Olympus SP- 550 UZ

thanks for your advice!guys!iv decided not to but the SP550UZ instead iv opted for this Olympus E-500 on Ebay.the price is competitive enough too,its infact about the price of the SP550UZ on the high street!

Guys.

First of all – Grey area- Love the Avatar and signature..we have waited two years for justice in the Premiership!

Anyway…back to the cameras.

I am in a rather unique position being the Editor of a Photographic magazine, and have tested the SP-550 at great length. It is a good camera, but it is not designed for capturing fast action. It does have action modes, but you will not get sharp action images like those from a DSLR.

There are some good comments in the threads above, and the bottom line is that a DSLR is the only real option for good air show photography, if you want to capture the action.

Moderating mode on
Robbo, RobAnt,

Enough ! The question was about advice on a digital camera, you gave both your opinion, and everyone is thankful for that. If you want to insult each other make it in private.
Moderating mode off.

For having myself used the predecessor of the model in question(C740UZ), I can say that it is possible to take decent airshow pictures with some practice, even if they, of course, will never be on par with something taken by a DSLR. If you are occasionally going to airshows, and want to take pictures for memories, show your family, and also carry a camera in your pocket when going on a trip without spending a fortune, the C550 might indeed do the trick.
It is true, at full zoom,, the images are soft. if you unzoom by just a little, it is ok again.
If you don’t mind carrying a bigger bag, have more money to spend, and want to do serious photography, you’ll be better off with a DSLR.

But all that is of course a question of priorities.

I like very much my EOS350, but there are still times where I leave it at home and take the C740, or even use my cellphone, just because the quality of a picture is less of an issue than what I want: a quick taken memory, and camera kit that will not weigh 2 kg at my belt…

I’ve used a variety of cameras for aviation photography, ranging from a Fuji S5000 to my current Canon 30D DSLR.

Based on my own experiences, I have to say that I agree with Robbo.

Point and shoot cameras simply do not deliver the goods with any degree of consistency when capturing images of moving aircraft.

My own advice would be to get hold of an entry-level DSLR and a reasonably cheap mid-range zoom lens, such as the Sigma 70-300mm APO DG – excellent value for money at around £150 new, by the way – and learn to use them properly. Happily, by far the best way to do this is by going out and taking pictures of aeroplanes. 😀

The Canon 400D would be an ideal first DSLR but, unless the example you mention is second-hand, that price is simply too good to be true. You may also want to look at the Nikon D40 and D50.

Let us know how you get on.

thanks, some valid points!iv been browsing around online for the last few hours looking for a camera and although i didnt consider it at first i’ve found a CANON EOS 400D going for £265!from the reviews iv read it seems like a handy model!do you have an opinion on this camera!but for the price i think its a very good buy!?

then Robbo, staying within the same price range as this Olympus, what camera would recommend for photographing aircraft with as similar zoom as possible?i was considering buying this camera in the next few weeks, so any opinions would be much appreciated!oh and there is a much better review of the camera and its features herehttp://www.dcresource.com/reviews/olympus/sp550uz-review/

Modern Prosumer (bridge) cameras, such as the Finepix S9600/S5600/S6500fd and the Olympus UZ550 series do not, in fact, suffer from any great delay these days. They’re much much better than their ancestors.

Go for it, that particular camera is really very good, and is better than 300mm it is more like 500mm at max zoom. I would suggest it is an ideal camera for beginners taking photos of aircraft in flight at shows.

There is a review here – Click.

They all offer fantastic value for money when compared with a similarly specified dSLR, although it is true there are some compromises, that a professional or very active hobbyist wouldn’t be too happy with.

As all the Olympus UZ series, the zoom is great (magnification wise, you’ll end up with roughly the equivalent of a 300mm lens), but it stays a point and shoot. So, expect a delay between the time you press the trigger, and the time the photo is taken. It is possible to take airshow pics with some training, though.

If you can live with that, and can’t afford / don’t want to invest into a DSLR, it is a great camera.