Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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126 of 130 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
SP590UZ, a camera with zoom zoom!, 16 April 2009
A rundown of the more significant items:
Zoom range:
So much zooooom you won't know what to do with it, it gives optical detail on par with some bird spotting scopes.
Full zoom gives pleasantly good quality images. Colour fringing is apparent at extremes of the zoom range, but it is still good considering the sheer amount of optical zoom range the camera has to cater for. The full zoom photo quality from the SP590 easily beats my SP550 with Tcon17 teleconverter.
Wide angle suffers from significant barrelling; this disappears when a bit of zoom is applied.
Macro is good, better than many cameras; very good considering the amount of optical zoom range offered.
Zoom adjustment is fast, perhaps too fast.
The use of ultra-zoom cameras can be limited by atmospheric effects like blue haze and the `twinkle effect' (heat distortion), so don't expect pristine long-distance daytime photos. However, when used right this camera can take very natural shots of camera-shy subjects (humans and creatures), offering quality, full-frame, head-and-shoulder portraits of subjects 15 meters (50 foot) away.
Note: the camera has an optical zoom range from 0.74x to 19X (19.3/0.74 = 26x)
Image:
It is noisy, even at the lowest ISO setting, but it is typical for compact non-SLR cameras.
The detail is OK, nothing to write about - except for when full zoom is used. No camera will give you long-distance details at such a price.
Image stabiliser:
It isn't 100% effective, but it does remove most of the handshake (so long as you're not dancing with it); use of it is a must when zooming in lower light conditions, or you want to use lower ISO settings. Strangely, the function takes effect about 3 seconds after focussing, not good if a quick shot is needed.
The imager still moves around a little bit even with no external motion is applied, so make sure the function is disabled when used on a sturdy surface such as a tripod.
Focus time:
On par with typical cameras, but pretty good considering the amount of zoom range it has to work with. Focus time drastically increases in low light conditions, but is still fairly reliable.
Start up/shutdown time is suitably quick (much quicker than its predecessors).
The pushing off of the lens cap at start up isn't a problem; in fact I think it's a good idea.
Shutter lag is quick.
LCD display:
This is surprisingly good!
It is bright, very clear and viewable from any angle without wash out. The contrast ratio is pretty good. The resolution is average.
Aesthetics:
Surprisingly poor, ugly to look at. It looks like my first mobile phone: bulky, plasticy and tacky. It's certainly a step down from its predecessors (although it is less likely to be stolen). It's far from being a compact camera that fits in your pocket.
Mechanics:
This camera suffers from same problem as some of its predecessors, specifically the loose barrel; it doesn't take much to move it hence spoiling what was a perfectly focussed shot. Refrain from large movements after focussing. Be wary when aiming downwards.
Misc:
The speed of USB2.0 is a very welcome addition, especially now that support for MicroSDHC cards has been added; I recommend an 8GB, Class 6 card for speed and capacity (and forget about XD cards).
Extra features such as smile detect, multi-shot and video pre-capture are gimmicky; they give 10 minutes of fun but likely won't ever be used in anger. The shadow adjust feature could be useful, but it isn't available in manual modes.
Burst mode - what a misnomer, it's anything but. The photo quality has to be decimated to get any useful burst speed (including photo pre-capture)
The unit makes a rather disturbing `click' about every second when idle.
It doesn't easily accept additional filters.
The playback button is too recessed; those with sausage fingers may have difficulty using it.
Start up time is OK, about 2 seconds.
Time-lapse mode can be very useful, especially at parties where you can leave the camera on a shelf continually taking photos and you can get on with enjoying the evening.
Overall:
This is a good ultra-zoom camera and it zooms well, but at the expense of convenience and quality. The lack of convenient portability will be off-putting for socialites who usually frequent pubs and clubs.
However, it does lend itself to outdoor activities where carry cases are the norm and the zoom can be fully utilised to its monstrous capability, such as: BBQs, sports days, bird watching and even lunar astronomy!!
Like Marmite, you'll either love it or hate it.
If you have no use for a high zoom camera then this one should be avoided.
However, if you have a zoom fetish then this is for you.
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48 of 49 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Olympus SP-590UZ Compact Digital Camera (12MP, 26x Wide Optical Zoom), 20 May 2009
I have had this camera for over a month now, it is really an upgrade from a compact which I wanted, I have a SLR camera but you have to cart around a few lens, this camera has all I want and you are not wasting film and can see the pictures instantly. The zoom is ok but like all cameras with a zoom lens you need a tripod to steady the camera. I like the macro setting, you can get in very close, there are plenty of other settings but like my other compact digital camera I have tried them out but might not use them again not because of the quality effects they give you but you forget they are there, I don't find a problem with the buttons and don't think the camera looks ugly like some say. The only problem I have with the camera is when taking high speed photos it takes a long time to store them so you miss some photos while the camera says "Busy". I did look at nearly all the cameras available before I decided on this one, like every thing else there are pros and cons to every thing. As
S. I. Bennett (Portsmouth)in his review " Like Marmite, you'll either love it or hate it. "I like Marmite so I love it.
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22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
lives up to its reputation, 12 Jun 2009
I bought this camera mainly for its incredible zoom facility. My standard, basic digital camera proved to be totally inadequate at a recent tennis event and therefore my photos were a big disappointment. But whilst choosing the Olympus SP-590UZ to overcome similar problems in the future, I am thoroughly satisfied with the camera's overall performance and ease of use. The various professional reviews placing this camera at the top of their list are therefore justified in my estimation. The accompanying user disks leave no problems unanswered.
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