Olympus SP-590UZ

With the roster of each manufacturer's Super Zoom line up burgeoning, there's the constant pressure to one up each other where specifications are concerned. The predominant spec that's being hyper-extended in this sector, is undoubtedly the Optical Zoom capability, and in that department the Olympus SP-590UZ is ahead of the rest with a whooping 26x optical zoom. The question then is, does the bolstering of the spec sheet come at the price of quality?

To start off, the build of the SP-590UZ might seem a little shoddy at first glance, thanks to a plastic body that feels slightly cheap and light to the touch. On closer inspection though, the camera satiates the basic physical criteria for a decent super zoom; and how, I shall mention further down.

The camera weighs quite a bit - 413 grams without the 4 AA batteries and memory card - but in spite of its heavy zoom lens, it feels well balanced and not lop-sided at the least. While its dimensions are also on the larger side - 116 x 84 x 81 mm - it's nowhere close to enormous. The grip side of the camera is contoured quite well with a large, shapely handgrip that fits in your palm comfortably, and a really well positioned thumb grip on the facing side of the camera. The entire grip is covered in textured rubber, which feels great to the touch and provides good grip.

Thanks to the large handgrip, the shutter button sits perfectly under the index finger of your right hand, making it incredibly convenient to use both - the button itself and the zoom ring around it. Behind the shutter button are the tiny power button and the camera's mode dial which is easily accessible by your thumb. On the facing side of the camera you have the the navigation D-pad, the display button, the menu and preview buttons, viewfinder button and its unique Shadow Adjust button. The shadow adjust button allows you to compensate for shadowy areas by increasing the ISO sensitivity.

Besides these buttons, nests the 2.7-inch 230,000 LCD screen, along with an electronic viewfinder right above it. Overall, there's not much to brag about with the SP-590UZ's build quality - it feels a little cheap, but makes up for it with good button positioning and an ergonomic handgrip.