Olympus SP-590UZ Digital Camera Review

Olympus SP-590UZ

Digital Camera Review

3.9 Olympus kicked it up a notch at the Consumer Electronics Show by introducing the most powerful ultra-zoom available, the SP-590UZ, with an extraordinary 26x magnification in a reasonably compact camera. We had the opportunity to work hands-on with a pre-production sample.  
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Specs Table
Olympus SP-590UZ Specs
Type ultra-zoom  
Price 499.99  
Length 4.30  
Width 3.90  
Height 3.50  
Weight 15.30  
Pixels 12.20 Megapixels 
Effective Pixels 12.00  
Sensor Type 1 / 2.3 in. CCD  
Image Size 12MP (3,968 x 2,976) 5MP (2,560 x 1,920) 3MP (2,048 x 1,536) 2MP (1,600 x 1,200) 1MP (1,280 x 960) VGA (640 x 480) 16:9 L (3,968 x 2,232) 16:9 S (1,920 x 1,080)  
Aspect Ratio 4:3  
IR Cut Low Pass Filter Unknown  
Media xD-Picture Card™ (1GB, 2GB), microSD (MASD-1 is required)  
Image Format Still Image: JPEG Movie: AVI Motion JPEG  
Compression Fine, Normal  
Lens 4.6 – 119.6mm (26 – 676mm equivalent in 35mm photography) 14 Lenses in 11 Groups, 4 Aspherical Lenses, 3 ED Lenses  
Viewfinder Electronic View Finder with Dioptic Correction  
Diopter Adjustment yes  
LCD 2.7-inch, Approx. 230,000 dots, low-temperature polysilicon TFT color LCD monitor (WV type), Approx. 97% coverage, 60fps  
Auto Focus Type CCD Contrast Detection  
Focusing Modes iESP Auto, Spot AF, Selective AF Target, Face Detection AF, Full-Time AF, Predictive AF, AF Lock, Manual Focus  
Detecting Range Normal mode: Wide: 3.9\\\\  
AF Assist Illuminator yes  
Metering Modes Digital ESP Metering, Spot Metering, Center-Weighted Metering, Face Detection AE (when Face Detection AF is selected)  
Shutter Speed Manual: 1/1000 sec - 15 sec Bulb: up to 8 min.  
Self Timer 12  
Modes Auto, Program Auto, Aperture Priority, Shutter Speed Priority, Manual, My Mode, Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization, Beauty Mode, Scene Modes (1. PORTRAIT, 2. LANDSCAPE, 3. SPORT, 4. NIGHT SCENE, 5. NIGHT+PORTRAIT, 6. INDOOR, 7. CANDLE, 8. SUNSET, 9. FIREWOR  
Speed Unknown  
Burst Unknown  
Exposure Compensation ±2 EV (1/3 steps)  
Bracketing yes  
Built in Flash Built-in, Wireless Flash  
Flash Range Wide: 0.98ft (0.3m) - 21.0ft (6.4m) at ISO 400 Tele: 5.6ft (1.7m) - 11.98ft (3.6m) at ISO 400  
Resolution 12MP (3,968 x 2,976) 5MP (2,560 x 1,920) 3MP (2,048 x 1,536) 2MP (1,600 x 1,200) 1MP (1,280 x 960) VGA (640 x 480) 16:9 L (3,968 x 2,232) 16:9 S (1,920 x 1,080)  
ISO Sensitivity Auto, High Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 (equivalent)  
White Balance iESP 2 Auto, One-Touch, Presets (Daylight, Overcast, Tungsten and 3 Fluorescents), White Balance Compensation  
Direct Printing Yes  
Video Output Yes  
Battery Power Source AA  
Zoom Wide 4  
Zoom Tele 119  
fstop Max 2.80  
fstop Min 5.00  
Zoom Digi 5.00  
Movie Mode motion JPEG  
Storage Type xD  
LCD Pixels 230000  
Resolution Maximum 12MP (3,968 x 2,976)  
Resolution Minimum VGA (640 x 480)  
Ratings Raw Weight 
Color Accuracy 12.58   10 
Color Modes 3.00  
Color Other 0.00   0.5 
Noise 7.52   10 
ISO 9.00   1.5 
Noise Other 0.00   0.5 
Sharpness 14.34  
Chromatic Aberration 6.94  
Distortion 4.67  
Picture Quality & Size Options 8.00   0.5 
Image Stabilization 0.00  
Resolution Other 0.00   0.5 
Playback Mode 10.50  
In-Camera Editing 5.75  
Direct Print Options 4.00   0.5 
Playback Other 0.00   0.5 
Viewfinder 4.50   1.5 
LCD 4.65  
Flash 7.50  
Lens 16.50  
Battery 5.00  
Memory 1.00  
Jack, Ports, & Plugs 3.50  
Hardware Other 0.00   0.5 
Shooting Modes 19.50  
Picture Effects 4.00  
Focus 9.00   2.5 
Aperture 9.50  
Exposure 4.00  
Metering 7.50  
Shutter Speed 11.00  
Self-Timer 2.00  
White Balance Settings 6.00   1.5 
Controls Other 0.00   0.5 
Handling 6.00  
Buttons & Dials 9.50  
Menu 5.00  
Manual & Learning 4.00   1.5 
Design & Handling Other 0.00   0.5 
Shot to Shot 1.00  
Drive/Burst Mode 7.00  
Speed & Timing Other 0.00   0.5 
Movie Color 7.42  
Movie Resolution 0.86  
Movie Mode 11.25  
Movie Other 0.00   0.5 
Total (weighted)   727.55

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