Super-Zoom Olympus SP-590UZ
The Olympus UZ (short for ultra zoom) cameras have come a long way in the last couple of years with the release of several models in the lineup. The SP-590UZ is the latest super-zoom offering by Olympus.
The Olympus SP-590UZ is a far cry from what seems to be its distant ancestor, the Olympus 550 UZ which was only released in spring 2007. In contrast to the 18x optical zoom lens that camera offered, the SP-590UZ boasts a whopping 26x optical zoom with a 26-676mm focal range, more than any other camera in the super-zoom class. If that much zoom power is still not enough you can always opt for an optional teleconverter lens adapter specifically made for this camera. As with all super-zoom cameras you also have ample manual controls in case you want to better manage how your image is captured.
Other than the fantastic zoom capabilities of the Olympus SP-590UZ, which incidentally are enhanced with image stabilization, another cool feature is the face detection algorithm that the camera incorporates in its BEAUTY scene mode. Using this option the camera will take before and after shots to let you decide whether or not to apply the filter. You can use three effects separately or in combination to boost the face detection.
Speaking of scene modes, with this Olympus ultra zoom camera you have 19 to choose from, including Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Sports, Indoor, Fireworks and Cuisine, which I am assuming you would use if you want to show the world the fabulous, succulent prime rib served medium rare you roasted for your grateful guests one evening. You hopeless romantics out there may find the romantic Sunset and Candle scenes very useful. Video footage is saved using the AVI Motion JPEG format.
The LCD screen with 230,000 pixels is bright and clearly viewable at various angles. There is an electronic viewfinder for those of you who are always compelled to put the camera against your eye for taking your shot, just as you would with good old-fashioned film cameras—those were the days.
There are six sensitivity settings which can be used from ISO 64 to 800. There are even ISO rates at 3200 and 6400 available only when taking photos using “reduced pixel mode.” That probably means the digital prints are going to look more like watercolor paintings rather than rich, detailed color photographs.
The Photography Blog has more about shooting modes:
The Olympus SP-590UZ has a comprehensive range of shooting modes. There is a fully automatic mode, marked AUTO on the mode dial, for those with absolutely zero photographic experience. In this mode you just zoom, focus and shoot without having to fiddle with the settings, which are all being taken care of by the camera.
Perhaps the most damning feature of the Olympus UZ is the lack of SD memory card support. You can only store images on xD cards, which are generally less responsive and more expensive than SD cards. This means you will have to depend on the included USB cable to transfer images to your PC, unless you can find a card adapter that will be able to read the xD card.
The Olympus SP-590UZ also has a phenomenal macro setting if you like to take photos of bugs on leaves or something like that. You never know when you’ll run into a praying mantis devouring her mate for instance.
Given the enormous zoom range of this camera it is fairly compact compared with a DSLR. So if you’re in the market for a super-zoom, I’d definitely put the Olympus SP-590UZ on the short list if I were you.
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