Olympus SZ-10 Pro Reviews

In terms of usability, the Olympus SZ-10 is very much an entry-level camera. You have no control over shutter speed or aperture, and even oft-used functions like ISO settings and exposure compensation are buried in the menu. This is unlikely to bother those who would simply like an affordable and small point-and-shoot camera with a large zoom ratio, but it's probably enough to put experienced users off buying the Olympus SZ-10. For a camera that is so obviously geared towards users who want as much automation as possible, it seems a bit inconsequential to have a flash that has to be raised manually - but otherwise it's a beginner-friendly package with a well-working Intelligent Auto mode, a host of fun “Magic Filters” and scene modes. Video capture is again quite basic - yes, it's HD but the fact that you can only use the optical zoom if you disable audio recording is a big disappointment on a camera whose main claim to fame is its 18x zoom lens.

When comparing image quality the SZ-10 is the winner here, but you may be swayed by some of the features on the WB700 such as the full manual controls and ISO up to 3200. The SZ-10 has better handling, mainly due to the rubber grips and the price is lower by around £20.00. The Olympus also offers panoramics, 3D image shooting and a minimum focus distance of just 1cm. It's a very close call, but overall the Olympus SZ-10 is the winner.

Using the SZ-10 is a good experience, with easy to use menus and rubber grips to help hold the camera steady. Image quality is good, although noise does significantly effect images after ISO 400, but the 10 fps shooting means you can take some pleasing pictures of fast moving objects, even though image size is limited to 3 megapixels. If you like taking close-up pictures, you won't be disappointed as Super Macro mode means you can shoot from just 1cm away. You can shoot 720p HD videos, with the use of Magic Filters, but it is frustrating to have a camera with so much zoom, yet it isn't available for movie recording.