Last update 21 July’09 – Review and Sample Photos @ DPInterface
Olympus Stylus-550WP announced on January 7, 2009 is a waterproof dual image stabilized 10 megapixel compact digital camera that features 3x optical zoom, intelligent auto mode, face detection, 2.5 inch LCD, Perfect Fix corrects shooting mistakes instantly by lightening shadows and removing red-eye, ISO range from 100 to 1600, camera dimensions are 3.7″W x 2.4″H x 0.85″D (93.6 mm x 61.7 mm x 21.5 mm) and it weighs 4.5oz (127g) without batteries and memory card.
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Review Index – (updated 21 July’09)
DPInterface
“Overall, the Olympus Stylus 550WP’s crummy image quality delivers the final blow to the camera’s own demise – photos look like wet paintings; soft and muddy, lacking in detail and noise levels are high. Performance isn’t better either as the camera’s performance is either average or slow, with substandard low-light focusing and lack of a burst mode. Evidently, I cannot recommend the Stylus 550WP due to its shortcomings in so many areas.”
Imaging Resource
“If you’re a little less style-forward and able to wait for your shots, the higher image quality of the Olympus 550WP will probably make it your choice. You’ll still give up some image quality relative to the best cameras in the field, but if your budget is limited, you’ll probably appreciate having the 550WP along on trips where you couldn’t bring your non-waterproof digicam or SLR.”
Owner Feedback
“I wanted to like this camera and it was my top choice to replace the Fuji Z33, but I was not satisfied enough with the test shots I took to spend my money on it. The slightly older and mixed-reviewed Olympus 850SW that I tested on the same visit responded much more quickly on startup, on auto-focusing, and in recovering between shots. It felt fast in all areas and the pictures were much better than the Oly 550WP and the Fuji Z33 WP. The image quality on the 850SW wasn’t perfect either, but I was much more excited about its performance than the two newer cameras.”
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“I would have liked to speak well of my new Olympus camera, after my early experiences with the Olympus Camedia C-2 Zoom. All in all, perhaps the greatest strength of the Olympus ì-550WP would be as an “outdoors” camera used, for example, for beach sports, scuba diving, or sunny surrounds (but bear in mind those “shadow” images). It would also perform well in many situations where a flash is judiciously used. But it begins to reveal its weaknesses particularly in more subdued light without flash (dusky evenings or indoor shots), or for sporadic use in the wet.”
Rating: 
“I’m sure if you spent more money for the canon it might take better pics, but these will do just fine for me. So if you are looking for a basic underwater camera that takes decent pics, more for photo albums than publishing, this camera is probably for you. The kids LOVED it, and if my 6 year old neice can work it underwater, everyone else should have no trouble.”
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Press Release
London, 7 January 2009 – Being dropped into a rock pool or stream used to mean certain death to a camera, but not the new Olympus µ-550WP, its robust metal body is waterproof to depths of up to 3 meters. It’ll shrug off the heaviest downpour; take snorkeling in its stride, and even survive being dropped into the deep end of a swimming pool. Packed with features that make taking great quality underwater photos as easy as falling into a lake, the 10 Megapixel Olympus µ-550WP will be available in a choice of Crystal Blue, Pure White or Midnight Black.
Until relatively recently, taking photographs underwater was beyond the means of most people, requiring as it did professional camera equipment and bulky underwater housings. Olympus changed that with the introduction of the µ-Tough range of digital compacts. Now, with the launch of the µ-550WP – waterproof to depths of up to 3 metres – it opens up the world of high quality, underwater photography to an even wider audience.
Being kept nice and dry inside the µ-550WP are lots of features designed to take the hassle out of shooting high quality photographs. Pictures are saved on either an xD-Picture Card, or a microSD Card*** using the bundled microSD adapter. If you fancy taking it easy, the camera’s Intelligent Auto Mode can recognise the five most commonly encountered scenes and automatically choose the best settings for you. The µ-550WP can even recognize people. When Face Detection Technology is activated the camera will spot human subjects in a composition and adjust exposure and focusing to ensure that they come out looking their very best. And, should you fancy setting some of the functions yourself but are uncertain of what will look best, then Perfect Shot Preview is the answer. This clever function allows the different effects of some functions – such as White Balance – to be compared next to each other on the camera’s 6.4cm LCD screen, the one that works best can then be selected.
The µ-550WP’s precision 3x optical zoom (38-114 mm*) and 10 Megapixel sensor mean that photos are packed with detail, regardless of whether they were taken 3 metres beneath the waves or on dry land. Digital Image Stabilization further guarantees picture quality by significantly reducing blur caused by camera shake, such as when the photographer is buffeted by the waves. And if the results from your latest snorkeling trip weren’t just right, all is not lost, as Perfect Fix can be used to correct red-eye and lighten photos, at the touch of a button, in camera.
With so many great features working together to deliver great results, the Olympus µ-550WP doesn’t only make high quality underwater photography a reality, it makes it fun as well. Expect to see the µ-550WP in shops from February 2009 in a choice of Crystal Blue, Pure White or Midnight Black finishes.
