The Olympus D 550---A Perfect Choice for your First Digital Camera?
Written: Jan 06 '03 (Updated Jan 16 '03)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Price, great 3 megapixel images, Pixel mapping feature
Cons: No AF illumination beam, no manual exposure options, rechargeable batteries and charger not included
The Bottom Line: The Olympus Camedia D 550 is one of the best options available if you are looking for a feature rich and capable entry-level digital camera
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| Howard_Creech's Full Review: Olympus Camedia D-550 Zoom (225330) Battery Charge... |
The new Olympus Camedia D 550 is designed to appeal to purchasers looking for their first digital camera or those looking to move up from a two megapixel digicam without breaking the bank. The camera is competitively priced, compact, easy to use, features a 2.8X optical zoom, several scene modes, and the ability to shoot short video clips.
Two years ago three megapixel digital cameras were very near the top of the digital imaging food chain, but the recent introductions of new four, five, and six megapixel digital cameras and rapidly falling prices have made the three megapixel range the new entry level, and that is great for consumers. Olympus has recently introduced several feature-rich new models (C4000, C50, and C5050) in the four and five megapixel range, all aggressively priced to compete with similar offerings from Canon and Nikon putting the company right at the forefront of this developmental curve.
For the last several years Fuji, Sony, and Olympus have been fighting a marketing battle to grab and hold onto third place in the digital camera marketplace. Each company has taken a slightly different path, with Sony using their reputation for high quality consumer electronics to rope in digital camera customers. Fuji has sought to build “niche” cameras like the S2 Pro, S602 and 3800Z that offered customers something the competition couldn’t or wouldn’t provide. Olympus has concentrated on offering solid well designed digital cameras with all the features and capabilities of the big two (Nikon and Canon) but with significantly lower prices. Olympus’ digital camera engineers have accomplished this by utilizing a modular style of manufacturing. Their new C5050 five megapixel digital camera, for example, is based on the company’s popular C4040 with the addition of a new look, some new features, and a new five megapixel CCD (the same 5 megapixel CCD was used to upgrade the popular ultra compact D40 from four to five megapixels in the new C50).
By utilizing on hand components to upgrade proven older models Olympus is able to bring new cameras to the marketplace more quickly and for much lower prices-- and pass those savings on to consumers. The very popular new C 4000 upgrades last years popular C 3000 from three megapixels to four megapixels and improves the feature set by utilizing components from the C 4040. In other words, Olympus didn’t retire last years popular C 4040 they used it (and virtually all of its proven components) as a lateral up/down base model for both the C 4000 and the C 5050, saving the company (and consumers) millions of dollars in research and development costs.
The three megapixel niche market is pretty much flooded at the moment with new offerings from Canon (S230) and Nikon (CP3500) Sony, Fuji, Kodak, HP, and many other manufacturers. How did Olympus position the D 550 to compete in this dog eat dog world of capable and feature rich three megapixel digital cameras? The new D 550 continues the Olympus trend of upgrading existing models to fill newly created market niches, this time OLY is boosting the popular D 510 from two to three megapixels while holding the price of the new camera to what most two megapixel digital cameras cost.
Most first time digital camera buyers want a camera that is compact, easy to use, good for vacation/family snapshot type images, and relatively inexpensive. In the past this has meant buying a two megapixel digital camera, but Olympus is upping the ante to three megapixels without really upping the price. As a matter of fact, the D 550 is actually selling for less than most two megapixel digital cameras were selling for just a year ago.
Features
The Olympus Camedia D 550 isn’t the smallest or the sexiest 3 megapixel digicam around, but what it lacks in style it makes up for in substance. The D 550 is easy to use, has lots of nifty features, and most importantly it produces excellent digital images, and unlike its competition both indoor and outdoor images are evenly exposed, with accurate colors, realistic skin tones, and sharp detail. That is pretty impressive for a 3 megapixel digital camera that costs about the same as the two megapixel Nikon CP 2500 and less than the two megapixel Canon S330.
In addition to offering a fifty per cent increase in resolution over comparably priced two megapixel digicams the D 550 provides users with some creative input in the form of exposure compensation, in-camera sharpening and contrast controls, the ability to shoot 360 degree panoramas, PIP (picture-in-a-picture) shots, and unlike most entry-level digital cameras the D 550 offers shooters the option of saving images in either JPEG or TIFF format. The shutter button and the zoom control monopolize the D 550’s top deck and a four-way arrow pad on the unit's rear panel provides quick access to macro, flash, shooting modes, and the D 550’s menus.
Like most Olympus digicams the D 550 is equipped with few dedicated controls, relying instead on a complex but versatile menu system. The D 550’s Virtual Mode Dial (a circular graphic menu display that imitates the dedicated analog control dial more expensive cameras provide to access often used functions) radically simplifies menu navigation.
The D-550 is the latest in a long line of the Olympus clam shell design cameras dating back to the 35mm Stylus models of the 80s. The clam-shell design has proven benefits like compact size, sturdy construction, and the ability to protect the front element of the lens without the need for a separate lens cap. Add in a newly designed 3 megapixel CCD, a proven 2.8X optical zoom, five Scene (Portrait, Landscape, Landscape Portrait, Night Scene and Self Portrait) modes, a large and bright 1.8" LCD, and power from cheap and readily available AA batteries and you’ve got a unit that is definitely on the right track. The D 550, unlike most cameras in its price range, also offers Automatic Noise Reduction, TTL iESP auto focus for super-sharp images, digital ESP or spot metering, Olympus' TruePic technology (optimizes sharpness, contrast, and color balance at all resolution levels), Automatic Pixel Mapping (analyzes and re-maps CCD for improved performance), and a new 3:2 Recording Mode that allows users to create perfectly sized (no cropping) 4 x 6 or 8 x 12 prints.
Viewfinder/LCD
The D-550’s 1.8" TFT color LCD display is bright and just a bit larger than most of its competition. The LCD is the same unit that was used in the D 510. Just above the LCD is the optical viewfinder (rather than an EVF) and there is a diopter correction for those who wear eyeglasses.
Lens
The D 550’s 2.8X f2.9-f4.4/36-100mm (35mm equivalent) zoom lens features 2 aspherical elements (for improved resolution and correct color) and is specially matched to the newly designed CCD. The lens retracts completely inside the camera body when powered down and the sliding clam-shell cover slides over the front element to protect it, making the D 550 fully pocketable (although you’ll need a fairly roomy pocket).
Macro
When the D 550’s Macro mode is selected the LCD automatically switches on so that it can be used as a viewfinder. Like all P&S cameras the D 550 suffers from parallax problems at very close distances. The D 550’s macro resolution is sharp as a tack although there is some minor corner softness. The Auto white balance setting produces a slightly warm cast, but overall macro performance is much better than average for an entry level digital camera.
Low Light
The D-550's low light performance is noticeably better than average (especially for an entry-level camera). The D 550 can record bright, clear images at both 200 and 400 ISO settings. Low light shots exhibit an overly warm color (at the Auto setting) but noise is quite low at ISO 100, increasing very slightly at ISO 200, and noticeable at ISO 400.
Flash
The D 550’s flash is a built-in multi-mode intelligent (automatic flash activation in low light and backlight situations) “pop-up” speedlight. There is no provision for use of external flash units.
Movie Mode
The D 550 can record short video clips @ 320 x 240 at 15 fps (limited to 33 seconds). There is no audio but the optical zoom can be used during filming.
Power
The D 550 is powered by four AA batteries or two CRV-3 lithium non-rechargeable battery packs. Battery life is very good, a set of high- capacity NiMH rechargeables allowed over two hundred exposures (in very cold weather) with moderate LCD use and occasional flash use. A second set of NiMH rechargeables (and a charger) is a good idea.
Technical Specifications
Resolution: 3 megapixels (1984 x 1488)
Viewfinder: Optical (true image zoom) and 1.8” LCD
Exposure modes: Program Auto Mode
Exposure metering: Digital ESP multi-pattern or spot
Exposure compensation: /-2 EV in 1/2 EV increments
Lens: 2.8X zoom f2.8-f4.4/36-100mm (35mm equivalent)
White Balance: Auto & 4 pre-set modes
Sensitivity: Auto, 100, 200, & 400 ISO (equivalent)
Image format: JPEG, TIFF
Shutter Speed Range:1/2 second to 1/1000th of a second
Continuous shooting: 2 fps
Auto focus: TTL iESP contrast detection
Flash: Built-in, Multi-mode “pop up”
Memory Media : SmartMedia
Connectivity: USB & NTSC
Power : 4 “AA” battery
Price Range MSRP $399.00------------------ Street Price $229.00--$299.00
Included
1 16MB SM card, 4 Alkaline AA batteries, wrist strap, USB & AV Cables, CD-ROM, Printed Manual
In the Field/Handling & Operation
I have been hearing great things about the Olympus Camedia D 550 for the past few months and bugging my friend (who sells new and used digital and analog photographic equipment) to try and get one for us to play with. He has been selling them as fast as he could get them so we didn’t get a chance to test one until after the Christmas sales rush was over. Our first adventure with the Olympus Camedia D 550 came on a bright and sunny (but very cold) Saturday with a trip to Cave Hill Cemetery to check out some of the monuments in the older section of Louisville’s oldest burial ground. Cave Hill started out as a small heavily forested farm on the outskirts of the city that became Louisville’s primary burial place by the mid 1840’s. Since that time the area has been planted with thousands of trees, shrubs, and bushes. Many of these plantings are rare flowering trees and shrubs that make Cave Hill absolutely gorgeous in the spring, summer and fall.
The cemetery was completely deserted when we got there and we were able to quickly drive to the oldest area and shoot some of old headstones still damp from our recent snow and surrounded by an ankle deep carpet of fallen leaves. It was very cold and the sky had turned gray and the light was pretty diffused, making it easy to get a “dark” gothic look, especially shooting the weather darkened hand-carved native limestone grave markers.
After we finished at Cave Hill we were both freezing so my friend suggested that we try out a new joint he had recently discovered, Morris’ Deli (2228 Taylorsville Rd.) an old fashioned southern style deli featuring sandwiches, barbeque, and home made soups. Both of us grew up eating Kentucky style white bean soup, so when he told me that Morris’ Deli had the best white bean soup in Louisville I was anxious to try it. The Deli is on Taylorsville Road about half a block east of the Bardstown Rd. Intersection. The Deli is located in a combined liquor store beer depot so the décor is pretty primitive, it is a tiny little place with only two tables and the look is definitely retro, however the instant you walk in and get your first scent of the smells coming from behind the counter you know you’ve found something magical. The menu is very simple---- ham, roast beef, cold cuts, cheeses, barbeque, a couple varieties of potato salad, and a selection of home-made soups. We walked up to the counter and ordered two white bean soups (6 ounces $1.25 or 12 ounces $2.25) and my friend also ordered a ham and cheese sandwich (sandwiches run from $2.50 to $4.50).
After getting our food and a couple cans of coke, we sat down to eat and have an extended discussion of the merits and performance of the Olympus D 550. Morris’ Deli was the perfect place to warm up after a couple of hours out in the freezing cold, and my friend was right the white bean soup is easily the best in Louisville.
For our second outing with the D 550 we chose to go to one of my favorite shooting locations, Cherokee Park. Louisville is blessed with an incredible quantity of green space (although it isn’t too green right now), we have one of the most extensive city park systems in the country. Our park system was designed at the end of the nineteenth century by noted landscape artist Frederick Law Olmstead (who also designed New York’s Central Park and New Orlean’s Audubon Park). Cherokee Park is one of our nicest parks with old growth trees covering the hillsides that slope down to Beargrass Creek. The park is right on the edge of the Highlands neighborhood and provides a refuge for joggers, runners, in line skaters, dog walkers, and bicyclists. During the Spring, Summer, and Fall Cherokee Park is absolutely gorgeous---but during the winter Kentucky is pretty depressing. Gray skies, leafless trees, and dead grass highlight a landscape that is essentially dull brown and boring from early December until the end of February. We get an occasional snowstorm, but the white stuff doesn’t stick around long, so we even miss out on the drama of fresh snow, most of the time. For a photographer, winter in Louisville makes for slim pickings in terms of shooting locales.
My friend and I always cruise the scenic loop that parallels Beargrass Creek looking for something interesting to shoot. It was a cold day with pale blue skies and streaky white patches of cloud cover. We shot a couple of interesting trees (in silhouette against the washed out blue sky) and then drove over the nearby Seneca Park. I like to shoot my favorite locations in various types of lighting and in all four seasons of the year. This is one of the secrets of successful landscape photographers, choose a handful of interesting nearby locales and then shoot them year-round and under every sort of lighting---you’ll become more and more familiar with the locale and over time your images will get stronger and stronger. One of my favorite places is a very small waterfall on Beargrass Creek right at the edge of the Seneca Park golf course. I’ve shot the waterfall during all four seasons and in every kind of lighting imaginable. It was so cold out that I was hoping for some interesting ice (Beargrass Creek runs too fast to freeze up completely) formations. We parked just past the bridge and walked down to the creek and spent about fifteen minutes shooting the water and a collection of ice covered rocks and ice encased branches poking up from the frigid looking water.
When my friend started complaining that he could no longer feel his toes we returned to the car and headed for Heine Brothers Coffee shop at 1295 Bardstown Road (right across the street from the Mid City Mall). Heine Brothers is our homegrown version of Starbucks, a popular local Espresso/Cappuccino bar that shares an old Highlands neighborhood house with Carmichael’s Bookstore. Heine Brothers sells fair trade “shade grown” coffee form Costa Rica, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Indonesia, and Mexico.
The coffee shop is a great place to warm up on a cold winter afternoon with a steaming espresso or cappuccino. It is always fun to watch the eclectic collection of patrons (mostly college students, neighborhood readers, and shoppers). The mix is usually spiced up a bit with a sprinkling of Goths and a dash of “Gen Y” musicians. A careful photographer can squeeze off a couple of grab shots without attracting too much attention. My friend and I spent the better part of an hour warming up, sneaking candids of some of the more interesting patrons, and talking about the Olympus Camedia D 550.
After looking at all of the images we’d shot over the two weekend course of our test of the D 550 we both agreed that the images were well exposed, shutter lag was minimal, the color was great, and the resolution was super from OLY’s little D 550. Image quality was nothing short of amazing, considering the cost of the camera.
Shutter Lag/Timing
The D 550’s boot-up cycle is a bit longer (because the camera has to extend the lens) than average for entry level 3 megapixel digital cameras, but the shot to shot times are a bit quicker because of the D 550’s fairly large buffer. Overall shutter lag is a little shorter than average for three megapixel cameras, less than one second if you don’t pre-focus and almost instantaneous if you do. Overall, the D 550's image processing/shutter lag/shot to shot timing is very quick for a digital camera in this price range, and better than many more expensive P&S digicams.
Image Quality
The D 550 Zoom did a really good job, whatever we threw at it. The camera's program mode and default settings produce consistently good (if unexciting) exposures with good color, and slightly hard contrast. Program mode images tend to be just a tad warm, which makes skin tones look good. Images show lots of detail and resolution is very high. Shadow areas show decent detail, with very low noise levels.
The daylight white balance setting produced the most accurate color overall, but most snapshooters and family photographers will like the slightly warm look (Olympus has obviously biased the in-camera image interpolation to favor skin tones) of the auto setting. Overall color saturation is fairly neutral and contrast is just a bit high. We printed two 5x7 images (with an Epson 785 EPX and Kodak Photo Paper) and the prints were on par with any three megapixel camera I’ve used to date, excellent in every respect. Very good 8x10 enlargements should be no problem at all.
A Few Concerns
My biggest complaint with the D 550 is its lack of manual exposure options. A knowledgeable photographer will be able to accomplish a reasonable level of user input by manipulating the exposure compensation, ISO sensitivity, white balance, and image adjustment modes. Like all Olympus digital cameras the D 550 relies too heavily on menus (I would like to see more dedicated control buttons) and lacks a focus aid beam for low light photography.
The 2.8X zoom is excellent but does exhibit some very minor barrel distortion at the wide angle end of the zoom’s range. Optical distortion (pincushion) at the telephoto end of the zoom’s range is very well controlled and virtually invisible. Chromatic aberration (purple fringing) is very low and should not be a problem except in extreme situations. There is very minor corner softness at maximum aperture, but overall the D 550’s 2.8X zoom is a superb optic that provides better performance than the zooms of many more expensive digital cameras.
Flash coverage at the wide angle end of the zoom’s range is uneven, with some slight but noticeable light falloff in the corners of the frame. At the telephoto end of the zoom’s range, flash coverage is even and very good if the subject is within 6-8 feet of the camera, beyond 10 feet flash coverage drops off pretty quickly.
Conclusion
If you are in the market for your first digital camera or you want to move up from a two megapixel digicam, the Olympus Camedia D 550 is worthy of serious consideration. Overall, the D 550 offers the best "bang for your buck" with an exceptional selection of features at an excellent price. You’ll need to factor in the price of a larger SM card, two sets of rechargeable NiMH batteries, and a charger.
The Olympus Camedia D 550 is a very good "entry level" digital camera, especially for those who are looking for a simple and easy to use unit that delivers excellent image quality. It's compact enough to slip into a large pocket or small purse and can be easily carried around all day without fatigue or discomfort. Under most lighting conditions the camera will deliver excellent properly exposed photos with well-saturated and accurate colors. The flash is adequate for most situations and the three megapixel resolution will allow you to print good enlargements up to 8 x 10 inches. The D 550 is an excellent choice for email, web pages, family snapshots, vacation photos, and general photography. If you're looking for your first digital camera or want to move up from two megapixel resolution, your options aren’t likely to get much better than the Olympus Camedia D 550.
Links
Are you considering setting up a home digital darkroom? Check out my review of a bargain priced and very capable photo quality ink-jet printer.
Epson Stylus Photo 785 EPX ink-jet printer
http://www.epinions.com/content_60776812164
For definitive advice on How to Choose a Digital Camera please see my review:
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-2E46-17B174E2-39A418E3-prod1
For more information about specific Digital Camera models, you may find my Digital Camera reviews informative:
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Nikon D100
http://www.epinions.com/content_72201965188
Nikon Coolpix 4300
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Nikon Coolpix 5700
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Nikon Coolpix 4500
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Nikon Coolpix 2500
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Canon Digital Cameras
Canon Powershot S45
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Canon Powershot G3
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Canon Powershot S230
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Canon EOS D60
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Canon Powershot S40
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Canon Powershot S30
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Olympus Digital Cameras
Olympus C 730
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Olympus C 5050
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Olympus C 50
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Olympus C 4000
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Sony Digital Cameras
Sony DSC F717
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Fuji Digital Cameras
Fuji Finepix S2 “PRO”
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Fuji Finepix S602
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Minolta Digital Cameras
Minolta Dimage F100
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Recommended:
Yes
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Howard_Creech
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Member: Howard Creech
Location: Louisville, KY
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Photographer/Writer fascinated by Movies, Music, Books, American Diner Food, History, "Popular Culture", and Travel.
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