We wanted an improvement to my old Olympus FE. So we thought long: SLR? - Too large, therefore then used to rare. compact system camera? Interestingly, because small, yet with good lens, but the interchangeable lenses are usually expensive and the small standard lenses in the kit are not large zoom range. Bridge Camera? - Spent much tried in various electronics stores. Are then the Olympus SP720 UZ encountered, which has a super zoom range, yet is still sufficiently compact to take away. But the SP 720 at amazon some poorer reviews for the image quality was, we have more research and came across the SZ 31 MR!
For us, a winner!
For the competitive price, the camera has a super zoom range. The HD movies have top quality! Have hereby fireworks filmed and get a top result despite darkness and changing lighting conditions. This can mE no HD video camera in the middle price range better! Even the sound over the microphone is aktzeptabel for this price range.
The image quality is very good for this price range and the compactness of the camera! Only in the landscape mode, the greens and blues are a little too much emphasized, so that mixed colors such as purple or turquoise are shown slightly distorted. If all the colors to be mapped as possible naturgeträu, it is better in "P" mode to take pictures, there you can set white balance and ISO manually or set to automatic.
The only negative and therefore a star is deducted that in the mode "iAutomatik" where actually should all happen automatically, the flash does not unload, even if he would have needed. The camera snaps then in night mode, which has a long exposure time result. If you want to a photo with flash, you must first remember and extend the flash manually. This has already screwed up so many snapshots in low light conditions with us.
Otherwise there but nothing negative to report.
Very good is also the "HDR" - mode. Here, exposure is compensated in very different light conditions. Objects that are in the dark shadows and otherwise would not be seen, this lightened. This is particularly helpful when shooting against the light. Even if in daylight, for example someone wearing a hat and therefore the face is in shadow, making the "HDR" mode all the work and the face is recognizable without causing the rest of the area would be overexposed.
Well, the combination with touch screen and control pad or jog wheel! The operator hereby happens intutitiv and easily after a short familiarization period. I actually steer all about Steuerrädche / -cross. The touch screen I use only occasionally to focus on a specific point. That works quite well without the included stylus.
All in all, the Olymus SZ 31 MR a very good compact camera with a large zoom range and a lot of technical assistance to make really good pictures. And at a good price. When something is engaged in the camera, can be found for every situation the right attitude. If you want to mess around much, you can achieve good results also in the Intelligent Auto Mode.
I also think "Spiegelreflexler" who are looking for a compact second camera, could hereby be possibly satisfied. We are there.
