A sleek and practical super zoom that is suitable for all types of
photography
The Olympus SH- 21 is an all- round camera that will help
you take great photos of any subject, from landscapes with vivid colours to
portraits with pleasing skin tones. It standout features are a generous 12.5x
optical zoom to get you in close to the action, 16 MP for high quality print
and 1080p full HD video.
It is a conventional- looking camera with a nice finish and
sturdy build quality, with an easy- to- use control wheel on the back and a
crisp LCD screen. The menus are simple to use, with key settings easily
accessible down the side of the screen, and it even comes with touch- shooting
and touch- autofocus too.
Movie mode is easily switched to and Multi- motion Movie IS
works to combat any camera shake. There is also a 3D photo shooting mode and
Smart Panorama to let you take creative shots. An interesting feature is the
Hand- held Starlight mode to halo reduce blur in low light; this works by
taking four photos and merging them in- camera. The high ISO range lets you
take shots in low light, coping with noise until around ISO 800.
There are plenty of options here to help you take more
creative shots, including Magic filters like Pinhole, Fish- eye and a nice
effect that adds in a reflection of your subject. You can also edit your images
in- camera too, with cropping, red eye and shadow adjustments and a beauty Fix
option to improve your portraits.
More advanced users will enjoy being able to set their own
ISO, white balance and the exposure compensation option, as well as the
presence of a histogram, but there is no manual mode. It is also compatible
with Eye- Fi memory cards so you can instantly upload photos to your computer via
Wi- Fi. Overall, considering it budget price, the image quality is high and the
range of features make this an excellent camera for beginners wanting a bit of
everything.
Hands on …
The SH- 21 has a grip on the front and an easy- to- operate
mode dial and zoom at the top. Its is comfortable to hold and is compact enough
considering the zoom it is packing.
Face Detection and Beauty scene modes will help you take
perfect portraits. Add a fish- eye effect for a quirky attractive.
There is au AF Tracking mode that will help you focus on
fast- moving subjects, ensuring you keep up with sports and action shots.
You can view images in- camera with a slideshow, or use the
Photo Surfing option to filter your browsing
Live Guide mode
lets you change things such as saturation and see the effect your changes have
on screen
How good is it for
Portraits
With face detection, portrait mode and beauty fix, portraits
are easy
Landscapes
A wide- angle lens and panorama function result in great
landscapes
Sports
There are menu features included to help you freeze the
sporting action
Low light
There is Hand- held Starlight mode and a good ISO range
Macro
The camera has minimum focusing distance of 1 cm in Super
Macro mode
What is good about it
It has a large optical zoom for getting you up close to your
subject
The filters and art modes allow you to take some creative
shots
What could be better
A small amount of noise crept into images, but it coped
until ISO 800
A manual mode would benefit more advanced users
We answer your questions
Is this camera good for sport photos?
With a 12.5x optical zoom you can get in close to the
action. AF tracking and the 7fps high speed continuous shooting means you will
not miss a moment and the Dual Image Stabilisation will reduce camera shake,
making this camera ideal for sports photography.
The info
Price:
$289
Megapixels
/ 16 MP
Large
prints are possible, but files will take up a lot of space
Zoom /
12.5x optical, 4x digital
This is a
large zoom with a 24- 300 mm equivalent reach
Shutter
speeds / 1/4- 1/ 2000 sec (4s in Night Scene mode)
A big
range for long exposure and freezing movement
ISO
sensitivity / 80- 3200
This high
value will let the camera function well in low light
Exp.
Modes / 16 scene modes, plus iAuto, P, 3D photo, Hand- held Starlight,
Panorama, Movie
A wide
variety of modes that cover every subject well
Aperture:
f3.0- 5.9
Flash
modes : Auto, RE, FI, FOff
Weight:
184g with battery
Dimensions:
105.4 x 59.4 x30.6 mm
Batteries:
Lithium- ion
Storage:
SD / SDHC / SDXC / Eye- FI
Screen:
3 inches
|
Verdict
Features:
4/5
Design and
handling: 4/5
Build
quality: 4/5
Image
quality: 4/5
Value for
money: 5/5
A
versatile camera for taking great pictures in most situations. It has plenty
of features and creative settings with a high image quality, all for a budget
price tag: 4/5
|
