Olympus announces new E-620 Digital SLR

New Art Filters are accessible with the mode dial on the right side of the camera body and are viewable on the Live View HyperCrystal III LCD when using the E-620 in Live View mode or when reviewing the captured image. The Pop Art filter enhances colors, making them more saturated and vivid, creating the feeling of the Pop Art style of the 1960s. Soft Focus creates an ethereal, otherworldly atmosphere that renders subjects in a heavenly light without obscuring details. The Pale & Light Color filter encloses the foreground of an image in flat gentle light and pastel colors reminiscent of a flashback scene in a movie. Light Tone renders shade and highlight areas softly to lend an elegant air to the subject. Grainy Film evokes the feeling of documentary footage shot in monochrome with grainy, high-contrast film. The Pin Hole filter reduces the peripheral brightness of an image as though it were shot through a pin hole, connecting the viewer intimately with the subject at the center of the picture. With the new camera’s Multiple Exposure function users can shoot one shot, then another, or to capture both shots separately and combine them in the camera later.

Additionally, the E-620 incorporates three Image Stabilization modes handle. 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-620 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.

The E-620’s 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, says the company. 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.

The E-620 delivers two fast autofocus options to quickly focus and capture the image in any situation. The Fast Imager Autofocus in Live View allows users to compose, focus, and capture the shot quickly and easily without ever taking an eye off the large 2.7-inch full color LCD. Phase Detection AF is important when using the optical viewfinder. The technology behind the new 7-point twin cross AF system provides world-class fast and accurate focusing based on the speed of the E-3. Super sensitive Twin and Twin Cross AF target points can measure focus both vertically and horizontally, so regardless of the subject, focusing is super-simple and fast.

The E-620 provides four aspect ratios that serve as masks to frame your image to the desired proportions, including: the standard 4:3 aspect ratio suited for an 8-by-10-inch enlargement, the 16:9 aspect ratio that will display your images beautifully on a widescreen television, and other popular aspect ratios such as 3:2 and 6:6.

The camera also offers new Face Detection reducing 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. The E-620 also offers Shadow Adjustment Technology that adjusts for extreme light variations and maintains visible detail in both the shadow and highlight areas of the scene. Perfect Shot Preview enables users to easily preview and select from a variety of thumbnail previews of the photographic effects of white balance and exposure compensation adjustments live on the LCD before taking the photograph. With 28 preset scene-select modes for every imaginable shooting scenario, automatic modes and full manual controls, the E-620 offers a world of possibilities to photographers.

Olympus’ proven Dust Reduction System produces spot-free photos with the exclusive Supersonic Wave Filter, says the company. 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. The Olympus E-620 DSLR will be available in May for $699.99 and will include the E-620 Body, USB Cable, Video Cable, Li-Ion Battery Pack (BLS-1), Li-Ion Battery Charger (BCS-1), Shoulder Strap, Olympus Master 2 Software CD-ROM, Manuals, and Registration card.

Also new is the HLD-5 Power Battery Holder, which can hold up to two Lithium Ion BLS-1 batteries to extend the performance life of the E-620 and its existing BLS-1 battery. It also enables effortless vertical shooting with its own separate shutter button and control dial. Olympus will also offer the PT-E06 optional underwater housing for the E-620, which is capable of reaching depths of 130 feet underwater.