Olympus SZ-10 vs Olympus Stylus SP-820UZ: A Hands-On Superzoom Compact Showdown

When it comes to superzoom compact cameras from Olympus, the SZ-10 and Stylus SP-820UZ have intrigued me for years as intriguing options for enthusiasts seeking versatile zoom ranges in pocketable bodies. Having spent more than a decade rigorously testing cameras across genres and styles, I dove back into these two models with fresh eyes - gathering practical insights from portraiture stands to landscape vistas, and everything in between. In this thorough comparison, I’ll walk you through how each camera performs in real-world scenarios, backed by hands-on testing and my seasoned technical perspective.

Both cameras hail from a generation where small sensor superzooms sought to balance convenience and power, though their specs reveal meaningful distinctions worth unpacking. So settle in - whether you’re after portraits with finely rendered skin tones, expansive landscapes with deep dynamic range, or even a bit of wildlife and street photography - I’ll illuminate which might best fit your creative needs.

First Impressions: Size, Feel, and Handling

Let’s start by touching the cameras, metaphorically and literally. I find that a camera’s ergonomics and handling often dictate your shooting comfort and long-term satisfaction just as much as image quality.

The Olympus SZ-10 impresses with its compact, lightweight frame measuring just 106x67x38mm and tipping the scales at an easy 215 grams. Its slim, pocket-friendly profile is inviting for travel and street photography where discreetness and portability are paramount. The SZ-10’s grip is modest - not deep - but adequate for casual shooting. Buttons are straightforward but Basic: no manual exposure or shutter/aperture priority modes, which keeps operation simple but limits creative control.

On the other hand, the Stylus SP-820UZ feels like a chunkier, more robust companion. At 117x78x93mm and 485 grams, it nearly doubles the SZ-10’s heft. This bulk derives largely from its ambitious 40x zoom lens. The front grip is more pronounced, allowing for steadier handling through its long telephoto reach - a big plus when shooting wildlife or sports. The body is still a compact, but it skews toward a “travel zoom” footprint rather than pocketable convenience.

For ergonomics and control layout, let's peek at the top views:

The SZ-10 keeps things minimal, with a clean dial and zoom toggle but no dedicated dials for aperture or shutter priority, nor any manual focus ring - so it’s mostly point-and-shoot friendly, favoring simplicity over tactile adjustments.

The SP-820UZ shares a similar philosophy, with fixed lens and no manual exposure modes, but incorporates a slightly beefier zoom toggle and a pet auto shutter timer - a quirky yet handy feature for pet owners.

My takeaway: If you crave lightness and pocketability for travel or street shooting, the SZ-10’s compactness is a winner. However, if you want a longer reach and more substantial grip, the SP-820UZ’s extra heft pays off.

Sensor and Image Quality: The Heart of the Matter

Superzoom compacts frequently suffer from small sensor limitations. Both Olympuses pack 1/2.3" sensors with 14 megapixels; however, the SZ-10 uses a CCD sensor, while the SP-820UZ opts for a more modern CMOS sensor. This distinction is crucial in areas like image noise, dynamic range, and video performance.

Starting with resolution, both deliver images around 4288x3216 pixels, giving ample detail suitable for 8x10 prints or moderate cropping. In controlled daylight, detail and sharpness from both are impressively comparable.

However, the SP-820UZ’s CMOS sensor truly shines in dynamic range and high-ISO performance. In my low-light lab tests and moonlit street scenes, the SZ-10’s CCD sensor produced noticeably more grain and color noise starting at ISO 400, with maximum native ISO capped at 1600. The SP-820UZ pushed clean images up to ISO 1600 and tolerable noise at ISO 3200, thanks to its higher maximum ISO 6400.

Dynamic range, tested via graduated gray cards, showed the SP-820UZ capturing more nuanced shadows and highlights - a distinct advantage for landscapes and backlit portraits.

Another edge for the SP-820UZ is video resolution: it supports Full HD (1920 x 1080 at 30fps) in smooth MPEG-4 H.264, while the SZ-10 tops out at 720p HD recording with Motion JPEG, a dated codec yielding larger files and less quality.

Practical takeaway: For crisp daylight stills, both are capable. But if you anticipate shooting in varied light or want better video capabilities, the SP-820UZ’s sensor tech grants more flexibility and superior image quality overall.

The Lens: Zoom Range and Aperture

Now to the optics - the defining feature of these superzoom compacts.

The SZ-10 sports an 18x optical zoom, spanning 28-504mm equivalent, with a bright-ish lens aperture of f/3.1-4.4. This range covers wide-angle group shots to moderate telephoto portraits and wildlife glimpses from a distance. The aperture allows reasonable depth of field control for the class, especially at wide focal lengths.

The SP-820UZ, meanwhile, boasts a devastating 40x optical zoom from 22-896mm equivalent, nearly doubling the reach of the SZ-10. The tradeoff is a narrower aperture range of f/3.4-5.7, resulting in less light transmission at the telephoto end and a shallower low-light capability. However, reaching up to 896mm is impressive in this form factor, opening possibilities for distant wildlife, sports, or moon photography.

Neither camera offers manual focus, relying on contrast-detection autofocus systems - a typical limitation for compacts. Macro focus is comparable, both able to focus as close as 1 cm, lending themselves nicely to close-up shots.

Autofocus and Shooting Mechanics

The SZ-10 uses a contrast detection AF with multi-area focus and face detection, supporting some tracking but only single autofocus mode. The SP-820UZ features similar AF technology but surprisingly lacks face detection live view capability and AF tracking, limiting speed and precision in dynamic situations.

Continuous shooting on the SZ-10 maxes at a single frame per second, which feels sluggish for action - the SP-820UZ improves this to 2 fps, still modest but more usable for spontaneous moments.

In my field tests photographing fast dogs and birds, both cameras showed hunting and occasional lag due to contrast-based AF, especially with long zooms. The SZ-10’s face detection worked reasonably well for portraits but faltered with moving subjects.

Summary: Neither model caters strongly to action photography or sports, but the SP-820UZ offers a slight edge with faster continuous shooting and larger zoom.

Build Quality and Weather Resistance

Neither camera offers environmental sealing - no dustproofing, waterproofing, or freezeproofing - which restricts use in harsh conditions. Both bodies use plastics typical for compact cameras, with no claims of shockproof armor.

Given the SP-820UZ’s larger size and weight, it feels more robust in hand; however, durability is likely similar for both. For photographers venturing into inclement weather or demanding environments, an entirely different camera class is warranted.

User Interface and Connectivity

Both cameras feature 3-inch fixed TFT LCD screens with 460k dots resolution.

The screens display menus clearly in daylight but suffer from glare and washing out in bright sun - common for non-articulating TFT panels. Neither camera offers touchscreen capabilities or electronic viewfinders, so composing in bright conditions involves some trial and error.

USB 2.0 connectivity is standard on both for image transfer, while HDMI output is only available on the SZ-10, facilitating quick playback on TVs or monitors.

Wireless connectivity is limited: the SZ-10 supports Eye-Fi cards for Wi-Fi transfer (a solution now somewhat outdated); the SP-820UZ lacks any wireless features.

Battery Performance and Storage

The SZ-10 uses an Olympus LI-50B rechargeable battery, rated for approximately 220 shots per charge. In real use, this often translates to a day of casual shooting but requires careful power management for travel.

The SP-820UZ’s battery specifications are less clearly documented. During testing, I found power life roughly comparable but more inconsistent, likely due to higher zoom power draw.

Both models use SD/SDHC/SDXC cards in single card slots, allowing easy storage upgrades.

Real-World Photography: Performance Across Genres

Having dissected the specs and tested core functions, it’s time to plunge into how these cameras serve across photography types - I relied on field tests and shooting outings in various scenarios.

Portrait Photography

The SZ-10’s relatively wide maximum aperture of f/3.1 at 28mm allows some background separation, and its CCD sensor delivers skin tones with pleasing warmth under natural light. Face detection autofocus worked steadily, highlighting eyes well in static portraits.

The SP-820UZ had slightly less flattering skin tone rendering under mixed lighting, with a cooler image tendency. Face detection was available, but AF-speed lag challenged crisp captures, especially in low light.

Neither camera offers RAW capture, so post-processing latitude is limited.

Landscape Photography

Here, sensor dynamic range and resolution matter most. The SP-820UZ’s CMOS sensor impresses with richer shadow detail and better highlight retention, critical in landscapes with bright skies and dark foregrounds.

The ultra-wide 22mm equiv. (SP-820UZ) versus 28mm (SZ-10) also helps in composing sweeping vistas.

Both cameras lack weather sealing, restricting enthusiast landscape photographers who venture into rugged environments.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

The SP-820UZ’s enormous 40x zoom (up to 896mm equiv.) is a unique draw for wildlife shooters on a budget. However, contrast-detection AF hunting and slow continuous frame rates limit effectiveness for fast-moving subjects.

The SZ-10’s shorter zoom limits reach but offers steadier handling for casual pet or bird photography.

In either case, these cameras are stopgap options - enthusiasts serious about wildlife action will prefer dedicated mirrorless or DSLRs with faster AF and longer reach lenses.

Street Photography

For blending in and portability, the SZ-10’s lightweight frame and silent operation are clear advantages. Its fixed, brighter lens and simple controls support spontaneous captures well.

The bulkier SP-820UZ draws attention but offers flexibility with its wide zoom - useful when distance matters but less so for candid moments.

Macro Photography

Both deliver close focus down to 1 cm, yielding excellent macro shots for a compact. However, lack of manual focus and focus stacking means fine-tuning depth of field is challenging.

Optical stabilization in the SZ-10 helps reduce blur handheld; absence of stabilization in the SP-820UZ hurts macro sharpness.

Night and Astro Photography

The SZ-10’s ISO ceiling at 1600 combined with a CCD sensor limits night shooting; images become noisy quickly. The SP-820UZ’s CMOS sensor and higher ISO capacity facilitate better dark scene captures but only marginally for astro work, given lack of manual exposure controls.

Video Capability Analysis

The SZ-10 uses an older Motion JPEG format at 720p max 30 fps, which consumes storage fast and involves less efficient compression. No microphone inputs or physical stabilization beyond sensor-shift limit video quality.

The SP-820UZ supports 1080p Full HD video in H.264, delivering clearer, smoother results. It also offers slow motion video at lower resolutions, a nice creative bonus.

Neither camera includes external microphone jacks or headphone ports, capping audio quality enhancement.

Value and Pricing

Both cameras hover around $300 street price. The SZ-10 provides appealing portability and ease of use, particularly suited for travelers or casual shooters wanting a simple zoom camera.

The SP-820UZ challenges with far greater zoom reach and improved video specifications but carries compromises in size, weight, and autofocus speed.

Given their ages, purchasing either requires accepting dated technology and modest image quality compared to contemporary equivalents.

Summary Table of Scores by Photography Type

Overall Ratings and Recommendation

Final Thoughts: Which Olympus Superzoom Is Right For You?

Pulling together my hands-on experience with both cameras, here’s how I’d advise different photographers:

• Travel & Street Photographers: I recommend the Olympus SZ-10 for its lightweight build, compact size, and easier handling. It’s a true grab-and-go that won’t weigh you down and delivers capable image quality in daylight situations.

• Budget Wildlife & Sports Shooters: The SP-820UZ’s nearly 900mm reach is a compelling value proposition if you crave long telephoto power in a compact. Just be prepared for slower AF and less nimble controls.

• Casual Video Enthusiasts: The SP-820UZ’s Full HD video marks a clear advantage, although neither camera is designed as a serious video tool.

• Macro & Close-Up Tweakers: The SZ-10’s sensor-shift stabilization helps capture clearer macro shots handheld, making it preferable despite the similar close-focus distances.

• Landscape Photographers: Better dynamic range and wider lens of SP-820UZ support elevated landscapes, but deficiencies in weather sealing limit outdoor adventure.

To conclude, your choice boils down to prioritizing portability versus zoom reach and video features. Both cameras offer accessible entry points to superzoom creativity but fit different photography lifestyles.

A Gallery of Images Sampled on Both Models

To better illustrate my observations, here are side-by-side original captures from both cameras in varied lighting and focal lengths:

Olympus SZ 10 front Olympus SZ 10 screen back Olympus SP 820UZ front Olympus SP 820UZ screen back

I hope this detailed comparison provides you with the insights only long-term hands-on testing yields. Feel free to reach out or comment below if you want specific test results or shooting advice tailored to your photographic aspirations.

Disclosure: I have no current affiliation or sponsorship with Olympus. All testing was conducted independently using retail camera units acquired through standard channels.