Review: Olympus SP-590 UZ

Review: Olympus SP-590 UZ

Use the (zoom) force, Luke!
Normally we start our discussion with an overview of the latest, but when a camera on the market with a 26x zoom lens and a focal length range of 26 - 676mm, we made an exception. Why? Simple: the zoom lens lets itself as to the strength behind all competition, even while professional digital SLRs often have the same range. An example: press photographers who already have seen in action, which will no doubt already have noticed ultra long white lenses. Well, who usually have a range of about 400 - 500mm. It goes without saying that we also frown when a camera is sold on which no separate lenses can be mounted, but which an extendable, very powerful variant. First impressions are important and will continue to be so let's see whether it concerns a handsome ...

Sensual
Of the SP-570 UZ we found all that he handsome oogde. Well, the SP-590 UZ is perfect in its extension, with a body which, to the fashion trends resembles a digital SLR, yet is more compact and slimmer. The slender, compound, matte black body is accented with a silver ring around the lens, while the dividing lines are nice and close and deep, herds with rubber grip for a comfortable feel and a good resting place for the fingers will. The rear thumb rest on a perfectly good can be cut spot.

Despite the fact that the body is made mostly of plastic, everything feels pretty sturdy and well built with. Only the button to open folding flash seems a bit incongruous to fall. With the index finger to the camera and blows open a handle to operate the zoom. When the long lens is pushed out, the camera is obviously even more impressed. However, with his little 535 grams heavier than you might expect, especially the front again, which probably means that the lens itself weighs quite a lot comparatively.


Below you will find the hatch behind four AA batteries can hide, securely held in place by a plastic slot. First, it is nice that regular batteries can be used, we recommend only other fully charged NiMH batteries. With alkaline batteries because we were far from being able to achieve the specified maximum number of shots (about 340) to get, whereas with NimH much better managed, though we had them off a few features normally operate continuously and thus extra energy worry.

When the camera is moved quickly, she tends to ramble, but that sound appears to be no way affect the performance and hence is a drawback if you want to shoot wild animals for example. In cases where silence is important, enter with the SP-590 UZ best so long, fast movements.

Another drawback: the door on the right provides access only for xD cards. They are slightly slower and more expensive than the more popular SD cards, which most other Olympus equipment or for half slot available. There is a small internal memory of 22 MB, so you emergency to 3 photos in full resolution the camera can store. On the other side of the device are the DC In, USB / AV Out and HDMI connectors. Especially the latter is interesting because it allows you to set the camera to an HD-TV link. That the required cable is included in the box, we find not so bad.


The back of the camera is dominated by the large 2.7 inch monitor with electronic viewfinder above the wheel, one button to switch between the LCD screen and the viewer and an AEL button. Which has a relatively good resolution of 230 000 points and is very pleasant to use, partly because there is to choose between five levels of brightness. By the somewhat limited battery capacities, most photographers, however, often want to use the electronic viewfinder. However, we find that the LCD display remains very readable, except where direct sunlight falls. In addition, the coverage angle more than sufficient, something which is not unimportant when shooting. Moreover you can view different information on both screens, though the live histogram and the "Rule of Thirds' grid lines are not used simultaneously. The electronic viewfinder is naturally slightly darker, but has a fairly good resolution. Thanks to the automatic increase of the central zone when you focus manually, everything remains sharp enough for accurate focusing.

Right of the screen you will find the traditional four direction buttons, with an OK / FUNC button in the middle. The buttons here provide immediate access to the flash modes, timer, two macro modes and exposure compensation. As with Canon cameras, it is possible to use the OK / FUNC button one (L-shaped) to conjure submenu containing (6) most used options.

Modes
Through one of the rollers, photographers can select many options. When the camera is set to Auto, it will choose all possible institutions. The user should only zoom, focus and shoot. Because the camera obviously can not know exactly what you want to shoot, this option is often very interesting for laymen. Sometimes the SP-590 UZ example, automatically increase the ISO value, which always makes for less good pictures. Amateur Photographers actually choose the best one of 19 preset scene modes: portrait, land screed, sports, night scene, night + portrait, indoor, candle, sunset, fireworks, fireworks multi, multiple exposure, cuisine, documents, Smile Shot, Beach & Snow , bird watching, pre-capture movie, quick shutter and soft background shot. Clearly defined, as we like to have.

In the Auto Program option selects the camera's shutter speed and aperture size, but allows the user to freely values as white balance, sharpness, ISO, flash compensation, contrast, saturation, and focus more set.


Aperture Priority means that you choose the aperture size and the camera selects the appropriate shutter speed, Shutter Priority In the photographer selects the shutter speed and the camera for the correct aperture in Manual mode and provides both the aperture and shutter speed set manually (with available menu options and a "bulbsetting 'of up to 8 minutes at ISO 64).

Anyone who chooses Movie, movies can (in VGA or QVGA) and noise in low resolution (640x480 or 320x240) and 30/15 frames per second. This can partly optical zoom (not expected that the zoom lens will focus again). Long may the clips do not last, because there is a maximum size of 2GB for most memory cards, or 40 seconds at 30fps when xD standard card is used. The optical zoom and image stabilization can furthermore not be used if you record sound.

At the same wheel contains a slightly unnecessary "Playback' option (strange, because there is already a Playback button on the back of the SP-590 UZ) and the convenient, brand new" beauty' setting back. The latter option allows the photographer to the Beauty Fix-3 playback effects (Clear Skin, Eye and Dramatic Eye Sparkle) to apply, each separately or combined. This is faster than you 'beauty' setting selects all while shooting. Which automatically detects faces in an image and makes their skin softer and more flattering. That there are approximately 10 seconds needed, all you get for one-and-after-picture.

Snapshots taken
Especially compact machines such as the SP-590 UZ nevertheless one really have a good image stabilization is needed to prevent the photos are ruined by movement. The SP-590 UZ has Dual Image Stabilization "and this term refers to the fact that both a mechanical and a digital system is present. This is not as great as it sounds, since the digital image stabilization simply increases the ISO sensitivity, so you no longer need to use shutter speeds. Now we know now that all have higher ISO values to ensure grainier pictures, so we are particularly interested in the mechanical system. This works great if that was the case in previous models, the sensor in the opposite direction of movement to tilt, which immediately creates a soft sound when you're photographing. We found that this system works very well as usual and continue to do better in the camera world, especially within this price range. Unfortunately, even this technology is not able to completely eliminate movement when you zoom in very, very sorry of course if you use such a powerful telephoto lens.

Focusing can in many ways: Spot AF is what you use for focusing on "center-point (a central point where you choose to focus on, focus, and then the camera which is about finding the right composition), is iESP slightly less accurate because it also the area around the central focal point takes into consideration, Area lets you choose your own location using the four buttons and the OK / FUNC button and Face Detect speaks for itself. Fulltime AF and AF Predict are more useful when moving objects or living things to shoot and have little time to focus properly. In Manual Focus mode the camera then displays a horizontal scale, while the center of the image is magnified. The lens is then focused through the left and right hand gently, while the focus lays with the OK / FUNC button.

The speed of focusing is very good: it took us only a half seconds to turn the camera and a focal point to prove and approximately 2.25 seconds before we could shoot. Between pictures we had just about every 3.70 seconds award, if successful the SP-590 UZ in at 1.1 to 1.3 shots per second as you pull the quick option. After six full-resolution photos to be joined it to stop and then set the buffer empty. Faster even succeed, but you need the number of megapixels drastically limit from 12 to weak 3 for 10 frames per second, for example. That is less than the best standard in today's mobile home.

Sometimes we encountered some difficulty in focusing, for example in dark rooms or when you zoom in on objects with very low contrast, no vertical lines, long distance, etc..

What is surprising is that the zoom will e speed: as fast or even faster than the competition, which zooms from 20x to 24x in that area can boast a little less.


The Shadow Adjustment Technology to the SP-590 UZ had its own button. Oddly enough it may only be used when the focus option on Face Detection and Auto or Scene State. That is a little weird, since this option ensures that the shadows are largely removed without the other colors to make less clear, which is especially useful if you shoot landscapes and other locations. A miss. Moreover you should be careful when you use this feature, because that could result in a bit of noise in the areas where the ISO-values increase in dark areas. Yet this is a very nice option, but as already noted there may be little enjoyed.

The built flash but we are very happy, because that is very good and quite fast: almost 4 seconds for a partial flash light and not too weak 6.5 seconds for a full discharge when zoomed in somewhere and dark. The scope of the flash is quite impressive for this type of device: 9 meter at ISO 800!

Image quality
As the picture quality is concerned, we are relatively short: who is excellent as long as you do not use high ISO values. Until an ISO value of 64 or 100 is chosen, there is not peachy keen. From ISO 200 but you can already see some quality, though you have already had a good watch. ISO 400 shows more noise and less detail and then it goes straight downhill. ISO values of 800 and 1600 are feasible, but you definitely feel called to not even try to shoot at ISO 3200 or - God help - 6400.

However, those restrictions in mind, can be very beautiful pictures made with the SP-590 UZ, with bright colors and many details (even in congested areas). There is also little color aberration, unless you limit the regions capacity is of the telephoto lens. In the dark we obtained excellent images.

Most impressive are the macro picture: the SP-590 focuses on easily to 1 inches of an object and then delivers excellent results with, too! Fantastic, especially for those who often deals with small animals or objects?

Conclusion
In its price range is the SP-590 UZ did not disappoint. The lens shows strong indeed an asset and thus a selling point to include some and to replace expensive, large lenses that you otherwise in a separate carrying case should take. In the dark, the camera performs well, but if the ISO-values rise above 200, the images are much grainier. Focusing is smooth and fast and the time to zoom is almost negligible when you take into account the power of the lens. In contrast, a few strange decisions, such as the limited usefulness of Shadow Adjustment Technology and the absence of the option to shoot in RAW. This will probably give up demanding photographers. Who is happy with anything less, does this SP-590 UZ a good thing for his own pleasure and purse.