The Galleria, Photo of the Day

Olympus SP-500UZ

The Galleria, Photo of the Day

Olympus SP-500UZ

The Galleria, Photo of the Day

Olympus SP-500UZ

The Galleria, Photo of the Day

Olympus SP-500UZ

Olympus SP-500UZ, Celebrating My Twentieth Year!

CCD Resurgence: A short garden shoot with a 20-year-old Olympus SP-500UZ for high-quality, low-noise film-like images CCD sensors are known for.

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

I am twenty years old this year, but still young at heart, and competent enough to deliver, for CCD enthusiasts, the high-quality, low-noise, creamy film-like images that the sensors are acknowledged for.

I am a normally low-cost option on auction listings; you can get me dirt cheap.

I use 4x AA (NiMH, NiCd, alkaline, lithium) batteries to run, and an XD card to store images, aside from the 10MB internal memory I already have. Aside from JPEGS, I even shoot in RAW.

I am the Olympus SP-500UZ, a compact superzoom digital bridge camera released in 2005. The camera has a 6.0MP CCD sensor and a 10x optical zoom lens, equivalent to a 38-380mm zoom on a 35mm full-frame camera.

As a compact superzoom, my measurements are 106 x 75 x 71 mm, I have a shutter speed range of 15 - 1/1000 (up to 8 minutes in Bulb mode), ISO sensitivity from 80 to 400, a 2.5-inch LCD screen with 115,000 dots and a 201,600-dot electronic viewfinder (EVF), and my body weight is 285 grams without batteries.

The well-built and robust SP-500UZ, designed to appease hobbyist photographers who want manual control functionalities and casual users who prioritize point-and-shoot, has an extensive array of features and controls listed within the layers of its menu system. While casual shooters access the basic functionalities with one or two key presses, advanced enthusiasts do so with a range of camera setup features.

The top-mounted dial carries exposure mode settings for Auto and PASM modes, a customizable My Mode setting, 21 Scene selection modes, Movie, and Playback functions, and an AEL (for its default function) button that can be assigned other shooting variables, including ISO or white balance.

To the right of the LCD screen on the back of the camera is a joystick pad for function selection. The top, left, and bottom 'shortcuts' are assignable to almost any function. The right arrow takes you to the menu pages, with four tabs for the camera, picture, card (formatting), and setup settings.

Olympus SP-500UZ

The menus have options for virtually every shooting variable, from macro, burst, time-lapse, and drive mode to ISO, white balance, focus mode, sharpness, saturation, and contrast. Above the pad are the flash, display, and quick view buttons.

The Galleria, Photo of the Day

Olympus SP-500UZ

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

The Galleria, Photo of the Day

Olympus SP-500UZ

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

The Galleria, Photo of the Day

Olympus SP-500UZ

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

The Galleria, Photo of the Day

Olympus SP-500UZ

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

Olympus SP-500UZ, First Impression

CCD Resurgence: Images with an Olympus SP-500UZ, a 6.0MP CCD digital bridge camera released in 2005 with a 10x optical zoom (equivalent to 38-380mm) lens, a curative 21 scene shooting mode, and full manual exposure controls.

<< Click on image for enlarged Lightbox display >>

A low-cost entry for those who are interested in trying their hand at CCD sensor imagery. The Olympus SP-500UZ, launched in 2005 by Olympus, comes with a 6MP CCD sensor, a fast Olympus aspherical glass 1:2.8-3.7 10x optical (+ 5x Optical) zoom lens, a non-adjustable electronic viewfinder, and a 115,000 pixels 2.5 inch LCD with four display options.

The focal length of the lens is 6.3–63mm, which works out as equivalent to 38-380mm on 35mm full-frame cameras. The camera runs on 4 AA batteries.

Small, light, and compact, the camera measures 106 x 75 x 71 mm and weighs 285 grams, has a manual pop-up flash, and a lens that extends forward when switched on. Unlike some other long-zoom models, the SP-500UZ does not have in-built image stabilization, but compensation for digital camera movement is, however, provided in movie mode. A top-mounted exposure mode dial carries settings for Auto, P, A, S, and M modes, a customizable My Mode setting, a selection of 21 Scene modes, Movie, and Playback.

Olympus SP-500UZ

The SP-500UZ has a rather extensive menu and display options, best learned with the help of the instruction booklet. Pressing the menu button located in the middle of the four-way controller, for example, will bring up the main menu selection. The top, left, and bottom 'shortcuts' can be assigned to almost any setting, and the right arrow takes you to the menu pages. The four tabs are for the camera, picture, card (formatting), and setup settings. The menus have options for virtually every shooting variable, from macro, burst, and drive mode to ISO, white balance, focus mode, sharpness, saturation, and contrast.