Olympus's first-of-its-kind 18x bridge — 7.1MP CCD, 28-504mm equiv f/2.8-4.5, CCD-shift IS, xD, AA power, 2007.
The SP-550UZ, announced in January 2007 ahead of PMA, gave Olympus the superzoom crown with the first 18x optical zoom fitted to a compact camera. It headed the SP ultra-zoom bridge line and attracted heavy attention — and heavy demand — as the longest-reaching all-in-one of its day.
Its 7.1-megapixel 1/2.5-inch CCD sits behind a 28-504mm equivalent f/2.8-4.5 lens, with CCD-shift image stabilisation to steady the long end. The 2.5-inch LCD has 230k pixels, sensitivity spans ISO 50-5000, super-macro focuses to 1cm, and a reduced-resolution burst mode reaches 15fps. Storage is xD-Picture Card plus about 20MB internal memory, and power comes from four AA cells.
It suits travel and casual wildlife photographers wanting extreme reach with a useful 28mm wide end. Contemporary reviews noted the trade-offs of so ambitious a lens: soft extremes, slow shot-to-shot times and noisy high ISOs, but as a one-camera holiday kit it delivered framing options nothing else matched in 2007.
Used checks: run the zoom to 504mm and back listening for strain, since the long lens assembly works hard; confirm the stabiliser engages. xD-Picture Cards are discontinued, so an included card is a real bonus, while AA power keeps it usable anywhere. Inspect the electronic viewfinder and LCD, and shoot a plain wall at telephoto to reveal dust or CCD faults.