In April I had the very difficult task of replacing my trusty Nikon Coolpix 4300. As usual, I became a regular at all the camera shops playing with all the toys for about 2 weeks before I finally settled on the Olympus SP 350. As a photography enthusiast I have a few demands:

The camera must have full auto settings, and be able to be fully manual.
The camera must be compact, but large enough to fit comfortably in my fist.
The camera must be able to take high quality photos.

The SP 350 satisfies all of these requirements with ease!


The Packaging

The camera comes boxed with a camera (of course…) an Olympus CRV3 battery, a pc USB cable, the Olympus Master software, and an Advanced Manual on CD.

First thing to notice is that there is no supplied Memory card! Second, no printed manual. The first is disappointing, but the second I can appreciate! It is much nicer and easier to read a printed document, but it often just gets left on a dusty shelf! This way you can have a PDF on hand whenever you need! There is a quick setup guide, with basic information, to help you get started.


First Impressions

As the camera has 25 MB built in memory, so you can simply put the battery in and go. The Auto, Scene, and Video modes work very easily. Ok, so I have taken some pictures of nothing really, they look great, lets see what else there is!


The Camera

The first thing you notice about this camera is the shape. It is not one of those perfectly rectangular micro-minis that have flooded the market recently. Instead, it is irregular, making it clear that it is still a Camera. There is a large bulb that dominated one end of the camera. This holds the AA batteries, but also doubles as a very secure handle. There is a ridge for your fingers, so you an comfortably hold the camera between the fingertips and palm, freeing up the thumb.

The lens has an automatic cover, and is framed by a sturdy metal ring which protrudes out about 3mm. It has a thread, so the camera can accept lenses and filters. Because it only sticks out nominally, it is well protected. The automatic cover can be opened easily with fingertips, or in a bag, so I would suggest getting a standard lens cap if the camera is not kept in a protective pouch.

The LCD is a generous 2.5” making it easy to compose and review shots. It has a strong glass backing which has not yet scratched on my camera even though it sticks out about 1mm from the body!

Ok, so what can the camera actually do? With my hands I can reach everything with my thumb and fore finger. First of all is the power button, and my first complaint. It is very small, and requires quite a push. For my boyfriend, with bigger fingers, he has to grasp the camera in both hands and poke at it for awhile! On the other hand, it is easy to hit on something in a purse and switch itself on. Your index finger can rest comfortably on the shutter button, and the zoom, which is on the top of the camera. The zoom control is smooth, and easy to use. The shutter button is in the center of the zoom control, and nicely responsive.

Behind the shutter is the mode wheel. You have 9 options. Scene, My Mode, Manual, Shutter Priority, Aperture Priority, Program Mode, Auto, Playback, and Video. It is easy to change between the modes, but unfortunately just as easy to knock the wheel out of place.

Moving on, there is a Flash Mode button, AEL (a programmable button), the Display button, and a Quick View button. The Display button alternates between monitor off, information off, or everything on, and applies to all modes. The quick view allows you so see your pictures, without changing modes.

At the bottom right hand corner is a Ok/Menu button, as well as 4 arrow keys. This is the worst positioned item on the camera, and cant be used one-handed very easily.

There is a hot seat for a flash, with a removable plastic cover. Beware, this piece of plastic loves to go missing!


The Performance

The first thing I noticed about the Auto mode is that the image quality is not very good, with high JPG compression. Beyond that, the pictures are not the quality you would expect from a $400 camera. The biggest problems are all the Auto ISO and exposure settings not being intuitive enough, and rather oversensitive.

The menu is easy to navigate, and the arrow keys make it quick. It has a complicated menu, but that is partly to do with all the user changeable settings. The manual as a reference was a necessary help, once you get the basics it is easy to set up the camera. After half an hour with the manual, I decided I better set up the My Mode.


My Mode

My Mode is the saving grace of this camera. You can program 4 settings in whichever way you like, and the camera stores your preferences. You can choose auto or manual shutter speed, focus, aperture, ISO, flash and the list goes on. I have one set as my smart automatic mode, with the ISO kept to acceptable levels. This is what I almost always use my camera on, and the pictures are crisp and clear!

Beyond that, I have set up a battery friendly mode, with restricted flash and without continuous focus.

I have also set up a time lapse mode, which has led to some amazing sequences. You can set the camera up, choose the amount of pictures you want (2-99), and the interval between pictures (1min-99min). The camera then goes about its business, and shuts itself down between pictures to save battery.


Scene

There are 24 scene modes and I don’t think it is necessary to mention them all here. The ones I particularly like do deserve a mention!

The Self Portrait mode (you know all those drunken arm extended ones?) cleverly adjusts the power of the flash so that the pictures come out right every time. It also softens the pictures with use of aperture settings.

The Museum and Behind Glass Modes are also helpful. I took it on a tour of the Vatican museum, and my pictures all came out very nicely, with very little reflections on glass.

I love to cook, so the Cuisine mode is tops! It represents the appetizing colors truly and vividly. In one picture, you can even see the steam rising off a perfectly cooked steak.

There are also 3 underwater modes, which the manual reminds you must be used with an underwater housing… Well, you can never be too careful these days!


Batteries

The camera uses either standard AA’s or the longer lasting CRV3. I use rechargeble AA’s to save money, and attempt to help the environment. My first vacation with this camera was almost a disaster, with the battery warning light coming on after only a few shots (about 5 with flash!). However I quickly learnt that this was a problem with the battery meter, not flat batteries! This problem has been corrected in the 1.3 version of the firmware, and the battery sensor is not quite as sensitive. I get about 100 shots comfortably now, using the LCD the whole time, and the flash half the time. However, I have noticed that the batteries loose their charge over time, so keep your charger handy!


Memory

The camera uses xD memory which is pricey. I got my 1GB card for about 80 GBP. However, I am finding it faster than my old CF cards, and more reliable.

The Software

The Olympus Master software is horrid. Sorry, but it is rather embarrassing. The RAW converter is slow, and the overall package is slow and hard to navigate. The calendar view function (shows a thumbnail for each day/week/month) was a nice idea, but it only works if you use the software to transfer your pictures.

The camera is plug and play, and shows up on the PC or Mac as just another removable drive. Because of this, I never use the Olympus software, and just stick to Picasa and Photoshop.

The Durability

I have been using this camera for only a short while, but am so far impressed. The lanyard is attached by two points on the camera, both of which are very sturdy. The battery compartment door is reinforced, with a lock to avoid accidental openings. The USB and audio ports are covered by a well attached and tight fitting piece of rubber.

The only two trouble I see are the weak xD card door, and the lens cover I mentioned earlier. Fortunately, with the good plug and play capabilities, I don’t need to open the xD card slot frequently, and you can get a proper cover for the lens.


Overall

I am most impressed with this camera. It consistently produces very good pictures. I would definitely suggest that you make an effort to study the manual and set up the My Modes to get the most out of the camera.



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Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 400
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts