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The half-frame 35mm Olympus Pen F was introduced in 1963 and featured none other than the late W. Eugene Smith, cigarette dangling from his lips, in magazine ads of the time. Its latest digital incarnation, the E-P3, is built using the Micro Four Thirds system that unlike the Pen F is not half-frame and uses the same chip size (17.3x13mm) as the standard Four Thirds system. Like the original Pen F, it’s an extremely sophisticated camera wrapped in a compact, interchangeable lens body that delivers SLR performance and lots more. The E-P3 is the flagship of the Olympus Micro Four Thirds system and part of a family of compact cameras that includes the E-PL3, E-PM1 a.k.a. Mini, new lenses, and a clever little wireless speedlight.

Starting next month, the smallest, lightest, and the most portable Olympus PEN camera – the PEN E-PM1 – will be available for $499.99. The Olympus “PEN Mini” comes in six stylish colors (purple, pink, brown, white, silver and black) to suit your personal style. The “PEN Mini” is said to be the easiest PEN to use, with a new user interface that takes the guesswork out of capturing the perfect shot. A simple one-touch button enables you shoot HD video. iAuto and scene select modes enable you capture images with ease and speed, and six built-in Art Filters enable you explore your artistic side.

The PT-E05 underwater case has been specially customized for the Olympus E-520
and is waterproof up to a water pressure equivalent to a depth of 130 feet. With
its durable, high quality polycarbonate construction, it protects the camera from
water while also cushioning it from knocks and bumps on land. The housing allows
underwater photographers to compose images using the large 2.7" Live View
LCD instead of the viewfinder. The flash connectors allow optional use of up to
two UFL-2 underwater flash units. Five interchangeable lens ports allow the optional
use of 14-42mm, 14-45mm, 11-22mm or 14-54mm, 7-14mm, 8mm Fisheye and the 35mm
as well as the 50mm Macro lens. An external flash is necessary. The PT-E05 will
become available in summer 2008.



UFL-2

The UFL-2 is an incredibly light and compact TTL underwater flash that is waterproof
up to a water pressure equivalent to a depth of 196 feet. It is specially designed
for use with Olympus digital cameras and compatible underwater cases.



www.olympusamerica.com...

Olympus has introduced two new SP-series digital cameras, the 7.0-megapixel
SP-310 and the 8.0-megapixel SP-350. Both cameras offer the option of either
manual settings for creative control or 30 selectable shooting modes, along
with optional add-on accessory lenses, an optional underwater housing, and a
large, easy-to-view 2.5-inch premium size LCD.

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Olympus has announced what they dub their next generation Stylus series camera:
the Stylus 500. Featuring a 2.5-inch HyperCrystal LCD, 5.0-megapixels of image
resolution, and a compact, durable, all-weather body, the Stylus 500 offers
Olympus' exclusive image processor, TruePic TURBO(tm), which is said to significantly
enhance image quality and deliver faster overall processing speeds for rapid
startup, shutter release and playback. The fast startup of less than one second
and nearly instant shutter release time ensures high-speed response. The body
is constructed of durable, lightweight metal with rubber gaskets throughout
the interior to ensure that rain, sleet, snow or sand won't get in the way.
The Stylus 500 has a new flat-surface body design that takes the series in a
new direction and, at a compact size of 3.9" (W) x 2.2" (H) x 1.2"
(D), it fits snugly into a pocket. The circular lens barrier tucks away inside
the camera body with a snap when powered on, and protects the lens with an impenetrable
seal with closed, leaving the camera face smooth and flat. The camera's 23 shooting
modes now include two new underwater shooting modes and two Shoot & Select
modes, which enable users to shoot rapid sequences of frames then select the
best shot from the series and delete the rest.

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The Olympus STYLUS TOUGH TG-3 withstands extreme conditions: the camera is freezeproof to 14°F, waterproof to 50 feet, shockproof from seven feet, crushproof to 220 pounds and dustproof. A high-speed f2.0–4.9, 4.5–8.0mm (25mm–100mm equivalent) wide-aperture lens is combined with its TruePic VII image processor, the same found in Olympus’ award-winning OM-D series of interchangeable lens cameras, and a 16.0 megapixel backlit CMOS sensor captures images with minimal noise, even in low-light situations.

Olympus Imaging America Inc. unveiled the full-featured SZ-30MR, a super-zoom camera with a multi-recording function capable of simultaneously capturing 1080p HD video and 16-megapixel still images. The Olympus SZ-30MR helps you capture it all with its 24x optical wide-zoom lens, and displays your pictures and videos on its 3.0-inch, high-resolution LCD.

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