Olympus indicated that the C-700 sports a zoom lens that delivers the equivalent of a 38mm – 380 mm lens on a conventional 35 mm camera. The digital zoom extends the camera’s effective zoom to 1,026mm.
As with previous Camedia offerings, the C-700 sports an automatic mode for point-and-shoot action. The C-700 also includes modes like aperture priority, shutter priority, full manual operation, and special programs including Night Scene, Sports Action, Portrait and Landscape modes. ISO settings range from 100 to 800 to enable users to capture images in low light conditions.
The C-700 ships with an 8MB SmartMedia card that can store up to 82 pictures in SQ-Normal mode. SmartMedia cards are available in increments up to 128MB.
The Olympus C-700 also features a QuickTime movie mode that can store up to 62 seconds of 15 frame-per-second video on an 8MB SmartMedia card. The camera can store up to four seconds of audio captioning for each still image. The C-700 also supports the Digital Print Order Format (DPOF), making it possible for users to add data to images and to tag specific photos for output to DPOF-compatible printers. The SmartMedia card can also be inserted into various SmartMedia interface-equipped desktop printers for direct output, including Olympus’ own P-series dye-sub printers.
Olympus digital product manager John Knaur says that the camera’s target audience includes experienced digital photographers looking to step up to a more capable device than what they have now.
“The C-700 UltraZoom delivers the full featured functionality and greater image control demanded by accomplished amateurs, but without the price tag associated with professional cameras,” said Knaur. “In fact, with its extensive capabilities and simple operation at this price point, the C-700 UltraZoom is one of the best values in its class.”
The C-700 sports a USB interface that enables users running Mac OS 8.6 and higher to automatically mount the camera on their desktop. No drivers are necessary — users simply plug in the camera to an available USB port, and the C-700 will be recognized automatically.
The Camedia C-700 ships with an 8MB SmartMedia card, 2 CR-V3 AA lithium batteries, Camedia Master Software, a USB cable, video cable, manual, carrying strap, lens cap and retainer cord. Olympus expects the camera to be available in May with a street price of US$699.