NewsFebruary 2005

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Olympus D-630 Zoom / FE-5500

Pre-PMA 2005: Heralding a new design for Olympus, it has today announced the D-630 Zoom. The slim (24mm) five million pixel camera has a unique 'twisting lens' offering a 3x optical zoom (35 - 105 mm), movie function with sound and a 2.0-inch LCD. Other features include a 14MB internal memory, PictBridge compatibility and a panorama function. The D-630 Zoom will be in the shops by May, priced around £230 ($299.99).

US name: Olympus D-630 Zoom
European name: Olympus FE-5500

Press Release:

Attractively styled, slim-line camera with a twist

The Olympus FE-5500 Digital Camera

LONDON 17th February 2005 Twist and Shoot with the new Olympus FE-5500 digital camera. Photographers needn’t miss a shot, the designer camera features an attention grabbing twisting lens.

Available from May 2005. The FE-5500 comes complete with a rechargeable Li-Ion battery and charger, USB cable, AV cable and the easy-to-use Olympus Master 1.2 software for managing and editing images. It will cost around £230 (inc VAT) ($299) to be confirmed.

Slim, good looks with twisting lens

Slimline and lightweight the FE-5500 from Olympus offers the convenience of ultra-compact dimensions for easy mobility, yet also boasts high performance and produces excellent results. The special twisting lens provides its unmistakable appearance, and being just 24.3mm thick and extremely light, you won’t even notice carrying it.

Easy shooting in 5 megapixel quality

Inside the camera, the high quality optical system contains three aspherical lens elements and provides 3x zoom power (35mm equiv: 35-105mm) 1:2.8-4.8. Together with a 4x digital zoom this allows a maximum magnification up to 12x. No matter which zoom factor is selected, images will have plenty of detail and definition and come out razor-sharp at a resolution of 5 million pixels. Thanks to a variety of scene programmes, such as sports, indoor or landscape, photographers can exercise their creativity while other features like movie recording with sound and Super Macro mode make this a versatile package.

Extensive versatility

Images and movies can be reviewed and presented on the 2-inch colour LCD monitor and are saved in the 14MB internal memory. For greater storage requirements, a slot for xD-Picture Cards is provided via which photographers can then also enjoy the added benefit of a panorama shooting functionality. In addition printing results couldn’t be easier, the FE-5500 adheres to PictBridge standards meaning images can be printed directly on any compatible printer – such as the Olympus P-10 – without the need for a PC.

The Olympus FE-5500 – main features:

• 5.0 million pixels
• 3x zoom lens (35-105mm equivalent), 1:2.8-4.8
• 5.1cm/2.0” LCD monitor with 115,000 pixels
• Slim body at just 24.3mm depth
• Scene programmes (e.g. Portrait, Night Scene, Landscape)
• Editing functions (Incl. Re-size, Black&White, Sepia)
• Movie recording function with sound
• PictBridge compatible
• 14MB internal memory plus xD-Picture Card slot
• Multilingual menu (more languages can be downloaded using the Olympus Master software)
• Shipped with rechargeable Li-Ion battery and charger, USB cable, AV cable and Olympus Master 1.2 software

Olympus FE-5500 specifications

Sensor	• 1/2.5" Type CCD • 5.7million pixels total • 5.0 million effective pixels
Image sizes	• 2560 x 1920
Movie clips	320 x 240 @ 15 fps
File formats	• Still: JPEG • Movie: QuickTime Motion JPEG with sound
Lens	• 35 - 105 mm (35 mm equiv) 3x optical zoom • F 2.8 - 4.8
Digital zoom	Up to 4x
Focus	TTL system iESP auto focus with contrast detection
AF assist lamp	Yes/No
Focus distance	• Normal: 0.6m – infinity • Macro: 0.1m (Wide) / 0.3m (Tele) – 0.6m
Metering	• Center-weighted • Spot
ISO sensitivity	• ISO 64 - 320 • ISO 400 for Indoor mode
Exposure compensation	• +/-2EV • 1/3 EV steps
Shutter speed	• 1/2 - 1/2000 sec • Up to 2 seconds in night scene mode
Modes	Program AE
Scene modes	• Portrait • Self Portrait • Night Scene • Portrait with Night Scene • Landscape • Landscape with Portrait • Sports • Indoor
White balance	• iESP auto • Overcast • Sunlight • Tungsten • Fluorescent
Self timer	Yes
Flash	• Built-in • Modes: Auto, red-eye reduction, fill-in, off • Range: 0.1m – 3.5m (wide) / 0.3 – 2.1m (tele) • Guide number: 5.6
Viewfinder	No
LCD monitor	• 2.0" TFT LCD • 115,000 pixels
Connectivity	• USB • DC in • AV out
Print compliance	• PIM III • DPOF • Exif • PictBridge
Storage	• xD-Picture Card • 14 MB internal memory
Power	• Rechargeable lithium ion LI-40B battery • Adapter optional
Weight (no batt)	125 g (4.4 oz)
Dimensions	94 x 61 x 24 mm (3.7 x 2.4 x 0.9 in)