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Olympus has released information on a new DSLR in the “Four Thirds” format line, the Olympus E-620. In terms of features, the E-620 probably comes between the consumer oriented Olympus E-520 and the recently announced more semi-pro Olympus E-30.
Among the features of the E-620 are:
12.3 MP “Four Thirds” sensor (17.3×13.0 mm)
Ultrasonic cleaning system to minimize sensor dust
2x “digital multiplier” factor for lenses.
Very small (almost as small as the E-420)
7 AF zones (5 of which have cross sensors)
(Up to) 4 stops of image stabilization built into the body
LiveView (with contrast detection or phase detection AF)
Popup flash can be used for wireless control of up to 3 groups of external flashes.
A tilt and swing out 2.7” LCD (very useful for LiveView shooting)
Continuous shooting at 4fps
ISO settings from 100 to 3200 (1/3 stop steps)
Available vertical grip (holds two batteries)
E-620 body estimated Street Price: $699.99
E-620 Body with ED 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens estimated Street Price: $799.99
The Olympus E-620 is certainly a pretty full featured camera for the price and should compete well against cameras such as the Canon Digital Rebel XSi in the consumer market where the slightly smaller sensor and lack of long telephoto lenses won’t be much of a consideration for the average photographer. The built-in stabilization and swing and tilt LCD certainly set the E-620 apart from similarly priced Nikon and Canon offerings. The E-620 doesn’t shoot video, which seems to be the next “big thing” in DSLRs, but then neither does the direct competition (yet…).
Here’s the official Olympus Press Release:
OLYMPUS E-620 DIGITAL SLR INSPIRES CONSUMERS TO
‘COLOR OUTSIDE THE LINES’
Have Fun and Free Yourself with In-Camera Art Filters and Multiple Exposures;
Travel Freely with the Smallest DSLR with Built-In Image Stabilization
CENTER VALLEY, Pa., February 24, 2009 – As children, our imaginations run wild
and finger-painted artistic creations are proudly displayed on our family refrigerators.
But as we grow older, we learn to color inside the lines, and have less and less time for
art. We often lose touch with how satisfying it is to create something uniquely our own.
Olympus delivers the new E-620 digital single lens reflex (DSLR) camera to bring back that
free-style experimenting and the magical feeling of being inspired by our own art.
The new camera’s easy-to-use Art Filters and Multiple Exposures (built right into the
camera) are fun for consumers – whether you’ve been shooting for years or picked
up your first digital camera today. Enjoy capturing creative images on the go –
without being tethered to a computer and editing software! Now it is possible to easily
customize your images so they’re worthy of posting on the gallery wall (or at least
the family fridge).
“Experimenting and creating your own unique masterpieces has never been easier or
more fun,” said John Knaur, senior marketing manager, Digital SLR, Olympus Imaging
America Inc. “Pop Art, Grainy Black & White, and Pin Hole are just a few creative
options that can be effortlessly found on the camera’s mode dial. The access is easy,
and the results are fun and limitless.”
The new camera’s freedom of expression is matched by its freedom of mobility. First,
the camera travels with you to more places, thanks to its compact size and light
16.76-ounce body. Second, as the world’s smallest DSLR with in-body Image
Stabilization, the E-620 adjusts when your body moves to remove blur caused by camera
shake (with any lens attached). Finally, add Live View shooting with a swivel 2.7-inch
HyperCrystal™ LCD that frees you to cover subjects from a range of angles, and this
12.3-megapixel DSLR seamlessly combines motions with emotions – proof that Olympus
lets you capture it all.
Make Your Vision Come to Life with Art Filters If you’re hoping to get more out of your camera than simply capturing and
documenting a scene, and enjoy enhancing or customizing an image to make it your own, then
you will value the camera’s Art Filters. The filters, which are built into the
camera, provide incredible individual artistic control over an image, and remove the need
to spend time altering images on the computer with editing software.
This camera was made for free-style shooting, experimenting and engaging with events and
subjects. Enjoy the freedom of Autofocus Live View and dramatic effects to transform your
day-to-day shots into compositions that you can be proud of with the following in-camera
Art Filters:
Pop Art: Enhances colors, making them more saturated and vivid, creating
high-impact pictures that express the joyful, lighthearted feeling of the Pop Art style of
the 1960s; Soft Focus: Creates an ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere that renders
subjects in a heavenly light without obscuring details; Pale & Light Color: Encloses the foreground of an image in flat gentle
light and pastel colors reminiscent of a flashback scene in a movie; Light Tone: Renders shade and highlight areas softly to lend an elegant air
to the subject; Grainy Film: Evokes the feeling of documentary footage shot in monochrome
with grainy, high-contrast film; and Pin Hole: Reduces the peripheral brightness of an image as though it were
shot through a pin hole, connecting the viewer intimately with the subject at the center
of the picture.
Art Filters are easily activated with the mode dial on the right side of the camera body.
The effects are viewable right on the new camera’s 100 percent accurate swivel
2.7-inch Live View HyperCrystal™ III LCD when using the E-620 in Live View mode or
when reviewing the captured image.
Express Your Inner Artist’s Multiple Personalities With the new camera’s Multiple Exposure function you are free to tell a visual
story your way, whether in a portrait, a landscape or a combination of both. For instance,
capture an image of the spring leaves on a new tree and then overlay an image of your
child’s face into the leaves for a stunning image that expresses the newness of the
season. The image capture options allow you to shoot one shot, then another, or to capture
both shots separately and combine them in the camera later. Or superimpose your own
portrait with a starry night sky to create a photo with the impact you desire. Let your
imagination lead you to new creative discoveries.
Ready, Steady, Go with In-Body Image Stabilization The E-620 travels with you to more places, thanks to its compact size and light
16.76-ounce body. Capture sharp images on the go with the camera’s in-body Image
Stabilization, which virtually eliminates blur with any lens attached. Three IS modes
handle any situation. The IS-1 mode is for general shooting and adjusts the sensor on both
the horizontal and vertical planes to compensate for movement by the photographer so
images stay sharp in low light even at slow shutter speeds. To capture the motion of
moving subjects, the E-620 offers two specialized modes: IS-2 mode is ideal for capturing
a runner or cyclist traveling by in the horizontal mode, preserving the sense of motion
while panning; IS-3 mode achieves the same effect when the camera is held vertically. In
either mode, the artistic effects of panning enhance the shot and render the subject in
sharp detail with blurred background. Moreover, the E-620 is the world’s smallest
DSLR with built-in Image Stabilization, so you’ll feel comfortable taking it on the
road with you to capture the action.
Superior Image Quality The new camera’s high-performance 12.3-megapixel Live MOS image sensor delivers
excellent dynamic range, accurate color fidelity, and a state-of-the-art amplifier circuit
to reduce noise and capture fine image details in both highlight and shadow areas.
Its Live MOS image sensor is complemented by Olympus’ TruePic III+ Image Processor,
which produces clear and colorful photos using all the pixel information for each image to
provide the best digital images possible. The new image processor is noted for accurate
natural color, true-to-life flesh tones, brilliant blue skies, and precise tonal
expression; it also lowers image noise in photos shot at higher ISO settings, enabling
great results in low-light situations.
Swivel Live View LCD: Freedom to Move You The new camera’s 100 percent accurate 270 degree swivel 2.7-inch Live View
HyperCrystal III LCD can be rotated freely so photographers can compose at any angle,
including overhead and down low, without getting bent out of shape. This enables an E-620
photographer to compose a subject in the Live View LCD and see the results of the various
creative features – live as they’re happening.
When viewing the LCD in Live View, settings like white balance and exposure can also be
selected, and their impact is seen instantly on the display. Real-time monitoring offers
amazing versatility and creative control. The LCD displays 230,000 pixels in vivid color
and includes HyperCrystal technology, which offers many times the contrast of conventional
LCD monitors for easier viewing in both preview and playback. It also provides a wide
viewing angle of 176 degrees, which ensures images can be composed from even the most
obscure angles.
The 2.7-inch LCD makes icons and text on the camera’s menu easy to view. Beyond the
camera’s bright viewable LCD, the E-620 is equipped with illuminated buttons on its
body that are easily viewable in low light to quickly find the settings you want.
Two Fast Autofocus Systems Consumers accustomed to composing and focusing using a point-and-shoot camera’s
LCD will appreciate that the E-620 offers the same easy, seamless experience (what you see
on its LCD is what you get!). The E-620 delivers two fast autofocus options to quickly
focus and capture the image in any situation: Fast Imager Autofocus in Live View:When it comes to measuring camera
speed, autofocus is a key factor. If a camera’s AF system does not meet
photographers’ demands and lock focus accurately and quickly, it’s possible to
miss a shot. AF Live View on the E-620 allows you to compose, focus, and capture the shot
quickly and easily without ever taking your eye off the large 2.7-inch full color LCD. Phase Detection AF: When using the optical viewfinder, the technology behind the
new 7-point twin cross AF system provides world-class fast and accurate focusing based on
the speed of the E-3. Super sensitive Twin and Twin Cross AF target points can measure
focus both vertically and horizontally, so regardless of the subject, focusing is
super-simple and fast. With a dedicated Phase Detection AF sensor in the camera body,
shooting moving subjects, like a runner crossing the finish line, is lightning fast. In
low-light situations, this is the AF option of choice to quickly lock focus, so that a
loved one’s face illuminated only by candlelight is in sharp focus.
Multi-Aspect Shooting Since photography is a form of expression that is essentially based on clipping a
scene, framing is an important component of style. The E-620 provides four aspect ratios
that serve as masks to frame your image to the desired proportions, including: the
standard 4:3 aspect ratio that is perfectly suited for an 8×10-inch enlargement; the
16:9 aspect ratio that will display your images beautifully on a widescreen television;
and other popular aspect ratios such as 3:2 and 6:6. By enabling you to select the aspect
ratio before shooting and easily viewing it on the LCD throughout the shoot, the
Multi-Aspect function offers a new way to control your photography and express yourself.
Always Find a Face in the Crowd The new camera’s Face Detection reduces the chance of blurred subjects in
photography by distinguishing between people’s faces and the background. It tracks up
to eight faces within the image area, even if people are moving, and automatically focuses
and optimizes exposure for sharp, brilliant portrait pictures (ideal for large family or
party group photos).
In Sunshine or the Shadows, Never Miss a Detail Shooting scenes with both highlights and shadows can be tricky because of the extreme
contrast between dark and bright areas. The E-620 addresses this challenge with Shadow
Adjustment Technology that adjusts for extreme light variations and maintains visible
detail in both the shadow and highlight areas of the scene. Now users can see and preview
the gradation on the Live View LCD and capture images showing the shadow detail they saw.
This feature is also accessible in the Edit menu after the shot has been taken.
Preview a Multitude of Possibilities
Perfect Shot Preview enables users to easily preview and select from a variety of
thumbnail previews of the photographic effects of white balance and exposure compensation
adjustments live on the LCD before taking the photograph. It is an ideal way for novice
users to learn about the effects of different photography techniques, visually, without
having to scroll through menu options. With 28 preset scene-select modes for every
imaginable shooting scenario, automatic modes and full manual controls, the E-620 offers a
world of possibilities to photographers.
Wireless Flash Capability Wireless flashes help you cast the best light on your subjects and capture great
images. For this reason, the E-620 is compatible with the Olympus FL-36R and FL-50R
wireless electronic flashes that are designed exclusively for digital photography. When
these flashes are used in combination with the E-620, multiple-wireless flash photography
is both easy and reliable. The E-620 can control up to three wireless flash groups
independently, with multiple flash units in each group for dramatic flash effects.
Dust Reduction System for Spot-Free Images Life moves too fast to spend time worrying about dust ruining the perfect image.
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. With Dust Reduction and the new
creative features, Olympus continues to liberate users from the computer and editing
software, and enables them to have fun capturing it all while on the go.
Accessories for Shooting on Land and in the Water The new HLD-5 Power Battery Holder can hold up to two Lithium Ion BLS-1 batteries to
extend the performance life of the E-620 and its existing BLS-1 battery. It also enables
effortless vertical shooting with its own separate shutter button and control dial.
Olympus will also offer the PT-E06 optional underwater housing for the E-620. Capable of
reaching depths of 130 feet underwater, the housing will ensure that divers will not miss
an image during their journeys to the abyss.
Availability The Olympus E-620 DSLR will be available in May 2009. It includes E-620 Body, USB
Cable, Video Cable, Li-Ion Battery Pack (BLS-1), Li-Ion Battery Charger (BCS-1), Shoulder
Strap, Olympus Master 2 Software CD-ROM, Manuals and Registration card.
U.S. Pricing / Product Configurations E-620 Body Estimated Street Price: $699.99
E-620 Body with ED 14-42mm f3.5/5.6 Zuiko Digital Zoom Lens Estimated Street Price:
$799.99
