Review: Olympus Sp-800uz Digital Camera

For the past month I have been following any and all news that were to hit the Internet regarding the Olympus sp-800uz digital camera. The reason being was due to the fact that I had a birthday coming up, and the 30X zoom that this 14MP camera boasted seemed like such a neat feature.

I searched high and low for standard reviews by consumers, and sadly all I found were professional reviews, with too much technical information that just made my head wobble. I had to go into it not knowing much, but knowing enough to make my decision. Yes, the Olympus sp-800uz was on my wish list, and finally I got the camera in my hands.

Day 1
 
First Impressions:
 
Looking at the photographs on the net of the camera, it does look really neat, a small body, with a huge lens attached to the front. I worried that the camera would be bulky, or hard to handle, but after feeling it in my hands for the first time I must say, the little tyke is made with a nice solid feel, and does not at all feel wobbly, or too heavy at the front where the giant lens sits.

While waiting around for the cameras battery to fully charge up I went poking around in the box hoping to find an instruction manual on how to use all of the features and different settings. Unfortunately there is none. You can find a manual online, but no one wants to do that when they are giddy with anticipation. Instead I poked around the camera on my own, and figured it out. The menus are very user friendly on the camera.

Once the camera juiced up on battery power, Immediately I wanted to test out the cameras 30X Zoom, so I took the camera outside, and began to zoom in on a tree branch across the street from me. It took a few seconds for the camera to focus in on the branch, but once it was in focus before me on the 3" LCD screen sat a very vivid, up close and detailed view of a branch. I was impressed.
 
The next impressive features were the Magic settings built into the camera. I enjoyed playing around with the fish eye view, the pin hole, pop art, and line drawing settings, but they were really just extras built into any photo software; however it's nice having them right there in the camera for quick and easy use, and no need to touch up your photos on software for the same effects.

Now as first impressions go, I really liked the camera. I liked the crisp details shown to me on the 3" screen, and hoped that on my PC they looked just as sharp when blown up.
Scene Selections:
There are many features and settings on the Olympus sp-800uz. For starters you have a bird watching setting, which seems impressive at first, but like any bird, they take flight. It's very difficult for this camera to deliver a crisp image of a moving subject, even the slightest movement causes the lens to go all out of focus, which is a bit frustrating.

I recommend a tripod for really great shots with this camera, because even the slightest movement on either your part, or your subjects part, when in full 30X zoom, the camera will deliver blur.
Pets is another scene selection in which I couldn't quite figure out. It seemed to take a few seconds for the camera to snap the shot, and seeing that animals move around a lot, it made it harder on me to get a good shot than need be. I found taking a photo of my pet in the factory default settings worked the best.
Other scene selections include beach & snow, fireworks, cuisine, and so on. I found though that the default auto selection works best for standard users. The camera does all of the guesswork for you, which I liked.

A really neat feature is the merging of 2 photos. For instance if you want to take a picture of the moon, and then have a light ghost like effect of your face on it, it comes out marvelously. This setting alone opens a world of fun, new and creative ideas for taking pictures.

After 1 Week
 
The Cons
 
I've been using the camera for about a week now, and I do have a few complaints. One is the amount of time it takes for the camera to focus in on subjects when I'm in full 30x zoom.
The second issue I have is in pet mode. A red laser light will shine on the dog, and it will actually cause my dog to become alert, which is perfect for getting one of those memorable inquisitive looking shots, however the camera takes a few seconds to actually take the shot, after the laser is on, and it misses that neat inquisitive curious stare that I would hope to capture. I found that taking pictures in auto mode while shooting a picture of my dog was the fastest and easiest method.

Taking self portraits is also very difficult, and can only really be done precisely when you set the cameras timer, and use a tripod. I would have liked for the cameras 3 inch screen to rotate to make things easier, but no such feature exists on this model.

Another very minor issue is the flash, which is tucked in at the top of the camera. You can sometimes forget to pop it up, and it will not pop up on its own. It has to be manually brought up by you. It's a minor issue really, but one that should be addressed.

The camera does not come packed with a manual. You have to find the manual online, or just mess around with the camera until you figure out how to use all of the special features on your own. It's a minor problem, but one that did annoy me.

Finally, you cannot zoom in and out while in video mode.

The Pros
 
The Olympus sp-800 is relatively small, and easy to tote along with you. It comes with a nice long handle for you to easily put it around your neck, so you are always ready for those memorable moments. It does not come with a carrying case though, and I suggest you purchase one to keep the camera safe for when it is not in use.

It's relatively cheap compared to DSLR digital cameras. I was given this camera for my birthday, and it was purchased from Staples for $349.99, but if can be found online for much less.

It's got a slew of fun to use features and settings. The Magic settings are very neat additions that many will enjoy.

The video is captured in 720p, and delivers really beautiful video.
It comes with video cables for you to plug the camera into your TV and view your photos in a slide show.

Overall:
 
So far, so good. I really love the camera, and it's a beautiful step up from my standard point and shoot 10MP Olympus Stylus 1030SW.  I love the new and unique settings, love the picture quality, and love how simple the camera was to use. I plan on posting a full review after having the camera for a longer period of time. Till then, I hope this helps you with your purchasing decision.