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Olympus SP-590UZ

Digital Camera Review

Previous: Page 4

Resolution

Next: Page 6

Sample Photos
Page 5

Video

The manual controls are decent, but it only records video in standard definition.

We were surprised that the SP-590UZ doesn’t offer HD video, as this is an increasingly common feature, and a deal-breaker for a lot of people. The Olympus is limited to 640×480 or 320×240 at 30 or 15 fps, has mono sound, and uses the motion JPEG file format. It retains a fair degree of control in video mode, letting you access white balance, metering, focus mode, and the like. Another nice touch is the ability to use the optical zoom while recording, so you can get nice and close to your subject.

Under the bright light of 3000 lux incandescent bulbs, the Olympus SP-590UZ didn’t capture color as accurately as the competition in video mode. It was less accurate than the Canon SX1 and Sony HX1, only beating the Nikon P90 which massively under-performed in our video section. More on how we test video color.

Video Color Score Comparison
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Video Color Score

The chart below shows something very clearly: two of these cameras are HD, and two are standard definition. Care to wager which is which? The Olympus and Nikon, while both less expensive than the Sony and Canon, come up short on sharpness due to their SD resolution. More on how we test video sharpness.

Video Color Sharpness Comparison
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Video Sharpness Score

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Olympus SP-590UZ
Digital Camera Review

Previous: Page 4

Resolution

Next: Page 6

Sample Photos