Olympus SP-560 UZ

Manufacturer: Olympus America Inc. Part number: 226085

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$329.99 - $349.95 at 3 online stores

CNET Editor rating:
3.0 stars Good
Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 9 reviews

More product information:: Editors' review; User reviews; Specifications; Manufacturer info

Bottom Line:: Olympus' 8-megapixel ultrazoom generally improves over the SP-550UZ, but suffers from many of the same problems.

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Amazon.com

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CNET editors' review

Olympus SP-560 UZ

price range: $329.99 - $349.95

Reviewed by: Will Greenwald
Reviewed on: 03/28/2008

The good: Superlong, yet wide lens; manual exposure controls; good body design; supports wireless flash.

The bad: Softness and noise hurt picture quality; middling performance.

The bottom line: Olympus' 8-megapixel ultrazoom generally improves over the SP-550UZ, but suffers from many of the same problems.

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Olympus SP-560 UZ

Last year, Olympus released the SP-550UZ, a 7-megapixel digital camera with an impressive 18x zoom lens. We loved its lens' long reach and wide angle, and appreciated its great body design. Unfortunately, the camera was plagued with performance and picture quality issues. Now Olympus offers the SP-560UZ, an 8-megapixel follow-up. It carries over both good and bad aspects of last year's camera, but overall presents an improvement.

Body design was one of our favorite aspects of the SP-550UZ, so we were pleased to see that the new version looks and feels almost identical. Every design aspect is carried over, from the pop-up flash to the comfortably large, flat buttons. It even weighs nearly the same, standing at a hefty but manageable 16.4 ounces with four AA batteries and an xD memory card.

A whopping big lens stands out as the SP-560UZ's most prominent feature, just like its predecessor. The 27-to-486mm-equivalent lens is slightly wider and shorter than the SP-550UZ's 28-to-504mm-equivalent lens, but still offers the same f/2.8-4.5 range and 18x optical zoom. I could easily frame the spire of the Empire State Building from Hoboken, N.J., thanks to the camera's long reach. Sensor-shift image stabilization helps reduce camera shake, a vital feature when pushing the camera to its full zoom without a tripod to stabilize it.

Unfortunately, the SP-560UZ's biggest feature is also one of its greatest weaknesses. While its lens is long and wide, it simply isn't very sharp. Regardless of the lens position and focus, pictures taken on the SP-560UZ generally look soft. Fine details, like text focused upon from a great distance, can appear fuzzy regardless of focus, shutter speed, or ISO sensitivity. Beyond the softness, significant noise further hurts the camera's pictures. Notable grain appears at ISO 200, and gets significantly worse as sensitivity gets higher. At ISO 400 and higher, noise consumes fine details, rendering textures muddled.

Like most superzooms, the SP-560UZ targets experienced users, and so it is packed full of useful, advanced features. An electronic viewfinder offers a great alternative to the camera's 2.5-inch LCD screen for framing shots, especially when shooting in direct sunlight. The camera toggles between EVF and LCD screen, so you can't have both running at once. However, when shooting with the EVF, pictures still appear on the 2.5-inch LCD screen by default, so you have to take your face away from the viewfinder to review what you just shot. The SP-560UZ also includes a full selection of exposure controls, including Program/Aperture-priority/Shutter-priority, and Manual shooting modes.

While it didn't come loaded on our review sample, version 3.1 of the SP-560UZ firmware adds support for Olympus wireless flash units. If you install the optional firmware upgrade through the included Olympus Master 2 software (instructions can be found on Olympus' support site), the camera can be set to function on one of four different channels to wirelessly control Olympus' FL-50R or FL-36R flash units. This is the first time we've seen this feature on a non-SLR camera, and it can be useful for users who want to set up a small studio.

In our lab tests, the SP-560UZ far surpassed its slow predecessor but otherwise showed middling performance; it's responsive enough to shoot without much trouble, but it feels sluggish at times. After a 2.4-second wait from power-on to first shot, the camera could record a new JPEG every 2.1 seconds with the onboard flash turned off. With the flash enabled, that wait bumped up to 2.5 seconds between shots. RAW shooting was quite slow, capturing a single uncompressed picture every 13.5 seconds, though that's not abnormal for a non-SLR. RAW shooting is a welcome feature on any non-SLR camera, but the extra long shot-to-shot time definitely limits its usefulness. The shutter lagged a slightly sluggish 0.6 seconds with our high-contrast target, and 1.5 seconds with our low-contrast target. In burst mode, the camera captured 11 full-resolution JPEGs in 9.7 seconds for an average rate of 1.1 frames per second. The camera also features a high-speed burst mode that can shoot 15 still photos a second, though it can only record at 1280 x 960 or lower resolution, and doesn't refocus between shots.

If you want a camera with an extremely long lens for less than $500, the Olympus SP-560UZ is one of only a few choices available by retail. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 has a mere 15x optical zoom, but its slightly nicer pictures offset its slightly shorter lens. Otherwise, you'll need to invest in a digital SLR with a very long lens, and together they can cost a lot more.

Find out more about how we test digtal cameras.

Shooting speed (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Typical shot-to-shot time

Time to first shot

Shutter lag (typical)

Canon PowerShot S5 IS

1.6

1.3

0.5

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9

1.4

2.1

0.6

Olympus SP-560 UZ

2.1

2.4

0.6

Nikon Coolpix P5100

2.4

0.9

Olympus SP-550UZ

4.6

2.9

Typical continuous-shooting speed (in frames per second)
(Longer bars indicate better performance)

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9

Canon PowerShot S5 IS

1.6

Olympus SP-550 UZ

1.5

Olympus SP-560UZ

1.3

Nikon Coolpix P5100

1.1

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User reviews

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Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 9 reviews
My rating: 0 stars

Showing opinion 1 to 9 out of 9

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9 stars

King of the super zoom cameras.....for now!

by sandstuck on November 1, 2007

Pros: Incredible 18X optical lens with stability control. Superlative build quality. Easy to use interface with wide variety features/options. Wide angle lens. Face Detection. AA batteries used. Sharp LCD.

Cons: Haven't found one yet - It's a 10 at what it is and does. A 9 in the overall scheme of cameradom;>)

Summary: The successor to the SP-550, the 560 fixes many of the niggles and deficiencies of the earlier model. The camera really does take some amazing pictures with the zoom fully ...

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Summary: The successor to the SP-550, the 560 fixes many of the niggles and deficiencies of the earlier model. The camera really does take some amazing pictures with the zoom fully extended(almost 500mm focal length). While you can use it straight out of the box, the wide variety of features make this a camera you won't outgrow. The "pre-capture" feature lets you pick the best pic automatically before taking it by showing you a series of the images at different settings. The 15fps sequential shooting works great for action shots. Important for some is the ability to shoot "Raw"! For such a large zoom the camera really is pretty small and fits well in the hand(s). The solid build quality makes it feel bombproof when compared to its competition. The use of 4 rechargeable AA's make this a camera you can take anywhere. I have found that this sips from the batteries as I have taken 200 shots in SHQ and Raw without signs of fade. I have been amazed at the clear pictures taken at extreme distance as well as macro. The inclusion of the new TruePic III and 8.0 Megapixels creates some sharp clear pictures. This is the camera you can work the room with the wide-angle(27mm) and then zoom in on the action without having to waste time changing lenses. The ease of transitioning from one feature and shooting mode to another makes it very easy to use. The first day I took the camera out of the box in my vehicle and immediately was able to take some great shots in the parking area and the nearby trails without opening the manual. Since then I have utilized every feature and mode and am still enjoying the ease creative inputs. I'm very happy with my purchase, as you can tell, and my previous experience owning Olympus cameras assures me that this camera is built to last.

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21 out of 21 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

I am thrilled with my purchase of this great camera which is packed with great features.

by fredee75 on December 21, 2007

Pros: Versatile, sharp image quality, unbelievable image stabilization, vast shooting modes.

Cons: Although almost non existent on non-slr digs, I still would have liked a flash shoe to make this 100% complete.

Summary: Hanldes and feels great. A wide variety of superb features. The one that sold me flat is the field of the 18X zoom lens (27mm-486mm). Now one lens for more ...

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Summary: Hanldes and feels great. A wide variety of superb features. The one that sold me flat is the field of the 18X zoom lens (27mm-486mm). Now one lens for more than 95% of photo situations. Options galore: 33 shooting modes, 2 macro modes, great image stabilization (I got sharp pics at 1/30 and 1/15 while bracing myself).

What more can I say.........certainly worth the price. Read the specs and features from the manufacturer's website and you will be impressed as I have been, especially after owning and using it!

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5 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

Finally, a replacement!

by zerogravity44 on December 8, 2007

Pros: Excllent Pictrue quality, Many Options

Cons: Non, so far. Took a bit to learn teh interface, but that is with out an instruction manual. I would have rated 10 is i did not have to read!

Summary: Although i do not consider myself a cam expert, i have taken many, many pics with my old and trusty Olympus C2040(yes, 2.1 mp's of fury) since ...

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Summary: Although i do not consider myself a cam expert, i have taken many, many pics with my old and trusty Olympus C2040(yes, 2.1 mp's of fury) since i purchased it brand new way back when)and finally decided it was time to upgrade. Since 97% of all my pictures were for online use...i felt it unnecessary to get a higher mp Digi cam. The Olympus Sp560 UZ changed all that. With multiple pre settings already built in..and an Amazing Zoom, this one takes the cake. I debated for a month on either a digital SLR and the Sony H9 and it was no competition. I didn't need all the features of the Digi SLR and although the H9 had an awesome viewfinder, the SP560 UZ definitely made my action shots of rc cars jumping(with the multiple shot option) in sequence a big hit with me along with very crisp, clear portrait shots of my airbrushed artwork, its a wonder why i did not upgrade sooner. Im looking forward to another 6-8 years with this badboy!

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4 out of 4 users found this user opinion helpful.
9 stars

near or far , get that shot!!!

by jef46f on January 13, 2008

Pros: 27-483MM lens, 0-18x optical , true pic, image stabilisation

Cons: no filters available yet, xd pic card,

Summary: wow! this is 'the camera' for families!!!
zoom in on the action (close ups from 100 ft away), stop action, or use bracket or fast frame and pick the best
...

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Summary: wow! this is 'the camera' for families!!!
zoom in on the action (close ups from 100 ft away), stop action, or use bracket or fast frame and pick the best pic to keep. Battery life is great and if your rechargeables run down you can use aa alkalines. color and picture quality are amazing right out of the box in auto mode, but even better programmed.
the electronic viewfinder makes framing shots a snap by itself but there is a grid overlay you can use to keep shots balanced.
so many scene modes available it would be hard to not find a suitable one. a great cam to last years and years, my 1st olympus(2100UZ) is still going strong...

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1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
10 stars

Great P&S for those who don't want dsl lenses

by univofky on August 28, 2008

Pros: Shooting raw images for more experienced, auto settings for less experienced, excellent images, not clumsy for such a large lens, overall a great experience.

Cons: For me, the battery life was not great, so I had to carry extra AA batteries. Also, I took a little spill at Glacier National Park and had a mild concussion. The camera fared far worse, so I'm thinking of upgrading to the SP-570.

Summary: If you need a mega zoom and want to avoid the dsl route, I strongly recommend this camera.

Summary: If you need a mega zoom and want to avoid the dsl route, I strongly recommend this camera.
9 stars

Love this camera

by emhe on February 20, 2008

Pros: Excellent pictures! Great software! Awesome options!

Cons: No real cons that I can think of

Summary: I still don't know how to use all the features but so far this camera is great. I did not want to move up to an SLR and this ...

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Summary: I still don't know how to use all the features but so far this camera is great. I did not want to move up to an SLR and this zoom is great! Very detailed pictures. Have had up to a 16x20 made from a photo and it was incredible. Not sorry I purchased this one.

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9 stars

Una cámara muy versátil

by Lagarto71 on January 4, 2008

Pros: Todas sus funciones preprogramadas, su facilidad de uso.

Cons: Ocasionalmente el enfoque automático, principalmente en condiciones de baja luz.

Summary: Hace un mes que compré mi Olympus SP-560 UZ y todavía sigo aprendiendo y disfrutando su uso.
Me sorprende mucho la calidad de fotografía
que se puede obtener

...

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Summary: Hace un mes que compré mi Olympus SP-560 UZ y todavía sigo aprendiendo y disfrutando su uso.
Me sorprende mucho la calidad de fotografía
que se puede obtener utilizando el ajuste adecuado. Es cierto que en en condiciones de baja luminosidad se dificulta un poco el auto-enfoque pero para eso cuenta con la opción de enfoque manual. Me gusta mucho también como combina su rendimiento con la tarjeta de memoria XD, es muy rápida y con mucha capacidad en comparación con otros formatos de tarjeta. En general las funciones que destaco de la cámara son: su estabilizador de imágen, su zoom óptico, su programa de guía de disparo, sus 25 opciones de escenario para disparo, su programa para editar las tomas en la cámara (sin necesidad de descargarlas a la PC), y su formato de tarjeta de memoria.

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7 stars

Will CNET ever review this camara?

by simpleadvice on January 3, 2008

Pros: Waiting for CNETs pros

Cons: Waiting for CNETs cons

Summary: I want to compare this camara to the Canon S3/5 IS but can't because CNET hasn't done the review. Can anyone offer me some simple advice?

Summary: I want to compare this camara to the Canon S3/5 IS but can't because CNET hasn't done the review. Can anyone offer me some simple advice?

1 out of 5 users found this user opinion helpful.
6 stars

Not Review on Camera -- 86th Street Photo

by mpatience on November 12, 2007

Pros: Still Waiting and Need Feedback

Cons: Still Waiting and Need Feedback

Summary: Purchased camera at much lower rate from this store. They have delayed me time and time again on shipping. Now I am at four to six week backorder when it ...

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Summary: Purchased camera at much lower rate from this store. They have delayed me time and time again on shipping. Now I am at four to six week backorder when it was only 2-3 weeks. (By the way, the 4-6 week is in addition to the 2-3 week). My hubby ordered the camera and was told today it would be at our house in 7 days. The catch...I got the camera for $219, he purchased for $299. Does anyone know anything about this company's tactics? It is our first time using them.

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1 out of 8 users found this user opinion helpful.

Showing opinion 1 to 9 out of 9

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Specifications

Manufacturer: Olympus America Inc.
Part number: 226085
Description: The SP-560 UZ is an elegant, compact digital camera - it's ideal for intermediate and advanced digital photography fans who crave power and versatility. Its superior optics, 18x optical zoom and lightweight, portable design make it the perfect point-and-shoot camera for sports, outdoor and travel photography. The SP-560 UZ's Dual Image Stabilization technology provides an effortless 2-in-1 anti-blur solution for crisp, clear images in any situation. As if all that wasn't enough, the SP-560 UZ also sports the new Face Detection technology, which recognizes and tracks faces within the frame to help you capture sharp, brilliant portrait photos.

General
Product Type Digital camera - Compact
Weight 12.9 oz
Width 4.6 in
Depth 3.1 in
Height 3.1 in
Main Features
Resolution 8 megapixels
Sensor resolution 8 megapixels
Optical Sensor Type CCD
Effective Sensor Resolution 8,000,000 pixels
Total Pixels 8,500,000 pixels
Optical Sensor Size 1/2.3 in
Light Sensitivity ISO 200, ISO 50, ISO 800, ISO auto, ISO 400, ISO 3200, ISO 1600, ISO 100
Digital Zoom 5.6 x
Shooting Modes Frame movie mode
Shooting Programs Shoot & select 2, Underwater wide 1, Candle, Underwater macro, Landscape, Night portrait, Sports mode, Snow, Documents, Landscape-portrait, Fireworks, Panorama assist, Candlelight portrait, Sunset, Auction, Beach, Cuisine, Portrait mode, Available light portrait, Shoot & select 1, Night scene, Underwater wide 2, Indoor
Max Shutter Speed 1/2000 sec
Min Shutter Speed 15 sec
Exposure Metering Center-weighted, Spot
Exposure Modes Aperture-priority, Bulb, Program, Shutter-priority, Manual
Exposure Compensation ?2 EV range, in 1/3 EV steps
White Balance Custom, Automatic, Presets
White Balance Presets Tungsten light, Overcast, Fluorescent light (warm white), Fluorescent light (cool white), Fluorescent light (daylight), Daylight
Digital video format AVI
Still Image Format JPEG, RAW
Continuous Shooting Speed 7 frames per second=1.2 frames per second
Color support Color
Image Stabilizer Optical (image sensor shift mechanism)
Face Detection Yes
White Balance Bracketing Yes
TV Tuner None
Video Capture AVI - 320 x 240, AVI - 640 x 480, AVI - 160 x 120
Memory / Storage
Integrated Memory 47 MB
Floppy Drive None
Image Storage 2048 x 1536, 3264 x 2176, 3264 x 2448, 1024 x 768, 1600 x 1200, 1280 x 960, 2304 x 1728, 2560 x 1920, 1920 x 1080, 640 x 480
Supported Flash Memory XD-Picture Card
Lens System
Type Zoom lens - 4.68 mm - 84.24 mm - F/2.8-4.5
Focal Length 4.68 mm - 84.24 mm
Lens Construction 11 group(s) / 14 element(s)
Additional Features
Self Timer Yes
Self Timer Delay 2 sec, 12 sec
Additional Features Digital noise reduction, USB 2.0 compatibility, Direct print, Face detection, In-camera red-eye fix, Audio recording, Auto power save, Histogram display
Camera Flash
Effective Flash Range 1 ft - 21 ft
Type Pop-up flash
Flash Modes Flash OFF mode, Fill-in mode, Slow synchro, Auto mode, Red-eye reduction
Red Eye Reduction Yes
Effective flash range 1 ft - 21 ft
Features Flash +/- compensation
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Type Electronic
Display
Type LCD display - 2.5 in - Color
Mounting Built-in
Resolution 230,000 pixels
Digital Player (Recorder)
Type None

Microphone
Type Microphone - Built-in
Connections
Connector Type 1 x Composite video/audio output, 1 x USB, 1 x DC power input
Expansion Slot(s) 1 x XD-Picture Card
Lens Systems
Auto Focus TTL contrast detection
Type Zoom lens
Focal length 4.68 mm - 84.24 mm
Focal Length Equivalent to 35mm Camera 27 - 486 mm
Focus adjustment Automatic, Manual
Auto Focus Points (Zones) 143
Min Focus Range 3.9 in
Macro Focus Range 1cm
Lens Aperture F/2.8-4.5
Optical Zoom 18 x
Zoom Adjustment Motorized drive
Lens construction 11 : 14
Features Aspherical lens, ED glass
Miscellaneous
Cables Included USB cable, A/V cable
Included Accessories Neck strap, Lens cap
Min Operating Temperature 32 ?F
Max Operating Temperature 104 ?F
Power
Power Device None
System Requirements for PC Connection
Operating system MS Windows Vista, MS Windows XP, MS Windows 2000, Apple Mac OS X 10.3 or later
Peripherals USB port, CD-ROM drive
Battery

Olympus SP-560 UZ

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Miscellaneous

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