Steve's Digicams - Breaking News - Olympus 01/09/03 Press Release

Olympus Announces the "Stylus Digital" Line of Premium, Sleek, All-Metal, All-Weather, Point & Shoot Digital Cameras

Read our Stylus Digital 300 review
Read our Stylus Digital 400 review

Melville, NY, January 9, 2003 - Olympus announced today the "Stylus Digital" line of digital cameras. The culmination of more than a decade of refinement, the Stylus Digital line adapts America's best-selling 35mm point-and-shoot film camera series into a modern digital form embodying the highest level of style and performance in a package that looks as great as the pictures it produces.

The first members of the Stylus Digital family include the 3.2 Megapixel Stylus 300 Digital and the 4.0 Megapixel Stylus 400 Digital cameras. Carrying on the heritage of their film predecessors, the Stylus Digital cameras incorporate premium features and design elements that are trademarks of the Stylus name. The Stylus Digital cameras are ultra compact, all-weather and easy-to-use cameras designed for the digital photography enthusiast looking for the best performance in a stylish and portable package.

"The best selling film camera series in America is now digital," said Martin Lee, Vice President of Marketing, Olympus America, Inc. "The Stylus Digital model is our most important digital product introduction to date. We believe we have created a product worthy of carrying the premium name of the Stylus, and we are confident that the Stylus Digital will fulfill the promise of its predecessor and become our most popular digital camera series."

Stylish

Since the introduction of the Stylus film camera line in March 1991, 22-million award- winning Stylus cameras have been sold in the United States. With a clamshell lens barrier (pioneered by Olympus) and an artistic design inspired by the beauty of ocean waves, the Stylus has won numerous awards and accolades such as being displayed at New York City's Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Stylus 300 Digital has a sliding lens barrier accented in silver and the Stylus 400 Digital is accented in gold. Measuring an ultra-compact 3.8" long x 2.2" high x 1.3" wide, and weighing just 5.8 ounces, the Stylus Digital delivers maximum portability and durability for an active, on-the-go lifestyle.

Innovative

Olympus designers have worked to make the new Stylus Digital cameras not only attractive and compact, but also weather resistant for great shots come rain or shine. The lightweight and ergonomic aluminum bodies of the Stylus 300 Digital and Stylus 400 Digital provide all-weather protection from the elements and but to the test, they can even endure a downpour.

The Stylus Digital utilizes the new xD-Picture Card memory media. The card's small size (about the same as a postage stamp) and an Olympus dedicated miniature Li-Ion rechargeable battery help keep the camera size down. Both models ship with a 16MB xD- Picture Card and a Li-Ion rechargeable battery and charger - an incredible value.

Easy to Use

The Stylus Digital cameras offer basic point-and-shoot simplicity for flawless picture taking. For photographers who want optimum results in a wide variety of settings, the easy-to-use Creative Scene Modes provide fully automatic exposure adjustments for Portrait, Self-Portrait, Landscape-Portrait, and Sports or Action photography.

The cameras have an optical viewfinder as well as an easy-to-view 1.5" color LCD display on the back of the body for composing and reviewing shots. Menu navigation is easy to control with the push of arrow buttons. Transferring images to the computer is easy with the Auto-Connect USB (that does not require software drivers) for hassle-free image downloads. Images may also be viewed on a television with the video cable.

Features for the Most Realistic Digital Images

Olympus photos are known worldwide for vibrant, sharp and photo-realistic image quality. This is achieved with a host of key technologies including Olympus' high-quality all- glass lens (with aspherical lens elements) that's specially designed for digital cameras, and provides the equivalent of 35 to 105mm, f3.1/5.1 in 35mm photography. The Macro Mode allows users to take close up photographs to capture details like the wings of a butterfly.

The 3.2 Megapixel CCD and 4.0 megapixel CCD of the cameras, and Olympus' TruePic technology, allows users to retain a realistic look to their photographs at all photo sizes e-mailed or printed. The cameras' CCD captures the detail needed for true crystal clear photo quality printing even on large print sizes of 8" x 10" and larger.

Other controls include Digital ESP multi-pattern and spot metering; auto white balance; multiple flash settings including slow sync flash; and auto bracketing and exposure compensation. The camera comes with a built-in flash that offers 6 settings to provide the widest range of options.

The cameras also capture QuickTime video so users can create short movies that can be sent over the Internet to co-workers, friends and family.

Availability

The Stylus 300 Digital will be available in February 2003, and the Stylus 400 Digital will be available in April 2003.

Pricing:

Stylus 300 Digital Street Price: .00
Stylus 300 Digital SRP:

Stylus 400 Digital Street Price: .00
Stylus 400 Digital SRP:

For more information contact Olympus America Inc, Consumer Products Group, Two Corporate Center Dr., Melville, NY 11747-3157, ph: (631) 844-5000 (800) 622-6372, Fax: (631) 844-5262 or the Olympus Web Site: http://www.olympusamerica.com.

ABOUT OLYMPUS - Nothing's Impossible

Based in Melville, New York, Olympus America distributes a wide range of products for the consumer, scientific, health care, commercial and industrial markets. These include film cameras that provide the ultimate combination of performance and style, and digital cameras that produce the most realistic digital images yet available. Microcassette 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 the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

Stylus Digital 400 Specifications