Olympus D-550 Zoom Review

A typical record mode screen showing icons for record mode, momentary tele/wide icon to show the zoom's position, ISO 100, SHQ quality, image size of 1984 x 1488 and there's space on the SM card for another 47 pictures.

When the Macro mode is enabled the color LCD automatically turns on so you can use it as a viewfinder. The optical viewfinder suffers from parallax at extreme close range so it is best to use the LCD for framing. Note that the icons also show the flash is in red-eye reduction and self timer as well as macro.

Record screen in movie mode, HQ quality (320 x 240) at 15 frames per second, flash is disabled and there is enough memory left for a total recording time of 300 minutes but the maximum length of each clip in HQ mode is 48 seconds (148 seconds for 160 x 120 SQ mode). No sound is recorded as the camera has no microphone which allows the use of the zoom during movie recording.

The 4- Way Navigation control's left button accesses the SCENE PROGRAMS:

Program Auto - Normal mode
MOVIE - Motion video capture at 15fps
Self Portrait - Sets optimum functions for a picture of yourself while holding the camera
Night Scene - Shooting pictures in the evening or at night
Landscape - focuses to infinity and adjusts white balance for scenery photography
Landscape + Portrait - sets optimal depth of field and white balance for subject and background
Portrait - sets optimal depth of field and white balance for close subject and blurs background

Pressing the MENU button while in Record mode brings up this onscreen menu with four options: ESP / Spot metering, MODE MENU, Exposure Compensation and Resolution.

CAMera options:
Drive - Single, Sequence, AF sequence
ISO - Auto, 100, 200, 400
Digital Zoom - Enable/disable digital zoom
Panorama - with OM brand SM card: allows pan. photography
2 in 1 - combines two sequential images into one new image,

PICture options:
White Balance - Auto, Sunny, Cloudy, Incandescent, Fluorescent
Sharpness - Image processing adjustment for: Hard, Normal, Soft sharpness
Contrast - Image processing adjustment for: High, Normal, Low contrast

CARD:

Format - Format the SM card: Yes or No

SETUP options:

All Reset - If ON it resets all settings to default at power down
Sounds - Enable or disable camera beeps
Rec View - If ON then immediately view image after capture
File Name - Changes how the file numbers are assigned: Reset or Auto(sequential)
Pixel Mapping - Checks the CCD and image processing functions.
LCD brightness - a sliding scale for adjustment
Time/Date - Set the internal clock










The Down selection in the Record Menu screen is Exposure Compensation which allows over or under exposure by 2 stops in 1/2 stops increments.











The left arrow on the nav. control brings up the RESOLUTION options:

3:2 - 1894 x 1312 with options for Normal, High compression or Tiff
SHQ - 1984 x 1488 Normal compression
HQ - 1984 x 1488 high compression
SQ - 640 x 480 high or normal compression