Opinions on the Olympus SP-590UZ 12MP Digital Camera?

[vivalavieboheme]

I was reading in a DSLR buying guide that they make interchangeable-lens point and shoot cameras that are a step up from regular point-and-shoots, but not quite as good as a DSLR.

One such I found on Amazon.com was the Olympus SP-590UZ 12MP Digital Camera. It got pretty good reviews and I feel like it would be a good camera for me since I'm in college and have to rely on my parents for expensive stuff. They wouldn't agree to an SLR since they're so expensive. So this one would be more like an SLR with more customizable manual settings, but at about half the price. I typically trust Amazon reviews, but since I'm on this forum now, I figured someone on here probably has one or knows about it personally.

What are your opinions on this camera? If you don't think it's good, can you suggest anything else $500 or less that will be a step up from my basic Panasonic Lumix DMC-FP1?

EDIT: How about opinions on megazoom cameras like the Fujifilm FinePix S1600 12.2 MP Digital Camera, as well?

 

[AUG19]

Looks like a superzoom with fixed lens.

 

[AUG19]

No flash shoe. Can't use standard filters (or maybe any filters?). Tiny sensor. I assume it lacks ability to shoot in raw image format. It will be something a bit better than your FP1 to use but for $500 you could get a DSLR.