Image Quality and Verdict

Olympus SZ-30MR review – Image Quality

On first look, images produced with the SZ-30MR appear generally good, if not a little flat. However, on closer inspection several flaws are revealed. Highlights have a tendency to blow out, whilst over sharpening is also present, combined with a softening towards the edges of the frame. The SZ-30MR controls noise well, although this is to the detriment of fine detail, which is lost higher up the ISO range in the noise reduction process.

Full Olympus SZ-30MR sample image gallery

Olympus SZ-30MR review – Verdict

There’s nodenying the fact that the Olympus SZ-30MR brings a lot to the table. The new MR technology is a world-first and will prove genuinely useful for a host of photographers, as will a lot of the other simplified functionality on offer. However, the camera is not without its flaws – the design of the camera is an acquired taste, with the chrome finish on the model we tested bordering on the offensive. The LCD screen struggles to give an accurate depiction of true image quality, whilst image quality in general is fairly disappointing. On the whole, the SZ-30MR, whilst being a good camera, is quite far off of being a great camera.