Olympus SP-820UZ 40x zoom bridge camera revealed
Olympus have lifted the covers off the latest entry to their Traveller series of cameras, the Olympus SP-820UZ.
A bridge camera boasting a 40x optical zoom, it starts with a focal length equivalent to 22.4mm (with the zoom extending to 896mm in 35mm terms), making it the widest angle bridge camera currently available. Super-resolution zoom (which we assume is a fancy way of saying “digital zoom of questionable quality”) pushes the lens to 80x too.
A 14MP CMOS sensor using the TruePic V image engine processes your shots, and also helps capture 1080p video. Dual-image stabilisation keeps shots steady, while Multi Motion Movie IS does the same to reduce blur in movies.
Smart Panorama, Face Detection, Scene Mode and a choice of twelve “Magic FIlters” (including Beauty Make-up Mode) can be browsed and applied using the 3-inch, 460k dot LCD screen, while a super macro mode lets you cleanly shoot objects as close as 1cm away. There’s also high-speed sequential shooting for fast-moving objects and high-speed movie recording for high-frame rate capture, allowing for super slow-motion playback.
Available from October, the SP-820UZ will set you back £279.99.
