Olympus SP-800UZ
World's most powerful zoom in a compact camera - April 2010
All wildlife photographers should carry one of these; in the glove compartment of the car, in your handbag or when walking the dog. It is very adaptable and can be used for long distance shots, for very close up shots with the Super Macro feature, or to shoot video. It doesn't rival the high end SLRs for performance, but at just £300 you won't find a better value all rounder on the market.
New battery & memory
The new Olympus SP-800UZ sets new standards. It has some great improvements over its predecessor, the SP-590UZ. It now has an inbuilt memory, enough for some 400 14MB images, or half an hour of video. It also has an inbuilt battery (the 590UZ had neither inbuilt memory or battery), though the battery won't be enough to take 400 images, so a spare battery isn't a bad idea if you are away from a power point. The battery can be charged either from the mains, or via a USB.
Functions & controls
Th SP800 is very easy to use, with simple & intuitive controls, and a full 'In-camera Manual' is provided and easy to use. There is just 1 dial and a couple to provide you with a huge range of settings and review features.
Buy an Olympus SP-800UZ from Amazon
Click Olympus SP-800UZ to buy from Amazon for around £240.
What could be better
There is no eyepiece, view finding can only be done via the LCD screen. While most people don't have an issue with this, a few might find it strange; and looking for a bird on a branch in a tree can be tricky. The lens cap can be a bit of a pain when it hangs loose.
30x inbuilt optical zoom
The SP-800UZ has a best in class 30x in built optical zoom. We compare shots taken on various cameras so you can see how the SP800 competes with other cameras in the sector.
Olympus Sp-800UZ 30x zoom at 600 yards
| Panasonic LUMIX DMC-FZ28 18X OPTICAL ZOOM
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Other useful features
Panorama - The Olympus SP800, SP600 & Olympus Tough all have a good panorama feature that will create great panorama shots automatically. 
It doesn't always work though.
Super Macro
The SP-800UZ has a macro and a super-macro feature that enables you to get very close up for those delicate shots - If the wildlife will stay still enough. This image was taken in the Wildlife Extra garden on a super-macro setting, relying on the image stabilization software to steady our hand.
| The Olympus SP-800UZ has a good video facility. This video of a swan was taken from about 50-60 yards. |
Olympus press release & technical details
Scaling new heights in the compact market, Olympus proudly presents the latest from their ultra-zoom camera series. Equipped with a staggering 30x wide optical zoom covering a 28-840mm* focal length, the 14 Megapixel SP-800UZ makes other contenders pale in comparison. Whether snapping photos or trying out the new HD movie shooting option, a colossal internal memory of 2GB gives you the freedom to capture more.
The 3" LCD displays in 16:9 format, which makes sharing the fruits of your labour with friends even more enjoyable.
The new software allows you to effortlessly tag your photos while browsing your albums gets simpler with Photo Surfing. Making it easy to shoot and easy to share the Olympus SP-800UZ are available in Titanium Silver.
The new features of the most powerful ultra-zoom compact, the SP-800UZ, offer ultimate versatility for innovative photography, but without the inconvenience of heavy duty equipment:
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| SP-800 UZ 3" wide LCD in 16:9 format. |
• 30x wide optical zoom
• 14 Megapixels
• 3" wide LCD in 16:9 format
• HD movie and HDMI technology
• 2GB internal memory and SD slot
• Photo Surfing
• [ib] software
• USB charging
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