Olympus on Monday introduced the new Evolt E-300 Digital SLR, an 8-megapixel digital Single Lens Reflex (SLR) camera intended for amateur and professional photographers, as well as a new pocket-sized 4-megapixel point-and-shoot camera, the AZ-2 Zoom.
The Evolt E-300 is described as “100 percent digital-from-the-ground-up,” and works with Zuiko Digital Specific Lenses, which provide enhanced sharpness and color definition compared to traditional 35mm lenses on digital SLR bodies, according to Olympus. The E-300 comes with a Zuiko Digital 14 – 45mm f3.5 – f5.6 lens. It also features Olympus’ Supersonic Wave Filter, an ultrasonic technology that keeps microscopic particles of dust off the image sensor.
The camera is built of aluminum and has a steel lens mount. It also has a built-in flash. It includes five built-in quick-access Scene Program Modes and 15 Select Scene Program modes. The E-300 uses USB to transfer files to a PC or Mac and is PictBridge-enabled, to output files directly to a compatible printer without using a computer first. The camera sports a 64MB memory buffer and can capture 2.5 frames per second up to four frames in TIFF or RAW format at full resolution; JPEG is also supported. The E-300 supports CompactFlash Type I and Type II cards and MicroDrive media.
Look for the E-300 to hit stores in December, 2004. Olympus has not yet announced the camera’s price. As MacCentral posted this article, Olympus’ Evolt Web site was not operating correctly.
The AZ-2 Zoom features 4.0-megapixel resolution and 2.8 optical zoom. It’s also small enough to slip into a pocket, measuring 4 x 2.5 by 0.8 inches and weighing 4.3 ounces. It also incorporates a 2.5-inch LCD, 14 Scene Program modes, PictBridge support, QuickTime movie mode, storage on xD-Picture cards, and a stand. The AZ-2 Zoom is coming in October, 2004 for $349.99.