The Olympus SP-550 Ultra Zoom is currently
"the world's most powerful ultra zoom."
It features 7.1MP resolution, a whopping world-record
18x wide-angle optical zoom and a large high-resolution
2.5 in. LCD monitor.
There are lots to like with the Olympus SP-550
UZ:
It stays with 7.1MP resolution -- a wise decision.
In doing so, the engineers can keep noise low
and concentrate in adding real value to the
camera -- which they did in spades here.
Not only does the Olympus SP-550 UZ has the
most optical zoom in any long zoom digital camera,
but it also starts out with a wide-angle focal
length, important for capturing large group
shots and expansive landscape vistas.
So, now the serious photographer can indulge
in wide landscapes (28mm), telephoto shots (504mm)
and macro photography (10 cm) -- all
in one versatile camera.
New is CCD-Shift
Image Stabilization that effectively counteracts
camera shake when using a long focal length
and/or slow shutter speed. In addition, Digital
Image Stabilization (DIS) favours a high
ISO (up to ISO 1600; ISO 3200 and 5000 at 3MP
resolution) and fast shutter speed to eliminate
or reduce blurred shots caused by subject movement.
If you've ever despaired of seeing the image
on the LCD in dimly lit conditions, Olympus'
Bright Capture Technology brightens the image
on the LCD so framing and composing in the dark
is not a problem anymore.
As you'd expect from any digital camera targeted
to the serious photographer, the Olympus SP-550
UZ has full exposure flexibility with Program,
Aperture-Priority, Shutter-Priority and full Manual
modes, plus 23 Scene Modes to automate the most
common picture-taking situations. You can display
a histogram or grid lines. Movies are recorded
with sound at 640x480 @ 30fps. Capture the moment
with Burst Mode at 1.2fps for 7 frames (7MP),
or 7fps for 15 frames (3MP), or 15fps for 20 frames
(1.2MP).
The Olympus SP-550 UZ comes with 20MB of internal
memory and runs on 4 AA batteries. Shutter speed
range is from 1/1000 sec. – 15 sec., and
there is even a Bulb shutter speed for special
effects photography.
Optional accessories include the WCON-07 Wide
Conversion Lens (0.7x) and the TCON-17 (1.7x)
Telephoto Conversion Lens (1.7x); Lens Adapter
Tube CLA-10 required for both lenses. An optional
Remote Cable Release that plugs into the camera's
USB connector is also available.
The Olympus SP-550 UZ should appeal to
serious amateur photographers who desire an ultra
zoom with a high degree of control and lots of
useful practical features such as a wide-angle
optical zoom and CCD-shift image stabilization.
Still
Image: DCF Exif 2.21, JPEG, PIM 3
Movie Mode: AVI Motion JPEG
Adjustment
Resolutions
3,072
x 2,304, RAW/SHQ/HQ
3,072 x 2,048, 3:2/SHQ/HQ
2,560 x 1,920, SQ1 High, Normal
2,304 x 1,728, SQ1 High, Normal
2,048 x 1,536, SQ1 High, Normal
1,600 x 1,200, SQ2 High, Normal
1,280 x 960, SQ2 High, Normal
1,024 x 768, SQ2 High, Normal
640 x 480, SQ2 High, Normal
Shooting
Modes
30 Shooting Modes:
Auto, Program Auto, Aperture Priority, Shutter
Priority, Manual, My Modes, GUIDE, Scene Presets
(portrait, landscape, landscape + portrait,
night scene, night + portrait, sport, indoor,
candle, self-portrait, available light portrait,
sunset, fireworks, cuisine, documents, auction,
shoot & select1, shoot & select2,
beach, snow, underwater wide 1, underwater
wide 2, underwater macro), Movie
Panorama
Modes
Up to 10 frames automatically
stitchable with OLYMPUS Master software when
using Olympus brand xD-Picture Card™
Sequential
Shooting
Hi-Speed2: 15 frames
per second for 20 frames (1.2MP)
Hi-Speed1: 7 frames per second for 15 frames
(3MP)
Normal speed: 1.2 frames per second for 7
frames (7MP)
Bracket: Exposure bracketing up to 5 frames
Interval Shooting
Selftimer
12 seconds/2 seconds,
AUTO
Shooting
Assist Functions
Histogram, Frame assist
Movie Mode
AVI Movie with sound,
640x480/30fps, SHQ ; 640x480/15fps, HQ ; 320x240/30fps,
SQ1 ; 320x240/15fps, SQ2
Image
Processing
TruePic
TURBOTM Image Processor
Pixel
Mapping
Automatic
Pixel Mapping (APM) available via menu setting
Noise
Reduction
Set
automatically at shutter speeds of 0.5 seconds
or longer
Image Playback
Still image: Single,
index, enlargement, slideshow, calendar, album,
histogram, rotation
Movie: Normal, fast-forward, reverse, frame-by-frame
Playback
Edit Effects
Still image: lighting
fix, red-eye fix, black & white, sepia,
crop, resize, rotate, brightness, saturation,
frame, label, calendar, layout
Movie: frame edit, frame index, still image
cropping
Direct
Printing Options
PictBridge
and DPOF
Flash
Built-in
Hot Shoe
No
Flash Modes
Auto (for low and
backlit conditions)
Red-eye reduction
Fill-in
Fill-in + red-eye
Slow Sync
Off
Flash Working
Range
Wide: 14.8ft (4.5m),
Tele: 9.2ft. (2.8m) at ISO 200
Wide: 42.3ft (12.9m), Tele: 26.2ft. (8.0m)
at ISO 1600
Flash Compensation
Flash intensity adjustment
±2 steps in 1/3 increments
Settings
Memorization
On
(stores changes) / Off (restores default settings)
Date/Time
Calendar
Automatically
recorded with each image up to the year 2099
Product technical specifications (including MSRP and Included Accessories)
are as represented by the manufacturer and subject to manufacturer's change
without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer or of Photoxels.
Included Accessories may also differ by country or area. Please verify latest
specs from the appropriate manufacturer's site.
Before you buy, do your homework and verify a seller's reputation. One
source you may want to check with is Resellerratings.com.
And remember, if a price seems to good to be true, it probably is.
DISCLAIMER:
We strive for accuracy in reproducing these specs, but being human, we do occasionally make mistakes. Also, in the early stages of a product introduction, you can almost guarantee there will be some errors from the manufacturers themselves as they update their sites. If you see any mistakes, please contact us. We do appreciate your writing in with the corrections and thank you in advance!
