Olympus SP-550 UZ

Connectivity
Software (7.0)
The SP-550UZ comes with a CD-ROM that includes Olympus Master Software version 2.0. This version is much improved over the first version, which has been sold with previous Olympus models for way too many years. The new software is much more organized and intuitive. When it is first opened, a series of prompts asks users to register and to archive all pictures on the hard drive. A Quick Start Guide appears that looks rather similar to the Guide mode on the dial of the camera itself. It has tutorials on everything from uploading images to editing them.

Images can be viewed as a page of thumbnails or a row of thumbnails across the bottom with a larger preview at the top. The top of the window shows all sorts of things to do with images: slide shows, rotation, printing, and panoramas. Along the right side of the window is the editing menu that is fairly extensive: resize, crop, insert text, brightness & contrast, color balance, tone curve, gamma, auto tone correction, hue & saturation, monochrome & sepia, sharpness & blur, distortion correction, and red-eye reduction.

Overall, the Olympus Master 2 software is a huge improvement on the previous version with its intuitive interface and vast editing options for JPEG and RAW files.

Jacks, ports, plugs (7.0)
On the left side of the camera is a thick rubber cover. Beneath it are two jacks: one for the DC-in power adaptor and the other for USB and AV-out cables. In the setup menu, the audio visual function can be set to output at NTSC or PAL standard so you can watch your movies wherever you are in the world.

Direct Print Options (6.25)
Direct printing will be a tempting option for Olympus SP-550UZ users. Users can create all kinds of projects for direct printing: calendars, cards, movie index prints, and scrapbook pages. Users can choose everything from the layout to the color of the borders to the font size and orientation on these projects. Images can also be touched up (e.g. Bring out colors by upping the saturation in the playback menu), so pictures that are printed directly from the camera will always come out the way you want them. From the initial playback screen, DPOF orders can be made. RAW images cannot be added to the print order – only JPEG. This makes that duplicate RAW + JPEG shooting mode appealing. All images can be added to the print order at once or users can scroll through every image and add them. In this same setup, users can crop pictures and select 0-10 prints of each. The camera transfers images to PictBridge compatible printers when connected with the included USB cable.

Battery (4.5)
Like several other ultra-zoom digital cameras, the Olympus SP-550UZ runs on four AA batteries. A set is included in the box so you can start shooting right away, but it isn’t rechargeable and won’t last very long. The hand grip is chunky enough to allow room at the bottom for a battery compartment. There is a plastic door with a stiff lock that will likely break a fingernail or two while prying it open.

Memory (3.0)
The memory card is located under a door on the right side of the camera rather than in with the batteries like on some digital cameras. The memory card slot is fitted for xD-Picture cards up to 2GB. This capacity isn’t impressive anymore, as many SD-compatible cameras can now accept up to 8GB. Like other Olympus digital cameras, an Olympus-branded xD-Picture card is required for some of the functions to work. This includes panoramas, print orders, formatting, and the backup card function.

Other features (7.0)
Guide Mode – With its own position on the mode dial, the Guide Mode is very easy to access and definitely easy to use. Once selected, a list of desired shooting problems and effects appears: "Shooting into backlight" and "Blurring background" are two of them. Users can select a situation from the list and move through a step-by-step tutorial that ends in a snapped picture.

Pre-Capture – With the disappointingly lengthy shutter lag on this camera, a pre-capture mode sounds heaven-sent. It records five pictures before the shutter release button is pushed. Don’t get too excited though: it’s a gimmick. It limits the image size to 1280 x 960 pixels, which is about the size of a printed wallet picture! For those who don’t mind the small prints, the pre-capture mode can be activated in the Drive section of the recording menu.

Underwater Housing – An optional Olympus PT-037 underwater housing can be purchased for the SP-550. This way, photographers can use the three underwater scene modes in depths of up to 130 feet.

Panorama Mode – When the camera is supplemented by an Olympus-branded xD-Picture card, a panorama assist mode appears in the recording menu. This mode isn’t very exciting. Grid lines appear from left to right, but there isn’t a preview of the previous image taken so it’s harder to line shots up. Up to 10 pictures can be taken at a time. Even worse, users can’t see the stitched image on the LCD screen: all of the pictures have to be uploaded to the included software before they can be merged together.

My Mode Customization – There is a camera icon with the word "My" next to it on the mode dial. This is where users can save up to four customized exposure modes for easy access. The modes can be saved in the recording menu.

Alarm Clock – Globetrotters will appreciate the built-in alarm clock that can be activated from the setup menu. Complete with a snooze function, the alarm can be set to sound once or daily. Three alarm sounds and two volumes can be chosen, but there are no waves or serene brooks to wake up to.