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As with previous Olympus ultra-zooms, the SP-590UZ is surprisingly compact for the level of power it provides, weighting in at just 13.2 oz. (373g) before adding memory card and batteries. Even in the preproduction model, the construction and materials were solid and substantial.
Front
There's not much to the front of the camera beyond the enormous lens staring out at you. To the left of the lens in the photo below are two small holes, where the microphone is tucked away, and an LED light that serves as the auto focus illuminator / self-timer indicator.
My, what a big zoom you have, Grandma.
Back
At the top here is the electronic viewfinder, with a rotating diopter adjustment dial on its left. The 2.7-inch LCD is positioned below it, surrounded by a raised bezel. The button above the right corner toggles the display between the electronic viewfinder and the LCD. The rows of raised dimples are positioned to provide a secure thumbhold.
The four-way controller, in addition to navigating through menus, includes direct control for (from top, moving clockwise) exposure compensation, flash mode, self-timer and macro mode. In the center is the OK/FUNC button. Above the four-way cluster are buttons for bringing up menus and entering playback mode. Below it are buttons for toggling the information displayed on the LCD and another that serves double duty, turning Shadow Adjustment on and off while shooting, and controlling file deletion during playback.
The fairly large number of buttons enables fast access to key
functions without opening the camera menu.
The lens protrudes far enough to cradle easily,
but isn't extraordinarily deep..
The rubberized grip assists in maintaining a firm grip,
even in inclement conditions.
The top controls are all clustered on the right side. The mode dial includes spots for Auto mode, the popular PASM family (Program, Aperture-Priority, Shutter-Priority and Manual), My Mode, Scene modes, Beauty (a new mode being added to several Olympus cameras), video mode and playback mode. The power button is positioned in front of the mode dial. text. In front of this is a sort of platform, angled downward, for the shiny silver shutter button and, around it, the zoom control.
The shutter is positioned conveniently on a downward-sloping platform.
The battery compartment door at the lower left can be locked using the sliding latch beside it. The tripod mount is positioned in the center of the bottom panel, rather than under the lens as we might expect.
The tripod mount is centered under the
camera body rather than the lens.
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