Olympus SP-550UZ First Impressions Review

by Emily Raymond
Published on January 25, 2007

Navigation
Intro	Physical Tour
Components	Design / Layout
Modes	Control Options
Image Parameters	Connectivity / Extras
Overall Impressions	Conclusion
Specs

 

Likes

- Great handling - Best-looking Olympus - Lengthy 18x optical zoom lens - Nice flash - RAW + JPEG files - In-camera RAW editing - Image stabilization - Great movie mode

Dislikes

- Gimmicky pre-capture mode - Slow 1.2 fps burst mode - AA batteries don’t last long - Confusing menus - Some scene modes reduce resolution - $499 price

Conclusion 
The Olympus SP-550UZ may have the longest optical zoom lens on a digital camera with its 18x power, but it has other merits too. The body is sturdier and the components are of higher-quality than its predecessor, the SP-500UZ. The LCD screen and electronic viewfinder have better resolution, the flash pops up higher and provides more even coverage, and the lens is almost twice as long and comes with optical image stabilization. Olympus packs in other great features like manual control, slave flash compatibility, and simultaneous RAW and JPEG shooting. The 7.1-megapixel ultra-zoom digital camera does have some drawbacks as well. It had some serious processing delays, a slow burst mode, and confusing menus. The SP-550UZ comes at a $499 price and that seems to be more for the 18x lens than anything else. Still, the lens is so long that it almost creates a whole new category in the market. There isn’t much out there that can compete with an 18x compact camera with decent video capture. Overall, the Olympus SP-550UZ has a competitive feature set, but it will ultimately have to prove its worth with image quality. Check back in the coming months for our full review of the SP-550 UZ to see if it lives up to the hype.