Overview
The big attraction of the Olympus SP-590UZ is its 26x optical zoom lens. The lens also offers wide angle capabilities, so there is plenty of flexibility to cater for a range of photo opportunities. As is typical of this type of digital camera it has a full range of manual exposure controls too. With this combination of zoom and features the SP-590UZ is likely to appeal to anyone who has a serious interest in photography. This camera has 12 megapixels.
Why Buy The Olympus SP-590 UZ
The SP-590UZ has the longest zoom I am aware of on a digital camera as at September 2009. Throw in the manual controls and this camera is a good choice for the serious photographer, especially if you have an interest in subjects such as sports or wildlife.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
12
26x
2.7 inches
110.1 x 89.7 x 91mm
435g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
1cm
No
Yes
AA
xD Micro SD
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
The SP-590UZ gets off to a solid start. Detail levels are good, especially in lighter areas. The glare from the sun is handled well. There is a small amount of noise showing in the shady areas of the shot, such as where the sun does not reach the names on the boats.
The wider the lens the harder is seems to be for a digital camera to produce crisp scenic shots when the lens is zoomed out. This is the case here too. Perhaps this is not surprising with a minimum focal length of 26mm. I can also detect a small amount of darkness appearing in the corners of the shot.
If you compare this shot to test shots I have taken with other digital cameras you can see the advantage such a long zoom lens gives you. Sharpness is good without being crystal clear, but I would say I am satisfied with focusing when full zoom is used. Purple fringing does show up. If you are looking to make large prints you are likely to need to clean this up before printing.
This is a sharper shot. There is only a small amount of zoom required here and this suggests that focusing is pretty good outside of the extreme use of zoom.
Portraits
I like this shot. Again there is little zoom power required and focusing is good. The colours produce a warm photo. You should be able to knock out plenty of pleasing portrait shots.
The flash unit is quite powerful. This ensures a well lit picture, but also gives quite a lot of reflected light on the face. The camera gives you to option of adjusting the power of the flash, so this is something you can experiment with to get the best possible results. Despite the amount of light I think the SP-590UZ does well to retain a lot of colour in the shot.
Without flash the SP-590UZ is still able to produce a good shot using window light. Noise levels are lower than many cameras manage in this light and this leads to a greater amount of definition showing in the shot.
Macro, Colours and Noise
One benefit of the larger physical size of the lens is that is able to take a good quality close up shot. I am happy with the level of focusing and detail showing in my macro test shot.
Colours are a matter of personal taste. Like other Olympus digital cameras the SP-590UZ produces subtler colours than brands such as Panasonic and Sony tend to.
As you boost ISO levels noise will invariably creep in and become increasingly noticeable the further you increase ISO.
Summary
There are two problems I am used to seeing with this type of lens. These are purple fringing when the lens is fully extended and softer focusing when the lens is zoomed out. The SP-590UZ does suffer from these problems, but handles most photo opportunities well.
Style
The SP-590UZ looks like a small Digital SLR. It has a good sized grip to help you hold the camera steady. It has a matt black finish.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
Turn on Time
0.43 seconds
9.43 seconds
0.59 seconds
17.63 seconds
2.4 seconds
Ease of Use
With all the features this camera offers it will take you a while to get fully up and running. If you are an experienced photographer it should not take too long to find your way around.
Points I Like
Long lens - start up times
Where it Could Improve
Purple fringing - sharper images when zoom is not used
Verdict
I find with these larger cameras there is less difference in the quality of the photos they take. Therefore whether you buy the Olympus SP-590UZ in preference to other similar cameras is likely to come down how you fell about the features and handling. Overall I like this camera and there is little to put me off buying.
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Olympus SP-590 UZ Review Olympus SP-590 UZ Specification Olympus SP-590 UZ Sample Images Olympus SP-590 UZ Features
Review Date
September 2009
