Olympus SZ-30MR Pro Reviews

There's nodenying the fact that the Olympus SZ-30MR brings a lot to the table. The new MR technology is a world-first and will prove genuinely useful for a host of photographers, as will a lot of the other simplified functionality on offer. However, the camera is not without its flaws – the design of the camera is an acquired taste, with the chrome finish on the model we tested bordering on the offensive. The LCD screen struggles to give an accurate depiction of true image quality, whilst image quality in general is fairly disappointing. On the whole, the SZ-30MR, whilst being a good camera, is quite far off of being a great camera.

In a sea of me-too compacts, the Olympus SZ-30MR stands out in more ways than one. Packing a 25-600mm equivalent zoom lens in a body that can be shoved into a front jeans pocket is a remarkable achievement in its own right, but the Olympus SZ-30MR doesn't stop there. Its Multi-Framing function can prove genuinely useful when filming an event with a single camera, while the other Multi-Record options are also worth a look. For instance, the ability to take a photo or capture a video clip with a Magic Filter applied, knowing that you also have an "original" with standard settings to fall back on if you don't like the result is not to be underestimated. We've generally been pleased with the camera's overall operational speed too, although focusing speeds in the telephoto range leave something to be desired, and returning from Playback to Record mode was also slower than we'd have liked.

It seems as if for everything we liked about the SZ-30MR there was something we didn't like. In use, it's a fun and capable machine. Image quality, unfortunately, is marred by overaggressive noise suppression, a side-effect of the very high-resolution sensor. While we're glad to see useful if imperfect innovations like smart panorama in the SZ-30MR, one-shot wonders like Magic Filters and 3D don't really hurt. Image quality was very mixed depending on the subject and the ISO setting, but the Olympus SZ-30MR can produce a usable image at each ISO setting in decent light. The disappointing aspect was skin, which looks overly smooth and artificial in most cases, removing depth from facial features and all skin texture. The Olympus SZ-30MR had a tendency to overexpose and highlights were often blown, but captures did resemble what attracted us to the scene. Strongly lit scenes showed more than usual blooming, though, of bright colors into dark. So while there was a lot to like about the form factor, zoom range, personality, and even its speed, the Olympus SZ-30's image quality is too compromised even at the lowest ISOs to earn a Dave's Pick. People who seldom crop and only print 8x10 or smaller will not notice most of the problems we had with the Olympus SZ-30MR, however.

Overall, this is a capable and compact camera, offering a larger than normal zoom, which won’t make too much of a hole in your pocket. But ultimately it struggles to deliver fine image quality that more particular photographers will want.

Olympus has maxed out the specifications, particularly with the 24x zoom, but it also gets the basics right with nippy performance, commendable image quality and superb videos.

An amazing amount of zoom in such a compact camera, it really is pocketable! Whether you can use the full zoom to full effect will depend on a number of things, such as good light, a steady hand, and subject being shot. A tripod will become essential if your light becomes less than ideal. Video modes are interesting - and could be useful in the right situation, but again a tripod is recommended if you want to use the full zoom. The screen, controls, and ease of use are all good. Battery life? It would be nice if the camera had some rubberised grips. High speed continuous shooting is very helpful as it lets you take a series of shots for when you couldn't bring a tripod and aren't sure if the long zoom shots are going to work. The camera's macro performance is impressive with bright saturated colours. The camera is capable of producing some great shots, with vivid colours, and good detail, however you do need to be careful to make sure the camera is steady when using the zoom.

Olympus has added some all new functionality to the SZ-30MR as well, with new their Multi-Recording (still/video) function, 3D Photo mode, and Eye-Fi compatibility. What's more is the SZ-30MR can shoot at up to 9fps at full resolution.