This little camera has it all fits in your pocket and always ready to go.
For the price you cant beat this camera, You can shoot in just about any light. I looked at some others too at the time I got this. This is my third Olympus camera I still have the other two and they still work fine.

I purchased the Olympus SZ-12 only a few days ago and I am already satisfied. The 24x zoom is to me the best aspect of the camera. It is very lightweight as well. I have only taken a dozen pictures and they all turned out clear and crisp. The Olympus SZ-12 is a must buy!!!

Previous to this camera, I had always owned sony or canon - and I will never go back again. This camera has way exceeded my expectations. I am still just in the learning phase. My Sony had gotten stolen back in November, and I was so upset. However after I received this camera - I am glad they stole - that way I had the opportunity to replace it with this one. Olympus you are awesome - please keep up the great work!!

Pictures and videos are great,,, ease of use, battery life, and price,,, exceptional value..This is the best Camera for the money,,,,

Love the 24 x zoom. I can get shots now that I never could before. Plus nice clear and sharp family pics.

Crisp sharp pictures, and easy to use, includes flash option for pictures.

I love this camera it takes some great pics went to alaska and spain and all my pictures were great even taken from buses or behind glass

Took the SZ-12 to Rome and came back with amazing photos. 24x lens brought everything to me from some distance.

THIS CAMERA HAS EVERYTHING I WAS LOOKING FOR IN A DIGITAL CAMERA. I LOVE THE HIGH POWER ZOOM, LOVE THE EASE OF USE, LOVE THE LARGE, VIVID DISPLAY...WHAT CAN I SAY, " YOU GUYS AT OLYMPUS MAKE A GREAT CAMERA".

The Olympus SZ-12 has proven to be one of the best cameras I have ever owned! Phenomenal zoom capability and crisp, clear pictures!

found that i can do more with this camera then other's. plus it will take the picture i want and not secont or two lator. that has alway's been my biggest complaint. took a picture vacation over the 4th, had a blast.

I love my Olympus camera. So easy to use and it is serving my purposes wonderfully. Going on vacation soon and it will be in my hands everywhere we go. Will see relatives I have not seen in over 40 years so I wioll come back with many photos and many memories of days gone by. Will buy another Olympus when this one no longer suits the purpose of why I bought. keep up the good work

We love this camera. We recently went on vacation and got many wonderful shots of our trip. Very crisp bright pictures. We are thinking about getting anothe one.

I have heavy use to my point & shoot camera for work. By far the best I have had in 7 years. Thanks for a great product.

I've just started to go through the manual(cd) that came with my camera and so far I find the instructions so very poor that I think the wrong cd was packed by mistake! Very poor!

I love the zoom feature. You can zoom up really close and it is not blurry. It takes a little bit to remember all the different settings.

I like this camera due to it's larg monitor for viewing pictures, love the satin steel finish. my memery cards from my old camera fit this camera also saving me a lot of money. it also takes really great pictures it has so many different gagets on it. It does everything but light your cegar!

The camera is a great product. The software however could use some enhancing updates though. Very difficult to crop a shot with the camera and bring the subject closer.

I am very pleased with this product. The zoom has great quality and is very clear. I can see the picture before I take it, even in bright sun.

This is a great little camera at a decent price with some very nice features that even a moderate user like me can easily use.

I recently purchased an Olympus SZ 12 and photographed the Sarasota Fl area. This is the best camera I have ever used. Light, easy to use and with a 24x zoom it out classes other cameras in its price range. Highly recommended.

We bought this camera and received it 2 days before going on vacation. Right off the bat, the main thing wrong with the camera is no owners manual. You have to download 80 pages! Downloaded and printed enough to get us through the trip. You pay enough for the camera, they should pay for the paper to print the manual on. For the little we used the camera, it seems to take great pictures. Once we learn what everything does, we're counting on bigger and better things. We'll see how well the body holds up as it is made of plastic.

I purchased this camera for the ease of working the controls. My wife has the same model and I loved taking pictures with hers. I like the powerful wide angle/zoom lens and the movie recording feature. A lot of features combined in one camera.

This is the third Olympus that I have owned, and I have nothing but praise for the camera and the company. I just gave my D-450 zoom to my daughter and it is as functional now as the day I bought it new. My new SZ-12 is a most amkazing camera, in that it has so many features in such a small frame. We are gypsies, and have taken over 10,000 photos of our great xcountry adventures.

my desiding factor was the 24X zoom, I travel a lot with work and like the small simple to use features, or go into it's menu to change the settings for the more demanding shots. Over all I am very pleased with it.

I am extremley happy with this camera. I am not a photographer yet, every photo I've shot looks amazing!

I wanted a new digital with plenty of resolution and this one has it. I have not finished learning all the settings but so far it has been fun exploring them. It is also just as easy to set it on automatic exposure then just point and shoot all you want it does a great job of reading the light.
It has a powerful zoom as well as macro
The battery could last a little longer and it would be better but overall I really like this camera
I have owned many cameras since 1979 and this ranks as a good one for my style of shooting pic's.

There is only one way I would improve this product.
I would like a Remote Cable Release for my SZ 12 camera. I take a lot of bird pictures. But I will to the best I can with what I have.

Love it, great product, great pictures. Easy to carry around, record and takes pictures that are awesome.

Although I haven't had this camera very long, I'm very pleased with it so far. It seems to have a lot of features. The built-in guide is great for quickly accessing information about the camera and how to use it.

Love this product awesome... Will always recommend Olympus products

I am impressed. Although I am still learning the camera, I am enjoying the "Magic Filters." Auto is wonderful although I prefer to choose the scenery...pictures are clear and colorful. The image stabilization is a huge help to me as I have mild tremors...have yet to take a blurry picture. Highly recommend the SZ-12...I'm confident you won't be dissapointed.

A good product. Still learning how to get full advantage of its functions.

Easy to use. Love the zoom and autofocus. Great value.

I was looking at a camera that was 2.5 times more expensive when I decided to try the sz-12 thinking that I might return it.

What a surprise! Great in every area. Total zoom is 96 times (24x4). Picture qualit is excellent. Easy to use and it is still small enough to fit in a pocket.

Try it before you spend much more on other cameras.!

Also impressed with the video.

I have only had the camera a few weeks and only used it a few times. I have a case and use it everytime the camera is not in use. Yet somehow the display screen is scratched already???

I love this camera. The zoom is amazing, the "magic" features are so much fun, and size is just perfect. It was a great birthday gift and I would recommend this to everyone ^_^

I love this camera! I initially got it to take pictures for my portfolio but its great for everyday use! I use this camera everyday I love that it has awesome zoom-in power! It came in handy for my graduation my family sat pretty far from the stage and they were able to zoom into the podium when I say the zoom-in power is awesome I mean it!!!! I love that it has the option to take many pictures at once with little kids or sports this comes in VERY handy! Wish I would have gotten it sooner!!!

I really like my new camera. It has been a few years since I bought my old one, and this one has so many new features. I like the unbelievable zoom lens. It is easy to use. All of the features are easy to use. I miss the paper owners manual, but the online one is acceptable. I tend to shake a little, but the camera makes the pictures look solid. I would definitely recommend this camera. I am sure after a few more weeks of looking up what it will do, and after taking it on vacation, I will give it even a greater recommendation.

This camera is worlds apart from our previous Olympus 5mp camera and has so many features that make great pictures easy to take. The price was good compared to many cameras that don't have nearly the same features. We love it.

Haven't used the camera much yet, just a few shots to get familiar. This camera take great pictures and has an awesome array of features for a camera its size. Easy to use, simple layout and the 24x telephoto zoom you won't find on many if any cameras in this class. Off to South America thursday for a month to give it a real workout.

I was looking for a camera with a high zoom. I am impressed with the 24X optical zoom. It's like I am right there, up close, taking the pictures.

I'm not really smart when it comes to cameras. My last one was simple but the zoom was terrible. I wanted one that didn't take alkaline batteries and had good zoom and easy to understand. I seen the 24x zoom and lythium battery and got it, not thinking about anything else. The first time I used it It was so simple. I understand everything and I can just push the button and take a picture. Everyone who tries it loves it. Now they want one.

I have been truly amazed at the multiple features of this camera and the quality of the pictures I have taken. I have a Digital SLR that was expensive and does give excellent pictures - but, the mechanicx of going around with a heavy camera around your neck and bringing along additonal lenses got to be a bit much. It is going to be hard for me to put this SZ-12 down. Seriously, I do not see how you can find a better camera for the price and for the weight.

TOOK A WHILE TO GET GOING BUT AFTER FIRST DOWNLOAD EVERYTHING'S OK

I have not used all the features yet but the pictures are excellent, it is very easy to use. The fact that it is very compact was a big plus. I have done some professional photography (I used a 6x7) and always liked the 35mm style camera, but for my use now, they are just too bulky. This fills the bill for me. I would recommend this camera highly.

The camera performed very well on Alaskan cruise. I still need more experince to use all the tools that it includes

I have tried several different cameras over the years, but I have never had an Olympus. I lost my camera and went to the store to find another. The SZ-12 caught my eye. It performs a lot better than any other camera I have had around its price range. It is easy to use. It takes clear pictures of moving things, such as my toddler and cats. Also, it takes great pictures of animals without getting that weird eye reflection that you get with most cameras. Other cameras I have had did zoom a little, but when you took the picture, it was really fuzzy. With this camera, you can really zoom a lot and the picture will still come out clear like you are right next to the object. I really do love this camera and would recommend it to anyone.

This is a amazing camera, for picture taking and video from a far distance, I like it alot.

The quality and performance seem to be very good. However, I find the menu to be extremely frustrating to deal with. I believe you need to completely rework the the menu to be easier to search and understand .

This compact point-and-shoot has awesome features. The zoom range is amazing, and the quality of the image at max zoom is terrific. I'd have liked an optical viewfinder as an alternate to the viewscreen, but very few of those are produced these days. Personal peeve: Olympus (and most or all other camera manufacturers) should provide purchasers with a paper owner's manual!

Just bought this camera yesterday and I LOVE it. Havent learned how to use most of the little perks and whatever else.. but I LOVE what I've seen so far. :)

This cameras ability to capture lifelike images is amazing. Their is one downside to this camera. The battery tends to drain rather quickly. I don't know if it's that i might have a defective battery, but going back to my retailer to see if i can get another battery to resolve this issue. Other than that minor detail the quality is excellent,and the pictures you can capture with this camera are awesome!!!

I am a simple person that just wants to point and shoot. This camera allows me to do that. It has taken awhile for me to get used to holding the button halfway down then push all the way down but overall I am greatly please with the camera.

I went in to get this camera and the photo depart was arguing about how the last one was supposedly be kept and used by them. I realized I must have picked a good camera

Have only had camera a month.
camera is great,i have other cameras much more expensive,but this camera is great when i dont want to carry a lare camera.
My SZ-12 is great.
A little advice to people who are getting blurry pics
(Squeeze the shutter button dont snap it) Also wait for green rectangle,(this will tell you the camera is focusad.

ll my pictures were so blurry. I put in the cd that came with it and guess what NO instructions at all. I tried everytrhing to get a few pics but nothing worked. Would NEVER buy or recommend this camera to ANYONE !!! NOTHING amazing about this. Took it back and got my money back.

This is a good camera for general picture taking - without needing any fancy features. Seems to have an 'orange' hue in the picture whenever taking indoor shots. These can be cleaned up with color balancing software. Menu's are a little less than intuitive and could use some simplifying. Documentation on CD is great - if one happens to have a computer at hand to read. Otherwise - the provided hard copy documentation could use a little boost. Satisfied - just not impressed.

We bought this camera after seeing one at a friend's house - the friend hadn't even taken it out of the box yet! But the 24X optical zoom got us thinking that this would be ideal for an upcoming trip to Europe. When we saw how lightweight it was, on top of that zoom, we decided to look at it.

The fast shutter response is what sold us. Virtually no "lag" (0.2 seconds in the online reviews) and a fascinating panorama feature, convinced us that this was a camera we had to have! So far, the photo quality is excellent, and what looks good on the little lcd screen looks great on the computer!

We'll know more after we take hundreds of shots on our upcoming sojourn, and perhaps we'll have more to say. But after a few days, this one is a winner! (Our first Olympus since the very first digital camera in 1999! Maybe a new love affair is blooming!)

I got this camera after extensive research for which Olympus camera I wanted. I did have a Camedia D-540 for several years and love the Olympus product. Since this is a relatively new model, I wasn't sure about it but the reviews I saw were very positive. I got the camera just 3 days before a trip and I was really pleased with the pictures I got. Even more impressive was the battery life. It had only used one bar in two days of shooting. It is light weight and fits comfortably in my hand (I have small hands) and the controls are super easy. I do wish it came with a written manual but I downloaded it to my computer and it is also on the camera itself. I would highly recommend this model. It makes a great bridge between simple point and shoot and more complex models.

can't believe how well this camera works. Love the ease of operation and compact size for what this camera accomplishes. Everything that I need to accomplish with this camera,, I can. I have purchased a camera every year for the past 4 years looking for the features that I have found in this camera. thanks for making such a great product.

The pics it takes are awesome as I took it to Hawaii this spring. HOWEVER the Panoramic portion failed to perform as promised. they did not line up right then it just wouldnt work all together. Other than that, the camera works great!

have had it to short of time will use alot more in the near future

using it for revolutionary war reenactment the zoom lets me get candid pictures from a distant, small enough for my pocket. The zoom is so good i need my tripod to steady the camera.even with the steady program on. the macro and super macro are excellent taking pictures of my sons mini models came out great. I own a 35 mm slr with zoom lenses and fish eye lense for close up this camera is very close to the pictures from my 35 mm camera

Very good camera and picture quality. Simple to use and I really like the way to battery charges with the AC plug and also the USB plug.

excellent camera,perfect prize,every feature 100% reliable

Went to Alaska and this camera took exceptional pictures of the wildlife and vast ranges of mountains. With the 24x,got up close to whales, eagles, seals and bears. The only issue I had was you need to be careful where you placed your finger, the on/off is close to the shutter button and the ok button at the bottom can be easly pushed by mistake.

I love this camera. this is my first true camera that I have bought. I am loving it! My daughter graduated high school and I tell you I was picture taking everything just to practice before I took the real deal of the graduation. The zoom is what I love. color details is awesome. differernt feeatures is so cool. I look for a reason to use this camera.

I didn't want to spend an exorbitant amount of money on a camera, but wanted something that made me feel at least a Little professional. This camera has the features that allow me to have fun and be creative. Am still learning how to be at ease with the controls, but am very happy with what I've seen so far.

good logic function flow.
wonderful 24x optical zoom.
fits nicely into hand.
quality construction.

I am so pleased with my new SZ-12 from Olympus camera. It takes great pictures and is so easy to use. I am enjoying taking pictures. With my old camera the pictures were always a disapointment.
I am very happy with this camera.

takes great pictures and video. the menu is easy to get to and the scene selection is great

excellent photos of high quality; easy to use; good pricing; Olympus has been my camera of choice for over 10 years and each has done a great job ... this works great with 24x zoom for bird watching, capturing pics in my flower gardens; great for pics at recent family gathering ... I just like it and am very happy with it!

I like this camera's ability to get close in shots from a distance and to stop motion as well has deliver high quality low light pictures

I needed something in between my pocket camera and my DSLR, so I chose this after doing my research on comparable cameras.

It's very user friendly, I think it would make a great beginners camera, but it is perfect for more advanced users too.

The images are sharp and beautiful, and the magic art filters are just a bonus!!

All my prctures turned out great:) it does not take for ever for it to take the picture and great zoom.

I just bought this camera & I love the beauty effect it comes with. Just by the click of a button, it will smooth out blemishes and wrinkles! every women's dream! love the zoom! Took great pictures @ my company picnic. I highly recommend this camera.

This is the best and easiest camera I have ever owned. If you are looking for a poiint and shoot with zoom power that produces high quality pictures, this is the camera for you.

I bought this for the great zoom as I film my kids sports events, football, track, baseball. The camera takes good pics, but I find it difficult to hold steady & get good pics, even with the IS mode. Especially in videos.

I had been looking to replace my 5 year old Olympus SP-500 10X zoom, with a low cost 20+ zoom. Low & behold the new Olympus SZ-12 with 24x zoom just came out with very reasonable price.

So far, I am extremely happy with it and all the features.

fast easy and sharp picture,very good focus,response at all distances

i find that the features are wonderful but explanation on how to use them was lacking. for instance there was nothing in quick start are in manual on how you download pictures from camera. used trial and error to get thru ib. have not workedn with viewer yet. also when using the widelens telephoto button i have a hard time doing a minor adjustment it zooms out too much and when i try to zoom back in i have to try several times.is there a button or something where i can zoom in and out in small steps.

This camera has all the bell's a novice might want. My previous camera had 8x zoom which i thought was good but it doesn't compare to the 24x this camera has! Only minus is there is no book to help with all the nomenclature associated with operating the camera.

Luv the zooming capabilities to 24X with a clear picture. Great image stabilizer. Easy to use; but still learning features.

I love the great zoom this camera has.
It makes the camera beyond its special with its ease of operating already.
It also makes videos (with ZooM!) and holds ALOT of photos....with a card though you have to buy 1. No problem, even a 8 GB card is more than enough.
I was surprized how easy it was too get it ready and learn it from a large manuel~~~~minutes!
Of course its wonderful to see what you've taken a photo or video of instantly, and store hundreds + of.
It looks great, the flash works awesome, the zoom makes it even more special (the zoom alone could make it 1 you want), and storage and photo quality are great.
For the price........probably impossible to beat~~~~and the Olympus name foretells its quality.
I suggest you buy a medium size belt carrying case that comes with a shoulder strap...........and your going to be taking photos or videos near everyday from purchase on out.
It is way neat! Enjoy!

I was replacing another small camera that had ceased working correctly. The Olympus is slightly larger. It has a great zoom, but I have trouble holding it still especially in the wind. My old one had had a through the lens viewer which I didn't think I needed, but holding it to the eye helps steady the camera. The pictures are great. The magic part that puts up to 10 pictures on the same frame was a surprise. Interesting. Charging while I am taking pictures off to the computer is a great addition.

I am not very tech and I had less than a day to learn this camera and would suggest it to anyone beginner or advanced. My pictures came out great and I cann't wait till I learn all the difrent modes and features it has. I wish other products I have purchased were as well designed and easy to work.

It also has a lot of features, and takes excellent pictures.

I just purchased this camera, so I am still getting familiar with all the functions.

I bought this camera for my wife on her birthday.
She loved it. We are still learning to use all the features, but the ability to unpack it and begin taking quality photos immediately made it a big
hit with her. The software package is amazing. We own five other cameras, but I think this one will become our "daily driver".

I was looking for new camera, and while at store I happened to see the sz 12 . After looking floor model, I went home did research, and went back to store and bought it, as it was cheaper in store than on line. I am very happy with it and was very glad I bought it. About the only thing I did not like is the location of the video button, and you end up hitting it, until you get used to the regular buttons. I used it over weekend and have tried all camera functions and really enjoy it. I feel is a very good product from Olympus.

The Olympus Z-12 is a fantastic camera for the money. It's very lightweight, easy to operate, produces fantastic photos, has lots of photo options/scenes, and has a great zoom!! I have had this camera for a little over two weeks and have already taken hundreds of photos. We hike a lot and were frustrated with our other camer's zoom capabilities, especially when trying to photograph birds, deer, and other creatures from a distance (who run or fly away when you get too close to them). The Olympus Z-12 solved our problems with a need for more zooming capabilities while giving us great photographic quality. Even though the image stabilization works great, we will be purchasing a tripod soon. It's amazing how much our hands can shake when zoomed in 24x and there is not a tree nearby to steady ourselves with. I definitely highly recommend this camera to anyone who wants to step up from the typical 3x, 4x, or 5x zoom of regular cameras and still have great photo quality at an affordable price!!

I bought this camera because it has a 24x zoom and I did not want to lug a giant zoom lens camera around with me and look like a tourist.
My only complaint is that it is very slow to start up.

We got our camera less than 6 months ago and there are so many fun things we keep learning about it. We love the picture quality that it has in the day, but the nite pics are still sometimes a little unclear. I tell everyone about it and def lovve the 24x joom it has. We'v looked at the online store and cant wait to get one for under water. I love taking pictures of everything, and with this camera I am always looking for the next best shoot!!!

I enjoy the simple functions - not hard to learn! Thank you.

Long time Olympus user and finally upgraded to the SZ-12. I love everything about this little pocket size behemoth. The zoom is fantastic and the number of options afforded on this model make it a great go anywhere camera. I would recommend this model to my friends.

A handy size to carry in cargo pants pockets. the pictures are of great quality and the special effects features are fun to use. Olympus makes great cameras and they are reliable. Thanks!

Being just an amateur photographer, I find the SZ-12 one of the easiest cameras to operate with the best results. I also like the size and comfort in operating. The 24 zoom makes it great for getting those difficult shots of animals that are easily scared off if too close. The quality of the prints, the sharpness, the color and ease of uploading is wonderful. I would recommend this camera to anyone no matter what their experience with photography happens to be.

The camera is reasonably priced for a quality camera/ultra-zoom. It has a good feel, easy to use. Navigation through the settings is a pleasant change from most of the cameras in the price range I was looking at. It takes great pictures and satisifies my wish to zoom.

I love the 24X zoom, but when I use it, the camera appears to "shake", even if it's steady on a tripod.

What a great value! For the price of a very low-end zoom lens for my SLR, I have the ability to take 600 mm equivalent pictures with this very compact camera. Compact means that I will bring it on hiking trips, when I would think twice about bringing the SLR and several lenses. While this won't take the place of expensive high-quality lenses for the professional photographer, for the hobbyist who would like to get some nice animal close-ups that are in focus, this is perfect. And the price is between 20 and 100 times cheaper than true professional gear, which I will never be able to afford.
The camera has many settings which give you a nice range of versitiliy once you take the time to learn them. My favorite features so far are:
* Very Compact and Lightweight
* Great Zoom (25mm to 600 mm equiv.)
* Close-up / Macro Mode
* Quick Focussing
* Easy Flash

We were leaving on a Friday for vacation when our old camera broke. My wife and I went to the the store to buy a new camera. We found this camera and just had to rely on the information on the display card. We have been pleased so far. We used it that week, first week of April, at the beach for spring break. The high speed option is great for action shots and shots where kids don't want to be still. We have not been ble to explore all of the features, but so far so good with the camera. The zoom is really good on this camera also.