megapixel.net logo

Digital Camera News and Reviews


internet.commerce





Olympus SP-500 UZ

Reviewed November 2005

Introduction

Introduction
Ergonomics
Characteristics
Image Quality
Interface & Software
Camera Views
Test Photos
Specifications
Our Opinion

For those willing to trade a couple of million pixels of resolution in exchange for a big 10X zoom, the 6-megapixel Olympus SP-500 UZ may be an interesting alternative to the 8-megapixel SP-350 as it carries an identical price tag.

Indeed, although organized slightly differently, the SP-500 UZ offers very similar features to the SP-350 making it comparable in many areas.

And all the top mounted controls are grouped on the right side of the pop-up flash.

At the top of the grip is the two-stage chromed shutter release, which is surrounded by the zoom control. As is often the case, the zoom control can also be used in Playback while reviewing images. By pushing the zoom control to towards the W side, index views showing 4, 9, 16, or 25 images per screen or the photos grouped by date in a calendar presentation can be displayed. And, by pulling the zoom control towards the T side, sections of an image currently displayed on the monitor can be zoomed up to 10X.

Two buttons are arranged behind the shutter release and zoom control. The first, on the left, is labelled Power and serves to turn on the camera. The second, on the right, has two labels, indicating that it controls two functions:

AEL (Auto Exposure Lock) serves to lock the metered exposure making it possible to re-frame the subject so it is off-centre and yet exposed correctly. Pressing the button once locks the exposure, pressing it again unlocks it.

In addition, as it is with the SP-350, the AEL button can be personalized in the Setup menu so it activates another function (see the Interface and Software section of the review for more information about the Setup menu).

And, when the SP-500 is connected directly through USB to a PictBridge compatible printer, this button can be used to start the printing process.

The Mode Dial is positioned on the back right corner of the camera's top. The Mode Dial has 9 settings, 8 of which are for capture modes while the 9th, , is for Playback:

Set to the Auto mode, the SP-500 UZ is very simple to use — all that is required is to press the shutter release — as the camera takes care of all settings.
Program mode leaves the selection of aperture and shutter speed up to the camera, but all other parameters are left to the discretion of the user.
The Aperture Priority mode makes it possible to select an aperture, and hence the depth of field of the image — between f2.8 and f8 at the wide angle end and between f3.7 and f8 at the telephoto end — while the camera matches it to a shutter speed.
The Shutter Priority mode allows selecting the exposure time — between 1/1000 second and 2 seconds when the noise reduction system is inactive, and up to 4 seconds when it is active — while the camera selects a matching aperture.
The Manuel mode provides full control over the aperture — with the same range as the A mode — and the shutter speed but this time with a range that extends from 1/1000 second down to 15 seconds, and with access to a Bulb mode that provides an untimed exposure as long as 8 minutes.
My Mode serves to save up to 4 distinct sets of shooting parameters that can all be recalled at once by selecting any one of the My Modes. (See the Characteristics section of the review for more information).

When the Mode Dial is turned to this position, an illustrated menu is displayed on the screen, which serves to choose any of the 21 Scene modes available on the SP-500 UZ. Each mode features a typical image, which is replaced after a couple of seconds by a short description of its intended use:

 
Portrait
Landscape
Landscape + Portrait
Night Scene
Sports
 
Night + Portrait Indoor
Candle Available Light Portrait
Self Portrait Sunset
Fireworks Museum
Behind Glass Cuisine
Documents Auction
Shoot and Select 1 Shoot and Select 2
Beach Snow

The SP-500UZ can also be used to record Movies with or without sound. All movies are recorded at a frame size of 320 x 240 pixels and at either 30 frames per second or 15 frames per second, the duration of the recording being governed by the amount of memory available.

During recording, the microphone is able to capture sound out to a distance of 1 m (3.3 ft). Moreover, during movies with sound, the optical zoom is locked in position when the recording starts, as well as the focus, and only a 3X digital zoom can be used. However, when movies are captured without sound, focus is continuous and the optical zoom remains useable. Finally, an electronic Camera Movement Compensation system is also available with the movie mode, minimizing camera shake during the recording.

The SP-500 UZ is equipped with a relatively high resolution Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) that offers 235, 000 pixels.

Its exit pupil, however, is quite spartan. Made of hard plastic — no rubber eyecup — it does not offer a dioptre correction and can be a bit uncomfortable with eyeglasses.

To the right of the viewfinder, a rounded black button serves to manually open the built-in pop-up flash. And to its right, a silver button controls the Display making it possible to use the EVF or the large 2.5 -inch, 115,000 pixel monitor.

All the remaining external controls of the SP-500 UZ are grouped on the right of the monitor, starting with the three small buttons that are above the 4-direction navigation control:

DISP./
GUIDE

Cycles through the various types of information that can be superimposed on the monitor or the EVF:

 

Set to a capture mode, the image is superimposed with information about the battery state, the capture mode, the shutter speed and aperture, exposure compensation, the ISO setting if other than Auto, the AF brackets, the memory type in use, the image quality and size, and the remaining number of photos that can be captured. Pressing the button once clears most of this information from the screen, leaving only the battery state and the AF brackets.

 

Pressing the button a second time returns the default information display described above, while adding a composition grid to the screen. A third press of the button removes the grid, and adds a real-time histogram that graphically shows the distribution of brightness in the frame.

 

Set to the Playback mode the image is displayed with a modest amount of information superimposed on it: the type of memory where the image is located, the name of the file, its format, the time and date on which it was captured, and the frame number. Pressing the button once adds the image size, shutter and aperture data, exposure compensation, white balance, and ISO setting. A second press of the button removes all superimposed information, leaving only the image.

 

And a third press of the button presents the image as a thumbnail occupying the top left of the screen, while the rest of the screen is taken up by a histogram for the image and all its shooting data.

Furthermore, while a menu option is highlighted, pressing the button displays a brief explanation of the option.

The QUICK VIEW button, below the DISP./GUIDE button, places the camera into the Review mode, immediately displaying the last captured image and acting as a shortcut to the Playback mode.

To the right, the third of the small buttons above the 4-direction control also provides 2 functions, each indicated by an icon:

Set to a still image capture mode the button serves to select the Flash mode: Auto, Auto with Red-eye Reduction, Fill-in, Fill-in with Red-eye Reduction, or Forced Off.
Set to the Playback mode, the button serves to delete images, either one at a time as it is displayed on the screen, or images that have been selected for deletion using the index presentation.

The 4-direction control's primary function is for navigation, be it when a menu is on the screen or to switch from one image to another in playback. In addition, the 4 directional arrow buttons also make it possible to set an exposure compensation, or to select apertures and shutter speeds in the modes that allow it.

Last, the OK MENU button at the centre of the four directional arrow controls serves to display the Top menu applicable to the mode as set by the Mode dial, and also to confirm some selections made there.

As mentioned earlier, the SP-500 UZ is equipped with a built-in pop-up flash. While the flash opens by pivoting on itself, it is still sufficiently high in comparison to the lens that the lens does not cast a shadow even at the widest angle and the shortest focus distance. Worth noting, it cannot be used when the SP-500's super macro mode is used. (For more information about the focusing modes of the SP-500 UZ see the Characteristics section of the review.)

Ergonomically, the SP-500 UZ offers a bit of a mixed bag. While it provides a high definition electronic viewfinder, it has a relatively low refresh rate and its image can become choppy when the subject is moving rapidly. Likewise, its exit pupil lacks a rubber eyecup to help seal out external light, a problem that is exacerbated when the user has to wear glasses.

Aside from this, the in-hand feel of the camera is good and feels secure when held by the grip. Likewise, the external controls are well-placed and easy to use.

Introduction
Ergonomics
Characteristics
Image Quality
Interface & Software
Camera Views
Test Photos
Specifications
Our Opinion





JupiterOnlineMedia

internet.comearthweb.comDevx.commediabistro.comGraphics.com

Search:

Jupitermedia Corporation has two divisions: Jupiterimages and JupiterOnlineMedia

Jupitermedia Corporate Info


Legal Notices, Licensing, Reprints, & Permissions, Privacy Policy.

Advertise | Newsletters | Tech Jobs | Shopping | E-mail Offers

Solutions
Whitepapers and eBooks
Microsoft Article: Will Hyper-V Make VMware This Decade's Netscape?
Microsoft Article: 7.0, Microsoft's Lucky Version?
Microsoft Article: Hyper-V--The Killer Feature in Windows Server 2008
Avaya Article: How to Feed Data into the Avaya Event Processor
Microsoft Article: Install What You Need with Windows Server 2008
HP eBook: Putting the Green into IT
Whitepaper: HP Integrated Citrix XenServer for HP ProLiant Servers
Intel Go Parallel Portal: Interview with C++ Guru Herb Sutter, Part 1
Intel Go Parallel Portal: Interview with C++ Guru Herb Sutter, Part 2--The Future of Concurrency
Avaya Article: Setting Up a SIP A/S Development Environment
IBM Article: How Cool Is Your Data Center?
Microsoft Article: Managing Virtual Machines with Microsoft System Center
HP eBook: Storage Networking , Part 1
Microsoft Article: Solving Data Center Complexity with Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2007
MORE WHITEPAPERS, EBOOKS, AND ARTICLES
Webcasts
Intel Video: Are Multi-core Processors Here to Stay?
On-Demand Webcast: Five Virtualization Trends to Watch
HP Video: Page Cost Calculator
Intel Video: APIs for Parallel Programming
HP Webcast: Storage Is Changing Fast - Be Ready or Be Left Behind
Microsoft Silverlight Video: Creating Fading Controls with Expression Design and Expression Blend 2
MORE WEBCASTS, PODCASTS, AND VIDEOS
Downloads and eKits
Sun Download: Solaris 8 Migration Assistant
Sybase Download: SQL Anywhere Developer Edition
Red Gate Download: SQL Backup Pro and free DBA Best Practices eBook
Red Gate Download: SQL Compare Pro 6
Iron Speed Designer Application Generator
MORE DOWNLOADS, EKITS, AND FREE TRIALS
Tutorials and Demos
How-to-Article: Preparing for Hyper-Threading Technology and Dual Core Technology
eTouch PDF: Conquering the Tyranny of E-Mail and Word Processors
IBM Article: Collaborating in the High-Performance Workplace
HP Demo: StorageWorks EVA4400
Intel Featured Algorhythm: Intel Threading Building Blocks--The Pipeline Class
Microsoft How-to Article: Get Going with Silverlight and Windows Live
MORE TUTORIALS, DEMOS AND STEP-BY-STEP GUIDES