Olympus debuts three new digital cameras
updated 10:35 am EST, Wed January 5, 2005
New Olympus cameras
today announced three new digital cameras, including the C-5500 Sport Zoom (pictured at right), Olympus D-425, and the C-7070 Wide Zoom. The C-5500 offers 5.1-megapixel CCD, a large 2-inch LCD, an array of manual and automatic functions for straight out-of-the-box operation, a 5x optical zoom lens (f2.8/f4.8 - f8.0, 38mm - 190mm equivalent), a 4x digital zoom, a fast startup of less than one second, nearly instant shutter release time, and a burst mode of 2.7 fps. The compact camera measures 4.9" x 3.3" x 3.9" and weighs 8.6 ounces--ergonomically designed to fit comfortably your hand. The C-5500 will be available next month for $350 along with a 16MB xD-Picture Card, four AA batteries, a USB 2.0 cable, an A/V Out cable, wrist strap, and Olympus Master Software.
Aimed at first-time digital camera buyers, the Olympus D-425 features a "One Touch" configuration, with individual buttons for shooting, reviewing and deleting images. It features a built-in help guide, 4.0 megapixels resolution, PictBridge technology, a 4x digital zoom, a QuickTime movie mode, 10 shooting modes easily accessible via rotating dial, and more. It measures 4.0"(W) x 2.0" (H) x 1.4" (D) and weighs 4.2 ounces. It will ship later this month for $150 along with two AA alkaline batteries, an USB 2.0 cable, and Olympus software.
The new C-7070 Wide Zoom from Olympus, due next month for $700, combines high-performance features and a wide-angle lens in a rugged, magnesium body. The camera offers a 7.1-megapixel CCD, two new Autofocus (AF) modes to shoot fast, sharp photos of subjects in motion, an internal popup flash, a 4x optical zoom ultra-wide-angle lens (equivalent to 27 to 110mm, f2.8 - f.8.0), a 1.8-inch swivel LCD, and a number of professional SLR-type features, including two autofocus systems.
A Predictive AF mode enables users to shoot subjects moving towards them via an external AF sensor that detects the distance the subject has moved and predicts its location at the moment of shutter release. And an AF Target Selection function enables users to choose from 143 AF target zones to focus on virtually any area of their composition without reframing the shot. The C-7070 Wide Zoom also features a manual focusing mode for more precise control over the focal range.
The camera's Direct Histogram function provides real-time access to exposure information, enabling detection of over- and under-exposed areas via both red and blue highlighting. The camera also includes a speaker and microphone in the camera's body, allowing users to narrate images with personalized audio captions. In Movie Mode, the C-7070 Wide Zoom can record QuickTime television-quality movies of any length at 20 fps. It also features 12 Shooting Modes for optimal results in a variety of situations, such as Night, Portrait, Landscape, and Sports as well as two new underwater settings: Underwater Wide and Underwater Macro.
The camera accepts two types of memory media - the xD-Picture Card and Compact Flash Type I/II (including microdrives) and can hold both media cards simultaneously for flexible storage options. The C-7070 Wide Zoom supports the company's new B-HLD20 Power Battery Holder, which holds a maximum of two Lithium ion BLM-1 rechargeable batteries (one BLM-1 battery is included with the C-7070). The BLM-1 Lithium ion rechargeable battery (7.2V/1500 mAh) delivers can be charged overnight with the included BCM-2 battery charger.
For added versatility, Olympus also debuted three new conversion lenses specially designed to extend the focal range of the C-7070 Wide Zoom. The lenses, each available for $150, feature a bayonet mount for quick and easy attachment to the CLA-7 conversion lens adapter, which screws directly into the body of the camera. The WCON-17c is a 0.7x wide-angle converter lens reduces the focal length by a factor of 0.7x (35mm conversion of 19mm) when fitted to the C-7070 Wide Zoom, providing greater wide-angle coverage without altering the aperture setting. The TCON-17C, a 1.7x teleconverter lens, increases the focal length by a factor of 1.7x (35mm conversion of 187mm), and the TCON-30C increases the focal length by a factor of 3.0x (35mm conversion of 330).
It will ship next month for $700; it includes an Auto-Connect USB cable, Audio/Video Out cable, carrying strap, lens cap with retainer cord, Li-Ion rechargeable battery and charger, a 32MB xD-Picture Card, and Olympus software.
