Olympus SP-560 UZ Expert Reviews

alaTest has collected and analyzed 265 reviews from magazines and websites. Reviewers really like the viewfinder. The design also impresses, but many are less positive about the memory.

Viewfinder, Design, Lcd, Contrast

Memory, Resolution, Shutter, Focus

Experts rate this product 76/100 and users 86/100. We analyzed these ratings, the product age and more factors. Compared to other Digital Compact Cameras, the Olympus SP-560 UZ is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 90/100 = Excellent quality.

Photo gallery:Olympus SP-560 UZLast year, Olympus released the SP-550UZ, a 7-megapixel digital camera with an impressive 18x zoom lens. We loved its lens' long reach and wide angle, and appreciated its great body design. Unfortunately, the camera was ...

The Olympus SP-560 UZ arrived in my mailbox on a chilly Montana winter day. After a cursory skim of the manual, I took the camera out of its box and was pleased to find it was about the same size as my regular camera - a popular, but less-expensive ...

Powerful 18x optical zoom lens, Dual image stabilization, Very good image quality, Full range of exposure options - from manual to auto and everything in between, Lightweight and compact - bigger than a point-and-shoot, smaller than a digital SLR, Pop ...

Power button is difficult to engage quickly, Noticeable shutter lag, especially with flash, Multitude of mode and menu options may overwhelm beginners

I thoroughly enjoyed playing with the Olympus SP-560 UZ - enough that it's going to be hard to go back to my own compact digital camera. I've been spoiled by the fantastically long zoom lens, which makes it super-easy to grab great shots with hardly ...

With a price tag of the $500 range, this camera is certainly not cheap and looking at some of the features, you start to wonder if the price is really worth it. It is after all just a camera, but in terms of quality let us take a moment to see if ...

After just a few minutes of shooting, the key difference between the FZ18 and the SP-560 UZ is pretty obvious; it's much slower?.

8MP 18x zoom digicam with sensor shift stabilization

Much slower response than the competition

Olympus was one of the first manufacturers to realize that building digicams around small sensors allows much longer zooms to be offered without the bulk of the camera becoming unmanageable. With its "Ultra zoom" range, starting back in 2000 with the ...

Phenomenal zoom range that includes real wide-angle to long telephoto capability, Huge range of features, Reliable exposure, Good ergonomics, RAW mode (though very slow), Bright, immediate 'consumer friendly' output, Good detail and color at lowest ...

More features than you will know what to do with (many of them gimmicky), Unwieldy menu system, Corner softness at shorter focal lengths, High contrast tone curve tends to clip shadows or highlights, RAW mode so terribly slow, Limited AA battery life, ...

We described the Fuji S8000fd as trying to be all things to all people, but that was before we really got to grips with the Olympus SP-560UZ.

The Olympus SP-560 UZ is the latest in Olympus's UZ line of ultra zoom cameras, boasting a class-leading 18x optical zoom.

Impressive lens, especially for its weight and price ; True wide-angle flexibility ; Solid construction ; Good balance in hand ; Uses easy-to-find AA batteries

Feature bloat ; Poorly designed lens barrel leaves the front lens element vulnerable ; Purple fringing and highlight clipping ; Noise reduction heavy, even at middle ISOs ; Plastic tripod mount ; Slow shot-to-shot times ; xD card memory only

The SP-560 features 1/2.35" CCD 8 megapixel sensor. This represents a slight increase in size and pixel count versus the previous SP-550, and Olympus deserves some credit for not simply increasing the pixel density. It is complemented by the third ...

See how the Olympus SP-560UZ fared in our 18x superzoom shootout, with certified test results from the PopPhoto Lab and image quality shots.

The latest Olympus ultra-zoom camera comes with great components and its 18x optical zoom lens tops most ultra-zoom models. The Olympus SP-560UZ packs in 8.1 megapixels, optical image stabilization, and a TruePic Turbo III image processor with face ...

and the Panasonic Lumix DMC-FZ18. Both have 8 megapixels and 18x optical zoom lenses with image stabilization and retail for $399