Olympus Announces New 8mm Fisheye Lens For E-System Digital SLR Cameras

Melville, New York, June 30, 2005 - Fulfilling photographers? desire for dramatic ultra wide-angle images of 180 degrees, Olympus Imaging America Inc. today introduced the new Zuiko Digital ED 8mm F3.5 Full Frame Fisheye Lens. The Zuiko 8mm fisheye is designed to be digital specific and render sharp edge-to-edge images, in an easy to handle size, and with a close focus of less than 5 ½ inches. This is truly a must-have lens for the wide-angle photography enthusiast.

Along with its many attributes this 8mm fisheye promises to set a new professional standard for ultra wide-angle underwater photography because it can be used in conjunction with the EVOLT E-300 digital SLR and the new PT-EO1 underwater housing and PPO-E04 lens port at depths of up to 196 feet (60m).

This full frame fisheye lens has a 180º field of view diagonally to the Four Thirds image sensor, and a focal length of 8mm (equivalent to 16mm in a 35mm camera). Because of this it can be used to create extremely dramatic photographic images that cannot be seen unaided with the human eye. With a minimum focusing distance of 5.3 inches (0.79 inch from the front of the lens to the subject), this lens can be used to approach the subject aggressively for wide-close-up photography. This feature is the key to the creation of images with exaggerated perspective effects.

The new Zuiko Digital ED 8mm f3.5 Fisheye will go on sale in January 2006. for an estimated street price of .95.