Olympus SP-590UZ Review

4.5

April 2, 2009 | Mark Goldstein |

Buy a SP-590UZ 12 Megapixel Bridge Camera - Black (6.9 cm 2.7" LCD - 26x Optical Zoom - 640 x 480 Video - HDMI - PictBridge)

Lowest Price: N/A

Buy a SP-590UZ 12 Megapixel Bridge Camera - Black (2.7" LCD - 26x Optical Zoom - 3968 x 2976 Image - 640 x 480 Video - HDMI - PictBridge)

Lowest Price: $218.73

Specifications

Image Sensor
Effective pixels	12 Megapixels
Filter array	Primary colour filter (RGB)
Full resolution	12.7 Megapixels
Type	1/2.33 '' CCD sensor
Lens
Optical zoom	26 x (WIDE)
Aspherical glass elements	4
Filter diamater	57 mm Use CLA-11 to attach conversion lens.
Focal length	4.6 - 119.6 mm
Focal length (equiv. 35mm)	26 - 676 mm
Structure	14 lenses / 11 groups
Maximum aperture	2.8 - 5.0
Digital Zoom
Enlargment factor	5 x / 130 x combined with optical zoom
LCD
Resolution	230000 dots
Monitor size	6.9 cm / 2.7 ''
LCD type	HyperCrystal II LCD
Frame assistance	Yes
Brightness adjustment	+/- 2 levels
Viewfinder
Viewfinder type	Electronical viewfinder
Diopter adjustment	Yes
Field of view	Approx. 100 %
Focusing System
Method	TTL iESP auto focus with contrast detection
Spot focusing	Yes , 143 AF areas selectable
Face Detection AF	Yes
Predictive AF	Yes
Manual focus	Yes
Standard mode	0.1m - ∞ (wide) / 1.7m - ∞ (tele)
Makro mode	0.1m - ∞ (wide) / 1.7m - ∞ (tele)
Super Macro mode	Closest focusing distance: 1 cm
AF illuminator	Yes
Light Metering
ESP light metering	Yes
Spot metering	Yes
Centre weighted metering	Yes
Histogram in shooting mode	Yes
Exposure System
Shutter speed	1/2 - 1/2000 s / < 8min (Bulb mode) / < 4 s (Night scene)
Exposure compensation	+/- 2 EV / 1/3 steps
Exposure bracketing	5 frames / +/- 1/3, 2/3, 1 EV steps
Enhancement function	Image Stabilisation Mode Shadow Adjustment Technology Advanced Face Detection Technology
Exposure Modes
Auto	Yes
Programme automatic	Yes
Aperture priority	Yes
Shutter priority	Yes
Manual	Yes
My Mode	Yes
Beauty	Yes
Scene Modes
Number of scene modes	19
Portrait	Yes
Landscape	Yes
Sports	Yes
Night Scene	Yes
Night Scene with portrait	Yes
Indoor	Yes
Candle	Yes
Sunset	Yes
Fireworks	Yes
Multi Fireworks	Yes
Multi-Exposure	Yes
Cuisine	Yes
Documents	Yes
Smile Shot	Yes
Beach and Snow	Yes
Bird Watching	Yes
Pre-Capturing Movie	Yes
Quick Shutter	Yes
Soft Background	Yes
Sensitivity
Auto	AUTO / High AUTO Automatically selected
Manual	ISO 64, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200, 6400 * In reduced pixel mode
White Balance
AUTO WB system	Yes
Overcast	Yes
Sunlight	Yes
Tungsten	Yes
Flourescent 1	Yes
Flourescent 2	Yes
Flourescent 3	Yes
Manual White balance (One-Touch)	Yes
White balance adjustment	-7 Red +7 Blue
Internal Flash
Working range (wide)	0.3 - 9 m (ISO 800)
Working range (tele)	1.7 - 5 m (ISO 800)
Flash compensation	+/- 2 EV
Modes	AUTO, Red-eye reduction, Fill-in, Off, Red-eye reduction & Fill-in, Slow synchronisation, Slow synchronisation with red-eye reduction, Slow synchronisation 2nd curtain
External Flash Control
Type	Wireless flash
Compatible external flash	FL-50R, FL-36R
Sequence Shooting
Sequential shooting mode (high speed)	10 fps / 25 frames (in 3MP mode) 6 fps / 25 frames (in 5MP mode)
Interval shooting	Yes
Image Processing
Noise reduction	Yes
Pixel mapping	Yes
TruePic III	Yes
Shading compensation	Yes
Sharpness + Contrast	+/- 5 levels
Contrast	+/- 5 levels
Saturation	+/- 5 levels
Function Processing
Panorama	Yes
Movie Processing
Image Stabilisation Mode	Yes Sensor shift (with sound off)
Image Editing
Black & White	Yes
Sepia	Yes
Face Focus	Yes
Center Focus	Yes
Resize	Yes
Trimming	Yes
Attach a calendar	Yes
Correction of brightness	Yes
Beauty Fix	Yes
Red-eye reduction	Yes
Shadow Adjustment	Yes
Movie Edit
Edit movie	Yes
Index	Yes
Still Image Cropping	Yes
View Images
Calendar	Yes
Index	4, 9, 16, 25 frames
Zoom	1.1 - 10 x
Slide show	Yes
Rotation	Yes
Image protect mode	Yes
Histogram in playback mode	Yes
Voice playback	Yes
View Movie
Frame by frame	Yes
Fast forward	Yes
Reverse playback	Yes
Index jump	Yes
Voice playback	Yes
Still Image Recording
DCF	Yes
RAW	No
EXIF	2.21
PIM	III
DPS	PictBridge
DPOF	Yes
Movie Recording System
Recording format	AVI Motion JPEG®
Sound recording	Yes , format: WAV
Movie quality	640 x 480 / 30 fps Recording time: Up to card capacity (40s with 30fps when xD standard type is used) 640 x 480 / 15 fps Recording time: Up to card capacity 320 x 240 / 30 fps Recording time: Up to card capacity Note: maximum file size 2GB
Voice Appendage
Recording format	Wave format
Recording length	4 s
Memory
Internal memory	22 MB for image data
Image Size
12M	3968 x 2976
5M	2560 x 1920
3M	2048 x 1536
2M	1600 x 1200
1M	1280 x 960
VGA	640 x 480
16:9	3968 x 2232 1920 x 1080
Menu
Menu languages in camera	39 languages (Japanese, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese (BR + PT), German, Italian, Russian, Czech, Dutch, Danish, Polish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Croatian, Slovenian, Hungarian, Greek, Slovak, Turkish, Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Serbian, Korean, Simple Chinese, Traditional Chinese,Thai, Arabic, Bulgarian, Romanian, Persian, Indonesian, Hebrew, Malay, Vietnamese)
Interface
Speaker	Yes
DC input	Yes
Combined A/V & USB output	Yes
USB 2.0 High Speed	Yes
HDMI™	Yes
Other Features
Mechanical Image Stabilizer	Yes
Advanced Face Detection Technology	Yes
Pre-Capturing Movie	Yes
Self timer	2 / 12 s
In-Camera Panorama	Yes
Perfect Shot Preview	Yes
Menu guide	Yes
Size
Dimensions (W x H x D)	110.1 x 89.7 x 91.0 mm
Weight	435 g (without battery and card)