Olympus SP-570 UZ

CONS Had to buy funky XD memory card instead of standard SD I already had a few of Lens cap comes off too easily, subjecting lens to ruinous scratching risk--reflects badly on all OLYMPUS products They say… video is subpar, but I rarely use it for that PROS Awesome 20x zoom Wonderful dual stabilization of image (does not seem to work on super macro, don't know about macro) Very good feel in hands LOVE the trade off of manual zoom only in order to substantially extend battery life Love the quick button that changes or temporarily eliminates picture data, allowing you to see the whole image Pre-set options for various types of point and shoot images overly abundant for most users--fabulous Also love the trade off of learning to remember to pop up the flash manually only, in order to extend battery life (some pic modes will remind you on screen to press the button to pop up the flash) Make sure you immediately get and carry photo lens tissues in your camera bag; don't want to scratch that lens. And get a bag big enough to carry fresh batts too.

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I have quite a bit of money invested in the Olympus system. My first foray into serious digital photography began when I bought the Olympus C-700 UZ super zoom camera. Soon after I started taking indoor… photos, I realized the built in flash was not enough. I bought separate flash units made by Olympus and I migrated right on up to the most powerful unit they make which was the FL-50 Flash with a hot shoe connection to the camera body. To use the flash with the C-700 I had to buy a synch cable and flash bracket with a hot shoe to connect it to the flash. The TTL flash metering system makes sure the exposure is right every time because the feedback to the flash unit comes right through the lens used to take the photo. The flash has become the most important piece of equipment I use in my photography because without good lighting you cannot get good photos. So my first consideration each time I buy an Olympus camera is does it have a hot shoe for the flash? I sold the C-700 and bought a C-750. I sold that after a while and migrated to the C-770. I kept the C-770 and I also bought an E-Volt 330 which is my main camera now for event photography. However I still like to have a compact camera to go out with which is why I kept the C-770. This camera was the last of the C series super zooms. Olympus then came out with the SP series of super zooms. Some had a hot shoe some do not. Olympus goes in cycles with their super zooms as to whether or not to include hot shoe, which is what I need to connect to the FL-50 flash. The SP-570-UZ has a hot shoe the SP-565 and SP-560 do not. The new SP-590 has a radio remote flash trigger to work with the new FL-50R flash that can be triggered by radio signals. I think Olympus has moved away from the hot shoe connection for good. So now was the time for me to buy the SP-570-UZ which has a hot shoe. I am of course very pleased with the camera, but I do not think it has an adapter for the Olympus wide angle lens attachment like my C-770. I know it can take the telephoto lens using the CLA-10 adapter tube. I am still happy to have this camera. It is very compact and easy to take along on trips without feeling like I am lugging around a brick.

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Eventually, digital photography will offer the same quality as film, but until that happens this camera is the perfect compromise for a film guy getting into digital. Nobody needs to explain the concept of… "optical stabilization" to a film guy, and this camera has it. Also, this fully automatic camera can go to fully manual with just the touch of a buttom. There's enough megapixels (10), to statisfy a film guy's need for "acceptable quality". But someday, there will be a digital camera with 26 to 28 megapixels . . . . Please Note: If you buy this Olympus camera buy the Olympus flash (FL-50R). The two were made for each other. And, with a telephoto lens the built-in flash is not sufficient.

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