Go to:
Previous Item
Current News
Next Item

The Ferrari DIGITAL MODEL 2004 digital camera. Courtesy of Olympus, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins. Olympus and Ferrari announce new digicam
By
(Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 01:39 EDT)

Olympus Japan has today announced a new digital camera model dubbed the "Ferrari DIGITAL MODEL 2004", in cooperation with Ferrari S.p.A. of Italy.

The new model, celebrating Olympus' sponsorship of the Ferrari Formula One racing team, follows in the footsteps of "Ferrari DIGITAL MODEL 2003" (first announced in September of last year). As with that camera, the '2004 model is based on an existing Olympus digital camera, and will be sold in limited quantities as a collector's item of interest to camera and Formula One motor racing enthusiasts.

The DIGITAL MODEL 2004 is based on the ultracompact Olympus Camedia AZ-1 which was announced last month, and hence most features are identical to that camera. 10,000 cameras will be sold worldwide, with 1,000 of these allocated to the Japanese market. The camera will be unveiled officially during this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, probably the most prestigious event on the 18-race 2004 Formula One calendar. Reservations for the camera will be accepted from June 21st in Japan, with pricing set at ¥84,000 (approximately equivalent to US$736 / €614 / CAD$1,029 / £417, ignoring exchange rate fluctuations, taxes and duties.

As with the previous Ferrari digital camera, the new model gets a Ferrari-red color scheme and a new startup screen showing a Ferrari F2004 Formula One car. The startup screen is accompanied by a new startup sound replicating the engine sound of a Ferrari F2004, and a new Ferrari "picture frame" has been added to the slideshow function. The camera case and strap have been replaced with Ferrari-styled versions, and a photograph showing Ferrari drivers Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello, plus a CD-ROM with pictures from 1999 to 2003 (the five years in which Ferrari has won successive Formula One championships) are also enclosed.

Finally, since the cameras are released in a limited edition, each camera is engraved with its production run number and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.

If/when the camera is announced in the USA, we'll post a separate news item detailing this. Specifications and product images follow:

Ferrari DIGITAL MODEL 2004
The Ferrari DIGITAL MODEL 2004 digital camera. Courtesy of Olympus, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins.
Number of Effective Pixels 3.2 million pixels
Image Pickup Element CCD
Lens
Structure 9 elements in 7 groups
Focal Length 5.8-17.4mm (equivalent to 38-114mm zoom in 35mm camera format)
Aperture F2.9 (W) - F4.9 (T)
Optical Zoom 3x
Digital Zoom 2.7x (approx. 8x seamless zoom when combined with 3x optical zoom)
Working Range
Standard mode: 0.5m-infinity
Macro mode: 0.3m-infinity
Super Macro mode: 0.08m-0.3m (tele focal length only, Fill-in flash off)
Light Path Optically folded light path
Recording
Still Image Recording System JPEG (DCF: Design rule for Camera File system), DPOF compatible, Exif2.2, PRINT Image Matching II
Still Image Storage Capacity (when using bundled 16 MB xD-Picture Card)
2048 x 1536 / Super High: approx. 20 images
1600 x 1200 / High: approx. 33 images
1024 x 768 / PC Monitor: approx. 58 images
640 x 480 / E-Mail: approx. 99 images
Motion Image Recording System QuickTime Motion JPEG (Frame rate: 15fps)
Motion Image Storage Capacity (with sound recording when using bundled 16 MB xD-Picture Card)
320 x 240 pixels: up to approx. 41 sec.
160 x 120 pixels: up to approx. 149 sec.
(entire memory media capacity can be used)
Sound Recording Format WAVE format
Recording Media xD-Picture Card (16, 32, 64,128, 256, 512MB)
Viewfinder None
LCD Monitor
Size / Type 2.5-inch Mobile Advanced Super View semi-transmissive TFT color LCD with LED backlight
Number of Pixels Approx. 215,000 pixels
Playback
Still Image Close-up Magnification: 1.5x / 2.0x / 2.5x / 3.0x / 3.5x / 4.0x
Still Image Index Display Divided into 4 / 9 / 16 / 25 parts
Still Image Rotation 90 degrees / -90 degrees (Rotation information written in Exif)
Still Image Slideshow Yes
Motion Image Playback Normal, Fast Forward, Fast Reverse, Frame-by-Frame
Sensitivity Auto (approx. ISO64-250)
Focusing System Auto focus, TTL contrast detection system
Still Image Exposure Control
Modes Program Auto, Scene Program (Landscape, Landscape & People, Night Scene, Night Scene & People, Party, Fireworks, Sunset, Beautiful Skin Tone, Macro, Super Macro, Cuisine, Document, Manner Shot, Sports, Beach & Snow, Solo Travel, Candle, Sleeping Face, Show Window, 2-in-1, Panorama)
Shutter Speed 1/2 sec. - 1/725 sec. (Night Scene mode: up to 4 sec)
Exposure Compensation ±2EV in 1�/�3EV increments
Photometric Systems Digital ESP metering, Spot metering
White Balance
Auto Full-auto TTL
Presets Daylight, Overcast, Tungsten Light, Fluorescent Light
Flash
Flash Working Range
W: Approx. 0.3m-3.6m
T: Approx. 0.3m-2.0m
Flash Modes
Auto (automatic flash activation in low light or backlight)
Red-eye reduction
Fill-in
Off
Sequence Mode Up to 3 frames at approx. 1 frame/sec. (in Super High mode)
Special Functions
Still Image Edit (separate file) Monochrome, Sepia, Resize (640x480, 320x240), Rotation
Motion Image Edit Index image creation
Special Image Processing TruePic TURBO
PictBridge Support (supported functions vary according to printer)
Supported Printers PictBridge-enabled printers
Paper Size Settings Varies according to printer (up to A0 supported)
Print Settings Single-image print, multi-image print (up to 10), all image print (1 copy each), all image index print, date imprinting, file name printing (avail. only with single-image, multi-image, and all image print functions)
Print Layout Full-page (with�/�without border), multi-pane (2-250 multi-pane layout of single image)
DPOF DPOF print scheduling
Connectivity
PC
USB interface
(Windows XP / Me / 98 / 2000, Mac OS 9.0-9.2 / X),
PictBridge
TV AV output terminal (NTSC / PAL switchable)
Power Supply DC input terminal
Power Supply
AC adaptor D-7AC (optional)
Battery LI-20B lithium-ion rechargeable battery
Dimensions 94 (W) x 67(H) x 21.9(D) mm (excluding protrusions)
Weight 160g (excluding battery and media card)
Bundled Accessories xD-Picture Card (16MB), USB cable, AV cable, cradle, neckstrap, CD-ROM (CAMEDIA Information Disk, CAMEDIA Master 4.2), lens cap, lithium ion battery, AC adapter, AC adapter power cable
More Photos
The Ferrari DIGITAL MODEL 2004 digital camera. Courtesy of Olympus, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins.
The Ferrari DIGITAL MODEL 2004 digital camera. Courtesy of Olympus, with modifications by Michael R. Tomkins.
.

Go to:
Previous Item
Current News
Next Item

Powered by Coranto