Olympus brings wireless flash control to SP-560UZ with firmware update

Olympus SP-560UZ

Olympus just released the latest firmware for its super-zoom EVF (electronic viewfinder) camera, the SP-560UZ. Version 3.1 of the camera's firmware includes a unique feature: support for Olympus' wireless RC flash system. According to DPReview, this update enables the camera to use its own flash to remotely activate Olympus wireless flash modules through the camera's "RC" flash mode. The camera can activate RC flashes up to 32 feet away in a 60-degree arc, or up to 16 feet away in a 100-degree arc.

Some digital SLRs can use wireless flash units, but this is the first time we've seen a non-SLR able to do it. The SP-560UZ is the first EVF camera we've seen to support remote flashes. While you probably won't be using wireless flashes when you're out shooting (authorities frown on suspicious characters placing small boxes in corners and walking away), this feature works nicely for home photography and studio shooting. Multiple flashes can help balance out light and offer much greater control over shadows and reflections than a single, camera-mounted flash can.

Of course, these wireless flashes don't come cheap; flashes like the FL-36R and FL-50R can cost as much as the SP-560UZ itself. You can install the firmware update with Olympus' Master 2 software. Details can be found on Olympus' site.

[SaintViper]

Innovative, but not useful

Offering wireless flash support on a point and shoot is certainly innovative (and cheap to add), but anyone likely to want to use wireless flash is also very unlikely to be using it without an SLR. Even very few SLR users use external flashes.

If you happen to be an Olympus SLR user and also have this camera, the odds are you are using it so that you wouldn't have to carry all your SLR gear with you, so you probably still don't have a use for it.

[deecee]

Great point

It's not likely that anyone who is concerned enough about getting the right exposure to the point of using external flash units will care to use a point and shoot intead of a DLR anyway. External flash unit (often multiple units) are nromally used for studio setting or a careful setup, I can hardly see anyone who is in those situations would want to use a Olympus camera much less a Olympus point and shoot type. Honestly, I can hardly imagine anyone who is serious enough about photograghy to buy an external RF synced flash invest in an Olympus setup when Canon and Nikon have better equipment.

[zupcsics]

RE: remote flash control - Innovative, but not

I disagree. For example, I travel for family events periodically and have tried bringing an SLR, remote flash, and a couple of lenses (not to mention a tripod). _Not_ fun.

I would _greatly_ welcome a mid-sized (or smaller) digicam with an affordable way to fully control an off camera flash (flash sync doesn't count). A sync cable would be fine.

Personally, I'm really tired of camera mfgs trying to 'protect' sales of their dSLRs by omitting key features (such as some way to control a remote flash, and larger sensors) from digicams.

I disagree (strongly :-)) - imho, there is a segment of customers (prosumers, advanced amateurs, whatever) that will be quick to buy (and create lots of positive PR for) digicams with advanced features like mega zooms, larger / better sensors - and cost effective ways to control remote flashes.

The key issue is portability - size and weight - making these mid-sized compact cameras an attractive alternative to dSLRs for many.

Now we need some adventurous mfg to round out the feature set - at a price non-professionals can live with. This is a good first step in the right direction, imo.