Olympus SP-550 UZ: 18x ultra zoom

I might agree with 8 mp, but cramming 12 mp on a tiny sensor the size of the
one on that camera would probably result in some quality issues. I think
Oly is to be applauded for not getting into the megapixel race, but rather
keeping the resolution proportionate to the sensor size and sacrificing
"throw weight" for image quality.

--
Skip Middleton
www.shadowcatcherimagery.com
www.pbase.com/skipm
"Paul D. Sullivan" <dudeboyz.TakeThisOut@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:jtmuh.11106$Kf.436@trndny07...
> Only 7 megapixels - that is a let down. Should be at least 8, perhaps 10
> or even 12.
>
>> This look like it will be a good one???
>>
>> Not yet in UK but anyone elsewhere got one or know the price
>> range?
>> Ken
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: Olympus SP-550 UZ: 18x ultra zoom 

My needs are for a camera with wide angle (28mm) which I have with my
Olympus 5060 but missing a better zoom when I need to get further back! So
will keep an eye on it as the 7 megapixels is fine for my needs.

Ken

"Skip" <shadowcatcher RemoveThis @cox.net> wrote in message
news:QDmuh.18$B_.8@newsfe06.phx...
>I might agree with 8 mp, but cramming 12 mp on a tiny sensor the size of
>the one on that camera would probably result in some quality issues. I
>think Oly is to be applauded for not getting into the megapixel race, but
>rather keeping the resolution proportionate to the sensor size and
>sacrificing "throw weight" for image quality.
>
> --
> Skip Middleton
> www.shadowcatcherimagery.com
> www.pbase.com/skipm
> "Paul D. Sullivan" <dudeboyz RemoveThis @hotmail.com> wrote in message
> news:jtmuh.11106$Kf.436@trndny07...
>> Only 7 megapixels - that is a let down. Should be at least 8, perhaps 10
>> or even 12.
>>
>>> This look like it will be a good one???
>>>
>>> Not yet in UK but anyone elsewhere got one or know the price
>>> range?
>>> Ken
>>
>>
>
>
 >> Stay informed about: Olympus SP-550 UZ: 18x ultra zoom 

Paul D. Sullivan wrote:
> Only 7 megapixels - that is a let down. Should be at least 8,
> perhaps 10 or even 12.

5 or 6MP would be a better match for the sensor size.

David
 >> Stay informed about: Olympus SP-550 UZ: 18x ultra zoom 

> Paul D. Sullivan wrote:
>> Only 7 megapixels - that is a let down. Should be at least 8,
>> perhaps 10 or even 12.
>
> 5 or 6MP would be a better match for the sensor size.
>
> David

The Canon A640 does 10mp on its sensor. Is that not a good match
either?
 >> Stay informed about: Olympus SP-550 UZ: 18x ultra zoom 

On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:43:47 +0000, Ken wrote:

> This look like it will be a good one???
>
> Not yet in UK but anyone elsewhere got one or know the price range?
>
> Ken

Now if they'd scrap the stupid xd cards and get with the rest of the world.
 >> Stay informed about: Olympus SP-550 UZ: 18x ultra zoom 

Paul D. Sullivan wrote:
>> Paul D. Sullivan wrote:
>>> Only 7 megapixels - that is a let down. Should be at least 8,
>>> perhaps 10 or even 12.
>>
>> 5 or 6MP would be a better match for the sensor size.
>>
>> David
>
> The Canon A640 does 10mp on its sensor. Is that not a good match
> either?

I suspect that for the great majority of uses, a 5MP or 6MP sensor would
be a better compromise there as well. Of course, if your are regularly
printing at greater than A4 size (210 x 297mm) you may prefer more pixels.

Note that Nikon in its most recent DSLR has opted for a quality 6MP sensor
rather than following the marketing droids "more MP is better".

David
 >> Stay informed about: Olympus SP-550 UZ: 18x ultra zoom 

On Jan 26, 11:55 am, ray <r....DeleteThis@zianet.com> wrote:
> On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:43:47 +0000, Ken wrote:
> > This look like it will be a good one???
>
> > Not yet in UK but anyone elsewhere got one or know the price range?
>
> > KenNow if they'd scrap the stupid xd cards and get with the rest of the world.

I agree whole-heartedly - what a waste. Both Fuji and Olympus are
coming out with some very interesting and innovative cameras, but
they're hobbled by the stupid cards. This new Oly camera looks really
good; I too have an Oly C-5060 that I'd like to replace with a "wide to
long-zoom" for lightweight general use. I broke down and bought a Fuji
F10 a while ago, and was pleasantly surprised to find that an xD card
wasn't twice the price of other formats anymore; more like 10% higher -
and a lot less than a Sony memory stick. Still, I feel like I'm being
bent over the cash-register when I think about buying another.
 >> Stay informed about: Olympus SP-550 UZ: 18x ultra zoom 

On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 14:34:44 GMT, Paul D. Sullivan wrote:

>> 5 or 6MP would be a better match for the sensor size.
>>
>> David
>
> The Canon A640 does 10mp on its sensor. Is that not a good match
> either?

If 7mp is too many pixels for the SP-550's 1/2.5" sensor, then 10mp
is also too many for the A640's larger 1/1.8" sensor. The A640
doesn't cram the pixels quite as tightly, but it's pretty close,
with less than a 10% difference. If you want to work it out for
yourself, dpreview gives these dimensions for the sensors, including
for comparison APS-C, which is roughly comparable to the size of
most DSLR sensors:

> 1/2.5" == 5.760mm x 4.290mm == 24.71 sq.mm
> 1/1.8" == 7.176mm x 5.319mm == 38.17 sq.mm
> 1.8" (APS-C) == 23.7mm x 15.7mm == 372 sq.mm

Comparing the 10mp A640 with the 7mp A620, the increased number of
pixels doesn't translate to the same increase in resolution. The
horizontal and vertical absolute resolution increased from 1,550 and
1,600 LPH to 1,775 and 1,850 LPH. This is very close to what you'd
expect from an increase of 7mp to 8mp. If the A640's resolution
increased in proportion to its 10 mp, it would have achieved 2,214
(hor) and 2,286 (vert) LPH. Along with its very modest improvement
over the A620, the A640 is probably a bit noisier at the high ISOs.

(see http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canona640/page15.asp )


How does my old Fuji S5100 with its small 1/2.5" 4mp compare?
According to dpreview, absolute resolution is 1,200 and 1,250 LPH.
Not too bad, and the diminishing returns gotten from the higher mp
count sensors is apparent. If the S5100's sensor was enlarged in
its physical dimensions to provide an increase from 4mp to 7mp and
10mp (assuming a perfect lens to match), its resolution would
increase to 2,100 and 2,188 LPH (7mp) and 3,000 and 3,125 LPH
(10mp). The A620 (which I also own) and the A640 don't come close
to matching these resolutions. In other words, as most people here
have long recognized, the megapixel race is mainly a numbers game
devised by the camera manufacturers' marketing departments. It
helps sell cameras, but doesn't help make good purchasing decisions.
 >> Stay informed about: Olympus SP-550 UZ: 18x ultra zoom 

In article <45b9fa35$0$31237$da0feed9@news.zen.co.uk>, says...
> My needs are for a camera with wide angle (28mm) which I have with my
> Olympus 5060 but missing a better zoom when I need to get further back! So
> will keep an eye on it as the 7 megapixels is fine for my needs.

If you don't need live preview you could get an E400 with the double
lens kit. You'd cover the 28-300mm range and still have a very compact
package.
--

Alfred Molon
------------------------------
Olympus 50X0, 7070, 8080, E300, E330, E400 and E500 forum at
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/MyOlympus/
Olympus E330 resource - http://myolympus.org/E330/
 >> Stay informed about: Olympus SP-550 UZ: 18x ultra zoom 

"Alfred Molon" <REMOVEalfred_molon.TakeThisOut@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.20245ff23d318fdd98b2e6@news.supernews.com...
> In article <45b9fa35$0$31237$da0feed9@news.zen.co.uk>, says...
>> My needs are for a camera with wide angle (28mm) which I have with my
>> Olympus 5060 but missing a better zoom when I need to get further back!
>> So
>> will keep an eye on it as the 7 megapixels is fine for my needs.
>
> If you don't need live preview you could get an E400 with the double
> lens kit. You'd cover the 28-300mm range and still have a very compact
> package.
> --
>
> Alfred Molon
> ------------------------------
> Olympus 50X0, 7070, 8080, E300, E330, E400 and E500 forum at
> http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/MyOlympus/
> Olympus E330 resource - http://myolympus.org/E330/

I'll take a look at it but in my work I haven't time to change lenses.

Ken
 >> Stay informed about: Olympus SP-550 UZ: 18x ultra zoom 

In article <pan.2007.01.26.18.55.36.854832 RemoveThis @zianet.com>, ray says...

> Now if they'd scrap the stupid xd cards and get with the rest of the world.

I'd say it's highly irrelevant what card format they use. Cards are
cheap nowadays and it's very likely you won't reuse the cards you buy
today with your next camera. Besides, what is the rest of the world -
CF, SD or what else? CF sucks by the way. I bought a USB card reader and
cannot insert anymore the CF card because one of the pins got bent. Why
on earth does a memory card have to have so many pins?
--

Alfred Molon
------------------------------
Olympus 50X0, 7070, 8080, E300, E330, E400 and E500 forum at
http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/MyOlympus/
Olympus E330 resource - http://myolympus.org/E330/
 >> Stay informed about: Olympus SP-550 UZ: 18x ultra zoom 

On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 22:59:24 +0100, Alfred Molon wrote:

> In article <pan.2007.01.26.18.55.36.854832.RemoveThis@zianet.com>, ray says...
>
>> Now if they'd scrap the stupid xd cards and get with the rest of the world.
>
> I'd say it's highly irrelevant what card format they use. Cards are
> cheap nowadays and it's very likely you won't reuse the cards you buy
> today with your next camera. Besides, what is the rest of the world -
> CF, SD or what else? CF sucks by the way. I bought a USB card reader and
> cannot insert anymore the CF card because one of the pins got bent. Why
> on earth does a memory card have to have so many pins?

I guess it's no problem at all if you don't mind paying twice as much for
every card you get - I do.
 >> Stay informed about: Olympus SP-550 UZ: 18x ultra zoom 

On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 12:13:07 -0800, grruffbowwow wrote:

>
>
> On Jan 26, 11:55 am, ray <r....RemoveThis@zianet.com> wrote:
>> On Fri, 26 Jan 2007 11:43:47 +0000, Ken wrote:
>> > This look like it will be a good one???
>>
>> > Not yet in UK but anyone elsewhere got one or know the price range?
>>
>> > KenNow if they'd scrap the stupid xd cards and get with the rest of the world.
>
> I agree whole-heartedly - what a waste. Both Fuji and Olympus are
> coming out with some very interesting and innovative cameras, but
> they're hobbled by the stupid cards. This new Oly camera looks really
> good; I too have an Oly C-5060 that I'd like to replace with a "wide to
> long-zoom" for lightweight general use. I broke down and bought a Fuji
> F10 a while ago, and was pleasantly surprised to find that an xD card
> wasn't twice the price of other formats anymore; more like 10% higher -
> and a lot less than a Sony memory stick. Still, I feel like I'm being
> bent over the cash-register when I think about buying another.

I recently bought a Kodak P850 refurb from the kodak online store. 12x
zoom, IS, only 5.1mp, SD card, and 237k EVF - much better than the 110k
EVF on most competing brands. I'm quite pleased with it.
 >> Stay informed about: Olympus SP-550 UZ: 18x ultra zoom