Professional Olympus SZ-31MR iHS Reviews/Tests?

[jimr]

Links please...

Not looking for Amazon etc..user comments/evaluations...but rather full professional reviews/tests...

 

[Mike Paterson]

That's the problem...... I have searched every day for an in depth review but there is nothing.

Everything points to around the date of the 8th Feb 2012 and those mostly are pre-reviews or blogs.

Mike
--
Happy with most Cameras but use:-
Nikon D200 + various differing Lens [inc Sigma Bigma].
Fuji X10
Olympus XZ-1
Panasonic LX3

Other favs of recent use:
Various Nikon DSLR's,
Canon SX95
Panasonic TZ5, TZ7, TZ10
...and a bucket load of others!

 

[jim4850]

Lost opportunity happening. I was hanging out for a review of the SZ-31 MR but in the meantime I saw some samples from the Nikon P510 and grabbed one of them due to what my eyes saw, wow! If Olympus had released their's a tad sooner I may have had the pocketable zoom I was looking for rather than the excellent but bulkier Nikon.

 

[Mike Paterson]

Lost opportunity happening. I was hanging out for a review of the SZ-31 MR but in the meantime I saw some samples from the Nikon P510 and grabbed one of them due to what my eyes saw, wow! If Olympus had released their's a tad sooner I may have had the pocketable zoom I was looking for rather than the excellent but bulkier Nikon.

I understand your frustration Jim.
I personally though am holding out for the SZ-31

As you say it is much smaller:-

Nikon P510 = 119.8 x 82.9 x 102.2 mm (4.8 x 3.3 x 4.1 in.) (excluding projections)
Olympus SZ-31 = 106 x 69 x 40 mm (4.2 x 2.7 x 1.6 in)

Then there's the sensor's BSI technology which supposedly gathers more light than a standard unit.

Next we have the backside illuminated CMOS sensor and true mechanical image stabilization which we are told will reduce blur from camera shake (done by 'jiggling' the sensor to counteract against your movements).

Then there's the doubling of the zoom which pushes it to x48 making it slightly longer than the Nikon's x42.

But I like some of the other tricks the SZ-31 performs such as the twin TruePic V processors which allows you to either take two different videos or a video and a shot.
Or the Touch-sensitive, 3.0-inch 920,000-dot LCD screen.

Simply touch the screen to either Focus & Picture Automatically is taken, or when touched AF is Locked, you then have to press the shutter to take the shot.
The Backlit HDR adjustment will be interesting if it works.

Finally there's the Hand-Held Starlight mode which enables you to shoot blur-free beautiful night scenes while holding the camera in your hands without using a tripod.

It's things such as these (and more) which again is making me hold out and go for the SZ-31.

Mike
--
Happy with most Cameras but use:-
Nikon D200 + various differing Lens [inc Sigma Bigma].
Fuji X10
Olympus XZ-1
Panasonic LX3

Other favs of recent use:
Various Nikon DSLR's,
Canon SX95
Panasonic TZ5, TZ7, TZ10
...and a bucket load of others!

 

[jim4850]

Then there's the doubling of the zoom which pushes it to x48 making it slightly longer than the Nikon's x42.

Nothing outzooms the P510, it can do do digital zoom too, not that I bother, an afterwards crop achieves that.

It's things such as these (and more) which again is making me hold out and go for the SZ-31.

I love Olympus JPGs and nearly bought a XZ-1 a while back except I was able to pick up an E-PL1 even cheaper. I even ordered a TG-610 the other day as I wanted a rugged camera and Olympus do tend to have a JPG look I like, but that Nikon P510 is something special, only limited by its lack of portability, something many SLR users are reluctant to gnash their teeth about. Perhaps I may end up gnashing my few remaining ones when the SZ-31 is tested, who knows?

Mike
--
Happy with most Cameras but use:-
Nikon D200 + various differing Lens [inc Sigma Bigma].
Fuji X10
Olympus XZ-1
Panasonic LX3

Other favs of recent use:
Various Nikon DSLR's,
Canon SX95
Panasonic TZ5, TZ7, TZ10
...and a bucket load of others!

 

[jimr]

The major question now how does its actual IQ and performance compare to the already tested small Panasonic ZS 15, ZS 20 and Canon SX 260.

These are all formidable competition to the untested Oly......

Lost opportunity happening. I was hanging out for a review of the SZ-31 MR but in the meantime I saw some samples from the Nikon P510 and grabbed one of them due to what my eyes saw, wow! If Olympus had released their's a tad sooner I may have had the pocketable zoom I was looking for rather than the excellent but bulkier Nikon.

I understand your frustration Jim.
I personally though am holding out for the SZ-31

As you say it is much smaller:-

Nikon P510 = 119.8 x 82.9 x 102.2 mm (4.8 x 3.3 x 4.1 in.) (excluding projections)
Olympus SZ-31 = 106 x 69 x 40 mm (4.2 x 2.7 x 1.6 in)

Then there's the sensor's BSI technology which supposedly gathers more light than a standard unit.

Next we have the backside illuminated CMOS sensor and true mechanical image stabilization which we are told will reduce blur from camera shake (done by 'jiggling' the sensor to counteract against your movements).

Then there's the doubling of the zoom which pushes it to x48 making it slightly longer than the Nikon's x42.

But I like some of the other tricks the SZ-31 performs such as the twin TruePic V processors which allows you to either take two different videos or a video and a shot.
Or the Touch-sensitive, 3.0-inch 920,000-dot LCD screen.

Simply touch the screen to either Focus & Picture Automatically is taken, or when touched AF is Locked, you then have to press the shutter to take the shot.
The Backlit HDR adjustment will be interesting if it works.

Finally there's the Hand-Held Starlight mode which enables you to shoot blur-free beautiful night scenes while holding the camera in your hands without using a tripod.

It's things such as these (and more) which again is making me hold out and go for the SZ-31.

Mike
--
Happy with most Cameras but use:-
Nikon D200 + various differing Lens [inc Sigma Bigma].
Fuji X10
Olympus XZ-1
Panasonic LX3

Other favs of recent use:
Various Nikon DSLR's,
Canon SX95
Panasonic TZ5, TZ7, TZ10
...and a bucket load of others!

 

[jim4850]

The major question now how does its actual IQ and performance compare to the already tested small Panasonic ZS 15, ZS 20 and Canon SX 260.

I don't see it as in competition with them, for some odd reason I have it pegged in a class of its own, pocketable but you'd want to be sure you're going to use it if you carry it. An almost odd size that still has a mystique and charm that may appeal, it certainly had me looking/interested, perhaps I still am.

These are all formidable competition to the untested Oly......

Very formidable, and I do need to add a Canon to my collection sometime.

 

[jimr]

An IQ comparison with the others mentioned would surely be helpful ...
Charm is lovely....Performance and IQ are crucial to choosing...

The major question now how does its actual IQ and performance compare to the already tested small Panasonic ZS 15, ZS 20 and Canon SX 260.

I don't see it as in competition with them, for some odd reason I have it pegged in a class of its own, pocketable but you'd want to be sure you're going to use it if you carry it. An almost odd size that still has a mystique and charm that may appeal, it certainly had me looking/interested, perhaps I still am.

These are all formidable competition to the untested Oly......

Very formidable, and I do need to add a Canon to my collection sometime.

 

[Henry Falkner]

An IQ comparison with the others mentioned would surely be helpful ...
Charm is lovely....Performance and IQ are crucial to choosing...

Keep in mind what you actually will do with your chosen purchase. The first picture that a buyer of a high-end DSLR usually takes is of his or her dog.

The SZ-31MRiHS will have the same optics as my SZ-30MR. It hunted badly for focus at the long end when new, but it does not now after sieven months of use.

Yesterday, this SZ-30MR picture was shot handheld right across the harbour at full zoom -



Click on 'original' for 1200x1600 resolution - http://www.pbase.com/hfalkner/image/142790694

The distance is about five minutes travel on our high-speed catamaran ferry - about a mile.

The DSLR users told me they had the same focussing problem with their 70-300mm lenses, until a firmware upgrade was issued for those lenses.

Hopefully the SZ-31MR firmware copes with focussing at a long focal length straight out of the box. If there is indeed a higher operating speed on the SZ-31MR, this in itself may prevent the camera from going right through correct focus without stopping. Higher burst speeds on stills and higher frame rates on video may eat into the advantages that the SONY HX9V has right now over the Olympus SZ-30MR (I don't think the HX30V is out yet).

Historically, way back in 2008 my SP-570UZ 20x bridge camera turned out to be what the SP-550UZ from the previous year should have been.

The differences between the SZ-31MRiHS and the SZ-30MR are - new processors, new firmware, changed layout.

The previews do not agree whether the BSI CMOS sensor remains the same or is an improved version.

It remains to be seen whether these changes are indeed critical for improved handling and IQ, or simply slight variations on the same theme.

Henry

--



Henry Falkner - SZ-30MR, SP-570UZ, Stylus 9010
http://www.pbase.com/hfalkner

 

[jon404]

Somebody above said the SZ-31 had a touch screen with focus lock, which might be very useful. We'll see.

Henry, your racing yacht picture is excellent. But it brings tears to my eyes -- we lost the America's Cup to you guys, back when! Darn!

 

[Henry Falkner]

Henry, your racing yacht picture is excellent. But it brings tears to my eyes -- we lost the America's Cup to you guys, back when! Darn!

We won once, and brought it here. But our suits (financial backers) got into the act and stuffed the design of our boat.

Back to the topic. Here is a picture from the Louis Vuitton series from February 2009, taken on the SP-570UZ -



Note that I sharpened: http://www.pbase.com/hfalkner/image/109007349

Here is one of the last SZ-30MR shots from the Volvo Ocean Race taken in far less favourable conditions -



Expanding the range brought up some noise, but I did not have to sharpen:

http://www.pbase.com/hfalkner/image/142182386

Henry

--



Henry Falkner - SZ-30MR, SP-570UZ, Stylus 9010
http://www.pbase.com/hfalkner

 

[Mike Paterson]

Somebody above said the SZ-31 had a touch screen with focus lock, which might be very useful. We'll see.

Yes Jon, that was me....

At the bottom left of the camera's screen there is an icon which changes operation each time it is touched.
In Focus Lock Mode the subject that is touched is AF locked.
You then press the shutter button to take the picture.

To get out of Lock you touch the icon again which then changes to Lock Off. This then releases the AF lock and ends when the shutter is released.

Mike
--
Happy with most Cameras but use:-
Nikon D200 + various differing Lens [inc Sigma Bigma].
Fuji X10
Olympus XZ-1
Panasonic LX3

Other favs of recent use:
Various Nikon DSLR's,
Canon SX95
Panasonic TZ5, TZ7, TZ10
...and a bucket load of others!

 

[jon404]

That Focus Lock could be VERY convenient... like for sports action where you could lock on a spot that you know ahead of time will be exciting.

Here's my gripe -- why on earth did Olympus announce this camera on February 8th, and now it's April 23rd and they're still not in the stores! (Best Buy, Staples, Amazon). Great cameras, inept marketing.

Also hope the SZ-31's battery-compartment door has a better latch than the one on my SZ-10, which pops open from time to time. Another downside -- the SZ-31's zoom, at full tele, is about a stop slower than the SZ-10's. But hopefully the new chip will make up for that somehow, with the backlighting.

Found the SZ-31 manual at: http://resources.olympus-europa.com/imaging/Manuals/SS2012/SZ-31MR_MANUAL_EN.pdf ... now all we need is the camera!

 

[Mike Paterson]

That Focus Lock could be VERY convenient... like for sports action where you could lock on a spot that you know ahead of time will be exciting.

Here's my gripe -- why on earth did Olympus announce this camera on February 8th, and now it's April 23rd and they're still not in the stores! (Best Buy, Staples, Amazon). Great cameras, inept marketing.

Also hope the SZ-31's battery-compartment door has a better latch than the one on my SZ-10, which pops open from time to time. Another downside -- the SZ-31's zoom, at full tele, is about a stop slower than the SZ-10's. But hopefully the new chip will make up for that somehow, with the backlighting.

Found the SZ-31 manual at: http://resources.olympus-europa.com/imaging/Manuals/SS2012/SZ-31MR_MANUAL_EN.pdf ... now all we need is the camera!

At this stage I'm none to bothered with the fact it's as you say a full stop slower than the SZ-10. I feel pretty confident that new chip and iHS will be more than enough to compensate.

Re units in stock ~ There have been a 'few' units sold in the UK. I am awaiting a call tomorrow from a leading UK stockist who is expecting a large number from their Wholesalers.

However, what I can not get my head around though is the total and I do mean TOTAL lack of any solid review. The last review's are from the 8th Feb and all are pre-review.

Mike
--
Happy with most Cameras but use:-
Nikon D200 + various differing Lens [inc Sigma Bigma].
Fuji X10
Olympus XZ-1
Panasonic LX3

Other favs of recent use:
Various Nikon DSLR's,
Canon SX95
Panasonic TZ5, TZ7, TZ10
...and a bucket load of others!

 

[jon404]

Might be that the similar model numbers -- 30 to 31 -- are confusing reviewers, who think its just a quickie makeover of the SZ-30. But it's not at all. Should have called it the SZ-40, or the SZ-40 Touch.

Deeper -- there's a basic PR failure going on here. New model? You don't just put out a press release. No. You call the editors. work the story, send samples, get into print. Mainly, call the editors, the bloggers! GET ON THE PHONE! It's like job hunting, nothing much happens just from e-mail.

I can talk about PR from personal experience, as a PR Assistant (go-fer), at Radio City Music Hall, years ago. Under a boss who yelled at me, over and over, "Get on the phone! Call them up! Make those relationships already!"

Does Olympus USA even have a PR department?

 

[Henry Falkner]

Also hope the SZ-31's battery-compartment door has a better latch than the one on my SZ-10, which pops open from time to time. Another downside -- the SZ-31's zoom, at full tele, is about a stop slower than the SZ-10's. But hopefully the new chip will make up for that somehow, with the backlighting.

At the radio club in ambient phosphorescent lighting

• my Stylus 9010 is marginal, since it has a slow lens at the 10x zoom end, and a CCD.
• my SP-570UZ copes with a 4.5 aperture at the 20x zoom end, though it has a CCD.
• my SZ-30MR copes. The BSI CMOS sensor compensates for the small aperture.

Henry

--



Henry Falkner - SZ-30MR, SP-570UZ, Stylus 9010
http://www.pbase.com/hfalkner

 

[Mike Paterson]

Horaayyy.... I finally got one shipped to me this yesterday afternoon.

Pleased to see it uses the same battery as in the XZ-1 which I have a bundle of the Li-50B's.

Initial findings are VERY promising....
It starts up quickly and with the TouchScreen it makes using the camera a joy.

I like the fact you can view the shots by touching the screen. The same for zooming in and moving around a zoomed in shot ~ simply drag your finger around the screen.

There's also a great search tool which again uses the screen. You can search by all manner ~ Date, Shooting Mode Persons or Pets.

It then shows small thumbnails at the foot of the screen which you can tap on to bring that shot up, or hit OK and it brings up another list showing how many shots you took either in P mode, Hand-Held Starlight, HDR, Macro etc. etc.

You then hit OK again and it displays the shots full screen which again to navigate simply tap the Left or Right of the screen.... Nice.

The Jog wheel is bloody fantastic.
It has a great notched feeling making rotating the wheel easy and precise.

One feature I found which is normally only on the more expensive cameras I own is if you Zoom in on a shot and want to see what the other shots are like zoomed in you simply first zoom in then to navigate to the next shot you rotate the wheel left/right and it not only jumps to the next shot but does it zoomed in at the same level as well.... Nice.

The Zoom on this camera is absolutely wonderful. I have the Digital Zoom switched on and looking at shots taken at x24, x48 & x96 are really great.

Low-Light shooting ~ I only tried this last night (obviously) but can say that iHS really works great. I took a few shots first using P mode and then Hand-Held Starlight.

P Mode really promotes light. I found I had to notch the exposure down to -1 as there was so much light coming in.

The Hand-Held Starlight works a treat. Comparing P Mode to Starlight is like day & night.

Whare P Mode simply pushes additional light, Starlight seems to look at any additional light and smooths it out. End result being a more balanced and accurate shot.
Starlight is my favourite night shooting at the moment.

Anyway, if you have any questions, fire away.....

Sorry there's no shots for you to see at the moment as I'm really, really busy with work commitments but I just wanted to fire this quick message of to you.

Mike
--
Happy with most Cameras but use:-
Nikon D200 + various differing Lens [inc Sigma Bigma].
Fuji X10
Olympus XZ-1
Panasonic LX3

Other favs of recent use:
Various Nikon DSLR's,
Canon SX95
Panasonic TZ5, TZ7, TZ10
...and a bucket load of others!

 

[Mike Paterson]

Joy of joys.... My RC-UC1 works with the SZ-31.

Granted, unlike my XZ-1 there's no Bulb mode on the SZ-31 so obviously you can not take shots with different exposure times but everything else works... which means this camera suddenly has an Intervalometer.

Mike
--
Happy with most Cameras but use:-
Nikon D200 + various differing Lens [inc Sigma Bigma].
Fuji X10
Olympus XZ-1
Panasonic LX3

Other favs of recent use:
Various Nikon DSLR's,
Canon SX95
Panasonic TZ5, TZ7, TZ10
...and a bucket load of others!

 

[Henry Falkner]

Glad to read you got your SZ-31MRiHS. Looks like this camera delivers on its promises.

The SZ-31MRiHS has not shown up in New Zealand yet.

Henry

--



Henry Falkner - SZ-30MR, SP-570UZ, Stylus 9010
http://www.pbase.com/hfalkner

 

[mendes]

Look forward to seeing your photos, thanks!