Olympus SP-550 UZ

543 reviews

May, 2024

Positive
usability (63)
portability (53)
zoom (47)
image quality (43)
durability (29)

Negative
performance (40)
reliability (11)
color (9)
focus (8)
shutter (5)

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 543 reviews of Olympus SP-550 UZ. The average rating for this product is 4.2/5, compared to an average rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras for all reviews. People are impressed by the screen and zoom. The image quality and portability also get good comments. There are some less positive opinions about the storage and memory, and there are mixed views on the energy efficiency and low light performance.

usability, portability, image quality, zoom, screen

color, focus, shutter, memory, storage

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Digital Compact Cameras the Olympus SP-550 UZ is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 88/100 = Very good quality.

See all Olympus Digital Cameras

Review analysis

(Based on 543 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

(34% of reviews)
Show all 5 star reviews (47% of reviews)
Show all 4 star reviews (14% of reviews)
Show all 3 star reviews (4% of reviews)
Show all 2 star reviews (1% of reviews)
Show all 1 star reviews

Features

usability
Show positive (68%)Show negative (32%)(Show all)

performance
Show positive (46%)Show negative (54%)(Show all)

portability
Show positive (80%)Show negative (20%)(Show all)

image quality
Show positive (68%)Show negative (32%)(Show all)

zoom
Show positive (78%)Show negative (22%)(Show all)

Show more features

Showing 192 review(s)

Expert Reviews User Reviews

Disclaimer:

Below is a list of reviews for this or similar products. If you think this grouping is wrong please click here to flag.
Read more on our FAQ’s page.

Showing 1 - 132 of 192 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (351)

Consumer review (amazon.co.uk)

Amazon.co.uk review summary for Olympus SP-550 UZ

alaTest has collected and analyzed 50 user reviews of Olympus SP-550 UZ from Amazon.co.uk. The average user rating for this product is 4.4/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.co.uk. People really like the price and performance. The image quality and portability are also mentioned favorably. The memory and shutter get negative views. The energy efficiency and low light performance get mixed reviews.

usability, portability, image quality, performance, price

storage, shutter, memory

96% of the reviews on Amazon.co.uk give this product a positive rating.

May, 2024

Consumer review (amazon.com)

Amazon.com review summary for Olympus SP-550 UZ

alaTest has collected and analyzed 72 user reviews of Olympus SP-550 UZ from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 4.2/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.2/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.com. Reviews about the price and focus are generally positive. The design and usability are also appreciated, but there are some less positive comments about the shutter and portability.

performance, usability, design, focus, price

portability, shutter

93% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

May, 2024

Expert review by : Trusted Reviews (trustedreviews.com)

Olympus SP-550UZ

This stylish Olympus has the biggest zoom range on any digital camera

Feb, 2011

Read the full review

Expert review by (megapixel.net (en))

Olympus SP-550 UZ

Very good to excellent image quality.18X optical zoom.Effective CCD stabilization.Excellent metering.RAW format.Complete range of capture modes.Good viewfinder and monitor.Compact and light.

Slight distortion at both ends of the focal length range.Slight chromatic aberration.Some hesitancy in the autofocus under low light.

Mar, 2007

Read the full review

Expert review by : What Digital Camera (whatdigitalcamera.com)

Olympus SP-550UZ

With 18x optical zoom, can Olympus deliver image quality too?

Oct, 2007

Read the full review

Expert review by (ephotozine.com)

Olympus SP-550UZ

Olympus had a go at the superzoom compact some years back, with a 10x offering, where quality took a back seat to the driver shouting, look it's 10x zoom! It was radical in the day, but actually, a load of pants. These days everyone is at it with large...

28mm wide angle; Monstrous 18x zoom; Good ISO range; Program and scene modes; Nice LCD screen; Optical stabilisation; SuperMacro of just 1cm; Good basic handling

Low ISO settings a little noisy

Aug, 2007

Read the full review

Expert review by (photoxels.com)

Olympus SP-550 UZ Review

This camera is packed with features that should appeal to the serious amateur photographer. It sports a new DSLR-look, has excellent build and construction, and very good handling.

May, 2007

Read the full review

Expert review by (tech.co.uk)

Olympus SP-550UZ

Olympus' latest super-zoom packs a massive 18x zoom range that goes from a wide 28mm to an amazing paparazzi-busting 504mm equivalent, and all with a full spread of manual controls

Huge 18x zoom lens, Effective image stabilisation, Compact for the features it contains

Awkward exposure shifts when recording video, Fiddly interface quirks

Olympus' super-zooms have most definitely come of age

Apr, 2007

Read the full review

Expert review by (digicamreview.co.uk)

Olympus SP-550 Ultra Zoom

The Olympus SP-550 Ultra Zoom Digital Camera has the world's biggest wide-angle 18x optical zoom lens, built in CCD shift image stabilisation, a 7 megapixel sensor and a completely new body.

Very good exposure / metering ; Very good image quality, very good colour ; Excellent 1cm Super Macro mode ; Abundance of features, RAW mode, bulb mode, manual focus, time-lapse photography (see lunar eclipse photos) ; Abundance of picture adjustments,...

The Olympus SP-550 Ultra Zoom, with it's impressive wide-angle 18x optical zoom lens and CCD-Shift image stabilisation, is an appealing digital camera providing a zoom range of 28mm - 504mm. It feels very comfortable in hand, and produces very good...

Mar, 2007

Read the full review

Expert review by (dcmag.co.uk)

Olympus SP550UZ

Olympus's super-zooms have come of age, with a stabilised 18x lens that's fast, sharp and stable. Image quality is still a step below a DSLR, but the combinatin of 7MP resolution, compact size and full manual controls makes the SP-550UZ a tempting...

Read the full review

Expert review by (ephotozine.com)

Olympus SP-550UZ Review

Olympus SP-550UZ Review - A camera with an 18x optical zoom saves walking closer to the subject and that can only be a good thing argues sloth-like Duncan Evans.

28mm wide angle, Monstrous 18x zoom, Good ISO range, Program and scene modes, Nice LCD screen, Optical stabilisation, SuperMacro of just 1cm, Good basic handling

Autofocus not great, Max shutter speed not fast enough, Optical stabilisation doesn't prevent lots of blur, Camera control clumsy and messy, Higher ISOs reduce resolution, Metering tends to over-expose, Low ISO settings a little noisy

The previous UltraZoom from Olympus was something of a triumph of marketing over functionality. The image quality at the end of the zoom was dreadful.

Read the full review

Expert review by : Andrew Kliem (goodgearguide.com.au)

Olympus SP-550UZ

It is rare that we pick up a camera and are impressed with it before we've even fired it up, but that's exactly the impression we got when handling Ol...

18x optical zoom, Great design, Low chromatic aberration, ISO 5000

Pictures a little soft, Colour could use some improvement, Regular burst mode sluggish

The Olympus SP-550UZ is a great camera that will suit people after a little more zoom in their life. The images could have used some minor improvements, but the huge zoom and fantastic design make this a worthwhile choice for some buyers.

May, 2007

Partner Source

Read the full review