Olympus SP-550UZ

Reviewed March 2007

Interface & Software

Interface

The user interface of the SP-550 UZ is rather standard. The icons arranged on the periphery of the screen or EVF are readily understandable, and their location and meaning quickly become familiar, all of which is greatly helped by the fact that the SP-550 UZ offers a monitor that has twice the resolution of its predecessor. The selected shutter speed and aperture are indicated clearly as long as the camera is used in P, S, A or M mode, but is absent in the numerous Scene modes, which is regrettable as it could be useful information.

While the layout of the menu system is legible, it is, in our opinion, probably too complex. Multiple steps are often necessary to reach a particular function, increasing the time needed to change a setting. And, although the camera is equipped with a Function menu that regroups some of the most commonly needed settings, it is short, and omits the image size and quality.

Still, the Setup menu is always accessible from the shortcut screens that preface menus. The Setup menu is composed of 5 screens, as is the capture menu, and moving from one screen to the next happens automatically once the last option of any given page is reached, returning to the beginning once the final option of the fifth screen is passed:

• Format: serves to format the memory card, or the internal memory.
• Backup: serves to copy all data located in the internal memory to a memory card.
• Language decides the interface language, which on this North American version of the camera are: English, French, Spanish or Portuguese. Other languages can be added using Olympus Master (see further) while the camera is connected to a computer via USB.
• PW On Setup: decides if an image is shown on the monitor when the camera starts (the Olympus logo, an image captured with the camera, or nothing), and if a sound is played simultaneously (two options or none).

• Screen Setup: serves to select an image captured with the camera that can be used as a start-up image in the preceding option (see above).
• Beep: offers a choice of 2 sounds and two volume settings or none for the sounds produced by the camera when it is operated.
• : serves to adjust the volume of camera warning sounds (Low, High or Off).
• Shutter Sound: offers a choice of 2 sounds and two volume settings or none for the sounds produced by the camera when the shutter release is pressed.
• Volume: serves to adjust the Playback volume over 5 steps.

• Rec View: decides whether or not an image is displayed briefly post-capture or not.
• File Name: decides whether files are numbered consecutively, or restart at 1 when a new memory card is used or the card/internal memory is formatted.
• Pixel Mapping: a function that verifies the operation of the CCD and the image processor. This function should be used once a year.
• Monitor Brightness: serves to adjust the monitor brightness over ±6 levels.
• Date and Time: serves to set the internal clock and calendar of the camera, and select the format of the date.
• Dual Time: serves to set home and destination time zones when traveling.
• Alarm Clock: controls the camera's built-in alarm clock. Can be set to operate once or daily. The alarm time can be set, as well as the snooze time and the alarm sound (3 sounds) and the volume.

• Video Out: NTSC or PAL.
• Frame Assist: allows superimposing one of two types of guidelines to help compose images.
• Histogram offers three options:
  • Off.
  • On, displays a real-time histogram on the lower part of the image.
  • Direct: displays potentially overexposed zones in the image as red, while those potentially underexposed appear as blue.

• My Mode: serves to save up to 4 distinct sets of preferences (My1 through My4).
• m/ft: selects the measurement units to be used while manually focusing.
• Custom Button: allows reassigning the (stabilizer) button to another function, Any function accessed in the capture menu can be assigned.

The Olympus SP-550 UZ is supplied with a printed manual that integrates the formerly independent Quick Start Guide and Advanced Manual into a single booklet. The manual provides basic but limited information about the camera, and details all its various parts with page references, albeit at the end of the manual.

Software

In North America, the Olympus SP-550 UZ is supplied with a single CD containing Olympus Master 2 (for Windows and Macintosh) and a trial version of Muvee TheaterPack for Windows.

Olympus Master opens on an image browser window that presents the computer's folders on the left side of the screen, and thumbnails (whose size can be adjusted) of the images contained in the currently selected folder on the right.

The program allows displaying all the EXIF data (capture parameters for an image) in a third column, as well as a histogram for the image currently highlighted.

At the top of the program's window, a tool bar provides tools to import images, see photos as a slide show, e-mail images, print, and access the editing window or the RAW development window.

When a JPEG image is opened in the Editing window, editing tools are presented on the right side of the window in a column. These tools make it possible to resize, crop (trim), and insert text. In addition, it is possible to adjust the image's brightness, contrast, colour balance, or even to tweak its hue, and gamma, or automatically correct tint, saturation, etc.

The original image can be displayed on the left of the screen, while a copy of it on the right of the screen shows the effect of the correction.

The RAW Development window also presents the image on the left with the program's tools on the right.

Two tabs contain the different tools offered: Basic1 serves to adjust exposure compensation, white balance, and resize the image; Basic2 provides tools to adjust the colour, contrast, sharpness, saturation, or even change the image to black and white, change its colour tone, apply noise reduction filters, or change its colour space.

Once processed, images can be saved as TIFF, TIFF Exif, JPEG (with a selection of compression levels) or BMP.

Muvee TheaterPack, enclosed with the disc, is designed to create slide shows that include a variety of transition effects and background music, and then burn the creation onto a CD or DVD.

The version of Muvee TheaterPack enclosed is a trial version, and only operates for fifteen days. After which, if desired, the full version can be purchased online.