Olympus C-770 Ultrazoom Released

: The latest Olympus 10x zoom digicam, the C-770 is the smallest in its Ultrazoom range and combines a 4-megapixel sensor with MPEG-4 movie capability.
Measuring only 104.5 x 60 x 68.5 mm and weighing around 310 grams (with the supplied LI-10B lithium-ion rechargeable batteries), the C-770 sports a 1.8-inch LCD monitor and 240,000-pixel EVF plus one-touch lever access to still image, movie and playback modes. The lens has a focal length range equivalent to 38-380mm and an aperture range of f2.8-3.7. A Super Macro mode allows users to shoot from a distance of only 3cm, filling the frame with a subject area that measures 33mm x 25mm. Shutter speeds range from 16 to 1/1000 second and the pop-up flash can illuminate subjects up to five metres from the camera. A hot shoe allows add-on flash units to be used.

The C-770 Ultrazoom is the first 4.0-megapixel camera to support MPEG-4 encoding, which can create movie files that are 1/6 the size of regular motion JPEG movie files. This enables it to capture high-quality VGA movie clips at 30 frames/second. Still images can also be extracted from any movie and the supplied VideoStudio 7 SE Basic editing software supports a wide range of editing tasks. A new Camera Shake Protection feature automatically boosts ISO sensitivity and optimises shutter speed and flash activation settings in low light conditions to reduce the risk of camera shake. The C-770 also boasts the latest Olympus TruePic TURBO image processor, which delivers improved image quality and fast recording and playback times. There’s also a Super Zoom mode that can produce the equivalent of a 2-megapixel image shot at 14x telephoto power by extracting 2 megapixels of image data from the centre of a 4-megapixel image shot at 10x telephoto power. Real-time and playback histogram displays are supported, along with P, A, S and M shooting modes plus six scene program modes and four customisable ‘My Mode’ settings.
A wide range of accessories is available for the C-770 Ultrazoom, including 0.7x wide-angle and 1.7x tele conversion lenses, the Olympus FL-20 external flash unit and waterproof housings that allow both camera and flash to be used at depths up to 40 metres. The Olympus C-770 UZ Silver has an RRP of $899 and will be available from this month. For full product details, go to www.olympus.com.