2008 Photokina Tradeshow
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Olympus' Stylus 1040 digital camera. Courtesy of Olympus, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. New Stylus is Olympus' slimmest yet
By Zig Weidelich, The Imaging Resource
(Monday, August 25, 2008 - 00:20 EDT)

The Olympus Stylus 1040 features an ultraslim body that the company says makes it "the thinnest Stylus camera of all time".

Based around a ten megapixel image sensor and 3x optical zoom lens with a rather tight 38mm wide-angle, the Olympus 1040 also includes a 2.7-inch LCD display, 48MB of internal memory, and xD-Picture Card storage slot. There's no mechanical image stabilization in the Stylus 1040 - only what the company calls "Digital Image Stabilization", which simply increases the ISO sensitivity to try and freeze motion. ISO sensitivity ranges ISO 50 to 1,600 equivalent, and can be extended to ISO 3,200 at reduced resolution.

Olympus' Stylus 1040 features contrast-detection autofocus, as well as face detection that is linked to both the autoexposure and autofocus systems. The Stylus 1040 also offers a "Smile Shot" function that automatically captures three photos when your subject is smiling. A "Perfect Shot Preview" mode in the Olympus 1040 allows users to preview certain camera adjustments. The Olympus Stylus 1040 includes eight scene modes plus both Program Auto mode and Intelligent Auto modes. There's also limited in-camera image editing, a clever in-camera panorama mode, NTSC / PAL video output connectivity, and USB 2.0 High-Speed computer connectivity.

The Olympus 1040 uses a rechargeable Lithium Ion battery, and ships with Olympus' Master 2 software for viewing and modifying photos. Availability for the Olympus Stylus 1040 in the USA is set for October 2008 with pricing of about $200.

For more details, read the official press release and detailed specifications below, then have a look at our Olympus Stylus 1040 preview.

Olympus Stylus 1040
Olympus' Stylus 1040 digital camera. Courtesy of Olympus, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
General
Camera Type Ultra Compact
Manufacturer Olympus
Model Number 1040
Dimensions 3.5 x 2.2 x 0.8"
89.0 x 55.5 x 20.3mm
Weight 108.0 g
3.8 oz
Planned Price $199.99
Planned Availability Oct 2008
Image Capture
Sensor Type 1/2.3" CCD
10.10 megapixels (effective)
Aspect Ratio 4:3, 16:9
Image Dimensions 3648 x 2736 (10.0 megapixels)
2560 x 1920 (4.9 megapixels)
2048 x 1536 (3.1 megapixels)
1920 x 1080 (2.1 megapixels)
1600 x 1200 (1.9 megapixels)
1280 x 960 (1.2 megapixels)
640 x 480 (0.3 megapixels)
Image Preview / Review
Viewfinder No
LCD 2.7", 230,000 pixels
Playback Zoom 10.0x max
Lens
Lens Type Internal Olympus lens; 10 elements in 8 groups, 3 Aspherical, 1 ED elements
3x optical zoom
Image Stabilization No
Focal Length 6.7 - 20.1mm (actual)
38 - 114mm (35mm equivalent)
Aperture Range f/3.5 (wide) / f/5.0 (tele) - ???
Focusing System CCD contrast detection; iESP Auto, Spot AF, Face Detection AF
Focusing Range Normal: 20" - infinity (50 cm - infinity)
Macro: 2.9" - 20" (7 cm - 50 cm)
Exposure
ISO Sensitivity Auto, 50, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600, 3200* (* 3-megapixels)
Shutter Speed 1/2 - 1/2000 second
Exposure Modes Program
Metering Modes Digit l ESP Metering, Spot Metering, Face Detection AE (when Face Detection AF is selected)
Exposure Compensation +/- 2.0EV in 1/3EV increments
White Balance Image Sensor - Auto, Daylight, Overcast, Tungsten, Fluorescent 1, Fluorescent 2, Fluorescent 3
Internal Flash Modes: Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Fill-In, Off
Range: Wide: 0.66ft. (0.2m) - 13.5ft. (4.1m); Tele: 0.98ft. (0.3m) - 9.5ft. (2.9m) at ISO 800
Creative
Scene Modes Portrait, Landscape, Landscape+Portrait, Night+Portrait, Sport, Self Portrait, Cuisine, Smile Shot
Digital Zoom Up to 5x
Self Timer Yes, 12 seconds
Movie Format AVI Motion JPEG with audio
Storage
Recording Medium xD Picture Card, Built-in, microSD (MASD-1 is required)
File Format JPEG
Connectivity
Video Yes, NTSC / PAL switchable
Computer USB 2.0 High Speed
Other Multi-Terminal (USB Connector, Audio/Video Output, DC Input)
Power
Battery Type Lithium Ion rechargeable
Battery Form Factor Proprietary LI-42B
Product Bundle
Software OLYMPUS Master 2 Software CD-ROM
Battery / Charger 1 x Proprietary LI-42B Lithium Ion rechargeable battery and charger
Flash Memory 48.0MB Internal
Other
Internal Microphone Yes
Internal Speaker Yes
Tripod Mount Yes
Remote Control No
More Photos
Olympus' Stylus 1040 digital camera. Courtesy of Olympus, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
Olympus' Stylus 1040 digital camera. Courtesy of Olympus, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Click for a bigger picture!
 

Original Source Press Release:

TAKE THE SCENE AND MAKE THE SCENE WITH THE INCREDIBLY ELEGANT ULTRA-SLIM STYLUS 1040

CENTER VALLEY, Pa., August 25, 2008 - Olympus today debuts the Stylus 1040, the thinnest Stylus camera of all time, and wins serious style points with a bold, stylish look. When wearing a designer outfit, getting behind the wheel of a sleek sports car, or stepping onto the red carpet, the Stylus 1040 is available in black and silver to match your moments. With a camera this portable and attractive, you will not just capture the scene, but will also be a part of it.

"The Stylus 1040 is perfect for style-conscience consumers and captures amazing images," said Tomoko Matsunaga, product manager, Olympus Imaging America Inc. "The new ultra-slim design features a new streamlined body with a lens-protecting faceplate that instantly turns on the camera when it slides to reveal the lens and capture the moment."

Intelligent Auto Mode Does the Thinking for You
Tired of changing the settings on your camera every time you are shooting something different? The Intelligent Auto Mode automatically indentifies what is in the camera's sights and adjusts settings to capture the best quality results depending on the situation (Portrait, Landscape, Night + Portrait, Macro, Sports). Users will enjoy this quick and hassle-free feature, which does the thinking for them and produces incredible images.

Face Detection and Smile Shot for Flawless Party Pix
At a club or in a ballroom, it is easy to take great group shots with Face Detection. This feature tracks up to 16 faces within the frame and automatically focuses and optimizes exposure for sharp, brilliant portraits and group shots. The Stylus 1040 also features Smile Shot, which tracks your subject's face to detect a smile and automatically fires off three consecutive shots so you never miss that perfect smile. This feature is great for capturing hard-to-predict smiles, particularly young children.

In-Camera Panorama
Looking out on a magnificent vista, you can take a great picture with the in-camera panorama mode. This mode captures three images and stitches them together to create one amazing panoramic picture. Simply press the shutter button and slowly pan across a scene. The second and third images will be captured automatically and stitched together with the first image right in the camera- resulting in one seamless panorama-size picture ready for printing. To create the ultimate panoramic picture, use the Olympus Master™ Software 2 to stitch up to 10 images together.

Digital Image Stabilization Works to Eliminate Blurry Images
The Stylus 1040 features Digital Image Stabilization (DIS) to capture crisp, clear pictures. By boosting the camera's ISO sensitivity and shutter speed, DIS freezes the action and provides virtually blur-free images, even when you or your subject is moving.

Shadow Adjustment Technology
Shooting outdoors in bright daylight can be tricky because of the extreme contrast between dark shadowed areas and bright sunlight areas. The Stylus 1040 addresses this challenge head-on with Shadow Adjustment Technology that compensates for extreme contrast where the shadow areas are underexposed and lack visible detail. With this technology, you can preview and capture images that have the same contrast as seen with the naked eye.

Perfect Shot Preview
The Stylus 1040 features Perfect Shot Preview that enables users to preview and select various photographic effects on a live, multi-window screen before snapping the shot. This feature enables them to see precisely what the image will look like when adjustments are made, ensuring they are capturing the exact image they want. It is an ideal way for novices to learn about the effects of different photography techniques, such as zoom, exposure compensation, white balance and metering.

Perfect Fix In-Camera Editing
Olympus' Perfect Fix feature offers quick solutions for unanticipated image quality issues, which may be caused by several adverse conditions. Shadow Adjustment Edit can be used to adjust any underexposed areas and Red-Eye Fix can be used to reduce the effects of red-eye sometimes caused by a direct flash. Additional in-camera editing functions can be quickly accessed right in the camera by the touch of a button; features available include resizing, black and white, and sepia.

Large 2.7-Inch HyperCrystalTM LCD
The Stylus 1040 is equipped with a large, high-resolution 2.7-inch HyperCrystal LCD screen with high contrast and anti-glare technology for clear visibility, even when pictures are composed in bright sunlight. The HyperCrystal LCD also offers a wide-viewing angle, greater than 140 degrees in every direction, enabling photos to be composed from a range of angles and viewed by several people at once.

Millions of Pixels for Superior Image Quality
The 10-megapixel Stylus 1040 enables consumers to achieve consistently sharp and vivid images when producing large-format prints or cropping/enlarging a portion of an image.

TruePic™ III Image Processor
The Stylus cameras feature Olympus' exclusive TruePic III image processor developed for the demanding performance of digital SLR (single lens reflex) cameras. Olympus' enhanced TruePic III Image Processor produces crystal clear photos using all the pixel information for each image to deliver superior picture quality with more accurate colors, true-to-life flesh tones and faster processing speeds. TruePic III also captures crisp, clear images at high ISO settings, which are traditionally associated with increasing image noise or producing grainy photos.

Memory
All Olympus digital point-and-shoot cameras accept xD-Picture CardTM media. The Stylus 1040 will also come equipped with an adapter, which will enable microSD memory cards to be used when capturing images. The microSD cards are emerging in consumer electronic devices, including mobile phones and PDAs. Users can also easily display photos on their HDTVs.

OLYMPUS Master 2 Software
OLYMPUS Master 2 Software provides the ultimate in digital imaging management. An intuitive user interface makes downloading to your computer quick and simple, and images are easily organized by folders or albums and searchable by date in Calendar view. Additionally, with one-click editing tools, such as red-eye removal, images can be touched up before printing or e-mailing. Online support, templates, firmware upgrades and other user services are just a mouse-click away. Use the optional muvee™ Theater Pack to create professional quality slide shows and DVDs from your pictures using any of several built-in templates.

Olympus Premium Cases
Olympus also offers premium cases in a variety of new designs, including cream plaid, gray plaid and a brown leather, which offers a classic wallet-like look. Premium cases are also available in black, pink and red leather. A new olive neoprene case is perfect for active or outdoor situations. The sporty neoprene case is also available in black.

Availability
The Stylus 1040 will be available in October 2008. The camera ships with: a wrist strap, WIN/Mac USB cable, audio/video cable, LI-42B Li-Ion rechargeable battery and charger, manual, warranty card and a CD-ROM with OLYMPUS Master 2 Software.

U.S. Pricing
Stylus 1040 Estimated Street Price: $199.99. (U.S.)

ABOUT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC.
Olympus Imaging America Inc. is a precision technology leader, designing and delivering award-winning products for consumer and professional markets.

Olympus Imaging America Inc. works collaboratively with its customers and its ultimate parent company, Olympus Corporation, to develop breakthrough technologies with revolutionary product design and functionality that enhances peoples' lives every day. These include:

  • Digital and Film Cameras as well as related Underwater Products and Accessories
  • Professional Digital SLR Imaging Systems as well as related Underwater Products and Accessories
  • Digital and Microcassette Recorders
  • Digital Media
  • Binoculars

Olympus Imaging America Inc. is responsible for sales in the United States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. For more information, visit: www.olympusamerica.com.

*Specifications and design are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer. All trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective holder.
©2008 Olympus Imaging America Inc.

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