Digital Cameras Ratings: Olympus SP-500 UZ Ultra Zoom 6MP Digital Camera with 10x Optical Zoom Review

Average Reviews:
4.1 out of 5 stars

(More customer reviews)I've had the Olympus SP-500 for about five days.I started out taking simple portrait shots and was pleased with the quality.

Today was the real test of why I bought the Olympus SP-500 - the ability to zoom in close and catch action shots at my daughter's soccer games.The result?I'm very impressed.No 'action blur' to be seen, the pictures look great, and with the 10x optical zoom there was no need to keep running around the sidelines trying to get up close to the players.

I was concerned about comments I've read about other cameras with a high level of zoom needing image stabilization (or otherwise the zoom would be worthless).Not the case here.No image stabilization on this camera and the pictures look great.Just remember to put the scene setting on 'Sport' rather than leaving the setting on 'Auto' when taking action shots.

I've played with video mode and liked the result.The controls are easy to reach and the menu system was easy to understand.Having a dedicated 'trash' button is a nice touch.And with manual controls and the ability to add additional lenses, I think I have a camera that can grow with my abilities.

I'll post again if I run into any negatives.For now, I couldn't be happier.

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Product Description:
Power and VersatilityA powerful 10x optical zoom gets you deeper into detail while a ton of advanced manual and impressive automatic features let you dig even deeper. Shoot with speed. Make adjustments with ease. Extend your options via additional lenses with gusto. From simple one-touch buttons for printing and deleting images to an intuitive menu providing the means towards full creative control, the SP-500 UZ is designed to meet all demands. Bring your subject within view or zoom in tight for a great close-up with the 10x optical/50x total zoom. A 6 megapixel CCD lets you capture and print stunning pictures, even above 11"x14". You'll discover bigger is better when you view and share pictures on the large 2.5" LCD. Print directly from PictBridge-enabled printers with the simple connection of a USB cable and the simple touch of the EASYPRINT button. Your options are always open with 27 manual and automatic shooting modes, including 21 different scene modes like Snow, Sports and Night Scene. Switch things up by adding a conversion lens via the threaded lens barrel. Camera speed and image quality receive a great boost thanks to the exclusive TruePic TURBO Image Processor. Precision-crafted lenses help you capture crystal clear, colorful pictures you'll be begging to show off. Record QuickTime movies with audio to capture a moment in motion. My Mode option lets you customize your personal shooting preferences so you don't have to manually change settings every time you shoot. Easily erase pictures displayed on the LCD with a single "Trash" button on the back of the camera. Go extremely in-depth - as close as 3cm/1.18" to your subject - with Super Macro mode. Lock the focus on a particular subject with AF Lock. Set the Oracle AF function and let the camera automatically set the focus on subjects traveling towards o