8.0-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 16 x 22-inch prints
18x super telephoto zoom; Dual Image Stabilization
2.5-inch LCD; Bright Capture technology for low-light photos
High-speed sequential shooting (up to 15fps) and Pre-Capture
Captures images to xD memory card (not included)
This review is from: Olympus SP-560UZ 8MP Digital Camera with Dual Image Stabilized 18x Optical ZoomFirst let me share that I purchased this camera because of the recomendation of a local professional protographer and haven't been sorry. The manual controls are excellent and the auto features the most impressive I've seen on cameras running many times its price. For example: face detection and smile detection works well, I love the manually aimed focus on a single user directed point in the viewing field, while remaining in auto focus mode. Through glass mode is of questionable value and works poorly as expected. The true optical zoom outclasses everything else right now although I expect Canon to quickly match or slightly exceed the 18 times zoom. All this technology comes at a price though and it is not in the price tag you take the hit, but in the fuction. If you are looking for a point and shot camera for quick shots of the family or friends you are barking up the wrong tree! There is a LONG delay for the auto range,focus and other features that make this camera so special to work so stop action - spur of the moment shots are not going to happen in full auto. In manual focus the time from off to open shutter cycle and completed photo is impressively fast, but you have to know how to change from full auto and be competent at range focusing. This is a trade off for the full auto - do everything modes. There are faster stop action modes, but again there is a trade off of time for auto focus, as this setting is about shuitter speed. The the burst quality is quite degraded to the point that a print of any size better than a standard snap shot may be hard.I am not trying to spoil a great camera for anyone, but this is a camera that by definition and fuction is designed for someone who wants manual modes available to them and plans to use manual modes frequently. It's placement in the point and shoot catagory is unfortunate because for many laymen - it will be frustrating rather than rewarding. If you find a regular point and shot digial technically frustrating and want to take only snap shots, let me say it again, this is not a camera for you - there a number of better choices for less money. Like all optical zoom of any length a tripod is required in spite of image stabalization. Also video mode will work best with an H card rather than just the regular XDFor those of you who seek SLR-type manual controls with great optics and a superb auto mode then this camera is nearly impossible to beat.Biggest improvement over the Olypmus SP-550UZ is the high spead USB cable. Downloads are lightning fast! Frankly I can't really tell the difference in my type of shooting in the .9 extra megspixal upgrade from the 550A fantastic camera for under 375 dollars purchased through Amazon - who by the way increases the price of this camera during the daytime hours to over 400 and reduces it at night/early am hours - go figure when you want to buy. - Added on 11/8/07: Now that this is not a brand new, just released camera, the price is coming down. Nevertheless I would check at different times to see if you find a better price here at Amazon. It does continue to change.
This review is from: Olympus SP-560UZ 8MP Digital Camera with Dual Image Stabilized 18x Optical ZoomThis review REPLACES a negative review I'd posted, based upon insufficient knowledge of the camera:I got up this morning at about 4:00 AM thinking about the disastrous shoot I'd had at a party the other night with my new Olympus SP 560, the camera that was supposed to the the PARTY CAMERA OF MY DREAMS! On at least two occasions, the results were just awful, and I couldn't believe that Olympus had put out such a lousy box. After thinking it over and over I came to this mind-boggling possibility: could it have been (gulp, gasp) ME??? So I got out of bed and proceeded to do a series of low light experimental shots in the house. What I did was to (first) set the camera on spot-metering and then on center-weighted metering and proceed to take a series of side-by-side shots of first ISO AUTO and then the identical shot at HIGH ISO AUTO. When they say you must get to know this camera, they aren't kidding. For such a little squirt, the SP 560 has a lot of things in it that can not only enhance your picture-taking, but can throw you off as well.Bottom line: to avoid chaos in trying to take good pictures in low light situations, MAKE SURE that you NEVER use the ESP meter setting! If you have inadvertently chosen this setting, the camera decides that it knows more than you do about what you're trying to focus on and MAKES THE DECISION FOR YOU....
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