3x optical zoom? Standard fare. 12x optical zoom? Sweet to have. But 18x optical zoom? Jaws dropped at the preproduction unit of the Olympus SP-550UZ. Samsung had its Digimax Pro 815 with 15x optical zoom lens in 2005, but that's not a camera most people would lug around everywhere they go. With the SP-550UZ, Olympus has managed to trim down the size of a megazoomer into a compact shooter heavy on features, yet won't break your back. ..

Labels: DLSR, Olympus, Pocket Camera