Camera Reviews: Olympus SP 550-UZ

Anyone who is remotely interested in technology and has an interest in digital images is likely well aware of the sheer variety that is on the market in terms of digital cameras. It seems that no matter what one's preferences may be, they can have a camera in the color they prefer, they size they like, with all of the power and options that they may find necessary for whatever picture oriented task may be at hand. However, with so many choices on the market, it can often seem very difficult to narrow down just one particular product. However, while Olympus has become a fairly well known name in the digital camera market, their latest offering, the SP 550-UZ may be worth a second look. However, a few flaws prevent the 550 from becoming a truly great product.

The 550 looks attractive and stylish right out of the box. Featuring an attractive and comfortable style, and wrapped in professional black and silver, the Olympus is definitely guaranteed to impress in the looks department. The camera always feel comfortable in the hand, even though it may be a tad bit bigger than some of the competitors in it's price range. Regardless of the slightly larger size though, the Olympus is a great camera to hold and to use. The buttons and features are easy to access, and one is never confused or baffled while trying to navigate the many features of the camera, truly a great thing in a market that continually has cameras becoming more and more complicated.

Some of the advertised features of the SP 550 are also some of the highlights. Featuring an 18x digital zoom (easily the best in it's class), a 7.1 megapixel resolution, and in camera editing of photos and movies. However, while these features are definitely interesting, one may be interested in taking a second look before deciding if they are truly buying points.

There is no doubt that the Olympus takes good pictures, and that with the 18x zoom capacity and wide angle capabilities, it is a very versatile camera. However, the quality of that versatility is what may be in question. Even though the camera does have the capacity for a very high zoom, soon it becomes obvious that clear pictures are not going to be possible, perhaps after the 7x or 8x. Not that the pictures are of bad quality, per say, but that they simply don't measure up to what many may have expected from the camera. Strangely, the Olympus also seems just a tad bit slow. Pictures sometimes take a long time to snap off, and the blur when trying to shoot action scenes is almost too much to handle. This is also a major problem when one wants to snap off a series of shots in a short time. Add this to the fact that the burst feature is generally not worth using, and we have a camera that is severely limited in several categories and ranges of use.

Another major problem that many are likely going to experience with the camera is a lack of rechargeable batteries. Yes, the SP 550 UZ, a camera that costs well into the $300 range, takes double A batteries. Although the battery life is generally fairly long (better with pictures, worse with flash and video) having to replace those batteries time and time again starts to get old fast.

However, the Olympus does have some good attributes as well. The video mode is excellent for a camera in this price range, The flash is great, and pictures that haven't been zoomed explode with color and sharpness. The wide angle feature is a great addition, and it is nice to have so many options when it comes to the zoom, even if it may not produce the best quality.

Overall, the Olympus SP 550 UZ is far from the best camera on the market. And, in fact, it is not the best camera in it's price range. However, the sheer amount of features and the overall great quality of the camera itself may prompt more than a few customers to take some losses to really gain some ground in terms of well built product that tries to stand out from the pack.