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Olympus SP-590UZ 12MP Digital Camera with 26X Wide Angle Optical Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 2.7 inch LCD | 
| Brand: Olympus
Category: Photography
Department: Cameras & Camcorders
List Price: $399.99
Buy New: $317.99
as of 7/31/2010 11:12 CDT details
You Save: $82.00 (21%)
New (13) Used (2) Refurbished (3) from $279.00
Seller: Great Prices Check It Out
Rating:  45 reviews
Sales Rank: 2476
Color: Black
Media: Electronics
Autographed: No
Memorabilia: No
Batteries Included: Yes
Optical Zoom: 26
Display Size: 2.70
Battery: 1 Rechargeable Li-ion
Maximum Focal Length: 119.6
Minimum Focal Length: 4.6
Maximum Resolution: 121
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 4.3 x 3.9 x 3.5
MPN: 226755
Model: SP-590UZ
UPC: 050332168497
EAN: 0050332168497
ASIN: B001P06Q66
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Features:
| • | 12-megapixel resolution for photo-quality, poster-size prints | | • | 26x wide-angle optical dual image stabilized zoom | | • | Pre-capture scene modes: Multiple Exposure, Soft Background Focus and Beauty Mode | | • | 2.7-inch Advanced HyperCrystal III LCD screen | | • | Compatible with xD Picture Cards and microSD memory cards (not included) |
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| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Capture every detail—even from far away—with the SP-590 Ultra-Zoom. Its amazing 26x wide-angle optical zoom is the longest, most powerful in the world. Get sharp shots with Dual Image Stabilization. It's the perfect point-and-shoot camera for sports, outdoor and travel photography—or for anyone who wants an all-in-one compact camera that takes stunning pictures.26X WIDE-ANGLE ZOOM LENS (F2.8-F5.0 26-676mm equivalent)
The powerful, ultra-compact lens gives you unmatched shooting versatility. The amazing 26x optical zoom on the SP-590UZ brings you closer to the action, and the wide-angle lens captures more in your picture. DUAL IMAGE STABILIZATION.
Forget about blurry shots with this 2-in-1 anti-blur solution. Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization compensates for camera shake to keep your shots steady while Digital Image Stabilization captures crisp, clear images in any situation. ADVANCED FACE DETECTION.
Tracks up to 16 faces and automatically focuses and optimizes exposures for sharp, brilliant portrait pictures. HIGH-SPEED SEQUENTIAL SHOOTING.
Take several shots in rapid succession with just one click with the SP-590UZ. With a burst rate of up to 10 fps (3MP), you can practically freeze time to capture every moment of the action. PRE-CAPTURE.
As soon as the focus is locked, Pre-Capture automatically archives ten frames (3MP) before fully pressing the button to capture the perfect shot. FEATURES:
- Shoot telephoto (up to 26x optical zoom), wide-angle (26mm equivalent) and macro (as close as 1cm) with the SP-590UZ.
- Dual Image Stabilization combines Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization with high ISO sensitivity and fast shutter speeds to capture crisp, clear images in any situation.
- Face Detection automatically focuses on your subjects' faces and optimizes exposure for sharp, brilliant portrait pictures.
- With one click, take several shots in rapid succession. With a
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 45
 Very versitile compact digital camera July 6, 2010
David Siegfried (Chicago, IL United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I have had this camera for about three months now and have had a chance to take photographs in many different situations. Olympus is currently the leader in the ultra-zoom compact digital market. (I don't like to call these cameras point-and-shoot, because the features are as advanced as many SLR cameras.) In my opinion, this is one of the most versatile compact digital cameras available right now, although it does have its drawbacks. Here are the pros and cons of this model:
Pros:
The lens range. The ultra-zoom lens is the main feature of this camera and the reason most people are considering this model. It has an effective zoom of 26-626mm, which is the largest range of any zoom I have ever used. I don't know of any SLR lenses that have such a wide zoom range. Plus the 5x digital zoom increases the effective focal length to a ridiculous 3130mm. It is generally inadvisable to use digital zoom, however I used it for a moon shot and got excellent results (see my photo under customer images) so don't fully discount this feature. In addition, the lens is relatively light and only extends out 2.5" at maximum magnification. And it does all this with a relatively fast f/2.8.
Controls. This camera has all the controls of a full-featured camera, from fully automatic to manual control of just about everything. I won't run down all the different settings, but it has shutter speed ranging from 1/2000 second to 15 seconds, and ISO from 64 to 6400. It has two macro modes for extreme close-up photography and several modes of auto-focus as well as full manual focus. This makes it very versatile for both the novice and experienced photographer.
Image Size. 12 megapixels is at the high end of compact digital cameras. The images at full resolution are huge, large enough to be printed at 11 x 17. I mostly display my images on screen so the advantage for me is that they can be re-sized to increase sharpness and reduce noise. (Pushing the size to 12 megapixels does seem to introduce more noise in the image.)
Viewfinder. It has a very large 2.7" LCD viewer as well as a true viewfinder (something many compact digitals are doing away with these days).
Menu. The Menu is pretty straightforward, there aren't multiple levels to have to bury through.
Image Quality. The image quality is quite good, particularly at ISO 64 and in the wide and mid-range of the lens. Sharpness leaves something to be desired, however, and drops off noticeably at the long end of the zoom (see cons).
Ease of use. The camera does not have a steep learning curve, and feels good in the hand. The controls are not all that complicated, especially for an experienced photographer graduating from an earlier model (I am moving up from an Olympus C-5050 Zoom and this camera is a joy to use by comparison.)
Flash. I am not a fan of most images produced with a built-in flash, however the flash is decent, produces more natural colors than my previous C-5050 and I like the fact that the flash is never engaged unless it is popped up.
New Modes. This camera has some new modes such as Beauty Mode and 14 different scene modes. Being an experienced photographer I like to have control of the way the camera shoots, so I probably won't use these much, and can't give an opinion of them except that the Beauty Mode does do a nice job of softening face wrinkles.
Cons:
Lens sharpness. This zoom lens is a joy to use however the images it produces are not nearly as sharp and clear as I would like. Of course when you pay under $400 for the entire camera, there has to be some trade-offs in the optics. This built-in lens is never going to rival any of the high-end SLR glass from Canon or Nikon. The lens is not crisply sharp at any focal length: at the wide end there is noticeable softening of the image around the edges; the lens performs pretty well in the low to mid-range of the zoom but image quality at the far end of the zoom is equivalent to a cheap telephoto, with quite a bit of chromatic aberration. These imperfections can be compensated for my shooting at the full 12mp and then reducing the image size in Photoshop. Then sharpening must be performed to make the images look good. You can get some really great shots, just don't expect full professional quality with this lens.
Noise. The noise levels are a lot worse than I would like, beginning at ISO 200. ISO 400 is pretty poor, and starting at ISO 800 the images are really unacceptable in my opinion. ISO 1600 is just terrible, but for some reason the image quality improves at ISO 3200. I had hoped for better low-light performance with this camera, so don't buy it if that is your goal or else stick with the flash when shooting indoors.
Quick Menu. Although the menu is greatly improved over my C-5050, the quick menu seems to be lacking. I wish more of the controls were easily accessable, particularly exposure compensation +/-. My previous Olympus had a dedicated button for that.
No RAW mode. It really bothers me that camera manufacturers are leaving RAW mode out of the newer cameras. I am sure that the image quality of this camera could be improved if the RAW versions of the photos were available. Image processing in a camera is never going to match what you can do with Photoshop. Casual users usually skip RAW, however I think they should keep RAW mode available for enthusiasts like myself. This is a high-end camera, it should have RAW mode!
Static LCD. The LCD doesn't pivot or move in any way. My old C-5050 had a pivoting LCD and I'm disappointed they didn't retain this feature. It comes in handy in tight spots.
Movie Mode. It's only standard resolution but the videos look very good so that's not really a con for me.
Conclusions: This is a highly versatile and fun to use camera, particularly the zoom. Although the lack of sharpness in the optics was a disappointment initially, when the images are re-sized and sharpened they can be quite spectacular. I have impressed my friends and family with the images I have obtained with this camera, particularly the macro and long shots. (Please see the photos I uploaded for examples; my descriptions all end with my initials, DJS.)
Although these are not professional grade optics or sensor, the SP-590UZ is a great piece of equipment for the price. It's a take-anywhere-do-anything camera. I'm finding it a pleasure to use and I highly recommend it for all outdoor hobbyist type of shooting, where it excels preferably at ISO 64 or ISO 100, or indoors with a flash. Look elsewhere if your shooing situations are primarily indoors and/or low-light situations.
Final note: Olympus came out with an even longer 30x zoom, the [Olympus SP-800UZ 14MP Digital Camera with 30x Wide Angle Dual Image Stabilized Zoom and 3.0 inch LCD]. But they dumbed it down with exposure control being strictly automatic and there is no viewfinder. As opposed to this camera, it's a true point-and-shoot.
 Like a SLR camera June 6, 2010
Juan Sousa (Venezuela)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
It's a very versatile camera. It have a lot of functions, so it works as a professional camera. Is very useful to persons who like take pictures with a personal touch, without the newest automatic features, although this camera have it!!!
Good for what it's for... May 27, 2010
smartypants (HotterthanaHabanjero, TX USA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This camera is great at doing what it was meant to do: Combine a decent zoom feature in a small-bodied, hand-held, relatively cheap package.
It is inexpensive enough that I can take it on vacation without worrying too much about breaking it or having it stolen. It takes great photos close-up and pretty darn good ones from a distance. It is not a professional photography setup, OBVIOUSLY, so if you are looking for a professional quality camera, look elsewhere.
However, this is a very nice crossover camera or compromise if you are tired of the snapshot quality of your amateur photos due to limited control of an automatic camera, but don't want to spend a thousand bucks on a camera and lenses you only use occasionally.
Pros:
+ One camera does it all on vacation, without having to worry about switching lenses for wildlife photos.
+ Price point is great, when you consider the quality and convenience.
+ It has a real viewfinder, so when the light is weird, you are not totally dependent on the LCD panel (which is large and in color BTW).
Cons:
- Batteries die and die and die some more. Automatic lenses eat batteries - it's a fact. However, this thing is a total battery hog. Even just turning the camera on engages the lense! Why on Earth?!
- You can't turn it on at all without removing the lense cap, not even just to view photos in the memory.
- The battery door hinge is right next to the connector for a tripod mount, almost touching it, so you CAN NOT change the batteries without upsetting your tripod setup. You can't do stop-motion with this thing at all because of this limitation.
My advice? Buy it! But also get a large camera case, so you can fit in all the extra batteries you'll need to pack. (I bought the special case for this camera and it is way too small.) And DEFINITELY invest in a bunch of rechargeables with a car charger.
I am actually very pleased with the camera, even with its limitations, because of its flexibility and the low price-point. You get a lot of bang for your buck, even if you do have to mess with batteries a lot.
Great camera May 4, 2010
Darlene Gray (San Lorenzo, New Mexico, USA)
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
I'm very happy with this camera. It has many features and I'm still learning to use them all. The physical size is wonderful which makes it easy to take everywhere and the pictures are great.
pleased with Olympus sp590uz April 22, 2010
James W. Hepp
This has more features than the Nikon L110. I had one of those first and thelense when extended locked 3 times in the first24 hrs I had it , so back it went and I ordered an Olympus. It has more features. It has threads at the end of the lense housing that I bought an adapter that allows me to transfer all my slides to a memory card to put them on the computer and then to a flash drive. It works great
Showing reviews 1-5 of 45
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