Overview
The Olympus SP-600UZ is a cheaper offering for someone looking for plenty of zoom power (15x). The lens is wide angle and the SP-600UZ has 12 megapixels. There are plenty of features thrown in for the price. These include High Definition movies, image stabilisation, plus the ability to fine tune your photos by adjusting settings for sharpness, contrast and saturation.
Olympus has also built in 1GB of storage. This is far more than most digital cameras offer and allows you to store in the region of 300 photos. Another area where this camera is different is that it runs on AA batteries.
With so many features at a low price something has to give somewhere. In my opinion it is picture quality. The SP-600UZ handles standard snapshots, but as you begin to push it harder you are likely to see a dip in quality in your photos.
The SP600-UZ is certainly cheaper than many of its direct rivals. A question worth asking before buying is whether you are prepared to pay extra for better picture quality.
Main Features
Megapixels:
Zoom:
LCD Screen:
Dimensions:
Weight:
12
15x
2.7 inches
109.9 x 72.2 x 75.1 mm
433g
Macro:
HD Movies:
Manual Controls:
Batteries:
Memory Cards:
1cm
Yes
No
AA
SD / SDHC
Image Quality - See Sample Images Below
Outdoor Scenic Shots in Good Light
Pushing the SP-600UZ to its limits uncovers a few concerns. The most worrying comes up in my third outdoor shot. This is where the lens is fully extended. The shot is soft. I am unimpressed with the focusing in this shot. Add into that that the brightest areas of the photo suffer from purple and also green fringing. This is caused by imperfections in the lens.
While it is true that almost all cameras with longer lenses suffer from a degree of fringing I am not used to seeing it on this level. The loss of sharpness is also greater than shown by other cameras with a similar length of lens.
Going back to my first outdoor photo there is a loss of colour in the sky. The sky is a very bright area. This is another hint that the SP-600UZ struggles to show detail in the lightest areas of a scene. This is especially true when the scene has a lot of contrast in it.
My test shot with the lens zoomed all the way out is better. Fringing is less of a problem. Sharpness is better too, although this does fade in the most distant parts of the shot.
Portraits
Working closer in seems to suit the SP-600UZ. My three portrait shots are all relatively problem free. The outdoor shot is fairly standard. Colours are about right and there is a crisp look to the shot.
In lower light there is plenty of power on offer from the flash unit. This creates a bright portrait shot. The light is evenly distributed throughout the shot.
With the flash turned off the camera is still able to produce an acceptable portrait. It lacks the brightness of the shot with flash, but this is an area most cameras find a challenge.
Macro, Colours and Noise
My macro shot suffers from reflection from the silver colour around the lens. Even so I can see enough quality to suggest this camera is able to produce good quality macro shots.
The colours produced by this and other Olympus digital cameras are mid range when it comes to power. I did feel one or two of my photos had a slightly dull look to them.
I found no noise issues to really concern me. Noise will always show up as the light gets lower, but this is an area where the SP-600UZ works well in good light.
Summary
Although I do accept this is a cheaper option, I am left with the feeling that picture quality could be better. My biggest concern is how the SP-600UZ handles the brighter areas of each photo and the loss of sharpness when the lens is fully extended.
Style
Olympus have based the design of the SP-600UZ around a Digital SLR. It is larger than a number of its direct competitors.
Shutter Lag Times
Single Shot
Five Shots
Single Shot With Flash
Five Shots With Flash
Turn on Time
0.46 seconds
10.18 seconds
0.51 seconds
12.33 seconds
3.03 seconds
Ease of Use
Current settings down the right had side of the LCD screen. This really helps when it comes to ease of use. On top of this it makes changing the settings a lot quicker. Olympus have also built in a manual to help you get the most out of the camera.
Points I Like
1GB of built in memory - built in manual
Where it Could Improve
Picture quality
Product Shots
Front View
Back View
Top View
Sample Menus
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Related Pages
Olympus SP-600UZ Review Olympus SP-600UZ Specification Olympus SP-600UZ Sample Images Olympus SP-600UZ Features
Review Date
July 2010
