Olympus SP-550 UZ Digital Camera Review

In January Olympus announced the launch of the 7.1-megapixel, 18x zoom SP-550UZ, the latest in this line… Just one look at the 550UZ and you can see that Olympus has decided to take the UZ series in a whole new direction. The camera bears little resemblance to its predecessor the SP-510UZ or any of the previous models. Instead it looks a little like a miniature DSLR, although with a style that is completely new and – at least in my opinion – very attractive.

..The massive zoom range and impressive image stabilisation make the SP-550UZ a camera with unique capabilities, and at low ISO settings the image quality is very good. Handling, build quality, style and low-light performance are also highlights. The range of manual options and RAW mode will appeal to experienced users, while the beginner-friendly Guide mode is a boon for those keen to learn. However slow focusing and shot-to-shot times, high-ISO image noise and lens distortion at both ends of the zoom range are serious handicaps.

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