rubber cover for the power adapter jack. Above and to the right of this feature is a bar set within a niche; this is the eyelet for the neck strap.
Left Side (6.5)
On the center of the left side is a feature that looks like a manhole cover. This is in fact the built-in speaker. Above and to the right of this is a rubber cover to the A/V / USB port. There is a tiny sliver where users can jam their fingernails in to pry the cover up, but it’s not easy at all. In the center of the top is an eyelet identical to the one on the right side.
Top (7.5)
The top of the Olympus SP-500 UZ looks relatively flat with only a slight protrusion of the flash and viewfinder on the left side. The right side is more control-oriented. The shutter release button and zoom toggle are visible at the top of the handgrip. Below it is a power button on the left, an AEL button to the right, and the mode dial on the far right. The mode dial has a few options – enough to make it look populated but not so many that users become overwhelmed.
Bottom (6.0)
The bottom of the Olympus SP-500 UZ has a tripod socket roughly centered under the camera. Many tripod users prefer that the mount be directly under the lens, because it simplifies adjustments. (Here's now that works: If the lens is 2 inches to one side of the tripod, pivoting moves the lens sideways, as well as turning it. If the lens is exactly on top of the tripod, the center of the lens stays still as it turns.) The tripod socket on the SP-500 UZ appears to be plastic. It looks tougher than the body plastic, but we're concerned about how durable it will be with excessive tripod usage.
The battery compartment is inside the hand grip, and the access door takes up the bottom of the grip. The door has a secure latch, so we don't expect that users will have problems with batteries falling out accidentally, if they slide the latch closed after loading batteries. Oddly, the latch does not lock automatically. Closing the door and locking the latch involves pushing against pretty firm springs – it's possible that someone with compromised hand strength – through arthritis, for instance – would have trouble swapping out the batteries on the SP 500 UZ.
