Olympus E-420 with live on-sensor focusing

London, 5 March 2008 – The latest addition to the Olympus E-System, the E-420, includes Live View with contrast detection focusing in one of the world’s smallest and lightest D-SLRs. This makes it a perfect companion for journalists, travellers or other adventurers who appreciate the one-of-a-kind portability, performance and value for money it delivers. It will be available in stores from late April 2008 at a recommended retail price of £379.99 for the standard lens kit. A 10.0 Megapixel Live MOS sensor provides resolution for detailed shots. This is supported by the TruePic III image processor with Shadow Adjustment Technology (SAT) and equential shooting at up to 3.5fps with up to eight images in RAW buffer.

Olympus’ own Supersonic Wave Filter is the E-System’s native dust reduction system – and has positioned itself as the world’s leading solution against dust on the image sensor.

With continuous Live View, users can frame compositions on the camera’s 2.7″/6.9cm HyperCrystal II LCD, which provides 100% coverage of scenes with the on-screen contrast, brightness and colour all being easily adjustable. The effects of exposure compensation and white balance can be monitored in real-time directly on the LCD. Accurate depth of field previewing is possible and users can see the effects of Face Detection and Shadow Adjustment Technology directly on the LCD using Live View. Magnification by a factor of 7 or 10 while framing makes manual focusing during macro shooting (for example) easier and more accurate.

Autofocus performance has also been enhanced. On top of the phase detection AF system, the E-420 now also features a Live View contrast AF system*. It allows subjects to be focused upon more conveniently as the mirror does not need to move to the down position for measurements to be taken. The contrast AF system lets the effect of autofocus be seen on the Live View LCD immediately.

A built-in flash adds flexibility. Wireless flash control in up to three groups is possible using the Olympus FL-36R and FL-50R flash units. Multiple flash set-ups which can be controlled remotely. And thanks to the availability of sensitivities ranging from ISO 100 to 1600, the E-420 remains a versatile companion, even in less-than-perfect lighting conditions and in situations when a flash is not desired.

With 38 languages available, the E-420 enables ease-of-use no matter the user’s native tongue. A USB 2.0 (Hi-Speed) interface guarantees fast data transfer, and with its long-life rechargeable battery, shooting sessions can easily go into overtime.

New compact standard lens 

The E-420 is compatible with virtually all Olympus E-System accessories. Adhering to the Four Thirds Standard, these various accessories open the door to an amazing range of photographic options – without compromising quality. All Four Thirds lenses, for example, feature near-telecentric construction ensuring edge-to-edge sharpness. The Four Thirds System enables the design of smaller camera bodies and lenses to allow for much more compact photographic set-ups. This advantage is perfectly embodied in the go-anywhere E-420, one of the world’s smallest and lightest D-SLRs.

To accentuate this fact further, a super compact lens is also being introduced. Featuring an extremely short-barrelled, lightweight design, the ZUIKO DIGITAL 25mm 1:2.8 (equivalent to 50mm on a 35mm camera) represents the perfect accompaniment for the E-420. With its overall compactness, the set-up is reminiscent of the legendary improvement to mobility that the famous Olympus OM series provided.

A retro-styled camera case that attaches to the base of the camera is also being introduced. Made entirely of leather, it will be available in a choice of white, brown or black.

The Olympus E-420 digital SLR – main features:

• Extremely easy operation – use it straight out of the box
• One of the world’s smallest and lightest D-SLRs providing the ultimate in portability
• 10 Megapixel Live MOS sensor
• Live View for easier compositions
• Perfect Shot Preview for improved depiction of camera adjustments directly on the Live View LCD
• Improved Live View with contrast AF, Face Detection, Shadow Adjustment Technology & phase detection AF system*
• Improved AF system with both contrast and phase detection-type AF systems*
• TruePic III image processor
• High-contrast 2.7”/6.9cm HyperCrystal II LCD with 176° viewing angles
• The original Supersonic Wave Filter for dust protection
• 28 automatic, semi-automatic and manual shooting options (including 5 exposure, 5 creative & 18 scene select modes)
• Built-in pop-up flash (GN 10)
• Wireless flash control in up to 3 groups
• 3.5fps with up to eight images in RAW buffer
• One-touch white balance
• AE/AF-lock functionality
• ISO 100 to 1600
• Depth of field preview function
• 49-segment digital ESP
• Bracketing function (Exposure, White Balance, Focus)
• Beginner and Advanced information screens
• Detailed info screen with histogram
• Based on Four Thirds System
• Dual memory card slots (for xD-Picture Card and CompactFlash)

The Olympus E-420 is available in the following kits:

• Olympus E-420 body only – £339.99
• Olympus E-420 Lens Kit  – £379.99 (E-420 body with ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 lens)
• Olympus E-420 Double Zoom Kit – £479.99 (E-420 body with ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6 and ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 40-150mm 1:4.0-5.6 lenses)
• Olympus E-420 25mm Lens Kit – £449.99 (E-420 body with ZUIKO DIGITAL 25mm 1:2.8 lens)

*  Full contrast AF performance is available with new Olympus lenses including the ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-42mm 1:3.5-5.6, ZUIKO DIGITAL 40-150mm 1:4.0-5.6 and the new ZUIKO DIGITAL 25mm 1:2.8 “pancake” lens. A free firmware update can be downloaded from the Olympus homepage to enable this feature for lenses that were purchased previously. For all other lenses contrast AF is used in combination with the phase detection AF.