Olympus SP-570 UZ

 

Front (8.50)
The left side of the camera offers a substantial rubberized grip, extending about an inch from the camera body and nicely sculptured to provide a solid, secure grip. The shutter is positioned on a downward-sloping segment above the grip, along with a small dedicated exposure compensation button. The self-timer lamp / auto focus assist illuminator is positioned between the grip and the camera lens. The flash housing extends nearly an inch over the lens, with the word OLYMPUS embossed in white.
 

Looks like an SLR, works like a point-and-shoot,
albeit one with a powerful piece of glass up front.

Back (8.50)
The most prominent component on the back of the camera is the 2.7-inch (69mm) LCD. To the left of the screen is a vertical row of four buttons, controlling (from the top down) Playback mode / Print, Shadow Adjustment / Erase, Menu and Display/ Menu Guide. The icons for the two dual-purpose buttons are oddly placed and hard to read on the black background.
 

Above the screen is an electronic viewfinder, with a diopter adjustment wheel on the left side. Above the screen and to the right of the viewfinder are two additional buttons, the first of which toggles display between the viewfinder and the LCD, the second controlling Auto exposure / auto focus lock while shooting and continuous shot playback while reviewing images.
 

At the top of the right side is a sculptured inset panel with a patch of rubber material inset in the middle, providing a nicely designed non-slip thumb grip. Below this are four buttons laid out in a circle, which function both as a four-way controller for menu navigation and as direct access shortcuts to individual controls: from the top moving clockwise, these include a programmable Custom button, flash control, self-timer and macro. In the middle of this section is the OK/Function button. Between the screen and the macro button is the card access lamp.
 

The thumb rest, with its patch of rubber in the middle,
is perfectly positioned for pointing and pivoting.

The drive mode button is oddly positioned on the lens barrel.

Right Side (8.50)
The right side includes the other neck strap loop. Below this connector is a card cover that slides back and pops out to reveal an xD memory card slot.
 

The control wheel next to the mode dial makes
settings adjustments fast and easy.

Bottom (6.50)
The battery compartment cover on the left side is protected by a locking latch. It opens by pushing left, revealing spaces for four AA batteries. There's a metal tripod socket positioned in the center of the camera bottom, and at the far right side is a small speaker.
 

The metal tripod socket is appropriate for a long-zoom camera
that will benefit from tripod mounting.