On September 29th 2003 Olympus announced the five megapixel C-5060 Wide Zoom, as the name implies that camera was a step up from the C-5050 Zoom in no small measure because of its wide angle zoom lens. And now on the opening day of PMA 2004 Olympus raises the stakes higher, with their first eight megapixel prosumer level digital camera, the C-8080 Wide Zoom.
But the differences between the C-5060 WZ and the C-8080 WZ are even more significant, Olympus hasn't just reused an old body and lens and bolted in the new Sony 2/3" eight megapixel CCD, instead they have completely redesigned the body and approached the most important part of any digital camera, the lens, with an eye to quality. Indeed when I asked Olympus about the new lens they stated that it was as of the same quality as the Zuiko lenses made for the E System (the E-1 digital SLR), and to support that it's made in the same factory.
The C-8080's lens provides an equivalent 28 to 140 mm equiv. 5x optical zoom with a maximum aperture of F2.4 at wide angle (28 mm equiv.) and F3.5 at telephoto (140 mm equiv.) The lens is made up of 15 elements in 13 groups, 2 of which are aspherical and 3 ED.
Startup, sub-one second.
One other item of big news with this camera is speed, despite having a telescoping lens system we have timed startup as just 0.9 seconds if the lens was left at wide angle at power off and around 1.9 seconds if at telephoto. That makes the C-8080 Wide Zoom startup faster than the Sony DSC-F828 (at least if started up at wide angle).
The PT-023 underwater case has been specially customised for the C-8080WZ digital camera. This stylish and durable transparent polycarbonate Olympus housing is for anyone looking to pursue underwater digital photography when diving, snorkeling or surfing and it is also ideal for use during activities that call for ultimate protection from the elements such as skiing, fishing, sailing, or even in certain industrial situations.
A clear and durable polycarbonate case provides an attractive shield for your Olympus digital camera as you explore your underwater surroundings at depths up to 131 feet. A tight O-ring main seal with safety lock, along with stainless steel and nickel-plated brass hardware, help to ensure protection from corrosion for years to come.
The Olympus Digital Underwater Housings give you full control over your camera. Each one features a large, responsive shutter button, precision zoom lever, and durable controls to lend you access to everything your Olympus digital camera has to offer. Waterproof up to a water pressure equivalent to 40m depth.
Capturing summer memories on the beach or at a nightclub just got more fun with the new Cyber-shot® U-60 digital camera. The DSC-U60 has a ruggedized and waterproof design and a rubber body, fully weatherproofed with O-ring seals, making it watertight while submerged to depths of 1.5 m.
Fully weatherproofed with O-ring sealing closures, the new Cyber-shot U60 unit is a digital camera designed to meet the rigors of an active lifestyle. Its unique vertical orientation is designed for one-handed operation and fast start up time -less than a second-ensure that the user remains a part of the activity even when taking a picture.
Adding to that experience, the Cyber-shot U60 model's buttons are laid out to be easily accessible with the thumb. With a few clicks of the Scene button, users can switch between seven different scene modes, including an underwater setting (noted by a fish icon) to adjust for the blue hue of water and an action setting (noted by a running man icon) to capture fast moving subjects.
For one-step USB photo transfer from the camera to a PC, the camera comes bundled with Sony's new Image Transfer software -a completely automated, plug-and-play program that offers quick downloading and storing of all digital photos. The Cyber-shot U60AAA" is powered with rechargeable NiMH Batteries.
Designed to be durable yet easy-to-use, the DSC-U60 offers 'one-handed' operation, allowing you to capture spontaneous and creative memories, be it at the pool, beach or even underwater. Splash-resistant and waterproof up to 5 feet in depth, the DSC-U60 can be used for any occasion, under any weather conditions. It has a 1/2.7" 2.0 MP (effective) Super HAD™ (Hole Accumulation Diode) CCD that provides excellent image quality by allowing more light to pass to each pixel, increasing sensitivity and reducing noise. The DSC-U60's vertical angle and fast start-up time ensures that every shot can be captured. With a momentary pre-flash, the camera illuminates the subject and calculates the exposure through the lens directly from the CCD for accurate flash metering. Adjustable flash levels and red-eye reduction insure great flash shots. With 6 scene modes (Soft Snap, Illumination Snap, Twilight, Active Outdoor, Vivid Nature, Underwater), the camera's parameters are changed to match shooting conditions. The camera features a 1.0-inch Hybrid LCD display that monitors the scene for accurate framing. You can select a 640x480 pixel (VGA) picture size for on-screen viewing and email applications, or a 1632x1224 pixel (UXGA) picture size, great for 5" x 7" photo-quality prints. The Memory Stick® media facilitates easy storage of your snaps and the camera's USB interface allows digital still images and MPEG1 movies, stored on the Memory Stick® Media, to be easily transferred to your PC.
