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Olympus SP-350 Digital Camera (8.3MP, 3264x2448, 3x Opt, 25MB Internal Memory, xD Slot)

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84

Very Good
  • Pros
  • Very high image quality
  • Long battery life
  • Cons
  • Must use menus to change many settings
  • Lacks image stabilization

Olympus SP-350 Review

by Eric Butterfield

- The 8-megapixel Olympus SP-350 is inexpensive ($325 as of August 25, 2006) for an advanced camera, yet it offers top-notch image quality. Its tiny, closely packed buttons, however, make the SP-350 most suitable for users who want the option of working with manual controls but don't plan to use them regularly.

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User Reviews for Olympus SP-350 Digital Camera (8.3MP, 3264x2448, 3x Opt, 25MB Internal Memory, xD Slot)

  • Reviewed by: esstek

    Duration of ownership:

    Strengths: HOT SHOE works fine with most large, AUTO flash units. Able to be manually adjusted for most settings. Excellent 2.5" LCD display. Nice handgrip. Optical viewfinder.

    Weaknesses: BATTERY LIFE is almost non-existent! I'm lucky to get 25 to 35 photos with 2500mAH or 2650mAH NiMH rechargable batteries. Lithium pack is much better, but expensive.

    Overall Evaluation: This is a very capable camera for use by advanced amateur photographers! It can perform almost anything you care to manually adjust it to do. Or, you can simply set it to AUTO focus and PROGRAM mode and use it for snapshots. Very versatile with extremely good images when handled properly. Great MACRO modes, too! I have upgraded the firmware to v1.3, which was supposed to fix low battery threshold, but I can't tell much difference. It still seems to need fresh batteries constantly...

  • Reviewed by: Burtsbud

    Duration of ownership:

    Strengths: Standard AAA batteries, size, weight, ease of use, quality of the pictures.

    Weaknesses: Not good when you want a rapid series of shots. (Use the video instead)

    Overall Evaluation: I wanted a good quality "knock-around" camera to keep with me at work and while on the road. Love at first sight! This camera takes excellent pictures. I'm still learning my way around with all of its "bells & whistles". I do miss the speed of my Minolta slr (film) when I want to take a rapid series of shots. However, the excellent quality, features, and price should entice anybody. The camera also takes very good quality video. I had purchased a cheaper 5meg camera to use for general use and wanted to reserve the SP-350 for when I wanted/needed high quality pictures. Well, the 5meg camera sits on my closet shelf. Invest in the optional power cord which comes in very handy, rechargeable batteries and a good quality photo printer. My prints rival Lab Quality pictures.

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