Olympus VG-160: Entry-level ultracompact announced
posted Sunday, January 15, 2012 at 2:03 AM EDT
Rounding out Olympus USA's CES announcements is the Olympus VG-160, a sibling to the European VG-170 and VG-150 models.
The VG-160 falls closer to the specification of the former, but without the huge flash that also gives the VG-170 it's somewhat unusual styling. The VG-160 is a 14 megapixel camera with a 5x optical zoom lens that offers up a 26mm wide angle, in a slim 0.8-inch thick body. Where the VG-170 has a flash range of 8.8 meters at ISO 800, the VG-160 has a rather more typical range of 4.8 meters, however. (Both values at wide angle; at telephoto the range is a little less than half this.) A few other key features include a 3.0-inch LCD display, 720p movie capture, and Olympus' shadow adjustment technology.
Pricing for the Olympus VG-160 is US$100, with availability slated for February. Available body colors will include silver, black, red and orange. More details in our Olympus VG-160 preview.
| Olympus VG-160 | |
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| General | |
| Camera Type | Ultra Compact |
| Manufacturer | Olympus |
| Model Number | North America: VG-160 |
| Dimensions |
3.8 x 2.2 x 0.8 in. (96 x 57 x 19 mm) |
| Weight | 4.4 oz (125 g) |
| Planned Price | $100 |
| Planned Availability | February 2012 |
| Image Capture | |
| Sensor Type |
CCD 1/2.3" (approx. 0.43 in. diagonal) 14.50 megapixels (total) 14.00 megapixels (effective) |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9, 4:3 |
| Image Dimensions |
4288 x 3216 (13.8 megapixels) 3264 x 2448 (8.0 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) |
| Capture Speed | Continuous: 0.8 frames per second for 200 frames |
| Image Preview / Review | |
| Viewfinder | No |
| LCD |
3.0 in. diagonal 230,000 dots (approx. 77,000 pixels) |
| Playback Zoom | 10.0x max |
| Lens | |
| Lens Type |
Olympus lens; 7 elements in 5 groups, with 5 aspherical elements 5x optical zoom |
| Focal Length |
4.7 - 23.5mm (actual) 26 - 130mm (35mm equivalent) |
| Aperture Range | f/2.8 or 8 (wide) / f/6.5 or 18 (tele) - ??? |
| Focusing System | CCD contrast detection; iESP Auto, Spot AF, Face Detection AF, AF Tracking |
| Focusing Range |
Normal: 24" - infinity (60 cm - infinity) Macro: 2.9" - 4,082" (7 cm - 10,000 cm) |
| Exposure | |
| ISO Sensitivity | Auto, High Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 |
| Shutter Speed | 4 - 1/2000 second |
| Exposure Modes | Program |
| Metering Modes | Digital ESP Metering, Face Detection AE |
| Exposure Compensation | +/- 2.0EV in 1/3EV increments |
| White Balance | Image Sensor - Auto, Daylight, Overcast, Tungsten, Fluorescent 1, Fluorescent 2, Fluorescent 3, One-touch |
| Internal Flash |
Modes: Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Fill-In, Off Range: (ISO800) W:0.2m-4.8m; T:0.6m-2.1m |
| Flash Exposure Compensation | +/- 0.0EV |
| Creative | |
| Scene Modes | Scene Modes [Portrait, Landscape, Night Scene, Night + Portrait, Sport, Indoor, Candle, Self Portrait, Sunset, Fire Works, Cuisine, Documents, Beach & Snow, Pet], Magic Filters [Pop Art, Pin Hole, Fish Eye, Drawing, Soft Focus, Punk, Sparkle], PC Panorama |
| Digital Zoom | Up to 4x |
| Self Timer | Yes, 2 or 12 seconds |
| Movie Format | AVI (Motion JPEG) with audio |
| Storage | |
| Recording Medium | SD/MMC including SDHC, SDXC, Built-in |
| File Format | JPEG |
| Connectivity | |
| Computer | USB 2.0 High Speed |
| Other | Multi-Terminal (USB Connector, Audio/Video Output) |
| Power | |
| Battery Type | Lithium-ion rechargeable |
| Battery Form Factor | Proprietary LI-70B |
| Product Bundle | |
| Software | OLYMPUS [ib] software CD-ROM |
| Battery / Charger | 1 x Proprietary LI-70B Lithium-ion rechargeable battery and charger |
| Flash Memory | 49.0MB Internal |
| Other | |
| Internal Microphone | Yes |
| Internal Speaker | Yes |
| Tripod Mount | Yes |
| Notes | Digital Image Stabilization, 720p HD Video, Magic Art Filters, AF Tracking. Available in silver, black, red and orange. |
| More Photos | |
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Press Release
New Olympus VG-160 Delivers Point-and-Shoot Simplicity And Quality At A Low Price
Redefining Value, this Super, Slender Shooter Captures High-Quality Still Photos and Videos Quickly and Easily
CENTER VALLEY, Pa., January 9, 2012 – Olympus today announces the launch of a new V Series camera offering everything you'd expect and more at an ultra affordable price. The 14-megapixel VG-160 sports a superb 5x optical zoom and a wide-angle lens (26-130mm equivalent*) packed into a super-slim body that gets you close to your subject. At just 19.3mm deep, the VG-160 slips easily into your pocket, and includes all the capabilities you need in one compact camera. The slender and affordable Olympus VG-160 is packed with in-camera Magic Art Filters, HD Video and an intelligent, iAuto.
A large 3.0-inch LCD offers a clear preview of your images, and technological enhancements like AF Tracking, Shadow Adjustment Technology and Face Detection help you capture images just the way you intended. Intelligent Auto (iAuto) automatically recognizes shooting conditions that match any of 29 built-in scene modes, such as self-portrait, landscape & night + portrait, and then adjusts the focus and exposure for the perfect balance of color and clarity. Whether you're capturing the kids on a playground, or taking pictures at a birthday party, the Olympus VG-160's iAuto will optimize your camera's settings to ensure capture your everyday moments with ease.
A single one-touch HD Video button ensures instant access to movie mode on the Olympus VG-160, so you can start recording in 720p High-Definition without changing menu settings. Built-in Digital Image Stabilization ensures your images and videos will have amazing clarity.
Add style and artistic flair to your photos with Magic Art Filters. Joining Pop Art, Pin Hole, Drawing, Fish Eye and Soft Focus are Punk, which creates a two-tone image with a classic Punk Rock feel; Watercolor, which transforms images into frame-worthy paintings; and Sparkle, which adds a special twinkle to your photos.
* 35mm camera equivalent.
U.S. Pricing and Availability
The Olympus VG-160 will be available in February and ships with a Camera Strap, USB Cable, USB-AC Adapter (F-2AC), Lithium-Ion Battery (LI-70B), Audio/Video Cable, Quick Start Guide, Instruction Manual and OLYMPUS [ib] Software CD-ROM and a Warranty Card.
Estimated Street Price: $99.99 (Available in silver, black, red and orange).
For a complete list of specifications, visit the Olympus website: www.getolympus.com.
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Olympus Imaging America Inc. is a precision technology leader, designing and delivering award-winning products for consumer and professional markets.
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*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.
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