OLYMPUS QUIETLY ANNOUNCE THEIR LATEST DSLR: OLYMPUS E-600

1st September 2009: The E-600 is a "lite" version of the E-620 with the following features removed: backlit buttons, multiple exposures, aspect ratios and IR release. The camera also has three fewer art filters. It's set to be available in US in November for $599, which includes a 14-42 mm lens.

As I understand it, the E-600 will be available in US but in Europe will be of restricted availability sold by selected retailers only (large chains).

The E-600 will (apparently) be the new level entry offering from Olympus. Does this suggest the E-4XX and E-5XX series are to be phased out? I have my doubts - the E-4XX is Olympus' best selling DSLR.

SPECIFICATIONS:

E-600 Key features:

* 12.3 Megapixel Live MOS sensor with TruePic III+ processor

* In-Body Image Stabilization for Sharp Images with three IS modes

* High-contrast 6.9cm/2.7 HyperCrystal III LCD with 176° viewing angle

* The original Supersonic Wave Filter for dust protection

* 28 shooting modes (5 Exposure Modes, 5 Creative Modes, 18 Scene Select Modes)

* Three Art Filters

* Built-in flash (GN12, ISO 100) with commander function for wireless off-camera flash synchronisation

* Wireless flash control of up to 3 groups of FL(R) designated falshguns

* 4fps

* One-touch white balance

* Depth of field preview function

* 49-segment digital ESP

* Bracketing function (Exposure)

* Detailed info screen with histogram

* Face Detection technology

* Based on Four Thirds Standard

* Dual memory slot for CompactFlash and xD-Picture Card

A creative powerhouse

The E-600's high-performance swivel 2.7-inch HyperCrystal LCD screen helps you compose from virtually any angle; in-camera Art Filters add more pizzazz to your pictures; its four-frames-per-second burst speed won?t miss a moment of the action, and In-body Image Stabilization removes blur caused by camera shake when you?re on the go. The 12.3-megapixel image sensor and TruePic III+ captures detailed, crisp images and accurate color. With the E-600, Olympus has answered the call for a more affordable and creative camera that has everything you could need to get great results. The new entry-level SLR camera offers something for everyone to enjoy, including in-camera Art Filters for expanded creative freedom.

Fast Autofocus

Life moves fast, so it's important to have a camera that locks focus accurately and quickly. Whether you choose to use the super fast autofocus technology or focus the lens manually, the E-600 offers the same sophisticated focusing options as higher-end DSLRs. Use the optical viewfinder to track movement like birds or wildlife or your favorite team on the field, or use the large Live View LCD to frame up a flower or a group of friends at the family gathering. Consumers accustomed to composing and focusing using a point-and-shoot camera' LCD will appreciate that the E-600 offers the same easy, seamless experience (what you see on its LCD is what you get!). Either way, the focus is quick, precise and easy.

In-Body Image Stabilization for Sharp Images

The E-600 travels with you to more places, thanks to its compact size and light body. Capture sharp images on the go with the camera's in-body Image Stabilization (IS), which virtually eliminates blur with any lens attached. Three IS modes handle any situation. The IS-1 mode is for general shooting and adjusts the sensor on both the horizontal and vertical planes to compensate for movement by the photographer so images stay sharp in low light even at slow shutter speeds. To capture the motion of moving subjects, the E-600 offers two specialized modes: IS-2 mode is ideal for capturing a runner or cyclist traveling by in the horizontal mode, preserving the sense of motion while panning; IS-3 mode achieves the same effect when the camera is held vertically. In either mode, the artistic effects of panning enhance the shot and render the subject in sharp detail with blurred background. Moreover, the E-600 is the world's smallest DSLR with built-in Image Stabilization, so you'll feel comfortable taking it on the road with you to capture the action.

Fast Sequential Shooting

The E-600 can capture images at the highest image-quality setting at a rate of four frames per second. Whether you're capturing a soccer game, children playing or a bird swooping through the yard, the E-600 ensures that you won't miss a frame.

Exceptional Image Quality

Whether you're shooting a high school basketball game or capturing a city streetscape, the E-600's high-performance 12.3-megapixel Live MOS image sensor delivers excellent dynamic range, accurate color fidelity, and a state-of-the-art amplifier circuit to reduce noise and capture fine image details in both highlight and shadow areas.

Its Live MOS image sensor is complemented by Olympus' TruePic III+ Image Processor, which produces clear and colorful photos using all the pixel information for each image to provide the best digital images possible. The new image processor is noted for accurate natural color, true-to-life flesh tones, brilliant blue skies, and precise tonal expression; it also lowers image noise in photos shot at higher ISO settings, enabling great results in low-light situations.

Swivel Live View LCD Swings into Action

The E-600's 100 percent accurate 270 degree swivel 2.7-inch Live View HyperCrystal III LCD can be rotated freely so photographers can compose at any angle, including overhead and down low, without getting bent out of shape. This makes it easier to photograph young children on their own level or shoot high above a crowd. E-600 photographers can compose a subject right on the Live View LCD and see the results of the various creative features 'live as they're happening', before the shot is taken.

With Live View, settings like white balance and image brightness can be selected, and the result can be seen instantly on the LCD display. Real-time Live View offers amazing versatility and creative control. The LCD displays 230,000 pixels in vivid color and includes HyperCrystal technology, which offers many times the contrast of conventional LCD monitors for easier viewing in both preview and playback. It also provides a wide viewing angle of 176 degrees, which ensures images can be composed from even the most obscure angles. The 2.7-inch LCD makes icons and text on the camera's menu easy to view.

New E-600 rear view - exactly same as E-620.

Art Filters

If you're hoping to get more out of your camera than simply capturing and documenting a scene, and enjoy enhancing or customizing an image to make it your own, then you will value the camera's Art Filters. The filters, which are built into the camera, provide incredible individual artistic control over an image, so that you can spend more time shooting and less time computing.

Pop Art: Enhances colours, making them stronger and more vivid to create high-impact pictures that express the happy, light-hearted feeling of the pop art style.

Soft Focus: Creates a soft tone which gives pictures an ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere. It renders pictures as though they were veiled in heavenly light, without obscuring details such as the hair or flower petals.

Pin Hole: Reduces the peripheral brightness like an image seen through a pinhole. Added to this is a unique colour tone that results in a style that has an air of secrecy or portrays the feeling of being lost in another dimension or space.

Art Filters are easily activated with the mode dial on the right side of the camera body, and the fun part is that you can see and experiment with the effects on the subject live, on the LCD, before you take the shot!

Always Find a Face in the Crowd

The new camera's Face Detection technology reduces the chance of blurred subjects in photography by distinguishing between people?s faces and the background. It tracks up to eight faces within the image area, even if people are moving, and automatically focuses and optimizes exposure for sharp, brilliant portrait pictures (ideal for large family or party group photos).

HyperCrystal LCD

A high-grade, semi-transmissive technology used in LCDs, which employs an additional layer at the bottom of the LCD to reflect light from external light sources. This enhances the brightness of the LCD, so even in direct sunlight images are displayed sharply and with improved contrast compared to that of conventional displays. Also, it provides for particularly wide viewing angles without glare or shadow, so images can be framed from a variety of angles and viewed by several people at once.

Live View

Provides an alternative to framing shots through the viewfinder on a digital SLR camera. The image sent through the lens to the image sensor is displayed directly on the camera's LCD. Whereas most compact digital cameras have been equipped with Live View functionality for many years, this feature has only recently become available on D-SLRs. The world's first D-SLR to feature continuous Live View capabilities was the Olympus E-330.

Preview a Multitude of Possibilities

Perfect Shot Preview enables users to easily preview and select from four thumbnail previews of the photographic effects of white balance and exposure compensation adjustments live on the LCD before taking the photograph. It is an ideal way for novice users to learn about the effects of different photography techniques, visually, without having to scroll through menu options. With 13 preset scene-select modes for every imaginable shooting scenario, automatic modes and full manual controls, the E-600 offers a world of possibilities to photographers.

RC Wireless Flash Control

The user can control wireless flash units remotely - eliminating the need for extra cables - by using the built-in flash as the system's master unit. Control options include the ability to independently regulate flash mode and compensation settings for up to three groups of flashes, four channel settings to avoid interference as well as a wide range of brightness levels.

Dust Reduction System for Spot-Free Images

Life moves too fast to spend time worrying about dust ruining the perfect image. Olympus' proven Dust Reduction System produces spot-free photos with the exclusive Supersonic Wave Filter. The patented ultrasonic technology vibrates to remove dust and other particles from the front of the image sensor and captures it on a special adhesive membrane every time the camera is turned on. These spot-free photos liberate users from hours spent retouching photographs at the computer or sending their cameras back to the manufacturer to remove dust trapped inside. With Dust Reduction and the new creative features, Olympus continues to liberate users from the computer and editing software, and enables them to have fun capturing it all while on the go.

TruePic III+ image processor Olympus' latest-generation image processing engine. It automatically enhances important aspects of image quality including: colour reproduction (colour range, saturation and brightness), picture sharpness (reduced image noise, improved edge reproduction), as well as providing faster processing speeds. Furthermore, it supports Art Filters to enable unprecedented creative expression.

Availability

Olympus E-600 body with ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 lens

Accessories

The HLD-5 Power Battery Holder can hold up to two Lithium Ion BLS-1 batteries to extend the performance life of the E-600 and its existing BLS-1 battery. It also enables effortless vertical shooting with its own separate shutter button and control dial.

New E-600 top view. Now sold as the world's smallest DSLR with Image Stabilization.