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Manual Control Options
There are Manual, Shutter Speed Priority, Aperture Priority, and Program exposure modes in addition to the scores of automated modes on this digital camera. There is truly a place for every level of expertise on the Olympus SP-570UZ.
Focus
Auto Focus – Like its predecessor, the Olympus SP-570UZ has a contrast detection autofocus system that focuses from 3.9 inches when the lens is zoomed out and 47.2 inches when it is zoomed in. This is when the standard autofocus is in place. The left side of the multi-selector can activate the Macro and Super Macro autofocus modes. The Macro mode is essentially the same as the standard autofocus mode, but it puts priority on close-up subjects, so it takes less time to focus on them than if you were to photograph them in the standard mode. The Super Macro mode shortens the distance to 0.4 inches.
There are four autofocus options in the Recording menu. The AF mode is where the face detection system is tucked away. The system can recognize at least three faces, but doesn’t track them well, especially if the face is turning rather than just moving. The menu is also where the iESP, spot, and area options reside. The default iESP mode seems to heavily favor the center of the image even when subjects are off-center. This is pre-production though, so that may be fixed before going on sale. The area autofocus mode allows you to move a small bracket around the view and target a single selected point. Fulltime AF and AF Predict can also be turned on and off. In dark situations, the autofocus assist lamp can come to the rescue; it can be turned on in the Recording menu.
Overall, the autofocus system works just fine when zoomed wide, but has trouble when zoomed in on faraway moving subjects. Olympus isn’t up to snuff with its face detection technology: it is slow and doesn’t recognize as many as other manufacturers.
Manual Focus – A switch on the left side of the lens barrel moves from autofocus to manual focus. You can then focus in one of three ways: on the function dial, the multi-selector, or the zoom ring. This is selectable from the Setup menu. The resolution on the LCD is good enough to support manual focusing, but don’t even think about it on the low-res viewfinder.
ISO
The ISO options are the same as those on the older SP-560. There are two auto settings, including one that puts priority on higher sensitivities. Manual ISO settings include 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, and 6400. The top two sensitivities function only when image size is reduced to 5 megapixels, but the others work at full resolution.
White Balance
There are several white balance modes in the Recording menu. Auto is followed by the presets – Daylight, Cloudy, Tungsten, Fluorescent 1, Fluorescent 2, and Fluorescent 3 – and trumped by a one-touch Manual mode. The Manual mode is easy to set: frame something white and push the OK/Func button. In the Recording menu, white balance compensation is available. It offers +/- 7 adjustments that move from red to blue. This isn’t as elaborate as competing cameras, like the Panasonic FZ18, which offers Kelvin color temperature adjustments, but is still decent for an ultra-zoom digital camera.
Exposure
The exposure settings can be manually adjusted or left to the discretion of the SP-570. In the automated modes, you can overrule the camera’s choice by activating the exposure compensation control with the button by the shutter release. It has the standard +/-2 range in increments of a third.
In the Drive menu, accessible from the button on the left side of the lens barrel, is an exposure bracketing feature. The bracketing can be selected here, but it can only be adjusted in the Recording menu; it can take three or five images at intervals of +/-0.3, +/-0.7, or +/-1. Histograms can also be viewed live or in the Playback modes to check the exposure.
Metering
The standard metering options are in the Olympus SP-570UZ. The default is the ESP that averages from the whole frame. Spot and Center-Weighted are available, too.
Shutter Speed
The SP-570UZ’s shutter speeds range from 15 to 1/2000 of a second in the Manual mode, with the fastest speed only available when the aperture is smaller than f/4.5. In the Shutter Speed Priority mode, the range is cut off at a half-second. This is the same range for most other modes, except for the Night Scene mode that slow to four seconds. For photographers who really want a long exposure, there is a bulb setting that can leave the image sensor exposed for up to eight minutes. The camera comes equipped with a TruePic III image processor that employs a noise reduction system on images taken with shutter speeds a half-second or longer. This noise reduction system can be turned on and off in the menu.
Aperture
The shutter speed and aperture can be manually selected using the function dial and the exposure compensation button that is in close proximity to the shutter release button. The apertures range from f/2.8-8, with the max in telephoto being f/4.5.
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