Olympus has today announced a portable 'digital photography lab' incorporating a digital camera, home printer, hard disk drive and, in the future, a DVD burner. The i:robe Easy Imaging System components dock together and the 4 megapixel IR-500 camera and P-S100 printer are PictBridge-compatible. The IR-500 also boasts swing-out 2.5-inch LCD screen, 17 scene modes, and camera shake protection in movie mode. The 40GB S-HD-100 hard disk drive can hold up to 40,000 images. The Easy Imaging System will be out next year, with prices to be confirmed later this year.

Press Release:

Bringing the photo album to life

The Olympus Easy Imaging System - store and print digital images on the go

Printing and archiving digital photos whilst on the go just got easier. There’s no need to lug a laptop around any more or wait until you get home to print or share pictures. Thanks to the Olympus Easy Imaging System it is easy to take, share and store great digital pictures anywhere.

The Olympus Easy Imaging System incorporates a digital camera, home printer, hard disk drive and in the future a DVD burner. It is astonishingly simple. Dock the components together and a comprehensive, but ultra-compact digital photography lab is ready to go. It’s easy to use too - both the camera and printer are PictBridge compatible, so prints can be instantly developed without the need for a PC.

With compact dimensions, the Easy Imaging System can be used and transported virtually anywhere making it is the ideal home or travel accessory. A contemporary, aesthetic design means it would not look out of place in even the most stylish living rooms.

The Camera – IR-500

Great photos are assured with the IR-500 digital camera. Featuring 4 mega-pixels, a 2.8x optical zoom and 17 pre-set scene programmes, the IR-500 can shoot in a wide range of conditions and styles. With a 360° swivel sunshine LCD monitor measuring 2.5 inch, images can be shared even under strong light and from any angle.

Incorporating several picture showcase special effects, the camera’s docking station acts as a sophisticated slideshow stand where images can be viewed in fade or mosaic modes. The calendar function also eliminates the need to waste time searching for particular images, instead dated files can be accessed immediately.

The camera specification highlights include:

• 4.0 megapixels
• Multi-swing display with 360° rotation
• 6.35cm/2.5 inch high-definition LCD monitor
• 17 scene programmes
• Camera shake protection in movie mode
• AV output (when using supplied docking station)
• PictBridge compatible & USB 2.0 Storage Class support
• Olympus Master software

The Hard Disk Drive - S-HD-100

The hard disk drive can store an amazing 40,000 images (in four million pixel resolution) eliminating the need to load imagery onto a PC. It can archive up to 40GB of shots and features a USB 2.0 port for the printer and camera. With a handy comparison mode (HDD) the hard disk drive automatically checks your saved images for unwanted doubles ensuring efficient storage.

The hard disk drive specification highlights include:

• 40GB capacity
• Multiple image file management functions
• USB 2.0 Storage Class support
• Olympus Master software

The Printer - P-S100

The camera and docking station connect straight into the P-S100 printer, which delivers high quality prints thanks to dye-sublimation technology. The printer specification highlights include:

• High-quality 306 dpi dye-sublimation printing
• Borderless 148 x 100mm prints
• Prints in approx. 85 seconds
• PictBridge compatible & USB 2.0 Storage Class support
• 50-sheet paper in-tray

The Olympus Easy Imaging System is planned for release in early 2005 with prices to be confirmed later this year.