The Olympus SP-570 is a 10 megapixel digital camera with a 20x optical zoom lens. This is the longest lens currently available on a consumer digital camera.

Why Buy the Olympus SP-570?

I guess I’m stating the obvious when I say the main attraction of the SP-570 is the long zoom lens. This length of zoom usually comes in handy for wildlife and sporting subjects. In addition to the length of the lens, the camera also has manual exposure controls. For anyone who is use to handing an SLR camera you may be interested to hear that the lens is zoomed in and out by twisting the lens barrel rather than the more typical method of pushing buttons on the back of the camera.

As you would expect with a lens this size, the SP-570 offers image stabilisation. The lens has a focal length equivalent to 26 – 520mm in 35mm format. This makes the lens wide angle and makes it ideal for shooting wide scenes, such as landscapes. The camera also comes with a set of manual exposure controls. Therefore this camera is a good choice for someone who sees photography as a hobby.

Image Quality Olympus SP-570 test shots

Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)

The SP-570 certainly handles the lighter colours well in this shot with plenty of detail showing in the boats and also in the white wooden slats under the roof of the building.

There is also impressive levels of detail showing in the in some of the more lightly shaded areas. Focusing is sharp with the brickwork of the building standing out well.

Colours have a gentler feel to them than many of the digital cameras I have tested recently.

Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)

This is another fair effort. Sharpness stands up well considering the distance between the camera and the scene. You can also see the benefit of the wide angle lens with plenty of the scene showing in the shot.

Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)

With the lens zoomed into to its maximum capacity purple fringing becomes quite evident. This will be more of a problem when taking photos with light coloured objects in the scene, such as the boats in the test shot. As with many cameras, offering extreme length of lens focusing loses some of its sharpness when the lens is fully extended.

Outdoor 4 (Building)

In this test shot the SP-570 copes well with the scene. As I would expect the picture is sharper and the camera has no problem focusing on the brickwork of the building.

Outdoor Portrait

There are no problems with sharpness or colour in this shot. If you find the result is darker in the shadows than you would like then you can try using flash to lighten these areas.

Indoor Portrait with Flash

This is another sharply focused effort. The flash is quite powerful and shows quite clearly on areas of the face.

Indoor Portrait without Flash

For me this is the most impressive photo out of all my test shots. The SP-570 is able to use the available light to produce a natural looking shot. Brightness and definition are better than the vast majority of cameras are able to manage. This is one of the benefits of working with a camera that has a large sized lens.

Colours

In most cases, the colours produced by this Olympus digital camera are calmer and less vivid than most other brands produce. There are instances where I would like to have seen more punch to the colours, but this is a matter of personal taste.

Macro

This is another shot where I am impressed by the amount of brightness the camera is able to show in the photo. Levels of detail are good without quite being top drawer. A touch of purple fringing also shows where the light catches the edge of the watch.

ISO 400 and ISO 1600

My test shots at both ISO 400 and ISO 1600 show fairly typical levels of noise. If you push ISO above these levels, it really becomes a serious problem.

Overall

Overall I’m pretty happy. Picture quality impressed me in most situations.

Shutter Lag

A single photo took 0.52 seconds with five taking 12.23 seconds. Turning the flash on increased the times to 1.35 seconds for a single photo and 14.59 seconds for five. I would like to have seen faster times for all of the tests.

It took the camera 3.05 seconds to turn on and capture the first photo.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

Style: The SP-570 has as much of an SLR like feel than any other compact digital camera I can remember testing. It has a very solid feel in the hand and looks like a compact SLR. It is available in black.

Dimensions: 118.5 x 84 x 87.5 mm

Weight: 445g

Batteries: Four AA batteries are required to power the camera.

Memory cards: The camera is compatible with xD cards. Olympus has built enough memory into the SP-570 to store around 21 photos.



Ease of use rating: Good. To get the most out of thisOlympus digital camera you will need to spend plenty of time working with the camera and getting used to all the controls the camera offers. Olympus has done a good job in placing various controls at your fingertips. There is a control dial on top of the camera and dedicated buttons for focus and exposure lock, continuous shooting and a switch to select manual or automatic focusing.

Points I like:

Looks good – build quality – handling – picture quality

Where it could improve:

Shutter delay could be faster

Alternatives

Although there are an increasing number of longer and longer lenses on the market, the longest lenses I have tested before the SP-570 have 18x zoom lenses. One camera I would suggest checking out is the Nikon Coolpix P80.

Verdict:

The Olympus SP-570 handles more like a Digital SLR than any other camera I have tested. I like the barrel twisting method of zoom. Add in a hot shoe, RAW mode and various manual controls and you have a very good camera for a photography enthusiast.

 

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By: PXR5

About the Author:

Arabella

The Panasonic DMC FX500 is a 10 megapixel digital camera with a 5x optical zoom lens. It has more features than any other pocket sized camera I have reviewed.

Why Buy the Panasonic DMC FX500?

If you are looking for a feature rich pocket camera then you will be delighted by the DMC FX500. It has manual exposure controls, a wide angle lens, high definition movies and a large 3 inch screen. A number of options are touch screen controlled.

On top of these headline features there is also image stabilisation, a setting to make it easy to see the LCD screen when the camera is help above eye level and bracketing. You can also increase the amount of zoom available when shooting at lower resolutions.

Image Quality Panasonic DMC FX500 test shots

Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)

The DMC FX500 does especially well when handling the lighter colours in the shot. This camera is able to show more detail on the boats than the majority of digital cameras manage. When it comes to colours the blues and greens have a natural feel to them. Focusing is sharp without hitting the same levels as the very best compacts manage.

Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)

This scene is a stern test for a camera with a lens as wide as this one. In terms of focusing the camera does well, although there is a small amount of drop off in light and brightness as you move towards the edges.

Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)

With the lens fully zoomed in the DMC FX500 does well enough when it comes to focusing, but does not earn itself a place in the top quarter of pocket sized digital cameras.

Outdoor 4 (Building)

My final outdoor test is another that tests out how well the camera is able to focus. Based on this set of tests the DMC FX500 does well enough without matching up to the very best. I would give it 7.5 out of 10 for focusing at distance.

Outdoor Portrait

No problems here. Focusing is good with the camera being that much closer to its subject. The extra colour in the shot helps to create a warmer portrait. I think the DMC FX500 does well to find detail in the darker areas of the shot.

Indoor Portrait with Flash

Even with the flash on the DMC FX500 manages to retain colour in the shot. On the whole this photo works well for me. Again there is no problem with the sharpness of the shot.

Indoor Portrait without Flash

I would like to have seen more brightness and definition in this photo. Owing to the DMC FX500 not being able to pull enough light into the shot noise starts to creep in. This takes the edge off the definition of the shot. Although it is not a bad effort I prefer the indoor portrait with flash.

Colours

Over time I feel that Panasonic digital cameras have toned down the colours they produce a notch or two. I think this is a good thing as the colours now have a more natural look to them.

Macro

This is a decent macro shot. I would say it places the DMC FX500 in the top 25 percent of compact digital cameras for close up shots.

ISO 400 and ISO 1600

There is nothing out of the ordinary for my higher ISO tests. There is noise even in the lighter areas of the ISO 400 shot. Noise levels increase in the darker areas of the shot. At ISO 1600 noise is a problem in all areas.

Overall

Perhaps not up there with the very best pocket digital cameras, but a worthy effort none the less.

Shutter Lag

The DMC FX500 produced a set of shutter lag times that were on the slow side of average. The times produced were 0.44 seconds for a single photo and 15.48 seconds for five photos. With flash turned on times increased to 0.54 seconds for a single photo and 17.5 seconds for five photos.

It took 3.08 seconds to turn the camera on and take a picture.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

Style: Looks wise the DMC FX500 is a fairly regular pocket sized digital camera. It is available in black and silver.

Dimensions: 94.9 x 57.1 x 22.9mm

Weight: 155g

Batteries: Lithium ion. Panasonic supplies both a battery and a charger with the DMC FX500 as standard. Panasonic estimates you should be able to take around 280 shots in between charges.

Memory cards: 50MB of storage have been built into the camera. I was able to take 16 photos before this was full. The DMC FX500 is also compatible with SD and SDHC memory cards.

Ease of use rating: Very Good. Considering all the features packed into the DMC FX500 Panasonic have done a very good job of making the camera as easy to use as possible.

Points I like:

Ease of use – high definition movies – high angle LCD screen – design – manual exposure controls – touch screen controls

Where it could improve:

A touch more brightness in some of the photos

Alternatives

As the DMC FX500 stands out on its own when it comes to features it is impossible to pick another pocket sized camera that is a true alternative. Another more basic, pocket camera worth taking a look at is the Canon IXUS 90 IS.

Verdict:

There is no doubt that the Panasonic DMC FX500 is an impressive camera when it comes to the number of features packed into its compact body. Picture quality is good too and all in all Panasonic have produced a very good digital camera.

 

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By: PXR5

About the Author:

Scarlett

The Panasonic DMC FX35 is a 10 megapixel digital camera with a 4x optical zoom lens. The lens has the widest angle I have tested.

Why Buy the Panasonic DMC FX35?

The wide angle lens will come in handy if you wish to squeeze more width into a photo. For example this could be for a landscape photos or for a group of people. This Panasonic digital camera is also easy to use, small enough to fit into a pocket and looks good too. Picture quality is certainly above average.

Image Quality Panasonic DMC FX35 test shots

Outdoor 1 (Medium Zoom)

We start off with a pleasant, colourful photo. I like the blues of the sky and the darker greens of the trees. There is a small loss of detail as the sun strikes the boats.

Outdoor 2 (No Zoom)

Because of the wide angle lens this was the big interest shot for me. I can see the impact of the lens as soon as I look at the picture. With a normal lens the bungalow on the left hand side does not always manage to creep into the picture. Here the entire building comes into view. Taking into account the wide angle lens focusing is good. There is a loss of light in the corners of the photo.

Outdoor 3 (Maximum Zoom)

Once again the DMC FX35 produces a decent effort. Sharpness is good and the colour balance works well too.

Outdoor 4 (Building)

This is my key shot for checking focusing. This Panasonic digital camera handles the test well, especially when you consider this shot was with the zoom lens more or less fully extended. It compares well with shots taken with other cameras.

Outdoor Portrait

Using the white balance setting of shady adds plenty of colour to the shot. I like this shot. It has a warm feel to in and the camera focuses well.

Indoor Portrait with Flash

The DMC FX35 manages to include plenty of detail in the shot. Perhaps a little extra light to get into the darker areas of the shot, such as the hair would have made it even better.

Indoor Portrait without Flash

This is a decent effort. If I was being picky I would say I would also like a touch more brightness in the shot too.

Colours

Panasonic cameras produce strong colours. There is plenty of evidence of this in the second outdoor shot. If you like strong colours then you will like the colours this camera produces.

Macro

I am very happy with the macro shot. The DMC FX35 manages to bring out plenty of detail and the picture is sharply focused.

ISO 400 and ISO 1600

This test produces a result in line with most other digital cameras. At ISO 400 noise is evident in the photo, but to an acceptable level. Any higher and picture quality really suffers. To get the best possible results I would suggest selecting the Intelligent ISO setting for taking photos in poor light when flash cannot be used or when trying to freeze action.

Overall

The DMC FX35 passes most of my tests. I have no real issues with picture quality and it out performs most of its rivals.

Shutter Lag

With the flash unit off my times were 0.37 seconds for a single shot and 12.76 seconds for five. With flash on the times were similar. These were 0.42 seconds for a single shot and 13.08 seconds for five. Without flash the times are roughly average. With flash on the times are fast when compared to other, similar cameras.

You can compare this camera to other models by taking a look at the Shutter Lag Comparison Table.

Style: This is a stylish, small compact digital camera. It has a very clean design and is available in black, blue and silver.

Dimensions: 94.7 x 51.9 x 22mm

Weight: 125g

Batteries: Lithium ion. Panasonic supplies both a battery and a charger with the DMC FX35 as standard.

Memory cards: The built in memory is a generous 50mb. This is enough for around 13 photos. The camera is also compatible with SD and SDHC cards.

Ease of use rating: Very Good. Like all Panasonic digital cameras the DMC FX35 is pretty straightforward. The menu system is clear and easy to read.

Points I like:

Ease of use – wide screen movies – high angle LCD screen – design – picture quality

Where it could improve:

A touch more brightness for my indoor tests

Alternatives

Other good quality pocket cameras include the Canon IXUS 80 IS and Canon IXUS 85 IS.

Verdict:

If I was looking for a pocket sized camera I would certainly consider the Panasonic DMC FX35. When it comes to picture quality it is a good all rounder and the wide angle lens is a big advantage for landscapes and groups of people.

Front View

Back View

Top View

Sample Menus





Panasonic DMC FX35 Summary Description: 10 megapixels and a 4x optical zoom lens Ease of Use: 8

Features: 8

Colour: 8

Macro: 8

Indoors: 8

Value for Money: 8

Style: 9

Movie Mode: 9

Image Quality: 9

Build Quality: 8

Total: 83

Verdict: “This camera ticks most of the right boxes. Picture quality is very good, the camera is stylish and it is also easy to use. The camera also has the widest lens I have tested for a compact camera. It will also slip into a pocket.” Review Date: May 2008

 



By: PXR5

About the Author:

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WhatDigitalCamera asked:

Canon S5si digital camera review by What Digital Camera magazine http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com

More camera reviews: http://www.whatdigitalcamera.com/equipment/

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scottish photographer ken thomson gets his hands on canons new 40d dslr

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Digital camera reviews are abundant not just online but also in the newspapers, magazines and even TV shows. We often wonder why most digital camera reviews always praise all the digital camera out in the market, that’s why we end up getting confused on which product to buy or get our loved ones.

Here’s one thing you should never trust regarding digital camera reviews – never trust press releases or reviews that are directly from the manufacturer or advertising office that is directly connected with producer of the digital camera. Why?! Well because these digital camera reviews are never too truthful, or they just give out the good points about their products. I mean, what would you expect, supposing you own your own line of digital cameras and to boost your sales, you release digital camera reviews about your products. Of course you wouldn’t point out the bad things or the glitches of your product in your digital camera reviews, because that way you will never be able to shoot up your sales. Press releases or digital camera reviews from manufacturer are always half-truths. Haven’t you had any experience with that?! I mean, that just doesn’t go for digital camera, remember that brush-blower thingy that you bought over the internet that says it would work tremendously for your hair, but ended not working for your hair after all. Press releases are press releases, meaning that they are aimed to get people to buy the product or to give the product a better name.

On more thing that you can never fully trust are home shopping networks and advertisements. As much as press releases, they pretty much pose the same claims about their products. But hey, don’t trust me, you can always get them and return them after proving to yourself that it doesn’t work. Never mind the time and effort that you’ve wasted, you chose to listen to a half-truth digital camera review, that’s what you get for that.

The best digital camera reviews available are those found in specialty magazines (computer based and technical magazines), special websites catering to techie stuff and unofficial digital camera reviews. Why?! Well because! Because these digital camera reviews are always truthful. These reviewers and critics are never afraid to list down the good as much as the bad points of digital cameras. These digital camera reviews usually points out the difference between the products that a certain manufacturer has released and how it is worse or better than the previous one. These reviewers and critics are also knowledgeable in their craft, so its say to safe to say that they know what they are talking about when it comes to digital camera reviews. One more thing, most of the time, these digital camera reviews are actual first hand experience with the product itself and not just some advertising agent asked to come up with flowery words to capture you and your wallet.

Another best source for a digital camera review is one that you can write yourself. And how can you do that?! Of course, you first need to buy your own digital camera, try it out and compare everything that you do with it to the things that it claims to be. (be careful to read the specs, options and features that you need to try out, be on the lookout for words such as weatherproof, meaning that they are splash resistant as to waterproof that are water resistant. You don’t want to get your newly bought weatherproof camera wet, just to prove to yourself that the things they claim are not true). After doing so, then you can write your own digital camera review or reviews, depending on how many things you’ve learned from your digital camera. Be sure to indicate that your review is an on-hand experience with the product and not just some wild guess.

The most honest digital camera reviews are the best reviews you can look for and trust. Anyway, you can always call customer center or return your digital camera if they don’t live up to their claims.



By: Nicholas Tan

About the Author:

Solomon

There are so many models of digital cameras available in today’s market, that it becomes a rather difficult task to pick the best buy among so many options. Perhaps a few steps should be taken into consideration when choosing the right camera. Will the camera be for daily use, or just for special occasions like birthdays, family reunions, etc. Will the price of the camera make much difference on the pocket?

Assuming that price is not an issue, one should choose a well known major brand camera and if possible, go for the latest model and with the highest number of mega pixels available. The higher the mega pixels, the better the picture will be specially if there is an intention of having photo enlargements quite often. A good quality optical zoom lens will also make a big difference. Choose a camera which comes with a battery that holds a good charge, this way you can enjoy lots of picture taking without having to be worried when the battery charge will come down.

The range of features available make a digital camera very cost effective and more than likely you will be able to find the right camera suited to satisfy your needs.

If you enjoy printing enlargements of your photographs, you may want to pay close attention to the printing size and what is required in mega pixels for you to have good quality results. For you to have an idea of the amount of mega pixels required for most commonly used size of prints, refer to the chart below:

For photos 2×6 inches – 2 mega pixels

For photos 5×7 inches – 3 mega pixels

For photos 8×10 inches -7 mega pixels

For photos 11×14 inches – 14 mega pixels

For photos 16×28 inches – 28 mega pixels

For photos 20×30 inches – 54 megapixels

The handling and design also matters and the lightweight ones are much nicer to carry around. Choose a camera that is user-friendly and make sure that you have a good local technical assistance in case you may run into problems with it.

There are several advantages of having a digital camera instead of the old traditional film camera. First of all, there are no films to be purchased ever. You make take dozens, perhaps hundreds of photos and instantly delete the ones you don’t like, or that did not came well into focus and just keep the best ones. You may load them into your computer album, record them and you may view your favorite photos from you camera or from your television set. Some digital cameras also come with a recording device that allows you to record special events and replay them immediately after recording

Digital cameras take pictures that are stored in digital media. It is possible to select, save or delete photos without any cost whatsoever. The photos are usually stored in media cards into the hundreds, meaning that you can take as many pictures as you like before you run out of space. Also in most digital cameras, the user can view the pictures on the LCD screen, which will allow him to pick the best ones.

No wonder that digital cameras became so popular and accessible item to almost everyone. It became a must to have one nowadays and even cell phone cameras are getting better everyday with noticeable improvements in quality of picture taken. The earlier models of cell phone cameras were somewhat limited as far as picture quality is concerned comparing to the ones we find on today’s market. The mega pixels are increasing constantly and so the quality of the cameras. If a person needs to carry both at the same time, maybe a cell phone with a digital camera built in will be an interesting option to consider

If you have not bought yet a digital camera, maybe this the right time to do so, considering the manufactures are offering so many new models with new features at bargain prices. It is wise to compare the several models among different manufacturers and also the prices from traditional and online stores. Make sure you do your research right, and most likely you will find the digital camera you are looking for.



By: Roberto Sedycias

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WhatDigitalCamera asked:

Pentax K20D versus Samsung GX20: What Digital Camera review

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JRComputerWorld asked:

http://www.jr.com/nikon/pe/NKN_CPL18NAVY/?JRSource=yt
Nikon Coolpix L18 – Nikon digital camera review by JR.com.

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Digital camera reviews are abundant not just online but also in the newspapers, magazines and even TV shows. We often wonder why most digital camera reviews always praise all the digital camera out in the market, that’s why we end up getting confused on which product to buy or get our loved ones.

Here’s one thing you should never trust regarding digital camera reviews – never trust press releases or reviews that are directly from the manufacturer or advertising office that is directly connected with producer of the digital camera. Why?! Well because these digital camera reviews are never too truthful, or they just give out the good points about their products. I mean, what would you expect, supposing you own your own line of digital cameras and to boost your sales, you release digital camera reviews about your products. Of course you wouldn’t point out the bad things or the glitches of your product in your digital camera reviews, because that way you will never be able to shoot up your sales. Press releases or digital camera reviews from manufacturer are always half-truths. Haven’t you had any experience with that?! I mean, that just doesn’t go for digital camera, remember that brush-blower thingy that you bought over the internet that says it would work tremendously for your hair, but ended not working for your hair after all. Press releases are press releases, meaning that they are aimed to get people to buy the product or to give the product a better name.

On more thing that you can never fully trust are home shopping networks and advertisements. As much as press releases, they pretty much pose the same claims about their products. But hey, don’t trust me, you can always get them and return them after proving to yourself that it doesn’t work. Never mind the time and effort that you’ve wasted, you chose to listen to a half-truth digital camera review, that’s what you get for that.

The best digital camera reviews available are those found in specialty magazines (computer based and technical magazines), special websites catering to techie stuff and unofficial digital camera reviews. Why?! Well because! Because these digital camera reviews are always truthful. These reviewers and critics are never afraid to list down the good as much as the bad points of digital cameras. These digital camera reviews usually points out the difference between the products that a certain manufacturer has released and how it is worse or better than the previous one. These reviewers and critics are also knowledgeable in their craft, so its say to safe to say that they know what they are talking about when it comes to digital camera reviews. One more thing, most of the time, these digital camera reviews are actual first hand experience with the product itself and not just some advertising agent asked to come up with flowery words to capture you and your wallet.

Another best source for a digital camera review is one that you can write yourself. And how can you do that?! Of course, you first need to buy your own digital camera, try it out and compare everything that you do with it to the things that it claims to be. (be careful to read the specs, options and features that you need to try out, be on the lookout for words such as weatherproof, meaning that they are splash resistant as to waterproof that are water resistant. You don’t want to get your newly bought weatherproof camera wet, just to prove to yourself that the things they claim are not true). After doing so, then you can write your own digital camera review or reviews, depending on how many things you’ve learned from your digital camera. Be sure to indicate that your review is an on-hand experience with the product and not just some wild guess.

The most honest digital camera reviews are the best reviews you can look for and trust. Anyway, you can always call customer center or return your digital camera if they don’t live up to their claims.



By: Nicholas Tan

About the Author:

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