Olympus
EVOLT E-300 Digital SLR back
100% "Designed-for-Digital" SLR Comes with Lens for
World-Class Image Quality; Camera Packs Dust Protection and an
8-Megapixel Imaging Sensor into Innovative Compact, Low-Profile
Body
Press release Nov 24th, 2004.
- Today Olympus officially announced that the 8.0-megapixel Olympus
EVOLT E-300 Digital SLR, the first 100 percent "digital-from-the-ground-up"
consumer SLR system with interchangeable digital specific lenses,
will be sold with a lens for $1,299.95 CAN.
Incorporating
a newly designed compact body featuring the Dust Reduction system
pioneered on the professional E-1 Digital SLR body, the Olympus
EVOLT E-300 delivers the versatility, durability and reliable
performance of an SLR that isn't just for the pros - now it's
for photographers of all skill levels at a price they can afford.
Check
out the great deals on Digital Cameras and Accessories at
Amazon.com
- Olympus
EVOLT E-300 Digital SLR: $1,299.95 estimated street price including
the 14-45mm lens
- Olympus
Zuiko 14-45mm f3.5 - f5.6 Lens: $349.95 estimated street when
purchased separate from EVOLT
- Olympus Zuiko
40-150mm f3.5
- f4.5 Lens: $379.95 estimated street
- HLD-3 Battery
Holder: $149.95 estimated street price
- Semi Hard
Case CS3-SH (for EVOLT E-300 and 14.45mm or 14-54mm zooms):
$69.95.
The Olympus
EVOLT E-300 outfit includes a compact, 14 - 45mm f3.5 - f5.6 Zuiko
Digital Specific Lens (equivalent to 28mm - 90mm in 35mm photography)
that perfectly matches the imager so light strikes the sensor
directly to ensure rich, accurate colours and edge-to-edge sharpness.
Its 3.2x zoom
covers the range most frequently used in ordinary photography
and weighs just 285 grams (10 ounces) offering users an extremely
dynamic, portable everyday-use zoom. Close-ups as near as 38 centimetres
(15 inches) are possible throughout the zoom range.
Another lens
announced earlier this year, the 40 - 150mm f3.5 - f4.5 Olympus
Zuiko Digital Specific Lens (equivalent to 80-300mm in 35mm photography),
now also has a price. With 13 elements in 10 groups and a weight
of just 15.75 oz/450g (approx), the Olympus Zuiko Digital 40-150mm
Lens is meant to go anywhere.
In addition,
the lens employs an f3.5-4.5 brightness making it ideal for achieving
effects like background blurring and perspective compression,
suitable for everything from portraits to sports scenes. As with
the 14-45mm lens, the 40-150mm is also reinforced by a multi-coating
process as well as a reliable metal lens mount.
Both the Olympus
Zuiko 14-45mm and the 40-150mm are standard digital zoom lenses
that complement each other and can be used in conjunction to cover
a wide range of focal lengths and zoom ranges. In addition, both
of these "designed for digital" lenses offer superb
quality suitable for everyday use by advanced photographers as
well as by newcomers to digital SLR products.
Olympus EVOLT
Supersonic Wave Filter Leaves Other Digital SLR Cameras In the
Dust
A common problem with interchangeable lens digital SLR cameras
is dust settling on the image sensor. The EVOLT features an Olympus
exclusive patented ultrasonic technology, the Supersonic Wave
Filter™, to reduce the effects of micro dust settling on
the image sensor and impacting the image quality.
Located between
the shutter and the CCD, the Supersonic Wave Filter uses high-speed
ultrasonic vibration to cause most types of dust to fall away
from the image sensor so it will not appear in photographs. The
filter vibrates at 350,000 times per second and is activated every
time the camera powers on, or manually via a menu selection, to
instantly remove the dust from in front of the image sensor. The
CCD assembly is isolated from the Supersonic Wave Filter by an
airtight seal to protect it even more. This unique Olympus feature
gives photographers the confidence to shoot photos and change
lenses in the field, just as they've always done, without the
worry of images being damaged or ruined by dust on the imager.
Optional
Accessories Designed To Do More
Olympus
HLD-3 Battery Holder
The EVOLT can accommodate the HLD-3 Battery Holder that holds
one or two BLM-1 Li-Ion batteries. With two batteries, the EVOLT
can capture almost double the number of images possible with only
one battery. The HLD-3 has a shutter release button located at
its base to enable vertical shooting, a remote socket for use
with the RM-CB1 Cable Release, and a standard tripod socket.
Olympus
FL-36 Flash
Compact, lightweight and designed specifically for digital photography,
the FL-36 achieves higher guide numbers than comparable SLR film
cameras even while maintaining wide-angle light distribution.
The Guide Number is 36 metres (117 feet) at ISO 100. You'll notice
the difference when using it in combination with a wide-angle
lens on the EVOLT. Accurate, 1/8-step illumination control provides
the precision required by digital cameras, while minimizing illumination
reduction near the screen. The newly designed energy-saving circuit
improves recharge rates and enables the flash to operate on just
2 AA batteries.
The Olympus
FL 36 features the FP mode for syncro at shutter speeds up to
1/4000 sec. In both FP-TTL Auto and FP-Manual modes. Standard
TTL-Auto, Auto and Manual flash modes are also available. It costs
$299.95 estimated street price.
CS-3SH
Semi-Hard Case
Protect the EVOLT and its lens in style with a dedicated semi-hard
leather case.
Availability
The Olympus EVOLT E-300 Digital SLR will be available in December
2004. It includes: Olympus EVOLT E-300 Body, USB Cable, Video
Cable, Li-Ion Battery Pack (BLM-1), Li-Ion Battery Charger (BCM-2),
Shoulder Strap, OLYMPUS Master Editing Software, CD-ROM, Manuals,
Warranty card, and System chart.
The
Olympus EVOLT E-300 has a distinct new body shape that reduces
height by eliminating the larger pentaprism commonly found on
the top of traditional SLR cameras. In place of the pentaprism
design, the camera incorporates the new, exclusive Olympus TTL
Optical Porro Finder coupled with an exclusive side swing mirror
box, that gives the camera its unique “flat-top” appearance
and makes it more compact for greater portability.
See
our original story on the Olympus EVOLT E-300 D-SLR
including
specifications here
