21. In Practice

• SP-350 Digital Camera...
• • ABCDEALS
  • $344.95

The 350 handles and fits the hand well, but unfortunately Olympus requires you to use the menus for almost all adjustments; a Macro button, for example, would have been a nice touch. On the other hand, shooting with one hand is possible and even enjoyable, which can be an important feature for some users. With a quick startup time (approximately 1.5 seconds) and very good reaction times, the 350 should please users who shoot in a hurry - unless you save your photos in RAW format, which is slow. (Then again, many cameras don't offer that option at all.)

Access to most functions requires use of the screen. A few dedicated buttons would have been more practical.

The images we got were very satisfactory, with good definition, and the lens was fully usable at all apertures over the full focal range. Increasing the ISO sensitivity resulted in very little image deterioration up to ISO 200, and ISO 400 was better than average for the category; it appears that Olympus has found a good balance between noise reduction and preservation of detail.

The SP350 produced sharp images over the full picture area.

In telephoto position, at ISO 200 to avoid motion blur, the result was still quite good.

At ISO 400, the image showed some noise but was still quite acceptable.

In the Plus Column

Complete possibilities for adjustment Small and light Well-defined images with low noise Connector for external flash

In the Minus Column

Uncommon card format Non-tilting screen

Small but easy to handle, with all the adjustments you could want, the Olympus SP350 is capable of producing very fine images. That's enough to make it a good choice for many users.