After owning an Olympus C-3030 for a few years and getting several comments on the excellent photo it produced, I was ready to upgrade to something with more features, zoom, resolution and compatibility.

I first purchased a Canon A650-IS bundle for Christmas and was immedaitely displeased with the graininess of indoor shots without the flash. I know Canon makes good digicams, but in the megapixel race, I felt they just crammed too many pixels onto the sensor to produce quality low-light images. So, back it want.

Now, the SP-570UZ is not the ‘be all and end all’ in prosumer-level digital cameras, but for what it is designed to do, it does, for the most part, pretty darned well. The range of the lens alone is fantastic. I can get excellent wide-angle shots and wonderful zoomed close-ups. Perfect for a typical consumer wanting decent quality shots of kid’s sports, snapshots and outdoor landscape photos. The various preset scene modes are fairly good and I’ve done well with sunset/sunrise shots. Read the rest of this entry »

After 5 years with a 5MP Olympus Camedia C-50 with the underwater housing, I decided it was time to upgrade. We only used the underwater housing to protect the camera from the elements when we went sailing. We used it a couple of times to go snorkeling, but it wasn’t worth the bulkiness of the housing.

So, that being said, I went looking for another camera that was waterproof–we could take it on the boat or for the occasional swim without buying an underwater housing. The options were limited with the Pentax and the Olympus. I went for the Olympus because we were happy with the old camera and still have a few xd cards. I went for the 1030sw since it is the latest and greatest. So far I am glad with my choice. Read the rest of this entry »

Olympus Stylus 790 SW
• Desire a quality 7.1 MP resolution point-and-shoot digital camera.
• Camera must be able to take bumps, knocks and falls… and keep working, even in cold temperatures.
• Camera must be weather and waterproof (up to 3m / 10ft).
• Want a compact, JeansPocket™ Certified digital camera (small fashion purse, jeans pocket).
• Have no problem with small buttons and dial as long as they are precise and responsive.
• Able to hold a small camera steady and gentle with shutter release.
• Like the WOW! Factor: this camera makes a fashion statement.

The third generation Olympus SW digital camera, the Olympus Stylus 790 SW, gains a more elegant design in its all-metal brushed silver compact body which is JeansPocket™ Certified. It basically retains its “toughness”: it is shockproof and can internally withstand a 1.5m (5 ft) fall; is waterproof up to 3m (10 ft); and, is freezeproof to -10°C (14°F).

The Stylus 790 SW can be used at the beach, boating on the lake or ocean, hiking, skiing, or just traveling — without worrying about bumps, knocks, rain, mud, sand or dust!

This camera is targeted to Point-and-Shoot photographers, has 7.1MP resolution and a 3x optical zoom. AUTO and 24 Scene Modes simplify shooting. More advanced photographers can also switch to the Programmed AE (P) mode which provides control over ISO (ISO 80 to 1600), WB, exposure compensation, and light metering. Digital Image Stabilization favours a high ISO and fast shutter speed to reduce or eliminate blurring caused by camera shake and/or subject movement (though the use of high ISOs introduce noise and/or loss of image detail).

The large 2.5-in. LCD monitor has a high 230,000 pixels resolution which, together with a fast refresh rate, makes for a clear and smooth display. The LCD monitor gains up in low-light to permit easier composition.
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This is all-purpose digital SLR with live view LCD and professional quality underwater housing system. At this year’s PMA — the Mecca of shows for professional photographers — Olympus product manager Sally Smith Clemens pointed out that in the digital era, unlike in the olden days of film, cameras change very quickly. “In electronics, the technology is constantly evolving, and we want to bring the new innovations to our customers as soon as we can,” Smith Clemens said in an interview with USA Today.

And things indeed change quickly. No sooner did we complete a detailed review of the Olympus Evolt E-330 that the company revealed its 10-megapixel Evolt E-410 and E-510 models. Does that mean the E-330 is already obsolete because its maximum image resolution is 7.5 megapixel instead of 10? Not really. Newer is (almost) always better, but we found the E-330 to be an exemplary digital SLR, one that worked beautifully, took great shots, and, best of all, gave us a chance to test it not only for everyday shooting, but also underwater, in full scuba gear. Above you can see how substantial the waterproof housing is. Yes, we probably took more pictures in the depths of sinkholes, caverns, and rivers than we took on the surface. That’s with the extensive, professional-quality PT-E02 underwater housing, of course, and we’ll get into that.

As is, the Evolt-330 is a formidable camera. It has most of the same technologies used in the just released E-410 and E-510 models, and now that the new cameras are out, the E-330 may come down in price (it was originally more expensive than the two new dSLR offerings).
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The Olympus SP-560UZ
As stated, this camera is all about getting very close with a massive zoom lens, and this dictates the camera’s shape and size. The SP-560UZ is definitely not one of those little slivers that you can stick into any pocket. When you look at the pictures, it looks like a digital SLR, which it is not. Due to this visual association it also looks a lot larger than it actually is. In fact, it measures 4.6 x 3.1 by 3.1 inches and weighs less than a pound.

Special features
You might wonder why with the SP-560UZ Olympus introduced a camera with the same resolution and the same zoom length as one that is already in its lineup, the SP-550UZ. The reason is that the company wanted to include a variety of new features. These are:
* Face Detection Technology tracks faces within the frame. It automatically focuses with Face Detection Auto Foucs, then optimizes exposure with Face Detection Auto Exposure for sharp portraits. Face detection even works if subjects are moving. The camera then continuously tracks the subjects’ faces.
* Shadow Adjustment Technology compensates for difficult lighting situations with subjects in front of bright backgrounds where the shadows on a subject may render the picture unusuable. Shadow adjustment lets you preview and then capture images the way you see them with the naked eye, increasing the detail in highlights and shadows to produce more balanced picture.
* The TruePic III Image Processor reduces graininess in images for sharper, more vivid photos even at high ISO sensitivity settings. It also enhances color and generally improves speed.
* Perfect Shot Preview lets you preview and select various photographic effects on the LCD screen before taking the picture.
* Dual Image Stabilization — this is a big one! The 560 combines the benefits of sensor-shift image stabilization and digital image stabilization for blur-free pictures. In a camera with such a long zoom, this is invaluable.
* A in-camera panorama mode automatically captures three images and stitches them together to create one panoramic picture.
* High Speed Sequential Shooting captures images at 15 frames per second. The number of images varies with image size. Pre-Capture technology works in conjunction with High-Speed Sequential Shooting and lets you capture the action before and after fully pressing the shutter button. Pre-Capture begins working as soon as the focus is locked, automatically archiving five frames in the camera’s buffer memory prior to the shutter release.
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Product Overview
Warranty Olympus Co. 1 Years Service & Spareparts
Pixel 10 MP
Battery Lithium
LCD 2.5″

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU GET.
While you’re shooting at the zoo on a sunny day you’ll want to clearly see what’s on your Live View screen. With the E-510, you can preview and review photos on a high-resolution, 2.5-inch HyperCrystal™ LCD. You’ll see the screen with amazing clarity in bright sunlight and from angles up to 176 degrees.

The Olympus EVOLT E-510 digital SLR is a great camera to help you evolve as a photographer. Only Olympus digital SLRs are engineered to be 100-percent digital. Simply put, this means your pictures will have stunning edge-to-edge sharpness that can’t be beat. Olympus’ Live View LCD technology is a unique feature that enhances your picture-taking experience. Whatever life brings, whatever you’re photographing, you’ll capture colorful memories with the E-510’s proven Dust Reduction System and powerful, 10-megapixel imager.

YOUR LIFE IN LIVE VIEW.
We innovated Live-View LCD screens on our digital SLRs to make your shooting experience better. At Olympus, we trust what our customers have told us and we’ve learned that Live View technology will enrich your photography experience in any situation, from any angle. Read the rest of this entry »

OLYMPUS E-510 DSLR Review
The low-down: This digital single lens reflex is built around the Four Thirds system of sensor (10 megapixels) and lens, pioneered by Olympus. The camera has “live view”, meaning that the LCD screen can be selected as the viewfinder – and the implementation on the E-510 is an improvement over the earlier versions on the 300 series cameras. There is no body-top camera status LCD, and the viewfinder is not the brightest, but over all construction quality is good. The camera is smaller and lighter than the competition and the kit lens (28?84mm film equivalent) is very light indeed. There is in-body image stabilisation and auto sensor cleaning when the camera is turned off.

Like: The image quality is excellent. Pictures are sharp and detailed which is probably partly due to the sensor being smaller than on other DSLRs, because a smaller sensor tends to give greater depth of field at any given focal length. We liked the consistency of image quality, including focus, resolution and colour. We found no bleeding in areas of solid colours and detail was well preserved even in red and yellow patches. On board flash performance is good.

Dislike: Auto white balance is not reliable in some situations, such as late afternoon light. The viewfinder is really dim, and we are not convinced that removing camera status indicators from the body top is a good move. No doubt it saves money, and the LCD information read-out is comprehensive and gives easy access to most camera settings, but we’ve got used to status screens on top.

Verdict: This is a camera we would recommend to anyone who wants the image quality of a good SLR without having to think too much. It’s light weight will also appeal. And now that Panasonic/Leica is in the Four Thirds camp there should be some cheaper third party lenses coming onto the market. Olympus have fitted a CF card slot as well as their own xD slot, which makes sense because CF cards are cheaper and available everywhere.

This is the Full Specification

Lens mount: Four Thirds

Body material: Glass reinforced plastics

Image Sensor
Effective pixels: 10 Megapixels
Filter array: Primary colour filter (RGB)
Full resolution: 10.9 Megapixels
Type: 4/3” Live MOS sensor
Aspect ratio & area: 4:3 / 17.3 x 13.0mm
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