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Olympus SP-550 UZ

Olympus SP-550 UZ
alaScore 88

543 reviews

Mar, 2024

alaTest has collected and analyzed 543 reviews of Olympus SP-550 UZ. The average rating for this product is 4.2/5, compared to an average rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras for all reviews. Opinions about the screen and zoom are generally positive. The image quality and portability also get good feedback. There are mixed comments on the energy efficiency and low light performance. There are some negative views about the storage and memory.

usability, portability, image quality, zoom, screen

color, focus, shutter, memory, storage

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Digital Compact Cameras the Olympus SP-550 UZ is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 88/100 = Very good quality.

See all Olympus Digital Cameras

Review analysis

(Based on 543 reviews)

Expert Reviews  

User Reviews  

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Showing 192 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

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Showing 1 - 132 of 192 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (351)

Consumer review (amazon.co.uk)

Amazon.co.uk review summary for Olympus SP-550 UZ

 

alaTest has collected and analyzed 50 user reviews of Olympus SP-550 UZ from Amazon.co.uk. The average user rating for this product is 4.4/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.co.uk. Comments about the price and performance are on the whole positive. The image quality and portability are also mentioned favorably. Comments about the energy efficiency and low light performance are mixed. There are some less positive opinions about the memory and shutter.

usability, portability, image quality, performance, price

storage, shutter, memory

96% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

Mar, 2024

Consumer review (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Olympus SP-550 UZ

 

alaTest has collected and analyzed 72 user reviews of Olympus SP-550 UZ from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 4.2/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.2/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.com. Comments about the price and focus are generally positive. The design and usability also get good feedback, but there are some critical comments about the shutter and portability.

performance, usability, design, focus, price

portability, shutter

93% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

Mar, 2024

Expert review by : PCMag Staff (pcmag.com)

Olympus SP-550 UZ

 

The latest superzoom from Olympus features super-capable optics and a lots of useful extras.

Enormous zoom range, which starts with a true wide-angle view. Mechanical and digital image stabilization. Some innovative ISO and burst-mode functions. Helpful guide mode.

Some issues with video capabilities. Some controls could be better designed, especially the zoom level. No articulating LCD. Mediocre boot time. A bit pricey.

More digital camera reviews:• Ricoh Theta SC• Sony a9• SeaLife DC2000• Nikon Coolpix W100• Canon EOS M6• more

May, 2007

Expert review by : David Becker (wired.com)

Review: Olympus SP-550 UZ

 

The banner feature for Olympus' new prosumer model is 18x optical zoom-an incredible engineering feat for a point-and-shoot camera. While the freedom to go from...

Huge zoom and good wide-angle coverage. RAW mode. Bright, informative optical viewfinder. Effective shake-reduction. Good detail at low ISO. Camera seems to say, “I’m a capable, skilled photographer” not “I’m a photo n00b. Please mug me and take my stuff

xD media only. Auto-focus can get confused on what it should be focusing on. No hot shoe for external flash. Olympus Master software (required to process RAW files) has clunky, obtuse UI

Apr, 2007

Expert review by : Simon Joinson (dpreview.com)

Olympus SP-550 UZ Review

 

Announced just before PMA in January 2007 the SP-550UZ is the first serious attempt by Olympus to take back some ground in the super zoom sector, a sector it almost single-handedly created back in 2000 with the legendary C-2100UZ, but has since...

Amazing 18x zoom range Truly versatile 28-504mm range, with real wideangle Comprehensive and extensive feature set Effective Image Stabilization system (good for two stops) Decent resolution Good, though by no means class-leading results at lower ISO...

Images lack biting crispness, some loss of fine detail to noise reduction Some corner softness at long end of zoom Distortion throughout the zoom range Focus slow at long end of zoom and in low light Occasional focus errors (where the camera says it's...

You have to be careful when reviewing cameras that you take a realistic view of how the typical buyer will actually use it, and what they can realistically expect it to do. I say this because the SP-550UZ gave us one of the most time-consuming,...

Mar, 2007

Expert review by : Phil Ryan (cnet.com)

Olympus SP-550 Ultra Zoom review

 

Great body design; high-quality, fast, wide, 18x optical zoom lens; sensor-shift image stabilization; manual exposure controls; RAW image capture.

Very slow; high noise above ISO 400; slightly soft images.

Olympus' SP-550UZ has great ergonomics, but disappointingly slow performance and soft, noisy images drag it down.

Mar, 2007

Expert review by (steves-digicams.com)

Olympus SP-550 UZ

 

Featuring a powerful 18x optical zoom lens, the SP-550 UZ offers maximum shooting versatility for travel, sports and day-to-day use. The 18x super telephoto zoom gets you closer to the action than any compact digital camera on the market. At the same...

Dual Image Stabilization technology ensures crisp, clear pictures in virtually any shooting situation - adjusting for camera shake and moving subjects. The Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization keeps images sharp by adjusting the CCD to compensate for...

May, 2007

Expert review by : Gavin Stoker (photographyblog.com)

Olympus SP-550 UZ Review

 

While it's been happily pumping out new DSLRs of late, Olympus hasn't forgotten the enthusiast compact market with its latest headline making SP-550 UZ bridge model. With a 28-504mm equivalent lens, ...

With an asking price of 375 in the UK, which is similar to what some retailers are now asking for body-only DSLR deals, potential purchasers of the Olympus SP-550 UZ face a hard choice particularly ...

Apr, 2007

Expert review by (imaging-resource.com)

Olympus SP-550 UltraZoom Digital Camera - Full Review

 

While I had a little trouble focusing on subjects that wouldn't sit still, the SP-550's 18x optical zoom with 100x total zoom let us shoot things I couldn't even see without looking through its lens. And I found that a lot of fun. A whole new world of...

Expert review by : Jack Howard (popphoto.com)

Camera Test: Olympus SP-550UZ

 

Camera Test: Olympus SP-550UZ225885OlympusSP-550 UZIn many ways, the Olympus SP-550UZ represents both the best and the worst of digital camera marketing. On the one hand, it's is a solidly built EVF, with an astonishing 18X optical zoom (4.68-84.24mm...

Dec, 2008

Expert review by : Jeff Keller (dcresource.com)

Olympus SP-550 Ultra Zoom

 

Several years ago, if you wanted an ultra zoom camera, there was only one name to know: Olympus. One of their cameras even developed a sort of cult following: the C-2100UZ. Sadly, the cameras that followed weren't nearly as interesting, with their...

Incredible 28 - 504 mm zoom range in a relatively small body ; Very good photo quality (in most situations) ; Optical image stabilization ; Well-built body feels solid in the hand (despite plastic construction) ; Large LCD display is visible in low...

Olympus Master software produces terribly RAW to JPEG conversions; Mac version was quite buggy as well ; Poor color accuracy using custom white balance ; Slow shot-to-shot times when shooting in RAW format ; LCD/EVF tend to "blow out" (bloom) when...

Though not without its share of flaws, the Olympus SP-550UZ is a very good (though not best-in-class) ultra zoom camera. It offers virtually every feature known to man, though some of them aren't implemented terribly well. Still, if you want a camera...

Apr, 2008

Expert review by : Emily Raymond (washingtonpost.com)

Olympus SP-550 UZ

 

The ultra-zoom portion of the digital camera market is taking off as consumers look beyond the standard 3x and manufacturers offer more and more. The Olympus SP-550UZ offers the most optical zoom on a compact digital camera so far with 18x. The current...

May, 2007

Price comparison for Olympus SP-550 UZ

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