Digital Trends

Olympus SP-550 UZ March 18th, 2007 | by David Elrich

Conclusion

Olympus is to be congratulated for taking the mega zoom category up a level to 18x—and it appears this will be the most powerful model in 2007. Where Olympus continues to fall short is beefing up its processing so its cameras can move quickly rather than forcing photographers to wait for it to save files. No one expects it to have the response of a D-SLR but the company needs to put the new TruePic III processor used in its new Evolt D-SLRs in its compact point-and-shoot editions. Sony uses a variation of its Bionz processor originally used in the alpha D-SLR in its new mega zooms and it really showed—even with a pre-production model. With those caveats on the table, the SP-550UZ is a good camera for vacationers and for having around the house. The 28mm wide angle option is a real plus while the extreme telephoto will capture faraway subjects. I just wish the darn thing moved faster.


Pros:

• 18x optical zoom
• Dual image stabilization
• Nice ergonomics

Cons:

• Slow saving files
• Slow-moving zoom