-
Introduction
-
01.Physical Tour
-
02.Components
-
03.Design / Layout
-
04.Modes
-
05.Control Options
-
06.Conclusion
-
07.Specs / Ratings
-
08.Comments
Olympus SP-590UZ
Previous: Page 1
Physical TourNext: Page 3
Design / LayoutViewfinder
The 590UZ includes an electronic viewfinder with diopter adjustment (particular useful for eyeglass wearers). The view is bright and covers nearly the entire area to be captured.
The electronic viewfinder is particularly useful on bright sunny days..
The 2.7-inch (6.9cm) display has an ordinary 230,000-dot resolution, but it looks good to us. And when we've used previous Olympus cameras with screens featuring the company's HyperCrystal technology employed in this model, we've been impressed with the screen visibility in bright outdoor lighting. Screen brightness is adjustable in five levels through the Setup menu.
Flash
The flash pops up high enough from the camera lens to virtually eliminate the chance of getting red-eye when shooting in dark rooms, though pre-flash red-eye reduction mode is available if you insist. An extensive array of flash modes is available, including fill flash, and two slow synch modes (one that fires the flash when the shutter is first opened for a long exposure, to capture both the subject and background, the other that fires just before the shutter closes to get the cool headlights-streaming effect you'll probably never use). Flash output intensity can be adjusted via the menu system.
It's all about the lens with this camera, and it's hard to argue with a 26x optical zoom lens that spans 4.6mm-676mm (equivalent to 26mm-676mm in 35mm photography. We're impressed that, while clearly offering tremendous telephoto power, Olympus didn't shortchange the wide-angle side of the spectrum. If you insist, there's also a 5x digital zoom available, but it's hard to imagine using it.
In addition to its extensive vision of far-away subjects, the 590UZ will happily get up close and personal for close-up photography. Regular macro mode allows close focus to 3.9 inches from the lens, while super macro mode brings this distance down to 0.39 inch for screen-filling images of very small objects.
This is what 26x looks like from the front.
Connections
Proprietary supplied cables are used for USB connections and audio/video output. An optional HDMI cable can provide high-def output to HDTV sets with component connections.
The 590UZ is powered by four AA-size batteries, alkaline or rechargeable. This does offer the convenience of near-universal availability, though we recommend using rechargeable AAs whenever possible.
don't have to carry a charger when traveling.
Olympus stubbornly sticks with xD memory card format, limited to 2-gigabyte maximum capacity and priced at a higher per-gigabyte cost than the more popular SDHC and CompactFlash formats.
Shop for the Olympus SP-590UZ
Latest News
& Reviews
-
11-Feb-2012
Canon PowerShot 530 HS First Impressions Review
Canon guts their 500 HS and creates a tiny travel zoom from the leftovers. This could be a cool little camera, if the company can sort out some hardware issues. Read More...
-
11-Feb-2012
Canon PowerShot A2300 First Impressions Review
Cheaper models have better handling, and a slightly more expensive model has optical stabilization, so the A2300 sits in an awkward no-man’s land within the A-series lineup. Read More...
Top Rated Point & Shoots
-
$459.991Panasonic Lumix FZ150
Excellent image quality, speedy performance, and a great design add up to the best superzoom that has ever graced our labs. That distinction seems to change hands every week, but trust us when we say that the FZ150 is a truly great camera. Read full 16-part review
$459.99TypesAny Zoom3,5.13.1x to 5x Zoom5.1,105.1x to 9.9x Zoom10,10x & Larger ZoomAny Megapixels0,8< 8 Megapixels8,108 to 10 Megapixels10,> 10 Megapixels -
$378.992Canon PowerShot SX40 HS
Canon's SX30 got a CMOS makeover that resulted in the SX40 HS, an impressive ultrazoom that captures beautiful shots in almost any scenario. Read full 16-part review
$378.99TypesAny Zoom3,5.13.1x to 5x Zoom5.1,105.1x to 9.9x Zoom10,10x & Larger ZoomAny Megapixels0,8< 8 Megapixels8,108 to 10 Megapixels10,> 10 Megapixels -
$427.953Sony Cyber-shot HX100V
This professionally-geared ultrazoom offers some of the best color accuracy we've ever seen. It's a shame the other scores weren't quite so strong. Read full 16-part review
$427.95TypesUltra-ZoomAny Zoom3,5.13.1x to 5x Zoom5.1,105.1x to 9.9x Zoom10,10x & Larger ZoomAny Megapixels0,8< 8 Megapixels8,108 to 10 Megapixels10,> 10 Megapixels16.8 MP -
$314.954Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ47
Panasonic resists the urge to cram more megapixels and more focal length into their latest ultrazoom. The FZ47 instead focuses on image quality and features, resulting in an incredibly strong camera that we loved shooting with. Read full 16-part review
$314.95TypesAny Zoom3,5.13.1x to 5x Zoom5.1,105.1x to 9.9x Zoom10,10x & Larger ZoomAny Megapixels0,8< 8 Megapixels8,108 to 10 Megapixels10,> 10 Megapixels -
$417.005Canon PowerShot S100
Canon's PowerShot S100 improves on the popular S95 and takes its place at the top of the point-and-shoot food chain. Read full 16-part review
$417.00TypesAny Zoom3,5.13.1x to 5x Zoom5.1,105.1x to 9.9x Zoom10,10x & Larger ZoomAny Megapixels0,8< 8 Megapixels8,108 to 10 Megapixels10,> 10 Megapixels
Features
-
DigitalCameraInfo New Year's Giveaway
Check back every day for the rest of 2011 to see what we’re adding to the grand prize package. It all starts with the Sony NEX-5N and ends with over $4000 in prizes! Read More...
-
DigitalCameraInfo.com 2011 Select Awards
After a year of tireless testing and deliberation, we’ve made our selections for the very best cameras of 2011. Read More...
(add your own)