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Compact, rugged, and with a price tag that won’t break the bank, the newest model of outdoor ready compact cameras by Olympus has a clever little feature that they invite users to tap into. Yeah, ok...so I’m sure by now you’ve figured out it has something to do with tapping, right? Well, correct you are.

Usually, one does NOT want to bump, bang, or ever tap their camera any more than necessary. In the case of the Stylus 1050 SW however, Olympus invites their users to “tap into worry-free fun”.  It means just what is sounds like. The camera uses an innovative tap interface where it registers taps on not only the screen area like some other touch screen cameras do; but also anywhere on the camera body. It uses an accelerometer so that it can read taps on different surfaces to control different functions just by tapping the appropriate area. Certain taps on the right side of the camera do one thing...taps on the left another. You can even calibrate the tap sensitivity to your liking. According to Olympus, it offers benefits in adverse conditions as well. 

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For those who have been avidly following the Olympus digital camera product line, the newly announced SP-565 UZ may seem familiar to you. That’s because it’s almost the same as the previously released SP-570UZ digital camera. But this time, Olympus has shrunk it into more of an ultra-compact size while still retaining the same 20x wide-angle telephoto zoom lens which is equivalent to 26-520mm professional zoom lens, in an easy to use point-and-shoot.

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Trust Olympus to come up with yet another digital camera geared for photo enthusiasts with highly active lifestyles. The new Olympus Stylus 1050SW is a rugged 10.1-megapixel digital camera that is shockproof, waterproof and freeze proof. It can withstand five-foot drops to the ground, still works even at the most freezing weather condition and won’t get drown out on you even if you submerged it into water up to 3 meters deep.

Related to its rugged features, the 1050SW also features Tap Control which according to Olympus makes the top, back or sides of the camera sensitive to touch which in turn makes up for easy control of the camera’s menu settings. This is made possible by the 1050SW’s 3D accelerometer that detects the direction of the force on the camera’s body.

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As if we haven’t had enough of entry-level digital cameras in the market today, Olympus is adding two more new models in its FE-series of digital cameras with the FE-360 and FE-370. Fortunately for us, the standards for entry-level cameras continue to improve hence we are assured of getting more goodies from these types of digital cameras. This is true for the FE-260 and FE-270 which both feature a decently high 8-megapixel CCD sensor.

In terms of individual features and specs, both cameras are almost similar with a minor difference in optical zoom range, with the FE-260 having 3x optical zoom and the FE-370 having a higher 5x optical zoom capability. Aside from these, the FE-360’s optical zoom is complemented by 20 custom shooting modes while the FE-370’s optical zoom is well complemented by its large 2.7-inch high-resolution LCD.

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Camera giant Olympus has been recently playing with the idea of a 360-degree camera lens.  The company believes that it could be marketed for surveillance purposes. 

This makes sense, as most cameras are only designed to shoot at one angle, and perpetrators can easily get around the ones that can swivel.  However, a 360-degree horizontal image cannot be avoided. 

The image in the vertical is only 180 degrees, which may not be enough to see anything of interest on the ceiling, but it is enough to get more of a view than normal. 

Another obvious application is video conferencing.  Now a room filled with many people can be easily pictured without an automatic focus. 

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All of a sudden and without too much hype and buzz, Olympus has announced the new E-520 DSLR, a follow-up to its E-510 Evolt model which was released back in 2007. Perhaps the reason for the lack of pre-launch hype is the fact the E-520 doesn’t offer too much improvements over its predecessor. You’ll get practically the same look and feel except for a few changes.

Being a predecessor to an already powerful DSLR, the E-520 has the same 10-megapixel resolution that is capable of burst shooting at 3.5fps, a live view mode, CF or xD-Picture card for photo storage, and more.

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Who says digital cameras have to always be simple and plain looking? The Olympus Limited Edition Mju 1020 shows that digital cameras can be as artsy and funky as an obscure abstract painting with 3 uniquely-styled skins.

Designed by Romanian artists Matei Apostolescu, the limited edition Mju 1020 puts vibrancy and color in the true meaning of the word, to the otherwise usual casual design of the Mju 1020. The 3 skins would certainly appeal to the younger audience, most specifically to women photo enthusiasts. I doubt if the more serious photo hobbyists would fine it appealing though. But if you want to be different from the rest of the digital camera using crowd, the Mju 1020 would definitely give you the edge and that second look from folks seeing you with the Mju 1020.

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Olympus has unveiled the world’s lightest and smallest digital SLR named E-420 to integrate the simplicity of point-and-shoot digital cameras with high quality images associated with professional cameras.

More than that, this new product marks the entry of more affordable digital SLR with its estimated street price of $499. But you have to shell out an extra hundred bucks to get a 14-42mm digital zoom lens or $200 more for 25mm lens. The Olympus E-420 is expected to hit the market this coming May 2008. Hopefully this will encourage other players to come out with their own line of affordable DSLR’s for trigger-happy consumers. 

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The new SP-550 UZ, which just got announced by Olympus, packs quite the punch.  The camera is the “world’s first” (there’s that title again) with 18x zoom capacity - which means it covers 28-504mm range.  The camera is also a 7.1 megapixel shooter, featuring CCD-shift Image Stabilization.  No info on price or availability yet, but we’ll keep you posted.

Read [DPReview]

Have you always wanted to try out digital photography, but did not know where to start?

Olympus has two new ultra-compact cameras under its Fun & Easy (FE) series that it recommends for first-time camera owners. The first is the 6.0 megapixel FE-170 ($167) that comes with 3x optical zoom and a large 2.5in LCD screen.

It has “one button, one function” design and a mode dial, which eliminates the fuss of having to navigate through potentially confusing menus. The FE-170 comes with 10 scene modes for capturing sports, self-portraits, night shots and fireworks scenes, among others. It also has a “super-macro” setting that makes shooting close-up photos a snap for beginners.

On the higher end is the 6.0 megapixel Olympus FE-190 ($250), which is a slender ultra-compact measuring just 18.5mm thick. Like FE-170, it also has a 3x optical zoom, 2.5in LCD screen, mode dial and scene modes.

In addition, both cameras feature digital image stabilization, which provides fast shutter speeds with high ISO – so beginners with shaky hands can still take a good shot.

Read [Olympus] http://www.dpreview.com/news/0608/06082301olyfe170180.asp">Via [DPreview]