By Reuben Lee
22/01/2008
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/digitalcameras/0,39001469,62036863,00.htm

Olympus today announced that it will be extending its Q1 2008 camera lineup with seven new compact camera offerings. Among them will be two additions to the Mju SW (Shock Waterproof) series (850SW, 1030SW), two for the Mju series (840 and 1010), two entry-level models (FE-310 and FE-320), and the star of the launch, the SP-570UZ with 20x optical zoom.

Touted as the world's first digital compact camera with 20x optical zoom, the 10-megapixel SP-570UZ is targeted at users who want a relatively compact shooter with dSLR-like features. Its zoom range starts from a wide 26mm to 520mm and comes with a manual zoom ring for quick focusing. It also offers CCD-shift and high ISO (up to ISO 6400) blur reduction systems to help reduce the fuzzy images due to camera shake. This is particularly useful when shooting at the maximum telephoto setting.

For fans of the Olympus tough Mju SW series, the latest generation (1030SW) comes with improved ruggedness. Features include a 10m waterproof depth and a shockproof height of 2m. The company has also incorporated a 7x optical zoom into the slim Mju 1010, as well as a Simple Shot function (similar to Sony's Smile Shutter) that shoots a three-shot sequence when it detects the subject's smile.

The cameras are expected to retail in Singapore from February, except for the Mju 840 which is slated for March. The Mju 1010 will be available in Japan in March.

Olympus' latest compact cameras

Model name	In a nutshell
Olympus SP-570UZ Click for more details	Notable features: 10-megapixel CCD camera 20x optical zoom lens (26-520mm) CCD-shift and high ISO (up to ISO 6400) 13.5fps high-speed continuous shooting Face & Background control Onboard hot shoe Olympus TruePic III image processor Availability: February 2008 in Singapore
Olympus Mju 1030 SW Click for more details	Notable features: 10-megapixel CCD camera 3.6x optical zoom with 28mm wide-angle view Shockproof (up to 2m) and dustproof Waterproof up to 10m Freezeproof to -10 degrees celsius Face & Background control Olympus TruePic III image processor Super Macro LED 2.7-inch LCD Built-in altimeter and depth gauge Availability: February 2008 in Singapore
Olympus Mju 850SW Click for more details	Notable features: 8-megapixel CCD camera Dual image stabilization Shockproof and dustproof Waterproof up to 3m Freezeproof to -10 degrees celsius Face & Background control Olympus TruePic III image processor Super Macro LED Availability: February 2008 in Singapore
Olympus Mju 1010 Click for more details	Notable features: 10.1-megapixel CCD camera 7x optical zoom lens Pre-capture movie function Dual image stabilization Face & Background control Olympus TruePic III image processor 2.7-inch LCD Availability: March 2008 in Japan
Olympus Mju 840 Click for more details	Notable features: 8-megapixel CCD camera 5x optical zoom lens 2.7-inch LCD Pre-capture movie function Dual image stabilization Face & Background control Olympus TruePic III image processor Availability: March 2008 in Singapore
Olympus FE-320 Click for more details	Notable features: 8-megapixel CCD camera 3x optical zoom lens 2.7-inch LCD Infrared connectivity to other devices High ISO blur-reduction mode LCD Boost button Availability: February 2008 in Singapore
Olympus FE-310 Click for more details	Notable features: 8-megapixel CCD camera 5x optical zoom lens 2.5-inch LCD Super Macro mode High ISO setting and face detection Video out Availability: February 2008 in Singapore