NewsAugust 2007

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Olympus FE-290

Wider is better with the Olympus FE-290. Bringing a 28-112mm (35mm equiv.) lens within reach of the masses, it also sports a generous 3" LCD and 7.1 Megapixel sensor. Concentrating on usability and versatility, we can only hope that cameras like the FE-290 will set a trend towards more practical lens specifications at the lower end of the market.

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Press Release:

Expect more from an entry class camera

The Olympus FE-290: Get close, get wide, see more

London, 23 August 2007 – You can demand more from your camera with the 4x wide zoom Olympus FE-290. It delivers the greatest versatility in its class – all in a pocket-sized silver or black housing. With a powerful 7.1 Megapixels and giant 7.6cm LCD, it’s a cinch to quickly frame and capture high-resolution shots which you can immediately show to all your friends. And thanks to this camera’s “One button, one function” design principle, creating great images is simpler than ever.

The Olympus FE-290 will be available from September 2007 at around £170. For further information call 0800 0720070 or visit www.olympus.co.uk.

With a slim metal body available in a choice of silver or black, the Olympus FE-290 is taking the entry class to a new level. 7.1 Megapixels coupled with a 4x wide optical zoom (28-112mm equivalent) gives you the ability to see more – whether taking in the big picture or zooming in from a distance. You can also count on added framing ease with a giant 7.6cm LCD, which not only makes it significantly easier to compose shots, but also to review images you’ve captured.

Based on the “One button, one function” design principle, the FE-290 also includes a built-in guide function that’s always available for help when you need it. 15 scene modes including Landscape and Portrait provide a quick and easy way to adjust to virtually any shooting situation. An additional mode dial allows you to move simply between eight programme modes.

Internal memory plus an xD-Picture Card slot makes the FE-290 fully-expandable, which is not only useful for capturing still images, but also for shooting movies with sound, the duration of which is only limited by memory capacity. For additional ease in the transfer, editing and archiving of all your media, the Olympus Master software is included along with the Muvee Pack trial version which lets you create movies using the images you have captured.

The Olympus FE-290 – main features:

• 4x wide optical zoom (equiv. to 28-112mm on a 35mm camera) 1:3.3-5.0
• See and share images on the extra-large 7.6cm/3.0” LCD (234,000 pixel resolution)
• 7.1 Megapixels to make poster-size prints
• “One button, one function” design principle and Guide Function for easy operation
• 15 scene modes for best results in different situations (e.g. Landscape and Portrait)
• Liven up memories with movie recording with sound
• Super Macro mode (as close as 5cm)
• Flexible shooting with internal memory plus xD-Picture Card slot
• Slim metal body in silver or black
• High ISO setting
• Perfect Shot Preview
• Supplied with Olympus Master software 2.03 including Muvee Pack trial version plus LI-42B lithium ion battery

Olympus FE-290 specifications

Sensor	• 1/2.5" Type CCD • 7.4 million pixels total • 7.1 million effective pixels
Image sizes	• 3072 x 2304 • 2048 x 1536 • 640 x 480 • 1920 x 1080 (16:9)
Movie clips	• 640 x 480 @ 30fps • 320 x 240 @ 15fps
File formats	• JPEG Exif v2.21 • AVI (Motion JPEG) with WAV audio
Lens	• 4x optical zoom • 28-112 mm (35 mm equiv) • F2.7 - F5.4
Image stabilization	No
Conversion lenses	No
Digital zoom	up to 4x
AF area modes	TTL iESP auto focus with contrast detection
Focus modes	Standard, Macro, Super Macro
Focus distance	• Standard: 40 cm-infinity (wide), 60 cm-infinity (tele) • Macro: 5 cm - infinity (wide), 35 cm - infinity (tele) • Super Macro: 5 cm closest focus distance
Metering	ESP light metering
ISO sensitivity	• Auto (64 - 640) • ISO 64 • ISO 100 • ISO 200 • ISO 400 • ISO 640
Exposure compensation	+/- 2EV in 1/3EV steps
Shutter speed	• 1/2 - 1/2000 sec • Up to 4 sec in Night Scene mode
Scene modes	• Auto • High ISO setting • Portrait • Landscape • Night Scene with portrait • Sports • Indoor • Candle • Self-portrait • Sunset • Fireworks • Behind Glass • Cuisine • Documents • Auction
White balance	• Auto • Sunlight • Overcast • Tungsten • Fluorescent 1 • Fluorescent 2 • Fluorescent 3
Self timer	Yes
Flash	• Auto • Red-Eye reduction • Fill-in • Off • Range (Wide, ISO 400): 0.4 - 3.9m (15.7 in - 12.8 ft)
Viewfinder	No
LCD monitor	• 3.0-inch LCD • 234,000 pixels
Connectivity	• Combined USB 2.0 and AV output • DC input
Print compliance	• PictBridge • Print Image Matching III • DPOF
Storage	• xD-Picture Card (Panorama mode available when using Olympus branded cards) • 6.9 MB internal storage
Power	• Li-ion battery pack LI-42B • Optional AC adapter
Weight (no batt)	142 g (5.0 oz)
Dimensions	97.7 x 55.7 x 26.5 mm (3.8 x 2.2 x 1.0 in)