Olympus SP-800 UZ

450 reviews

May, 2024

Positive
usability (183)
zoom (157)
portability (136)
image quality (83)
screen (60)

Negative
lens (40)
viewfinder (38)
shutter (24)
battery (24)
energy (10)

General overview
Price comparison

alaTest has collected and analyzed 450 reviews of Olympus SP-800 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. Views about the screen and image quality are on the whole positive. The portability and zoom also get good feedback. The exposure and focus get mixed opinions, while the energy efficiency and flash get negative views.

usability, zoom, portability, image quality, screen

lens, viewfinder, shutter, flash, energy

We analyzed user and expert ratings, product age and more factors. Compared to other Digital Compact Cameras the Olympus SP-800 UZ is awarded an overall alaScore™ of 88/100 = Very good quality.

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Review analysis

(Based on 450 reviews)

Expert Reviews

User Reviews

Review Ratings

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Features

usability
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zoom
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portability
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image quality
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screen
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Showing 1 - 80 of 257 Show Reviews: in English | in other languages (177)

Consumer review (amazon.co.uk)

Amazon.co.uk review summary for Olympus SP-800 UZ

alaTest has collected and analyzed 69 user reviews of Olympus SP-800 UZ from Amazon.co.uk. The average user rating for this product is 4.1/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.3/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.co.uk. Reviewers really like the performance and image quality. The zoom and portability are also mentioned favorably, but the reliability and focus get less positive comments.

usability, portability, zoom, image quality, performance

screen, energy, focus, reliability

90% 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-800 UZ

alaTest has collected and analyzed 1 user review of Olympus SP-800 UZ from Amazon.com. The average user rating for this product is 4.0/5, compared to an average user rating of 4.2/5 for other Digital Compact Cameras on Amazon.com. Views about the design and performance are overall positive. The durability and image quality also get good reviews.

zoom, image quality, durability, performance, design

100% of the reviews on Amazon.com give this product a positive rating.

May, 2024

Expert review by : Gavin Stoker (pocket-lint.com)

Olympus SP-800UZ

Though it offers what its manufacturer claims to be "the world's strongest" zoom on a bridge camera - at a 35mm equivalent 28-840mm, or 30x optical zoom - it is the 14 effective megapixel SP-800UZ's overall size, or comparative lack of it, that...

Huge focal range and large 2GB internal memory provide plentiful options from the outset

Optical zoom disabled when shooting video with audio, no EVF or optical viewfinder as alternative to the LCD for framing and review, menus are simplistic but finding more expansive settings is convoluted

If you want a huge zoom in a relatively small and portable package, the class-leading focal range provided by the Olympus SP-800UZ is worth seeking out.

Jul, 2010

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Expert review by : Gavin Stoker (techadvisor.co.uk)

Olympus SP-800UZ review

Olympus has led the charge for all-in-one cameras with gargantuan zooms. This latest 30x optical model in black or titanium silver offers the furthest reach yet, at a 35mm equivalent 28-840mm. The Olympus SP-800UZ's maximum stills resolution is also...

The Olympus SP-800UZ has a massive 30x optical zoom and produces images with a 14-megapixel resolution. On top of those stellar specs Olympus has crammed in a hefty 2GB of internal memory to a smaller form factor than its direct...

Sep, 2010

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Expert review by : Ben Pitt (expertreviews.co.uk)

Olympus SP-800UZ review

It may have a massive 30x zoom, but basic controls and poor results at telephoto zoom settings mean the SP-800UZ is one to avoid.

Jun, 2010

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Expert review by : Mike Joubert (techsmart.co.za)

Olympus SP-800UZ

Looking at the petite14 megapixel Olympus SP-800UZ it's difficult to believe that a 30x optical zoom is hiding in that tiny body.

Excellent zoom, very decent macro mode, 720p video recording, interesting scenes and onboard beauty editing..

Video recording only with fixed zoom, no manual mode, 3 piece charger a hassle, screen with too little pixels.

Oct, 2010

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Expert review by : Gavin Stoker (talktalk.co.uk)

Olympus SP-800UZ

Compact camera with a long lens In camera terms a long lens means one that zooms from wide-angle to close-up and covers all points in-between so itâs useful for everything from portraits ...

Aug, 2010

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Expert review by (cameras.co.uk)

Olympus SP-800UZ

There are plenty of features packed in. These include the longest zoom available at the time of writing the review, High Definition movies, images stabilisation and a 3 inch LCD screen. I thought picture quality was disappointing.

Ease of use - USB battery charging - 2GB of built in memory - built in manual

Picture quality

Apr, 2010

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Expert review by : Joshua Goldman (cnet.com)

Olympus SP-800UZ review

With the introduction of the Olympus SP-800UZ and its lower-end linemate, the SP-600UZ , Olympus turned its S-series models into nothing more than snapshot cameras with long lenses. The new models have no manual and semimanual shooting modes and...

2GB of built-in storage; one-touch movie recording; full, searchable user manual stored in camera.

Soft, noisy photos above ISO 200; long shutter lag; ineffective image stabilization; no electronic viewfinder; poor battery life.

If you care more about having a long lens at a low price than photo quality or manual controls, the Olympus SP-800UZ is an option.

Feb, 2011

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Expert review by : Josh Fate (steves-digicams.com)

Olympus SP-800UZ Review

The SP-800 UZ is one of the most versatile cameras on the market today thanks to the 30x wide optical zoom lens. Combining the lens with its other features, performance and image quality make this an excellent ultra-zoom option.Read more in our Full...

Very good image quality ; Awesome 30x optical zoom ; Sensor shift image sensor assists with handheld images ; Dedicated video record button works in all shooting modes ; 2GB internal memory ; Powerful pop-up flash

Possibility of blurry images even with optical image stabilization when shooting at full telephotoMono microphoneNo audio input for HD video recordingOnly 200 shots per charge ; Bottom Line ; The SP-800 UZ is one of the most versatile cameras on the...

Sep, 2010

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Expert review by : Zoltan Arva-Toth (photographyblog.com)

Olympus SP-800UZ Review

Announced in the run-up to PMA, the Olympus SP-800UZ is one of only two digital cameras in the world to boast a 30x zoom lens (the other one being the Fujifilm FinePix HS10, which was unveiled on the exact same day as the Olympus). On the SP-800UZ, the...

The Olympus SP-800UZ is the latest in a long series of ultra-zoom cameras from Olympus, and one of only two digicams in the world to offer a 30x optical zoom. That immediately makes it special, and worthy of anyone's attention. Being able to photograph...

Apr, 2010

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Expert review by (imaging-resource.com)

Olympus SP-800UZ

The Olympus SP-800UZ is based around a 1/2.3"-type CCD image sensor with an effective resolution of fourteen megapixels, coupled to a 30x optical zoom lens. Images have dimensions of 4,288 x 3,216 pixels or below. The Olympus SP800UZ's lens offers...

30x wide zoom with image stabilization ; Relatively compact ; 3-inch LCD ; Good build quality ; Powerful flash ; Good single-shot cycle time ; High-speed burst modes (but at reduced resolutions) ; 720p30 MPEG4 movies ; Multiple exposure mode ; Super...

Soft images even at base ISO due to strong noise reduction ; Soft corners at both wide-angle and telephoto ; Our sample had strong blurring on the left side at intermediate focal lengths ; High chromatic aberration ; Higher-than-average barrel...

Flash: In our manufacturer-specified testing (shown at right) the SP800's flash performs to Olympus' specification. Olympus specifies the flash range at wide-angle at 41 feet using ISO 1,600. That range is too far for our lab, so we shot at the...

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