Olympus goes big with 26x zoom SP-590 UZ

[David Rasnake]

Not to be outdone in the quest for more range by Kodak's 24x optical zoom foray, Olympus has upped the ultrazoom bar yet again this week with the announcement of the Olympus SP-590 UZ.

If you thought Kodak's 24x, 26mm wide-angle Schneider-Kreuznach glass was excessive, brace yourself: the SP-590 UZ (for "ultra zoom") comes packing what is, to our knowledge, the most wide-ranging single lens currently available in a point-and-shoot. The camera's 26x (!) optic covers the equivalent of 26-676mm, and does so with quick maximum apertures of f/2.8-5.0.

After that bombshell, all other specs for this camera may well be secondary, but Olympus has done a respectable job of outfitting the rest of the SP-590 all the same. The 12 megapixel SP uses a 2.7 inch HyperCrystal II LCD for shot composition duties, and offers Olympus's trademark Shadow Adjustment Technology as well. Other features include face detection, compatibility with Olympus's range of wireless-ready external flash units, and a high-speed TruePic III processor that claims to provide faster sequential shooting and better high ISO performance.

In addition to its generous flash control options, the SP-590 should appeal to advanced and advancing photographers with a full complement of manual exposure controls that includes aperture and shutter priority modes. Twenty-nine total shooting modes also encompass several "artistic" scene modes inspired by the Olympus E-30, including a multiple exposure mode (for compositing two or more shots into a single frame) and a setting for softening backgrounds.

Of course, Dual Image Stabilization (using both mechanical and ISO boost methods) is essentially a must for a camera with this kind of zoom range.

All things considered, while Olympus is unquestionably a masterful builder of zoom lenses, the SP-590's lens does raise some obvious questions about performance and image quality. Built around 14 lenses in 11 groups – including 4 aspherical lenses and 3 ED elements – the lens's compact design will no doubt appeal to space-saving shooters. But with nearly 700mm of reach at the long end and an extremely wide 26mm at the other, the optical compromises are almost certain to manifest themselves in the images to some degree. Just how much, though, is the open question at this point.

We're hoping to get our hands on one of these before the day is over, and maybe even sneak in some shooting. Stay tuned...

Pricing and availability
The Olympus SP-590 UZ is slated for retail release in March, with an estimated street price of around $450.

Olympus SP-590 UZ Specifications

Sensor	12.0 megapixel (effective), 1/2.33" CCD
Zoom	26x (26-676mm) zoom, f/2.8-5.0
LCD/Viewfinder	2.7", 230K-pixel HyperCrystal LCD with five steps of brightness adjustment
Sensitivity	ISO 80-1600
Shutter Speed	15-1/2000 seconds
Shooting Modes	Auto, Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual, My Mode, Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization, Beauty Mode, Scene, Movie
Scene Presets	Portrait, Landscape, Sport, Night Scene, Night Portrait, Indoor, Candle, Sunset, Fireworks, Multi-Firework, Cuisine, Documents, Smile Shot, Beach & Snow, Bird Watching, Pre-Capture Movie, Quick Shutter, Soft Background
White Balance Settings	iESP 2 Auto, One-Touch, Daylight, Overcast, Tungsten, Fluorescent 1, Fluorescent 2, Fluorescent 3, White Balance Compensation
Metering Modes	Digital ESP, Spot, Center-Weighted, Face Detection AE
Focus Modes	iESP Auto, Spot AF, Selective AF Target, Face Detection AF, Full-Time AF, Predictive AF, AF Lock, Manual Focus
Drive Modes	Not Specified
Flash Modes	Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Fill-in, Fill-in + Red-Eye Reduction, Slow Synchro 1, Slow Synchro 1 + Red-Eye Reduction, Slow Synchro 2, Off
Self Timer Settings	Not Specified
Memory Formats	xD-Picture Card, MicroSD
Internal Memory	Not Specified
File Formats	JPEG, AVI
Max. Image Size	3968x2976
Max. Video Size	640x480, 30 fps
Zoom During Video	Not Specified
Battery	4 AA batteries
Connections	Multi-Terminal (USB, A/V out), DC in, HD out
Additional Features	Dual Image Stabilization, TruePic III processor, Face Detection, Perfect Shot Preview, Shadow Adjustment Technology

[leaftye]

Geez, it almost seems pointless for binoculars and telescopes to exist with the way zoom lenses are progressing in this class of camera.

It's too bad they didn't upgrade the viewfinder or lcd with more pixels to help justify a street price that could be $450. I keep thinking that's dslr pricing right there, but I have to remind myself that a big zoom lens along for a dslr would cost much more than this camera.

David, when you guys test this, would you please try finding out if filters can be used on the front of the lens? I've been looking at some of these longer slr-like cameras, but I can't give up being able to protect the front of my lens with a uv filter.

[Andy Stanton]

I'm concerned about the small size of the sensor. A 1/2.33 inch sensor may produce acceptable images with 8 or 10 mp but 12 mp?

[B_E_N]

Among attractive features, the RAW format ought to be mentioned.

Now we just have to work up the patience to wait till march (?) to get it tested.

The rather small sensor is one concern (as Andy Stanton points out), and
the lens performance is another - considering that extreme range -
- how serious are the inevitable tradeoffs ?

What about lag time (someone mentioned earlier models from Olympus w horrendous lag) ?

What about zooming during filming ? Image stabilisation during filming ?



Bottom line ; this one looks extremely intresting - on paper - but really,
the IMAGE QUALITY is above anything else.

I can't wait...

[SoCalRich]

Bottom line ; this one looks extremely interesting - on paper - but really,
the IMAGE QUALITY is above anything else.

I can't wait...

That pretty well sums it up... We will see come March...

[leaftye]

I'm concerned about the small size of the sensor. A 1/2.33 inch sensor may produce acceptable images with 8 or 10 mp but 12 mp?

I want to see how long that big zoom lens stays near f2.8. The Canon SX10is looks to be pretty bad about this, so hopefully Olympus hasn't made the same mistake.

[Cindy48]

Does anyone know if the 590uz is threaded for filters? I love to shoot waterfalls and streams and like to add CP and ND filters. Thanks, Cindy.