Olympus is playing Nikon at its own game, it seems, with an updated SP-820 UZ high-end bridge camera with a zoom that's edging closer to Nikon's record-breaking P510. The Olympus option, however, has a wider wide-angle and a more moderate price tag.
Last year, Olympus was the first camera-maker to respond to Nikon's P500, outing the 36x SP-810 UZ to match the zoom in Nikon's model.
And Olympus is at it again this year too! While the firm hasn't matched the zoom in Nikon's P510 (a 42x zoom, nonetheless!), the new Olympus SP-820 UZ is the closest to getting anywhere near thanks to its 40x lens. That said, it beats the P510 on wide-angle settings, as with a focal range starting at 22.4 mm, it gains over a millimetre and should add five degrees to the angle of view—like Fuji's HS30, in fact.
In terms of electronics, the Olympus SP-820 is on par with is rival with a 16-Megapixel BSI CMOS sensor.
Olympus, however, is aiming the SP-820 at consumer users rather than advanced snappers, as there's no settings thumb-wheel (although there is a control ring around the lens), no viewfinder and considerably fewer buttons than in most current bridges. The screen is fixed (no swivel or tilt functions) with definition at just 460,000 dots—but if display quality is good, that should be sufficient.
Logically, then, Olympus is due to sell the SP-820 UZ with a more restrained price tag than Nikon's P510. Announced at €300 in Europe, it can be expected to hit the UK for around £260-£280, although UK pricing is till to be decided. In any case, it'll be one of the cheapest options out there if you're looking for a 30x zoom. And while some users may be put off by the lack of viewfinder and manual controls, the SP-820 should serve point-and-shoot users well.
> Compact and Bridge Camera Reviews
Last year, Olympus was the first camera-maker to respond to Nikon's P500, outing the 36x SP-810 UZ to match the zoom in Nikon's model.
And Olympus is at it again this year too! While the firm hasn't matched the zoom in Nikon's P510 (a 42x zoom, nonetheless!), the new Olympus SP-820 UZ is the closest to getting anywhere near thanks to its 40x lens. That said, it beats the P510 on wide-angle settings, as with a focal range starting at 22.4 mm, it gains over a millimetre and should add five degrees to the angle of view—like Fuji's HS30, in fact.
In terms of electronics, the Olympus SP-820 is on par with is rival with a 16-Megapixel BSI CMOS sensor.
Olympus, however, is aiming the SP-820 at consumer users rather than advanced snappers, as there's no settings thumb-wheel (although there is a control ring around the lens), no viewfinder and considerably fewer buttons than in most current bridges. The screen is fixed (no swivel or tilt functions) with definition at just 460,000 dots—but if display quality is good, that should be sufficient.
Logically, then, Olympus is due to sell the SP-820 UZ with a more restrained price tag than Nikon's P510. Announced at €300 in Europe, it can be expected to hit the UK for around £260-£280, although UK pricing is till to be decided. In any case, it'll be one of the cheapest options out there if you're looking for a 30x zoom. And while some users may be put off by the lack of viewfinder and manual controls, the SP-820 should serve point-and-shoot users well.
> Compact and Bridge Camera Reviews
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