SP560UZ

Hi,

I've owned a 3030 for years and have loved it. It's taken many great pics. So I decided to upgrade to the SP560UZ. What a disappointment. It doesn't do well at all in low light. I never get SHARP photos. And the color isn't great. I've played with all of the adjustments, with little progress.

I'd like to know if this is a common experience, or am i nuts. My old 3030 was great out of the box!

If this thing is junk, any recommendations for a GOOD little camera like this? Or should I try to find an 8080?

Thanks,

GP

I have no idea whether it's the camera or you just need some more time with it to get better pictures. I was going to upgrade to one of the Olympus ultrazoom cameras last year, and someone on one of these forums recommended that I try the Olympus entry-level DSLR camera instead. I did purchase the Olympus DSLR (my first DSLR), and have never looked back.

There comes a point in time, where an individual wants more...and an entry-level DSLR with 2 kit lenses is really something to consider. What's amazing, is that I've noticed that Canon and Nikon lately are following what Olympus has offered with their 2 kit lens packages...at an affordable price. In other words, you have a wide range of choices under $750 (USD). Of course, I still think that Olympus is the best choice, for the price and what they have to offer.

Hello Gary:

Sorry to read about your 560. There may be a 570 or 580 by now. I did have a 550 but passed it on to somebody who, without any training, takes very good shots with it, and is extremely pleased to have replaced his little Canon.

I now have a E510, with an array of lenses, and more soon coming. It's really a great camera. I wish it had more dynamic range -- maybe the E30 will be my next camera.

Not very long after getting the E510, I missed my sp550, and got an sp560. I still use it often, and take it with me when the E510 is too much to carry, or if there may be circumstances requiring something fast-on-the-draw.

Here are two 560 shots, one wide angle, the other narrow angle and heavily cropped. Not the best shots, not the perfection of sharpness, or maybe not the best of exposures, but I got the shots, I captured the moment before I would have had the time to get my E510 out of its case. Xopher

You may want to try to find a 7070 or 8080. The SP series have not been stellar performers. I still have an SP500 which I have not used since getting the E-1 a little over a year ago. I came from film SLRs, and didn't want the hassle of heavy cameras and lenses, etc. But, as others have said, you may not be able to get the photos you want with the SP560. It is possible to pick up an E-1 or E-330 on eBay for $250-300. All of my current equipment came from eBay or the four-thirds forum. I have no regrets.

Having said that, Henry Falkner does great work with his SP570. The 7070 and 8080 are 5x zooms, while the SP5xx series have long zooms. My daughter has a Canon S5 IS with a 12x zoom that she is very happy with.

--
Lois Ann
E-1, E-330, 14-54mm, 11-22mm, 50-200mm, EC14; SP500UZ, MCON 40
Used to have: C-765UZ, TCON 17
Photography: 'Freezing photons for the future.' or 'Capturing a story in light.'

Hello,

May I ask an opinion on this camera? I've read some info on it's capabilities, or lack of, but would this camera be a good deal at $163. We found it for sale at that price, and like it, but would it be better to save that money toward a more expensive camera (which we can't afford right now) or does the lower price make this camera a little more desirable?

Thank you for any opinions, I appreciate it. =)
Kelly

Yes, the SP-560 is a good deal at $163. The camera goes for $150-$180 on ebay.

Please keep in mind this is a superzoom camera with an 18x zoom lens. Most people don't realize this and compain about blurry photos at 18x zoom with insufficient lighting.

I've had the camera for about two month now. It is a very good all in one camera.

kamm images said:

Hello,

May I ask an opinion on this camera? I've read some info on it's
capabilities, or lack of, but would this camera be a good deal at
$163. We found it for sale at that price, and like it, but would it
be better to save that money toward a more expensive camera (which we
can't afford right now) or does the lower price make this camera a
little more desirable?

Thank you for any opinions, I appreciate it. =)
Kelly

Click to expand...

GeorgeH said:

Yes, the SP-560 is a good deal at $163. The camera goes for
$150-$180 on ebay.

Please keep in mind this is a superzoom camera with an 18x zoom lens.
Most people don't realize this and compain about blurry photos at 18x
zoom with insufficient lighting.

I've had the camera for about two month now. It is a very good all
in one camera.>

Click to expand...

Sorry for the delay. Thank you so much for the response, George. I really appreciate it. =)

Hi Gary,

It seems that the SP series gets a bum rap now and then but I have the 560 and I like it a lot. I had the 765C which I think out of camera has better IQ than the 560 but at 4mpix it lacked the ability to enlarge much and had only 10x optical. I was disapointed for a couple months until I got used to it but if it's low light abilities you want it definitely is not the camera for you, poor ISO above 200. I for the most part use manual mode so I can toggle shutter and aperature back and forth for my shots. I really like the camera, I bought a dslr to get better IQ but that is really the only reason, I don't see as many issues with the SP series as some do. Here are a couple shots obviously cropped. They're far from perfect but I don't think they are terrible.
Eric

Eric, I agree with you. I've had my SP-560 for 16 months and have generally been happy with the results. I constantly experiment in low light situations and find I am having more 'keepers' than I've had in the past. I'm tempted to jump on the SP-590 bandwagon but I'm not sure what I would gain IQ-wise.



Garden Of The Gods framed by Pikes Peak



Louise is such a ham!



Photo 1 has minimal PP. The other 2 photos are straight out of the camera.

Don.

http://www.pbase.com/dhorner