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FIRST LOOK: OLYMPUS E-410 AND E-510
Olympus enters the sub-$1000, 10MP DSLR market with the E-410 and the sensor-stabilized E-510.
By Jack Howard, Popular Photography
March 2007

Previously, Olympus was one of the few major players in the DSLR game to not have a 10 megapixel model in the US market. That all changed with today's announcement of the 10-megapixel E-410 and E-510.

We were baffled at Olympus' decision late last year not to market the E-400 in the U.S., wondering if it signaled a retreat from the American marketplace. But it appears the E-400 was simply the warm-up act for these two newcomers.

To be sure, these are two very different cameras; the E-410 isn't simply the E-510 minus mechanical chip-shift stabilization. Both share a ton of features, such as the Live MOS sensor with full-color autofocus-able preview; dual card slots for CompactFlash and xD media; a third-generation TruePic III processing engine; 176-degree LCD viewing angle; and RAW (.ORF), JPEG, and RAW + JPEG capture.

The E-410 (SRP $799 with kit 14-42 f/3.5-5.6 Olympus Digital lens) is svelte, bordering on petite. The finger grip and battery bulge beneath the shutter button is much less pronounced than on most competitors. The slim lines and light weight are accomplished through a number of interesting design and engineering choices (the electronics have been shrunk and the mirror is not set at 45 degrees to the focal plane). The pentamirror is positioned to compensate for the change in mirror angle, and the image in the viewfinder is unaffected, but this clever bit of engineering allows for some smaller overall dimensions.

The E-510 (SRP $899 with kit 14-42 f/3.5-5.6 Olympus Digital lens) has a meatier grip and is about 30 percent bigger overall. It needs the extra mass to hold the mechanical sensor-shift components. It also employs the slightly off-square mirror and pentamirror trick to slim down just a bit, but it definitely has a bigger overall presence than its sibling. The decision by Olympus to introduce a sensor-shift stabilizer is brilliant in the Four Thirds alliance arena. Now any Leica, Olympus, Panasonic or third-party lens can enjoy the benefits of stabilization for only $100 more than the E-410.

When we field tested several high-end Olympus telephoto lenses late last year, two of our biggest complaints were that none of the lenses were stabilized, and that the E-330 and even the “pro” E-1 was outclassed by the optics. (In fairness, when the E-1 was introduced, it was class-competitive, but that was quite a long time ago.) The sensor-shifting E-510, with a respectable 3 frames per second for dozens of shots (JPEG capture), may be the camera to put those complaints to rest once and for all.

And if you haven't noticed, Olympus has hinted on its Web site that it's not quite done for the year. In the promotional campaign for these cameras, Olympus teased that there was an even bigger camera hiding behind what we now know to be the E-410 and E-510.

Could a new Olympus flagship pro DLSR be on the horizon? Only time will tell, but for now, we're quite happy to see that Olympus has decided to enter the double-digit megapixel market with a couple of cameras that merit a serious look.


Olympus EVOLT E-510 Press Release

OLYMPUS EVOLT E-510 DIGITAL SLR OFFERS MECHANICAL IMAGE STABILIZATION FOR SHARP, BLUR-FREE IMAGES

2.5-Inch Live View LCD, 10-Megapixel Imaging Sensor and Proven Dust Reduction System for Clear, Spot-Free Photographs

CENTER VALLEY, Pa, March 5, 2007 – Olympus today unveiled its EVOLT E-510, a portable digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera with advanced technologies for photo hobbyists and those that are serious about their photography. While easy to use, this new digital SLR appeals to photographers who desire complete creative control. The E-510 also offers the following key features:

  • Live View LCD enables users to compose shots from a variety of angles other consumer digital SLR cameras just can't match;
  • 10-megapixel Live MOS Image Sensor for super high-resolution images that can be cropped or blown up to poster size without sacrificing image quality;
  • Mechanical Image Stabilization with Supersonic Wave Drive technology provides blur-free images – across all of the more than 30 digital-specific lenses;
  • Dust Reduction System for spot-free photos, so users can spend more time taking pictures and less time removing unsightly specks from digital images with computer editing software; and
  • Extremely portable, lightweight body with an ergonomic grip ensures the camera fits snugly in the hand, and the portable body is complemented by two new ultra-compact digital specific lenses that won't weigh you down and is perfect for any adventure.


Innovative 2.5-Inch Full Time Live View HyperCrystal LCD

The E-510 features a Live View LCD to provide users with the freedom to choose how they compose their shots, using either the LCD or the optical viewfinder on the back of the camera. The Olympus Live View LCD empowers users to easily compose their subjects live on the LCD before the shot has been taken, offering a level of versatility that can not be achieved by other digital SLR cameras that only offer an optical viewfinder. By holding the E-510 away from the face and using the Live View LCD to compose, it's possible to shoot upward from a low angle for dramatic composition, in close for detailed macro photos of a butterfly's wings or photographing a parade over a crowd of people.

The E-510's big and bright 2.5-inch LCD display with approximately 230,000 pixels includes HyperCrystal™ technology, which offers many times the contrast of conventional LCD monitors, and enables images to be beautifully displayed in vivid color – both in preview and playback. The HyperCrystal LCD also provides a wide viewing angle, which ensures images can be composed from even the most obscure angles. The larger LCD makes viewing icons and text on the camera's menu a squint-free process.

Detailed, Bright and Colorful Photos with 10-Megapixel Live MOS Image Sensor

The E-510 is loaded with an impressive 10 million pixels for high-resolution photos. The 10-megapixel sensor gives photographers the flexibility to blow up their prints to the large sizes supported by many of today's printers, or crop the image to print only a part of the image that is important to them. The high-performance Live MOS image sensor in the E-510 delivers excellent dynamic range for accurate color fidelity, and a new state-of-the-art amplifier circuit to eradicate noise and capture fine image details in the highlight and shadow areas.

Mechanical Image Stabilization for Sharp Images

Unlike other digital SLR cameras in its class, the E-510 employs Mechanical Image Stabilization, which compensates for camera movement. This new technology complements Digital Image Stabilization, which compensates for a moving subject. Combined, Mechanical Image Stabilization and Digital Image Stabilization provide a powerful solution, ensuring blur-free photos even in active shooting situations where photographers may encounter camera shake or a moving subject. This powerful combination resides within the camera's body, translating to blur-free images taken with any of the more than 30 digital-specific lenses.

Dust Reduction System for Spot-Free Images

Olympus' Dust Reduction System produces spot-free photos with the exclusive Supersonic Wave Filter™. The patented ultrasonic technology vibrates to remove dust and other particles from the front of the image sensor, and captures the debris on a special adhesive membrane every time you turn on the camera. These spot-free photos liberate users from hours spent retouching photographs at the computer or sending their cameras back to the manufacturer to remove dust trapped inside.

TruePic III for Image Clarity

Olympus' enhanced TruePic III Image Processor produces crystal clear photos using all the pixel information for each image to provide the best digital images possible for every photo with accurate color, true-to-life flesh tones, brilliant blue skies and precise tonal representation in between. TruePic III also lowers image noise by one step to reduce noise in images shot at higher ISO settings, enabling great results in low-light situations.

Two More Lenses Added to World's Largest Selection of Digital Specific Lenses

The versatility of the Olympus E-System comes from delivering the largest selection of “Designed-for-Digital” lenses –more than any other manufacturer to date. Olympus' Zuiko Digital Specific Lenses come in a wide range of focal lengths to achieve the best image result in any given situation, and impress with their spectacular clarity and edge-to-edge sharpness.

The E-510 outfit includes a compact, Zuiko Digital ED 14 – 42 mm f3.5 – f5.6 Lens (equivalent to 28mm – 84mm in 35mm photography) that perfectly matches the imager so light strikes the sensor directly to ensure rich, accurate colors and edge-to-edge sharpness. Its 3x ED Glass zoom lens covers the range most frequently used in ordinary photography and weighs just 7.5 ounces, offering users an extremely dynamic, portable everyday-use zoom. Close-ups as near as 9.84 inches (0.25 m) are possible throughout the zoom range.

The E-510 two-lens outfit adds the Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6 (80-300mm equivalent) Lens, which provides users with greater telephoto power for far-away shots in a compact size. This telephoto lens is smaller than many standard zoom lens at 2.6 inch diameter x 2.8 inch length and a weight of 8.8 ounces – a real benefit for anyone who wants to pack a powerful zoom lens without taking up much space. It also has great close focusing abilities, and is able to capture a subject up-close from a distance of 31.5 inches (.8m). Consumers won't break the bank to get this great focal flexibility. For a mere $100.00, the two-lens kit includes the Zuiko Digital ED 40-150MM telephoto zoom lens – a $279.00 value!

Both lenses are exceptionally compact, allowing unimpeded mobility. They are sized for comfortable handling and designed for maximum image quality at an excellent price. Most important, these new lenses have the world-renowned ED lenses that deliver stunning high-quality images.

All E-Series cameras support the Four Thirds Standard whereby Olympus and various other manufacturers produce high-quality Four Thirds-compliant lenses and accessories that are specifically designed for digital SLR image capture. Because the E-510 is part of the Olympus E-System, it is compatible with a large and growing range of Olympus E-System accessories to further enhance personal shooting styles and applications. This includes the full line-up of Zuiko Digital Specific lenses and flashes.

Easy-to-Use, Easy-to-Handle Light and Ergonomic Design

The EVOLT E-510 is extremely portable, measuring 5.35 inches (136mm) by 3.61 inches (91.7mm) and 2.2 inches (56mm), excluding protrusions, and weighing 16.2 ounces (460 grams) body only. The new camera has a classic penta-mirror design that is light and compact enough to comfortably shoot with all day. Beyond its portable size, the E-510 delivers unparalleled ease of use – from menus that make sense and buttons on the body that are easy to understand and operate, to automatic settings for every imaginable situation.

While the E-510 includes a full range of manual control options to customize your creativity, it also has 28 shooting modes designed to provide the ideal settings for a variety of shooting situations automatically. These include Digital Image Stabilization, Night Scene, Fireworks, Beach and Snow, and Candle Light to name a few, as well as an xD Panorama mode (for use with Olympus xD-Picture Cards). Users also benefit from special color modes and the possibility to apply a variety of Black & White filters.

Accepting both CompactFlash Type I & II, Microdrives, and xD-Picture Cards, the camera provides a choice of data storage options for enhanced flexibility, and it is possible to transfer image files from one card to the other right inside the camera.

Availability

The Olympus EVOLT E-510 Digital SLR will be available in June 2007. It includes: EVOLT E-510 Body, USB Cable, Video Cable, Li-Ion Battery Pack (BLM-1), Li-Ion Battery Charger (BCM-2), Shoulder Strap, OLYMPUS Master Software CD-ROM, Manuals, Warranty card.


Olympus EVOLT E-410 Press Release

OLYMPUS EVOLT E-410 DIGITAL SLR TAKES THE GUESSWORK OUT OF GREAT PHOTOGRAPHY

Portable Powerhouse Meets Any Challenge with 2.5-Inch Live View LCD, 10-Megapixel Imaging Sensor and Proven Dust Reduction System for Spot-Free Images

CENTER VALLEY, Pa, March 5, 2007 – Olympus today announces the EVOLT E-410 digital SLR (single lens reflex) camera – easy enough for the first-time user, advanced enough for the serious photographer. High performance and functionality are packed into a surprisingly portable and simple-to-use body. The E-410 is the best value in its class (available in three configurations beginning at $699.99 for the body) and is loaded with innovations, including:

  • Live View LCD enables users to compose shots from a variety of angles other consumer digital SLR cameras just can't match;
  • 10-megapixel Live MOS Image Sensor generates super high-resolution images that can be cropped or blown up to poster size without sacrificing image quality;
  • TruePic III for superior image quality in all lighting situations;
  • Dust Reduction System ensures spot-free photos, so users can spend more time taking pictures and less time removing unsightly specks from digital images with computer software; and
  • Extremely portable and lightweight body complemented by two new ultra-compact digital specific lenses that won't weigh you down and encourage users to take it along on vacations or any family outing.

Innovative 2.5-Inch Full Time Live View HyperCrystal LCD

The E-410 offers ease-of-shooting and greater flexibility with the Live View LCD. Composing photographs is easier as subjects can be seen on the Live View LCD, which offers a wide 176-degree viewing angle. This enables images to be effortlessly taken from angles that would typically be difficult with a traditional optical viewfinder – which is still the only option on many competing digital SLR cameras. Interacting with subjects, such as toddlers and pets, is also possible thanks to the Live View LCD, which enables pictures to be taken while holding the camera away from your face.

The E-410's big and bright 2.5-inch LCD display with approximately 230,000 pixels includes HyperCrystal™ technology, which offers many times the contrast of conventional LCD monitors, and enables images to be beautifully displayed in vivid color – both in preview and playback. The HyperCrystal LCD also provides a wide viewing angle, which ensures images can be composed from even the most obscure angles. The larger LCD makes viewing icons and text on the camera's menu a squint-free process.

“The E-410's Live View LCD is appealing to many consumers moving up from digital point-and-shoot cameras as many of these consumers have never used an optical viewfinder,” said Richard Pelkowski, product manager, Olympus Imaging America Inc. “The Live View LCD is also perfect for capturing up-close macro shots of flowers and jewelry. Coupled with the underwater housing, the Live View LCD also makes underwater photography easy, where looking through a traditional optical viewfinder is extremely inconvenient.”

Detailed, Bright and Colorful Photos with 10-Megapixel Live MOS Image Sensor

The E-410 is loaded with an impressive 10 million pixels for high-resolution photos. The 10-megapixel sensor gives users the flexibility to blow-up their prints to the large sizes supported by many of today's printers, or crop the image to print only a part of the image that is important to them. The high-performance Live MOS image sensor in the E-410 delivers excellent dynamic range for accurate color fidelity, and a new state-of-the-art amplifier circuit to eradicate noise and capture fine image details in the highlight and shadow areas.

Dust Reduction System for Spot-Free Images

Olympus' proven Dust Reduction System produces spot-free photos with the exclusive Supersonic Wave Filter™. The patented ultrasonic technology vibrates to remove dust and other particles from the front of the image sensor and captures it on a special adhesive membrane every time the camera is turned on. These spot-free photos liberate users from hours spent retouching photographs at the computer or sending their cameras back to the manufacturer to remove dust trapped inside.

TruePic III for Image Clarity

Olympus' enhanced TruePic III Image Processor produces crystal clear photos using all the pixel information for each image to provide the best digital images possible for every photo with accurate color, true-to-life flesh tones, brilliant blue skies and precise tonal representation in between. TruePic III also lowers image noise by one step to reduce noise in images shot at higher ISO settings, enabling great results in low-light situations.

Two More Lenses Added to World's Largest Selection of Digital Specific Lenses

The versatility of the Olympus E-System comes from delivering the largest selection of “Designed-for-Digital” lenses – more than any other manufacturer to date. Olympus' Zuiko Digital Specific Lenses come in a wide range of focal lengths to achieve the best image result in any given situation, and impress with their spectacular clarity and edge-to-edge sharpness.

The E-410 one-lens outfit includes a compact, Zuiko Digital ED 14 – 42 mm f3.5 – f5.6 Lens (equivalent to 28mm – 84mm in 35mm photography) that perfectly matches the imager so light strikes the sensor directly to ensure rich, accurate colors and edge-to-edge sharpness. Its 3x ED Glass zoom lens covers the range most frequently used in everyday photography and weighs just 7.5 ounces, offering users an extremely dynamic, portable everyday-use zoom. Close-ups as near as 9.84 inches (0.25 m) are also possible throughout the zoom range.

The E-410 two-lens outfit adds the Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f4.0-5.6 (80-300mm equivalent) Lens, which provides users with greater telephoto power for far-away shots in a compact size. This telephoto lens is smaller than many standard zoom lens at 2.6 inch diameter x 2.8 inch length and a weight of 8.8 ounces – a real benefit for anyone who wants to pack a powerful zoom lens without taking up much space. It also has great close focusing abilities, and is able to capture a subject up-close from a distance of 31.5 inches (.8m). Consumers won't break the bank to get this great focal flexibility. For a mere $100.00, the two-lens kit includes the Zuiko Digital ED 40-150MM telephoto zoom lens – a $279.00 value!

Both lenses are exceptionally compact, allowing unimpeded mobility. They are sized for comfortable handling and designed for maximum image quality at an excellent price. Most important, these new lenses have the world-renowned ED lenses that deliver stunning high-quality images.

All E-Series cameras support the Four-Thirds Standard whereby Olympus and various other manufacturers produce high-quality Four-Thirds-compliant lenses and accessories that are specifically designed for digital SLR image capture. Because the E-410 is part of the Olympus E-System, it is compatible with a large and growing range of Olympus E-System accessories to further enhance personal shooting styles and applications. This includes the full line-up of Zuiko Digital Specific lenses and flashes.

Underwater Photography

An Underwater Case (PT-E-03), five lens ports and a flash housing enable adventurous photographers to capture the delights of the aquatic world down to depths of approximately 131 feet (40 meters). The EVOLT E-410's Live View mode makes digital SLR photography a breeze for both the first-time or experienced underwater photographer.

Easy-to-Use, Easy-to-Handle Light and Ergonomic Design

The EVOLT E-410 is extremely portable, measuring 5.1 inches (129.5mm) by 3.58 inches (91mm) and 2.1 inches (53mm), excluding protrusions, and weighing 13.4 ounces (380 grams) body only. The new camera has a classic penta-mirror design that is light and compact enough to comfortably shoot with all day. Beyond its portable size, the E-410 delivers unparalleled ease of use – from menus that make sense and buttons on the body that are easy to understand and operate, to automatic settings for every imaginable situation.

While the E-410 includes a full range of manual control options to customize your creativity, it also has 30 shooting modes designed to provide the ideal settings for a variety of shooting situations automatically. These include Digital Image Stabilization, Night Scene, Fireworks, Beach and Snow, Underwater, and Candle Light to name a few, as well as an xD Panorama mode (for use with Olympus xD-Picture Cards). Users also benefit from special color modes and the possibility to apply a variety of Black & White filters.

A new high-power rechargeable battery is included with the E-410 so that users can keep shooting for extended periods. Accepting both CompactFlash Type I & II, Microdrives, and xD-Picture Cards, the camera provides a choice of data storage options for enhanced flexibility, and it is possible to transfer image files from one card to the other right inside the camera.

Availability

The Olympus EVOLT E-410 Digital SLR will be available in May 2007. It includes: EVOLT E-410 Body, USB Cable, Video Cable, Li-Ion Battery Pack (BLM-1), Li-Ion Battery Charger (BCM-2), Shoulder Strap, OLYMPUS Master Software CD-ROM, Manuals, Warranty card.

For more information, review units and high-resolution images of the Olympus EVOLT E-410 and accessories, contact Michael Bourne, Mullen Public Relations, 978-468-8953 or michael.bourne@mullen.com, or Jennifer Lyons, public relations manager, Olympus Imaging America Inc., 3500 Corporate Parkway, Center Valley, PA 18034, ph: (484) 896-5350 / (800) 622-6372 or the Olympus Web Site: http://www.olympusamerica.com.

ABOUT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC.

Olympus Imaging America Inc. is a precision technology leader, designing and delivering award-winning products for consumer and professional markets.

Olympus Imaging America Inc. works collaboratively with its customers and its ultimate parent company, Olympus Corporation, to develop breakthrough technologies with revolutionary product design and functionality that enhances peoples' lives every day. These include:

  • Digital and Film Cameras
  • Professional SLR Imaging Systems
  • Digital and Microcassette Recorders
  • Personal Photo Printers
  • Digital Media
  • Binoculars

Olympus Imaging America Inc. is responsible for sales in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. For more information, visit: www.olympusamerica.com.

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