NewsAugust 2006

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Olympus FE-190

Pre-Photokina 2006: The second 'entry level' FE model is the slim, metal-bodied FE-190, a 6.0 megapixel compact with 3x zoom and 2.5-inch LCD screen. Although there's no mention of 'Bright Capture' the FE-190 still offers a respectable top sensitivity of ISO 1000 at full resolution.

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Press Release:

Delighting eyes and turning heads

The slim-line Olympus FE-190

Hamburg, 23 August 2006 – Lovers of minimalist design will adore the slender new FE-190 digital camera from Olympus. Measuring just 18.5mm deep, this slim, metal bodied camera can be slipped into a shirt pocket to be taken anywhere. It also features a large 6.4cm LCD screen that makes framing subjects, and viewing shots already taken, a delight. More good news is that the FE-190 has an equally tiny price tag, so it’s easy on the purse as well as the eye! The ultra-compact FE-190 will draw envious glances wherever it is taken and brings a welcome injection of style to the affordable, entry-level class of digital cameras. Hobby photographers will have everything they need to start shooting and, as the FE-190 has a simple “one button, one function” design, they won’t be hampered by a complicated series of menus to work through to find the functions they desire. Equipped with a high quality 3x zoom lens and a 6.0 million pixel CCD, this tiny Olympus possesses enough clout to deliver outstanding photos – even in large formats.

The new FE-190 proves that you don’t need to spend a lot to get a beautifully designed ultra-compact camera. However, those good looks are there for a reason – small size and a metal construction ensure portability and durability. At 18.5mm deep and exceptionally flat, the FE-190 takes up just the minimum of space, and is therefore the ideal go-anywhere camera.

Image quality is also superb. A precise 3x zoom lens (equivalent to 38-114mm on a 35mm camera) coupled with a 6.0 million pixel CCD delivers stunning, high-definition shots that can be reviewed with ease on the built-in 6.4cm LCD screen. Incorporation of the Olympus TruePic TURBO processor ensures that these high resolution images are quickly processed with true-to-life results.

To keep the shooting experience as pleasurable as possible, the FE-190 employs a “one button, one function” design principle, making reading through a time-consuming instruction manual largely unnecessary. An easy-to-use Help function has also been thoughtfully included to explain what all of the settings and the ten pre-defined scene modes – such as Sports, Indoor, and Fireworks – do, directly on the LCD screen.

A conveniently located Mode Dial is used to select different camera programmes, reducing the need to navigate through potentially confusing menus. These programmes include image stabilisation with ISO 800 to reduce the risk of blurred pictures significantly. Other useful functions include Super Macro, for taking close-ups from as little as 5cm away and Movie recording with sound, with the duration of the clip limited only by the memory available.

Photos and movie clips created on the FE-190 can be saved to the camera’s internal memory, or to widely-available xD-Picture Cards. Olympus Master software is included in the standard package

so that photos can be easily downloaded, organised, edited and printed using a computer. And the update to the Plus version even allows special artistic effects, including 3D and oil painting, to be applied to photos.

Design-conscious photographers will find that the tiny FE-190 has a lot to offer at a very attractive price.

The Olympus FE-190 – main features:

• 6.0 million pixels in stylish metal body
• Only 18.5mm slim
• One button, one function design principle
• 38-114mm (35mm camera equivalent), 1:3.1-5.9
• Large 6.4cm/2.5” LCD
• 10 scene modes (e.g. Sports, Indoor, Fireworks)
• Movie recording with sound up to card capacity
• 22MB Internal memory plus xD-Picture Card slot
• Supplied with Olympus Master Software + LI-42B lithium-ion battery
• Multi-language menu (with 10 languages) plus possibility to download further languages from the internet (25 European languages available)

(In the UK the FE-190 is an exclusive to Dixons and will arrive in the UK in September, with the price to be finalised nearer that time. For further information call 0800 0720070 or visit www.olympus.co.uk)

Olympus FE-190 specifications

Sensor	• 1/2.5 " Type CCD • 6.2 million pixels total • 6.0 million effective pixels
Image sizes	• 2816 x 2112 • 2048 x 1536 • 640 x 480
Movie clips	• 320 x 240 @ 30fps • 160 x 120 @ 15fps • QuickTime M otion JPEG with sound
File formats	• JPEG • EXIF 2.21 • PIM III • DPS • DPOF
Lens	• 38-114mm (35mm equiv) • F3.1/5.9 • 3x optical zoom
Image stabilization	No
Conversion lenses	No
Digital zoom	up to 4x
Focus	TTL iESP AF with contrast detection
AF area modes	n/a
AF assist lamp	n/a
Focus distance	• Standard: 0.6m - infinity (wide) 1.0m - infinity (tele) • Macro: 0.1m - infinity (wide) 0.6m - infinty (tele) • Super macro: from 5cm
Metering	ESP
ISO sensitivity	Auto (ISO 80-1000)
Exposure compensation	+/- 2EV in 1/ 3EV steps
Shuttter speed	1/2sec - 1/2000sec, up to 4sec in Night Scene mode
Aperture	F3.1/5.9
Scene modes	• Sports • Indoor • Candle • Self portrait • Sunset • Fireworks • Behind Glass • Cuisine • Documents • Auction
White balance	n/a
Self timer	Yes
Flash	• Auto, Red-eye reduction, Fill-in, Off • Range: 0.2m - 2.7m (wide) 0.6m - 1.4m (tele)
Viewfinder	No
LCD monitor	• 2.5-inch • 110,000 pixels
Connectivity	Combined AV & USB output
Storage	• 22MB Internal memory • xD-Picture Card compatible
Power	• LI-42B battery • Charger LI-40C included
Weight (no batt)	110g
Dimensions	90.5 x 58.5 x 18.5 mm

Additional images