Olympus SP-560 UZ review

Image quality
Unfortunately, the SP-560 UZ's biggest feature is also one of its greatest weaknesses. While its lens is long and wide, it simply isn't very sharp. Regardless of the lens position and focus, pictures taken on the SP-560 UZ generally look soft. Fine details, like text focused upon from a great distance, can appear fuzzy regardless of focus, shutter speed or ISO sensitivity.

Shooting speed (in seconds)
(Shorter bars indicate better performance)

Typical shot-to-shot time

Time to first shot

Shutter lag (typical)

Canon PowerShot S5 IS

1.6

1.3

0.5

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9

1.4

2.1

0.6

Olympus SP-560 UZ

2.1

2.4

0.6

Nikon Coolpix P5100

2.4

2.4

0.9

Olympus SP-550 UZ

4.6

2.9

1

Beyond the softness, significant noise further hurts the camera's pictures. Notable grain appears at ISO 200, and gets significantly worse as sensitivity gets higher. At ISO 400 and higher, noise consumes fine details, rendering textures muddled.

Conclusion
If you want a camera with an extremely long lens for around £200, the Olympus SP-560 UZ is one of only a few choices available by retail. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-H9 has a mere 15x optical zoom, but its slightly nicer pictures offset its slightly shorter lens. Otherwise, you'll need to invest in a digital SLR with a very long lens, and together they can cost a lot more.

Additional editing by Shannon Doubleday