Physical Tour

When facing the front of the SP-320, the lens is positioned to the left side of the camera. When not in use, the lens barrel retracts into the camera and is efficiently protected via an automatic lens cover that closes quickly. Located adjacent and to the right of the top edge of the lens ring is an AF illuminator. Above this feature in the upper right corner of the front face is the in-camera horizontal flash, placed in a position that will lead to it being easily obscured by the fingers of the left hand during shooting.

Above and to the left of the lens is the real image optical viewfinder window, unfortunately placed so that an inevitably inaccurate frame will result when using this feature for viewing. The in-camera microphone is positioned between the viewfinder window and the notched top of the right-hand grip, an intelligent placement that distances this feature from fingers during shooting.

**Back
**Taking up nearly two-thirds of the back face, the LCD for the Olympus SP-320 is 2.5 inches diagonally and is raised from the surface of the camera by approximately one-quarter of an inch. Centered above the top edge of the LCD is the real image optical viewfinder. This viewfinder is raised above the surface of the LCD screen, although not enough to avoid pressing your nose against the screen during usage.

To the right of the viewfinder is a small, partially raised Power button that is a bit undersized, and with an identical coloring to the camera body, it is easily lost when shooting in less than adequate lighting. The flash button and the AEL buttons are located to the right of the power button along the top of the LCD frame. When reviewing photos, the flash button doubles as a delete feature and the AEL button functions as a quick one-touch key for printing photos directly from camera. This print button is by far the simplest and best designed control interface found on the SP-320.

There is a scalloped area directly beneath the Mode Dial on the top of the camera body which should provide some grip and stabilization of the camera when shooting with one hand. Also along the right side of the LCD are two controls allowing access to Display/Guide or Quick View reviewing. These controls are labeled with nearly full text descriptions that are printed in white for clarity. Beneath the thumb pad and these two controls is a raised platform which contains the four-way controls with an OK/menu button positioned in the center. Each direction on the four-way control is separated from one another, which is great; the clarity in external control will alleviate some of the camera’s overwhelming menu structures.

**Left Side
**The left side of the Olympus SP-320 is devoid of features or controls, and the design provides a flat smooth surface.

**Right Side
**The right side of the Olympus SP-320 features two port covers. The top port cover is made of a rubber and is a lighter tone of gray so that this feature stands out distinctly from the rest of the camera body. This port cover is opened via a tab located in the upper corner. When open, this port cover swiveled neatly away to reveal the DC in and USB / A/V (mono) ports for the camera. A second port is located directly beneath. This port is covered by a hatch that is constructed out of the same material as the camera body and flips open from the back edge to reveal the xD-Picture Card slot.

**Top
**The controls located on the top of the Olympus SP-320 are positioned to the right side for comfortable access with the index finger and thumb of the right hand. The shutter button is placed on a slightly downward slope between the top and front of the camera and has a zoom ring surrounding it. The zoom doubles as a playback image/multi-up toggle when the camera is placed in review mode.

The mode dial is located behind the shutter button and has a ridged side so that the modes can be easily switched by passing the thumb along this edge. The mode dial settings for the Olympus SP-320 provide fast access to these features: manual mode, my mode, scene mode, movie mode, playback mode, auto mode, program mode, aperture priority and shutter speed priority. The mode dial displayed an appropriate amount of resistance when transitioning between settings for precise mode alterations.

**Bottom
**The battery cover is located underneath the right-hand grip and features a locking switch that must be unlocked before the user can slide the cover forward to reveal the batteries contained beneath. The tripod mount is located at the center of the camera body and deserves to be voted "Most Likely to Block Access to Batteries" by the yearbook committee. To the left of the tripod mount and beneath the lens of the camera is the in-camera speaker, which allows for users to monitor audio levels in playback.

Components

**Viewfinder
**There is a real image optical viewfinder positioned on the back of the SP-320, directly above the center-point of the 2.5-inch LCD screen. This viewfinder was hard to use due to both placement and size, making it a viewing option to be reserved for only the direst situations. The viewfinder is unfortunately placed above the LCD, causing the user’s nose to press against the screen during usage. This will likely result in smearing and obstruct the primary viewing device. In addition to this, the viewfinder will not produce an accurate frame, since **

**this is not a TTL system and the viewfinder is placed above and to the left of the lens.

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**LCD Screen
**The LCD on the Olympus SP-320 is positioned to the lower left side on the back and is built off of the back surface by about a quarter of an inch. The LCD has a diagonal of 2.5 inches with a resolution of just 115,000 pixels. The screen has an LCD brightness adjustment feature found within the setup menu. Although solarization wasn’t a huge issue, the 2.5-inch LCD would have greatly benefited from increased resolution to help judge focus on recorded frames.

Flash
**

**The in-camera flash for the SP-320 is positioned off-center from the lens and is placed in the upper right corner. Due to the placement of the flash, subjects will often be draped in shadows cast from right to left. The SP-320’s flash has a range of 12.5 feet when in wide angle and 7.2 feet when in telephoto. Settings for the flash are accessed via the flash button located on the back of the camera body to the right of the viewfinder. By pressing the flash button repeatedly, the user can scan through the following options: auto, red-eye reduction, fill-in, fill-in and red-eye and off modes. Each option is represented via a well sized icon which appears momentarily in the center of the LCD screen. Unfortunately, we will have to wait until we conduct a full review in our studio to properly test it.

**Zoom Lens
**The zoom lens is positioned on the right side of the front face. The lens extends from the body of the camera when the SP-320 is powered on and retracts into the camera when the camera is

powered off. An automatic lens cover snaps quickly over the lens face when the lens barrel is retracting.

The zoom lens for the Olympus SP-320 is an Olympus Zoom Lens with an aperture range of f/2.8 to f/4.9 with a focal length of 8.0 to 24.0 mm with 6 lenses in 5 groups, 3 aspherical lenses and 4 surfaces. When translated into 35mm equivalency, the focal length is approximate to 30 to 114 mm. In addition to this lens, there are also two Olympus accessory lenses can be purchased for wide angle and telephoto shooting.

Design / Layout

**Model Design / Appearance
**This camera has the body of a compact camera but takes its design influences from more expensive DSLR camera bodies. The Olympus SP-320 features a pronounced right-hand grip with a scalloped section on the back of the camera for extra grip, an extending lens barrel and a gray-black body tone. The camera has a muted finish when compared to the highly polished veneer of some point-and-shoot models produced by other manufacturers. While it certainly does not have an innovative design, the clean lines and simple external controls do have a relatively subdued charm.

**Size / Portability
**The Olympus SP-320 comfortably fits into the compact niche of the digital camera market, which means that it isn’t going to comfortably fit into your back pocket when on a daytrip. The camera has a build of 3.9 inches in width, 2.6 inches in height and 1.4 inches in depth. A wrist strap eyelet on the right side of the camera provides the only opportunity to connect a carrying strap. That’s too bad, since the camera weighs 6.4 ounces prior to the insertion of a pair of AA batteries. With the inclusion of batteries and memory card, the user of this camera could be looking at nearly half a pound of total weight, which makes carrying this around your wrist for a day a less than fun prospect. The purchase of an additional carrying case would be advised if the user is planning on shooting for extended periods.

**Handling Ability
**The SP-320 fits snugly into the right hand thanks to the well sized right-hand grip, which has an overhanging section at its top to enable even more comfortable one-handed shooting. A scalloped section on the back for the thumb of the right hand also increases one-handed control. It would have been nice to see some additional grip or texture on this smooth bodied camera, but the physical design of the aforementioned features will make handling comfortable for users in most situations.

**Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size
**The controls on the Olympus SP-320 are well sized and spaced and users shouldn’t find themselves struggling with or confusing controls when shooting. The labeling and positioning of controls like the Power button could be improved upon, however, for faster access. The four-way control has autonomous controls for each cardinal direction, and using this navigation tool was cleanly accomplished without inadvertent mishandling. The mode dial is sized for comfortable mode switching and the dial was neither too resistant nor too loose.

**Menu
**The menus on the Olympus SP-320 may be entered by pressing the menu/OK button in the center of the four-way controller. When pressed, the menu button prompts a display on the LCD which presents control options that the four-way control accesses: up arrow for the self timer, right arrow for mode menus, down arrow for scene modes and left arrow for opening the image format options.

When the mode option is selected, the resulting menu structure displays camera, picture, memory and setup menus which are navigated by using the four-way control. These menu interfaces are barely transparent and cover nearly all of the 2.5 inches of the LCD screen. And while technically a live view is discernable, using it for any sort of image monitoring is unlikely.

The first submenu entered under the mode menu allows the user to control image and camera settings of the SP-320. The options in this mode suffer from a lack of structural logic; when navigating this and other menus, I had to constantly press the Info/Display button for a full text description. The following settings are provided when shooting: ESP, fast focus, drive, ISO, self-timer, flash compensation, flash sync, flash switch for built-in or slave control, digital zoom, noise reduction, AF Mode, focus mode (i.e. manual, macro, auto, etc.), full time AF (continuous), panorama, audio record and time lapse settings. The menu in the next window tab beneath the camera menu has controls for image size, content and effects.

The pictures menu is another mode menu submenu. The four-way controller provides access to these options: format, white balance, white balance compensation, sharpness, contrast and saturation. It is possible to enter the format submenu instantly by pressing the menu button, and instead of choosing the right arrow, choose the left arrow. From here, the user can control the format and image size of the images captured.

The third submenu setting in the mode submenu is the memory menu, with only one menu option (memory format) available.

The fourth and final menu within the mode menu controls the overall setup of the camera. The setup menu, identical regardless of the mode the camera is in, has the following settings available: reset, language, PW on setup (picture and sound setup), PW off setup, record view, volume, beep, shutter speed, my mode setup, file name, pixel mapping, LCD brightness, date and time, dual time setup, m/ft. unit measurement, video out, short cut menu, histogram, frame assist and custom button. These controls, like some in the first two menu modes, were poorly labeled and hard to discern and navigate without needing to press the Display/Info button for help.

When the SP-320 is in movie mode, all of the menu structures in still shooting modes are accessible through the same controls and the same submenu titles, but with truncated settings. The camera menu provides settings of ISO, full time AF and audio, while the picture menu has settings of white balance, white balance compensation, sharpness, contrast and saturation. The memory and setup modes are identical to those found within the still menus.

The playback modes for the Olympus SP-320 provide some control over images before transferal to PC or Printer, with the following viewing and options provided: protect, rotate, slide show, and audio dubbing. This menu is entered by pressing the menu button, followed by the right arrow on the four-way control. The submenu located beneath the play menu is the edit menu, with setting options for RAW data EDH, resize, crop, red-eye fix, black and white, sepia, frame title, calendar, layout, brightness and saturation. The memory controls are located in the third submenu offered in playback mode with settings of all erase and memory format. The fourth and final menu in the playback mode structure provides access to the setup menu, which is provided in all other modes.

**Ease of Use
**When it comes to ease of use, the initial verdict on the Olympus SP-320 is a grim one. This menu structure for this camera is overly complicated, with lists of icons and partial terms littering the menu in a haphazard manner that buries features like white balance and ISO and splits them into separate menus. Providing full screen live views for white balance and white balance compensation will help make using these manual controls easier, but it’s hard to imagine that the beginner or casual user will find this structure to be friendly or simple—and the live views aren’t easy to see.

The external controls are well labeled and spaced, with the four-way control split into separate buttons so that accidental initiation is less likely to occur. The direct printing is straightforward and controlling the aperture and shutter speed settings is easy. It’s just unfortunate that the menu design is less than user-friendly. The inclusion of the Info/Display button provides some insight into the controls, but the system would be vastly better if this info button wasn’t necessitated.

Modes

**Auto Mode
**To enter the auto mode of the Olympus SP-320, the user must turn the mode dial to the auto mode setting. The auto mode restricts the user’s ability to control features like manual aperture and shutter speed, but it lets users engage options like ISO and white balance. The auto focus struggled when adjusting focal depth or when used in lower light situations. This doesn’t bode well for the SP-320 user who is inexperienced; the manual settings would inevitably be even more overwhelming when the user tries to hunt them down in the confusing and circuitous menu system.

**Movie Mode
**The movie menu can be entered by turning the mode dial. The movie mode has resolutions of 640 x 480 at 30 fps SHQ, 640 x 480 at 15 fps HQ, 320 x 230 at 30 fps SQ1, and finally, 320 x 240 at 15 fps SQ2. The motion recording feature captures video clips in QuickTime Motion JPEG format with audio. Accessing movie mode format options requires entering the motion picture menu within the image format control, accessed in turn by pressing the menu button and then the left arrow to open the formatting options. The top resolution and frame rate of this camera should provide smooth video footage.

**Drive / Burst Mode
**The Olympus SP-320 comes with a drive mode, which can be entered by pressing the menu button followed by the right arrow on the four-way control. The right arrow controls the modes menu. Within the modes menu the camera menu must be entered and the drive mode submenu entered. The drive mode options for the SP-320 are high speed at 2.4 frames per second for only 2 frames, normal speed at 1.4 fps for a total of 10 frames in HQ resolution, and finally, the bracket mode will shoot with aperture compensation for up to five frames. The burst mode didn’t quite stand up to the 2.4 frames per second rate and the downtime between shots was lengthy enough so that snapping off two or three of these burst cycles wouldn’t be a feasible option.

Entering the drive mode will take some time, so users need to plan in advance. Check back for our full review of the SP-320 when we are able to put this camera to our speed and timing test and find out if this camera can perform with its advertised agility.

**Playback Mode
**There are two methods for entering the camera into playback mode: either press the down arrow on the four-way control or spin the mode dial on the top of the camera. The playback mode does allow some editing and manipulation of images, although it isn’t overly extensive in its options. When shooting in still mode, the user has the opportunity to apply the following digital effects: black & white, sepia, brightness and saturation. Image alterations of resize and rotation may also be applied while red-eye correction can be engaged to fix improperly captured portraits.

When shooting in movie mode, the additions of frame edit and frame index are included. Images which have digital effects applied to them are saved in addition to the original image. Playback zoom can be engaged and the user can choose to select between single or thumbnail views with four images, nine images, sixteen images, twenty-five images or calendar. Videos can be viewed in playback mode with simultaneous audio. This camera is DPOF and PictBridge compliant and features a simple one-touch printing process via the printer button located three buttons to the right of the electronic viewfinder.

**Custom Image Presets
**To enter the scene modes of the Olympus SP-320, the user can either select the scene mode option from the mode dial or press the menu button and then the down arrow on the four-way controller. The scene mode settings are displayed with each option listed along the left side of the screen while a sample applicable shooting situation demo is located in the right two-thirds of the LCD, which also displays a full text description of each mode.

The scene modes for the SP-320 allow the user to set generalized image parameters in an attempt to tailor the camera to fit the conditions of the shooting scene. These are the options which are included with the SP-320: Portrait, Landscape, Landscape & Portrait, Night Scene, Night & Portrait, Sport, Indoor, Candle, Self-Portrait, Available Light Portrait, Sunset, Fireworks, Museum, Cuisine, Reducing Blur, Documents, Auction, Shoot & Select1, Shoot & Select2, Beach, Snow, Under Water Wide1, Under Water Wide2 and Under Water Macro.

Control Options

**Manual Control Options
**Manually, the Olympus SP-320 offers numerous control options that cover the gamut of settings found normally on compact digital cameras within this price range. The user of the SP-320 will can access focus, metering, shutter speed, white balance, aperture, and exposure compensation. Although the number of controls is great, accessing these options is anything but. The controls listed above are scattered throughout various menu structures as well as externally through the four-way controller. With the menus so spread out, it may take an inordinate amount of time to properly engage settings.

**Focus
***Auto Focus
*Auto Focus is the default focal option when shooting with the SP-320. The parameters for this mode can be altered by entering into the mode menu and selecting from the focus submenus listed within the Camera menu. The focal options for the Olympus SP-320 allow settings of iESP (multi), Auto, Spot AF and Selective AF Target to be engaged through the AF Mode menu.

Not to be confused with the AF Mode menu, the Focus Mode menu allows the user to switch between AF or MF settings. When shooting on the PMA show floor, the auto focus for the SP-320 took several prolonged seconds to properly register a subject’s focal depth, especially in lower light conditions.

*Manual Focus
*The SP-320 does come with a manual focus control, engaged by entering the menu/ok display menu, then the mode menu, and finally the camera menu where the Focus mode menu is listed. Within this menu are two options for either shooting in AF or MF modes. This final menu is simple and basic, but everything preceding it is not.

The manual focus levels are engaged once the menu structure is exited through the up and down arrows on the four-way controller. When either control is pressed, a focus scale appears on the left side of the LCD while an enlarged center focus frame is displayed. While it’s great that a manual focus is included at all, the enlarged frame format and the overall menu structure make actually using this option very unappealing.

**Metering
**The Olympus SP-320 comes with three metering controls which cover most lighting situations encountered by general shooters. The metering options are listed as the first submenu within the mode menu’s "Camera" submenu. The metering options are Digital iESP Auto Multi-Pattern TTL, spot metering and center-weighted metering. With these options the SP-320 should be able to gauge multiple lighting sources, backlit subjects and other complicated lighting compositions encountered when shooting daily photos.

**Exposure
**The Olympus SP-320 offers control over exposure in auto and semi-automated modes through E.V. compensation. The exposure compensation setting may be accessed when shooting in all but the manual mode, at which time the exposure compensation display on the LCD becomes red and fluctuates automatically to reflect user adjustments made in lighting, aperture and shutter speed.

Exposure compensation on the SP-320 is controlled by pressing the left and right arrows on the four-way controller to adjust the exposure level within the +/-2 EV scale, moving in 1/3-stop increments.

**White Balance
**To access white balance controls, the camera’s menu structure must be entered and the mode menu selected. Once the mode menu is open the user can select between the white balance and white balance compensation submenus found within the Picture menu. The white balance options for the Olympus SP-320 include multi-pattern auto, overcast, sunlight, evening sun, tungsten and three fluorescent modes. In addition to the auto and preset options, the camera also comes with a manual white balance control.

All of these options are listed vertically on the left side of the LCD when the white balance menu is entered. The right two-thirds of the LCD displays a live view image of the composition so that as the user scans through the list of white balance options, an immediate visual representation of alterations is provided. A white balance compensation scale of +/-7 is also provided with this camera and also has a live view feature. The white balance scale is navigated with the up and down arrows on the four-way controller.

**ISO
**ISO is manually controllable when shooting with the Olympus SP-320, although accessing this feature is not simple. The ISO settings are entered by pressing the menu/ok button, followed by the right arrow on the four-way for the Mode menu, which is then followed by entering the ISO submenu. All of this takes a while to get used. The SP-320 has settings within the ISO submenu for: Auto, 60, 100, 200, 400 and 800 ISO. While noise was certainly apparent at 800 ISO, further testing in the full review will need to be done to ascertain how successful this camera is at producing quality images in lower light without excessive noise levels. The ISO submenu is accessible in all modes.

**Shutter Speed
**Shutter speed can be controlled by either having the Olympus SP-320 in shutter priority or manual mode. Shutter speed is adjusted using the up and down arrows on the four-way controller when shooting in shutter priority mode; also, the exposure compensation scale is accessible while the aperture range is unalterable. The shutter speed range on the SP-320 is 1/2000th of a second to 15 seconds with speeds of 0.5 seconds and longer processed with a noise reduction feature.

**Aperture
**There is manual control over aperture on the Olympus SP-320, either through the manual mode or the aperture priority mode options found on the mode dial. The manual aperture range provides a scale of f/2.8 to f/8.0 when shooting in full wide angle, while an aperture range of f/4.9 to f/8.0 can be selected when the camera is switched into telephoto range. Aperture is controlled via the up and down arrows on the four-way control when in aperture priority mode. When in manual mode, the user can toggle between shutter speed and aperture via the left and right arrows. The camera allows control over exposure compensation when in aperture priority mode as well, but the shutter speed will not be accessible.

Image Parameters

**Picture Quality / Size Options
**There are two places to enter the picture quality, size and format options on the Olympus SP-320. The first and quickest way to enter this menu is to select the menu button on the back of the camera, and from this first menu display, select the left arrow on the four-way control which accesses the icon (which certainly isn’t an obvious icon for casual users) that represents the Format menu. The second way to enter this menu involves the user pressing the same menu button followed by the mode option from the first menu display (accessed via the right arrow on the four-way control). Once the mode menu is selected it is then necessary to scan the submenus until the Picture menu is selected. Once open, the Picture menu provides the same Format menu discovered using the aforementioned shortcut. Sound complicated? It is.

The Format menu is multi-tiered and not the simplest in terms of navigation, but while overly complex, it does provide a number of format and size options. The Olympus SP-320 shoots in DCF Exif 2.21, JPEG, PIM3 and RAW formats, although RAW files can only be captured with the highest resolution of 3072 x 2304 SHQ or HQ. Other resolution settings for the SP-320 include: 3072 x 2048, 3:2/SHQ or HQ, as well as the following resolutions with quality settings of High or Normal: 2592 x 1944 SQ1, 2288 x 1712 SQ1, 2048 x 1536 SQ1, 1600 x 1200 SQ1, 1280 x 960 SQ2, 1024 x 768 SQ2 and finally, 640 x 480 SQ2 at High or Normal quality.

When it comes to video capabilities, the Olympus SP-320 offers QuickTime Motion JPEG footage with resolutions of 640 x 480 at 30 fps SHQ, 640 x 480 at 15 fps HQ, 320 x 230 at 30 fps SQ1, and finally, 320 x 240 at 15 fps SQ2. Audio is recorded via an in-camera mono microphone and can be monitored through the in-camera playback speaker.

**Picture Effects Mode
**The method of accessing picture effects is also complicated. Firstly, the menu button must be selected, followed by the mode menu option (accessed via the right arrow on the four-way control) and finally the Picture submenu. Accessing these controls is anything but logical, intuitive or straightforward, though that should be obvious by this point. The three digital effects to be set during shooting allow control over sharpness, contrast and saturation levels.

Secondly, another list of settings can be altered once the camera is placed into playback mode. The Playback menu must be entered, followed by the menu display, followed by the Playback Picture submenu. Within this submenu are two options of sepia or black & white. Canon’s compacts offer you far more options, such as the My Colors feature, with far less hassle.

Connectivity / Extras

**Connectivity
***Software
*Although there is a built-in red-eye correction feature in playback, further image editing options may be wanted. Included with the Sp-320 is Olympus Master software, which includes a panorama stitching feature and the other image parameter controls.

*Jacks, Ports, Plugs
*There are several ports on the body of the Olympus SP-320. Two ports, the USB / A/V out and DC in ports, are located beneath a well designed port cover on the right side and amply spaced from each other. Directly beneath this port is the xD-Picture Card slot, which has a cover constructed out of the same material as the camera body.

Located on the base of the camera is the final port, the home of the AA batteries. This port cover has a locking device to make sure that it doesn’t open accidentally.

*Direct Print Options
*The Olympus SP-320 is capable of direct printing, which can be done easily and efficiently by pressing the print button on the back of the camera. This button doubles as the AEL control when the camera is in shooting mode. The SP-320 is PictBridge compliant and will connect directly to PictBridge printers via a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port. This is by far the simplest part of taking a photo with the SP-320.

*

Battery
*The Olympus SP-320 is powered by two AA batteries, located underneath a cover on the right side of the camera base. The choice to use AA rather than rechargeable lithium batteries will result in a rapid power drain. Most cameras at this price level have at least 320 shots per battery, while the SP-320 is only able to capture 100-150 shots before running out of power. Olympus SP-320 users will always need to have extra batteries on hand, but hey, at least AAs are readily available.

*Memory
*The Olympus SP-320 comes with 25 MB of internal memory and an xD-Picture Card slot for additional memory cards of 16 MB, 32 MB, 64 MB, 128 MB, 256 MB, 512 MB or 1 GB of storage. The xD-Picture Card slot is located on the right side of the camera and hidden by a port cover. Additional memory will certainly be necessary if higher resolution still images or extended shooting periods are expected.

*

*

**Other Features
***Panorama Mode - *The Olympus SP-320 comes with a panorama mode, which allows the user to capture up to 10 frames of still images and then stitch the images once the photos have been entered into the included Olympus Master software.

*Digital Image Stabilization - *While not as commendable as the optical image stabilization systems found throughout the Panasonic digital camera line, the inclusion of a digital image stabilizer feature will at least provide some help over hand-shake and other potentially image blurring factors.

Conversion Lenses - The Olympus SP-320 is equipped to handle two accessory lenses: a 1.7x telephoto lens that has a 196mm total focal length, as well as a wide angle lens with a 26.6mm view. Both lenses are offered for $99 through Olympus’ online store and will require the purchase of a $25 lens adapter tube.

Underwater Housing - Users can purchase a slightly more expensive underwater housing, doubtless to complement the three scene modes that pertain to underwater photography. The underwater housing, like the conversion lenses, can be found on Olympus’ website for the same price of the SP-320 at $299.

Overall Impressions

**

Value
**The Olympus SP-320 comes with a 1/1.8-inch, 7.1 megapixel CCD, a 2.5-inch LCD, a wealth of manual controls and 31 presets, and while these initial specifications may seem noteworthy, a second examination will find flaws within most of these. For example, while not overly large, a 2.5-inch LCD is quite respectable within this price range, but with a mere 115,000 pixels, the quality of image is compromised too much to properly gauge focus, even with an enlarged frame utilized.

The manual controls are scattered and buried within a multitude of nearly impenetrable menu structures. The control over aperture and shutter speed is simple, but exposure compensation is turned off when the camera is set to full manual mode, and throughout the entire camera structure odd little inconsistencies and circuitous paths plagued navigation. For the more experienced manual controller on a budget this camera will seem like a great option, and for the user who will never leave auto mode the camera is fine, but anyone in between will most likely regard the SP-320 with confusion and frustration.

With an initial MSRP of $299 (USD), this camera is certainly reasonable for the sheer number of features, but it’s up to the consumer to decide if the interface is acceptable to them or if the structure is too convoluted to make the low price a value.

**Who It’s For
***Point-and-Shooters -* A complicated menu structure, extensive manual controls and other features make this camera an unlikely candidate for the point-and-shooter who’s looking for ease of use, internal simplicity and a small camera frame.

Budget Consumers - The budget consumer could perhaps find this camera compelling. It does have manual controls, RAW mode, a well designed exterior, movie and still modes along with 31 selectable shooting modes to cover nearly every shooting situation. With the number of features, the price of $299 will definitely make this camera, even with the problematic menu structure, a viable option.

Gadget Freaks - There aren’t features or controls on the Olympus SP-320 to make it a unique stand-out camera model for the gadget freak.

Manual Control Freaks - The SP-320 comes with a wide range of manual control options which cover shutter speed, aperture, focus, white balance with live view, white balance compensation, EV compensation and metering. While normally a list as complete as this will immediately prompt a stamp of approval, the need to constantly enter illogical and lengthy menus will leave the manual control user looking for their Canon.

Pros/Serious Hobbyists - For the pro or serious hobbyist, the SP-320 just has too many problematic features to be a viable option: the incoherent menu structure, the digital focus control, slow AF reaction and inability to alter manual control settings with speed or logic are all major drawbacks.

Conclusion

**Conclusion
**The Olympus SP-320 certainly provides a wide variety of controls, such as full manual features, partial auto, full auto and a wealth of preset shooting options sure to appeal to the user on a budget. The only problem is that the menu is unfriendly towards everyone. For more advanced users the menu structure will be a hindrance, though not overwhelming, but beginning point-and-shooters run the risk of becoming turned off to the whole idea of digital photography. This camera would really be a compelling option if only the menu were overhauled. In addition to these concerns, the LCD is a bit underwhelming with a resolution of just 115,000 for 2.5 inches, which produces fairly compromised image quality, even if it is at an affordable price.

The Olympus SP-320 has plenty of impressive features with a 7.1 MP CCD, digital image stabilization, conversion lens options, direct printing, RAW format recording, and shooting modes aplenty, and with all of this for just $299 it would be nice to see the flaws smoothed out to make this camera a really strong contender. Check back for the full review to see how the SP-320 performs in tests of color accuracy, noise, dynamic range, resolution and low level lighting performance when compared to the competition.