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User Reviews: Olympus SP-550 Ultra Zoom
Very fun and versatile camera
Pros: Tons of great features, excellent quality
Cons: Unreliable, poor warranty and repair service
I've had this camera for 15 months, and have found it to have exceptional picture quality and excellent features.
Some have reported shutter lag, but that is due entirely to the users settings.
With certain modes exposures are instantaneous.
Video quality and still image quality are both superb, the combination of optical and digital image stabilization make it possible to take good zoom photos free hand.
For high resolution and quality photos though, lag is a problem.
Battery life was amazing, going for weeks and months witohut changing batterieswith good quality rechargeables.
My major concern with this camera, though, despite being fun and feature packed, of very high quality and feeling solid, heavy and indestructable, is the very low quality of lens design and fragile zoom mechanism.
This has been stored in a Pelican case, completely water tight with 4" of padding all round, never exposed to moisture, shock, drop, sand, dust vibration or mishandling of any kind, yet it failed last week with a "zoom error", and will not start.
Being just barely over a year old, and out of warranty, in pristine condition the same as if it had just come out of the box, i would call this camera a very poor investment, unless youwant to play with it for a year and then throw it away.
I have found dozens of threads online describing this situation, it is not unique, and no support is offered from Olympus unless you want to pay to have it repaired, while it is clearly a manufacturing defect which should have been recalled for repair.
I would not recommend this camera, or any Olympus branded equipment.Was this review helpful? Yes - Nobattery life
Pros: good overall
Cons: batteries are used within 10 minutes of turning on
If anybody knows of a way to keep the batteries going for longer than 10 minutes let me know. Otherwise you end up paying $200 to replace the batteries every time you turn the camera on. If this wouldn't have been a gift i would have returned it.
Was this review helpful? Yes - NoOlympus D-520 Zoom
Pros: Great
Cons: Hard to catch someone jumping off our diving board without a lot of practice
We've had our Olympus D-520 Zoom to document the process of the builders of our so called upscale custom built home. It saved us a few dollars with the guy who installed the alarm system. He blamed the builders for a loose wire but our camera picture's just happened to catch his wire hanging there loose not connected to anything and he wanted another $500.00 to locate and fix the problem! Which turned out to be his problem!!!! The camera was worth it's cost right then and there!
Was this review helpful? Yes - NoBest bang for your buck
Pros: Image quality is excellent, easy to use, very good for travel photography
Cons: Too big for pocket, zooming takes time to get used to
When I bought this camera, I was confronted with two issues; am I willing to spend more than $200 for a point and shoot and why buy a 7 mega pixel point and shoot camera when I can buy another brand that's cheaper and has 9 mega pixel? Personally, the selling point for me was the 18X zoom. Back in '07, this is the only point and shoot in the market that has this feature that I know of. My purpose for the camera was not for family and friends but for travel photography and since I'm a newbie in digital photography, this is a bit out of my comfort zone.
After using (and abusing) it for a year, these are the things I found out:
What I liked: The construction of the camera is pretty solid. I banged this camera a couple of times (lens cap is on luckyly) and it still does not rattle, no loose parts & the picture quality is unbelievable. The choice of material they used for the body is slip proof. Even if you have sweaty hands the camera is like a velcro to your hand. Its light weight, even if you use it for ten hours straight, you'll go home with a happy wrist. It uses AA batteries so even if your batteires dies in parts of the world where they only sell basic provisions, fear not...you will still be taking pictures. With practice (as in everything else) the images it produces can take on photos that are taken with cameras that cost 12 times more. I can and will attest to that anytime, anywhere with anyone who says otherwise.
What I don't like: Its too bulky for my jean's pocket. Photos that tell stories happen in an instant, if you still have to reach for your camera bag you risk loosing that image forever (and that's the reason why I always have my Olympus FE-220 in my pocket ALL THE TIME). Zooming...since its electronic, unlike lenses that you zoom with your hands, this camera sometimes is frustrating to use. Finally, you really have to spend time to know how to use this camera properly. It can be an "out-of-the-box"
; camera but isn't it that you're starting to develop your photographic eye the reason why you bought this camera in the first place?
Overall: This camera is not for "professionals" or people who think they are "professionals"
. This camera is too good for your arrogance. I say its a very good all around camera that won't disappoint once you get to know how to use it. The features are that of the entry to mid range DSLR and its very good especially for travel photography. As long as there's someone selling AA batteires, this camera will go anywhere. Image quality is superior and the color integrity is unmatched.Was this review helpful? Yes - NoSP550UZ
Pros: 18X Great Options
Cons: Slow Raw
This Camera is not for someone that just start out with a Digital Camera you have to know something about Cameras
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sostandWas this review helpful? Yes - NoSP550uz - Curate's Egg
Pros: Zoom, small size, convenience, flexibility
Cons: Dodgy autofocus, no filter screw, slow shutter
I gave some thought before buying this camera.
I decided I did not want a DSLR with its bulk plus lenses, etc., and on the whole I am happy with my purchase.
The autofocus is a bit hit and miss, the shutter lag is poor the XD cards are slow and (horror) there is no filter screw, but I have achieved some very good results with this very convenient camera.
The macro facility needs special praise, and the 18X zoom is like a whole gadget bag full of DSLR lenses!Was this review helpful? Yes - NoWow! The SP-550UZ is amazing!
Pros: Menu access, 18X optical zoom
Cons: Menu array
It's easy to get caught up on some of the picky things, such as how the menu items are arranged. It would make sense to me that the white balance fine tuning adjustment would be near (or at least close to) the white balance setting (as it is in my old 740-UZ) - not the case on the SP 550-UZ.
For the price, this is - by far- one of the best deals ever. Yeah, some people may complain that shooting in RAW takes a little time to write to the XD Card - then get a DSLR. For the PnS crowd, this is, hands-down, one of the best bargains you're gonna find on the market!
If you're already familiar with Olympus cameras and how they work (their menus, etc.) then you should find this rather intuitive; though it doesn't mean you'll never need to look at the instruction manual. For anyone making the switch to Olympus, well, it really depends on the level of knowledge you already have.
There are numerous pre-existing shooting modes built-in to this camera for assistance. One thing I really like is the ability to get "quick-access" to certain things (e.g. ISO, White Balance, Shooting Mode and Meter). The custom button (which I use now for the AE Lock) is a blessing - something which I've never experienced on my previous Olympus.
Again - overall, this camera is totally worth what you'll pay for it. If you're looking for something to last you for at least the next three- to four-years, this one is definitely it!Was this review helpful? Yes - NoConvenient, small superzoom
Pros: Small, wide angle, big zoom, image stabilization
Cons: Slow RAW, many menus, not weather resistant
I was looking for a small digital camera that could do more than take pictures. The first 18X wide-angle/superzoom was ideally suited to this task. It is small and light enough to carry backpacking or strolling city streets. The image stabilization and zoom prove useful in low-light, no flash situations common to museums and concerts. Shooting without a flash makes the camera less obtrusive. The invasive zoom ability allows one to stand back and is rewarded by less 'mugging for the camera" during candid shots at parties. Search on Flickr for plenty of example photos.
My early production model consumed batteries at a phenomenal rate - about 10 min of shooting before shutting down. Fast, free warranteed service fixed the problem in about 10 days, including shipping time.
I am quite happy with the sp550UZ as a complement to my favorite film cameras. Unless you need speed or very high resolution I would recommend looking at this even as the next generation comes along this fall. Closeout prices should make this even more affordable.Was this review helpful? Yes - No
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