Olympus Unveils Eight New Digicams

January 27, 2006: Details of eight new digicams have been posted on the Olympus America website ahead of their official launch at the PMA Trade show next month.
They include three new additions to the popular ‘Mju’ range, two new ‘SP’ models and three entry-level point-and-shoot ‘FE’ models with affordable price tags. Highest resolution among the new additions is the Mju 810, which boasts a 7.18 x 5.32 mm CCD with 8-megapixels effective plus a 3x optical zoom lens (35-105mm in 35mm format). This model, which is targeted at point-and-shoot photographers, provides 24 shooting modes, including full auto, Program AE, movie capture, 20 scene pre-sets and digital image stabilisation. The Mju 810 has a 2.5-inch LCD but no viewfinder and includes Olympus’s Bright Capture Technology and a built-in help guide. Other features include in-camera Electronic Blur Correction that allows users to correct camera shake after a picture is taken, using a gyro sensor to deterct the degree of camera movement and compensating for it . When camera shake is detected, the image is displayed on the LCD with a Blur Mark icon. Users simply preee the Blur Correction button to activate correction. The Mju 810 will be available in March and is expected to sell for $649.
The new Mju 700 sports a 7-megapixel CCD with a diagonal measurement of 110mm plus a 3x optical zoom lens (37-111mm equivalent).

Designed for point-and-shoot photographers, this model has a large 2.5-inch LCD plus Bright Capture Technology for low-light photography, plus a built-in help guide for ease of use. The Mju 700’s metal all-weather measures 94.8 x 55.9 x 20.4 mm and weighs only 103 grams. Twenty-eight shooting modes are supported, including Program AE and digital image stabilisation. Panorama shooting and stitching of up to 10 frames is supported with Olympus-branded xD cards. In-camera editing features include Red-Eye Fix, image composition with the option to add a built-in frame or text, and colour brightness or saturation adjustments. The Mju 700 is due for release in March at an RRP of $499.
The new Mju 720 SW is a first for Olympus: a digital camera that can withstand a 1.5 metre drop and be used for shoot underwater at depths up to 3 metres. With a body that combines shock-absorbing materials with the sealant technology used in Olympus underwater housings, the Mju 720 SW has a 7.1 megapixel CCD and 3x optical zoom lens.

Like the other new Mju models it also sports a 2.5-inch LCD, Bright Capture Technology and 28 shooting modes, including digital image stabilisation. Movie clips are recoded with VGA, QVGA or QQVGA resolution at 15fps. In-camera editing is supported.
The new 7.1 megapixel Olympus SP-320 is designed to provide a wide range of manual and automatic controls and offers more than 30 shooting modes – including aperture- and shutter-priority AE. The 3x optical zoom lens covers angles of view equivalent to 38-114mm in 35mm format and the camera can accept add-on accessory lenses, flashes and an underwater housing. Images can be recorded in JPEG or RAW format.

Shutter speeds range from 15-1/2000 second and burst capture rates of 2.4fps and 1.4fps are provided. VGA movie clips can be recorded and 30fps, with lower resolutions and frame rates also available. The SP-320 has a 2.5-inch premium size LCD plus an optical viewfinder.
Olympus’s new entry-level point and shoot models include the 6-megapixel FE-140 and the 5-megapixel FE-130 and FE-115. The FE-140 and FE-130 models have 3x optical zoom lenses (38-114mm), while the FE-115 has a 2.8x optical zoom (38-106mm). The FE-140 has a 2.5-inch LCD; the FE-130 a 2.0-inch display and the FE-115 a 1.5-inch screen. All models feature one-touch functionality through simple buttons controls. They also include a built-in help function that assists users to select the appropriate scene mode for a shot. The new models also include PictBridge direct printing facilities.

Details of the Mju 720 SW, SP-320 and FE models will be posted on the Olympus Imaging Australia website closer to their local release dates. Go to www.olympus.com.au.