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OLYMPUS ANNOUNCES
FIRST 2 MEGAPIXEL POINT & SHOOT
DIGITAL ZOOM CAMERA FOR UNDER $500
Now with QuickTime
Movie Capability
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| From:
Olympus America
Inc.
Comsumer Products
Group:
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August 1, 2000,
Melville, NY -- Olympus, the world leader in film and filmless
photography, today announced the D-490 ZOOM to its line of award
winning digital cameras. Housed in a stylish champagne gold metallic
compact point & shoot body, the Olympus D-490 ZOOM now offers a
2.11 megapixel resolution CCD and 3X optical zoom lens with QuickTime
movie ability for an outstanding $499 value.
Based on the
Olympus D-460 ZOOM, one of the fastest growing digital cameras in the
market, the
D-490 ZOOM has
improved menus and function buttons for easier access to the camera’s
full line of features; new Olympus branded long life Lithium batteries;
a wider choice of compression modes with a new Standard Quality mode for
better pictures for the web; DPOF support for setting the camera to
print specific images and quantities with DPOF printers; and the ability
to display file names on the LCD.
Designed
with the consumer in mind, the Olympus D-490 ZOOM’s popular "clam
shell" body design has become a proven success with consumers for
both style and functionality. It is lightweight at 9.5 ounces and very
compact with dimensions of 5"(W) x 2.6"(H) x 2.1"(D). The
protective lens barrier slides open with one hand, which simultaneously
turns on the camera and extends the zoom lens. The optical zoom lens
automatically retracts into the camera when the lens barrier is closed.
The D-490 ZOOM’s
standard features include: 3X optical zoom; 2.5X digital telephoto at
any focal length; 5 mode pop-up intelligent flash; 100, 200, and 400
selectable ISO; easy-viewing from all angles LCD; 1.3 frames per second
burst mode; through-the-lens auto focus; auto white balance with 4-step
manual override; center weighted and spot metering systems for auto
exposure with +/- 2 step exposure compensation control in 1/2 step
increments; video out for viewing on televisions or recording to a VCR;
and direct printing to the P-330/P-400 Instant Dye Sublimation Photo
Printers. Designed for speed, the D-490 ZOOM offers one of the fastest
start-ups in the industry coupled with fast shot-to-shot performance
capabilities.
Olympus digital
cameras are known for their exceptionally high-quality images, producing
photographs equal or better than many digital cameras with higher
resolutions. This is achieved by a number of factors including the
Olympus high-quality 8-element all-glass aspherical F2.8 autofocus lens,
low compression ratios (including an uncompressed mode), and other
sophisticated imaging technologies. The built-in optical viewfinder and
1.8-inch LCD allow for easy viewing in any conditions. The macro
capability allows the user to get in as close as eight inches, so they
can capture the smallest details.
The D-490 ZOOM now
offers five levels of recording images (see attached spec sheet).
Controllable exposure and white balance give the user the photographic
controls they want. The exposure compensation feature allows users to
bracket +/- 2 steps in 1/2-step increments for lighting compensation.
The D-490 ZOOM even contains both Digital "ESP" matrix
metering as well as spot metering. It also features a sophisticated
five-mode flash with red-eye reduction, force-fill flash, automatic
low-light and back-light mode, flash-off and slow-sync to accommodate
most lighting conditions.
The D-490 ZOOM
offers a fast shot-to-shot performance. With the internal high-speed
D-RAM enhancement, shots can be held in the memory buffer while another
shot is being taken. This means less waiting between shots. The D-RAM
also allows for burst mode shooting. This mode enables users to shoot
and capture up to 5 images in HQ mode, and up to 45 images in SQ mode at
frame rates as fast as 1.3 shots/second. Similar to that of advanced
film cameras, activation is easy. Once burst mode is selected, simply
hold the shutter button down and the camera does all the work. The
images are held in the D-RAM (internal memory) and saved to the
removable SmartMedia card for later review.
An 8MB SmartMedia
removable card is included with the camera. Additional 4, 8, 16 and 32MB
SmartMedia cards can be used, so there is no restriction on the number
of photos that can be captured. Since images can be erased thousands of
times, the included Olympus 8MB SmartMedia card can be reused over &
over again.
The D-490 ZOOM
comes standard with: 2 new long-lasting Olympus CR-V3 Lithium batteries,
a 8MB Olympus SmartMedia card, strap, serial cable for Mac and PC, video
connection cable for TV or VCR, Olympus Camedia Master Utility Software
for downloading images from the camera, and instruction manuals. The
D-490 ZOOM will be available August 15, 2000 with an expected street
price of $499. The software supports both Windows and Macintosh
environments.
# # #
For more
information, contact Olympus America, Consumer Products Group, Two
Corporate Center Dr., Melville, NY
Olympus Web Site: http://www.olympus.com/digital.
Olympus America
distributes a wide range of products for consumer, scientific, health
care, commercial and industrial markets. These include film and filmless
cameras, Microcassetteä and digital voice recorders, binoculars,
personal photo printers, medical and industrial endoscopes, biological
and metallurgical microscopes and measuring instruments, clinical
analyzers, and other high technology products. Olympus America is
responsible for sales in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and
South America.
# # #
Microsoft is a
registered trademark and Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corp.
SmartMedia is a trademark of Toshiba America, Inc. Microcassette is a
trademark of Olympus.
Specifications
subject to change without notice.
Note to Editors:
photos of the D-490 ZOOM are available from Thomas Public Relations, Inc.
D-490ZOOM
specification sheet
Tentative as of
7/27/2000
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