Olympus presented the newest (wireless) version of its awesome Mobile Eye-Trek, a head-mounted display, during the Digital Content Expo 2008, which was recently held in Tokyo. In contrast to other head-mounted displays, this model is meant to be used virtually anytime and anywhere.
Users can view what is like a 3.8-inch screen placed 50cm in front of the eyes without getting bothered with limited view of the surroundings (the display projects LCD images on a 3.2mm-wide optical bar located in front of the pupils).
I like Olympus. They made my first discman and that thing was awesome, even if, as Hawk said “Freakin thing skips if you blow on it.” And they’re no joke in the digital camera world — but if they continue to put out products like the E-30, they will be. At $1500 you expect a lot of camera, and with a latecomer on the market you expect some interesting features. As it stands, the E-30 barely stands up to its primary competition, the Canon 50D and Nikon D90. Read More
Japanese office equipment manufacturer Riso has developed the world’s fastest color photocopier for office use [JP] (at least this is what they and their partner Olympus claim). The ORPHIS X9050 is able to make 150 copies per minute.
This performance has a price: The machine’s list price is $46,000. Riso is also planning to sell a trimmed down version of the X9050, the ORPHIX X7250, for $10,000 less. But that model is only able to make 120 copies per minute.
Both photocopiers are scheduled for release in Japan in February 2009. I wouldn’t be too suprised to see them sold outside Nippon soon thereafter.
I couldn’t tell you who Ono no Komachi is, but she was some famous Japanese poet and now she has a limited edition SLR kit named after her. The Komachi Kit beefs up the Oly E-420 with a Zuiko Digital 25mm 1:2.8 pancake lens (mmmm pancakes), which gives the entire package a total width of 76.5mm and a weight of 475g or 1.05 pounds for those in the US. To make it even more Komachi, Oly is throwing in a hand-made leather case and strap that have a retro flair. It’s available now for € 699.
Firmware updates for all! The Canon 50D is receiving an update for WFT-E3/E3a wireless transmitter compatibility while the Nikon D80 and D200’s update solves the dead battery syndrome. Finally, the Olympus E-520 update brightens up the AF target points in the viewfinder. Nothing major, but still worth while if you happen to own one of these cameras.
So this is your first year of real independence and trust me, you’ll want to document every possible thing. That’s probably one thing I failed to do during my collegiate days. Girls making out and possibly showing you their hooha’s are something you’ll want to hold onto while at college. You never know when you’re going to need to blackmail said hooha to get test answers. And I know some of you are strapped for cash, so we’ll check out a couple point-and-shoots, DSLRs and maybe a video camera or two. Read More
Everyone loves a good looking point-and-shoot camera, so that’s why Olympus is releasing two new cameras to the FE-Series. The new cameras pack a lot of power in a slim metal body.
Each of them feature 8.0 megapixels, image stabilization, face detection, help guilds, backlit LCD, and a rechargeable battery. On top of all that you will also be able to perches the cameras in red, blue, pink, black and silver.
Here are some features:
FE-360:
• Stylish slim (0.7 inch) metal body
• 3x Optical Zoom
FE-370:
• Dual Image Stabilization
• TruePic™ III Image Processor
• Intelligent Auto Mode
• 5x Optical Zoom
• 2.7-inch high resolution LCD
• Smile Shot
• Expression Edit – turn frowns upside down
If you want to know more about these cameras and there features, check out the full press release after the jump. Both of these cameras will be available this month for 149.99 (FE-360) and 199.99 (FE-370).
What do you get when you throw in a 20x zoom lens into a smallish package? A peeping tom’s second best friend.
Olympus is doing just that with their new SP-565 ultra zoom point-and-shoot cam. (third new model of the day btw) The camera outfit is simply updating the venerable SP-570UZ with the same 20x zoom lens but shrinking the overall bezel size. The techs still were able to include dual image stabilization, a 2.5-inch LCD screen, and managed updated the face detection to 16 smiling neighbors friends. Olympus also felt that users needed more memory options, and instead of including the near-industry standard SD slot, the SP-565 can utilize a Micro-SD card. The estimated street price should be $399 when the camera hits it in October.
So that earlier hogwash re: some new Olympus digital camera. Turns out the new cameras are actually the 1040 and 1050.
Both cameras are due for release this October, with the 1040 coming in at $199 and the 1050 at $299.
The 1040 is supposed to be Olympus’ slimmest Stylus-branded digital camera, one with most of the odds and ends you’d expect from a camera nowadays. This includes face and smile detection. Smile detection focuses on your subject’s pearly whites, then fires off three shots in quick succession, ensuring (hopefully) that you’ve captured their visage. There’s even a club mode, which enables up to 16 separate focus points, so that you get everyone’s face in those dumb club shots, like this one.
For $100 more, the 1050 bests the 1040 with its rugged design, able to fall from as high as five feet with no ill effects; able to go 10 feet underwater; able to survive 14-degree Fahrenheit temps, etc. It’s tough, in other words. There’s also something called Tap Control, which uses a 3D accelerometer as an input method. I don’t get it either.
By far, though, the best part of these cameras is the very first sentence of 1040 press release: “Olympus today debuts the Stylus 1040, the thinnest Stylus camera of all time, and wins serious style points with a bold, stylish look.” How many times can one use the word “style” in a single sentence?
Olympus Japan unveiled a new point and shoot camera [JP], the μ1060, which will become available on August 30 for $360 (no word on availability and pricing outside Japan yet).
The successor model of the μ1020 (Stylus 1020 in the US) comes with the following features:
- 1/2.33″ 10 megapixel CCD sensor
- 37mm-260mm lens
- 7x optical zoom
- ISO sensitivity of up to 6400
- a 3-inch LCD display
- 41 MB internal memory
- image stabilizer, face detection, smile detection
- support of microSD/micro SDHC and xD Picture cards
- USB port, PictBridge printer port
In Japan, the μ1060 will be available in silver, pink, green and white.
The march of the DSLR is in full swing, but one thing I know has prevented some of my friends from buying one is the size and weight — especially of the decent lenses. Panasonic and Olympus hear their cries, and with the unveiling of the “Micro Four Thirds System” standard, they expect to be able to lighten and shrink their lenses, hopefully without compromising them optically. Of course, they will no longer be SLR because there will be no mirror in there, but people will still think so since they can take lens off.
They say the diameter of the lens will be reduced, and the overall depth of the camera as well — the body should be significantly thinner. There are also more electrical contacts for lenses, which should enable things like in-lens stabilization, faster autofocus, and so on. DPReview has a deeper analysis than I can give here. Sounds good to me.
Today Olympus Japan announced [JP] the development of a 360° lens and camera prototype. The technology is a world first.
The company started working on the prototype last year. The camera covers a vertical angle of 180° now, while the old version only covered 45°. A special kind of glass is used for the lens, which has a diameter of 3cm.
The picture on the right shows a conference room shot with the 360° camera (left).
As to be expected, Olympus says the camera will be most likely used for surveillance purposes. The company’s own R&D lab, Future Creation Laboratory, is mainly responsible for the development of the technology. Olympus didn’t say when the camera will be commercialized.
By July you’ll have another (mid-range) digital SLR to choose from, the Olympus E-520. Improvements from the E-510, released last year, are incremental at best, focusing on “extras” rather than core photographic technologies. It’s a speed bump, to put it in Mac terms.
New (or better) this time around, according to the carefully worded press release: improved in-body image stabilization; automatic face detection; something that makes photographing shadows more realistic (not underexposing dark areas, then); and a mode that lets you tweak the white balance of a photo before committing it to memory. That last one, I imagine, would be wonderfully helpful. I can’t remember how many photos I took last year for a class that I had to tinker with in Photoshop because the “auto” white balance wasn’t so hot. One indoor photo shoot in particular was godawful. Stupid mixed florescent/tungsten lighting situations.
Other than that, yeah, it’s an mid-range dSLR, which is the type you should be looking for if you have any amount of photography experience. These new features—the better image stabilization and white balance adjustment—show that Olympus hopes to get consumers hooked on SLRs. Look for it July for $600 without lens, or $700 with 14-42mm lens.
Reviewing point-and-shoot cameras for you guys, no matter how complex, is like writing about light beer for a wine magazine. What can you say but that it goes down smooth and tastes great? Can you talk about the vat-grown malty flavor? Can you talk about the bottle and clever spelling of “lite?” Absolutely, but you and I both know we’re doing each other a disservice.
Me, for reviewing a point-and-shoot that aspires to be a DSLR and you for thinking about buying a point-and-shoot when you know that a nice Nikon or Canon with a good, basic lens costs about $700 on a bad day and will take great pictures without any of the lag, drag, and sag found in most point-and-shoots. That’s why I’m so bitter about the Olympus SP-570UZ. I was excited, nay, supremely interested in the camera and now I feel like I had to drink a case of Mickey’s Big Mouth. Read More
Olympus has announced a new entry level DSLR camera called the Evolt E-420. The price is right — starting at $499 in May — and it’ll weigh in at well under a pound (13.4 ounces).
Other features include a 2.7-inch LCD screen, ISO levels of 100 to 1600, face detection, pop-up flash, and compatibility with CompactFlash (I and II), xD cards, and Microdrives.
John and Peter are buzzing around CeBIT today and will try to track this little guy down for a hands-on demonstration.
Olympus has unveiled its new higher-end point and shoots, starting at $250. More megapixelage and better lenses, but slightly heavier if you’re watching those ounces. More pics and specs after the link.
I don’t know how they do it, but the Oly SP-570UZ boasts ultra zoom with a 10-megapixel sensor, dual image stabilization, face detection, shadow adjustment and perfect shot preview, which I’ll discuss later. The 570 is sort of like an SLR, but not. It has a rather large LCD at 2.7-inches and a f2.8-4.5 lens with an equivalent of 26-520mm focal length. I guess the inclusion of manual, aperture and shutter priority modes along with hotshoe would fool some into thinking this is a full fledged DSLR and for good reason. It also snaps photos at 13.5fps. It makes for a perfect step up from point-and-shoots if you’re uncomfortable with DSLRs. All of this can be yours for $499.99. Read More
Olympus, who made my first and favorite CD player, is releasing a metric ton of cameras at the PMA convention. Hit the link for the important specs, pics, and my pick.
Olympus is announcing two shockproof, dustproof, waterproof and freezeproof models to the SW collection. The 1030 has a slight advantage over the 850 by claiming that it’s crushproof. How crushproof? It can supposedly handle up to 220 pounds of crushing pressure. It also features a 10-megapixel CCD sensor, 3.6x optical zoom, a 2.7-inch LCD, xD card slot and 14.7MB of internal storage. ISO goes on up to 1600 and movies are captured as AVI motion JPEGs with audio. A rechargeable Lithium Ion battery takes care of power issues. One very cool feature is the inclusion of an LED for macro shots that require flash without the flash. The 1030SW comes out in March for $399.99.
Olympus has announced a new entry level DSLR camera called the Evolt E-420. The price is right — starting at $499 in May — and it’ll weigh in at well under a pound (13.4 ounces). 
