P-1 ny toppmodell fra Olympus

E-410 og E-510 er forsåvidt spennende nytt fra Olympus, men ettersom alle venter på hva som skal etterfølge E-1 ble det likevel en liten nedtur. Nå har imidlertid Olympus lettet litt på sløret.

Arvtageren til E-1 vil komme i løpet av året, men allerede nå lanserer Olymps tre zoomer med Supersonic Wave Drive, som skal gi kameraet verdens raskeste autofokus. De tre Zuiko Digital-objektivene er ED 12-60 mm f/2,8-4,0, ED 14-35 mm f/2,0, og 50-200 mm f/2,8-3,5. I tillegg skal serien utvides med en 70-300 mm f/4-5,6 og en 2x telekonverter EC-20.



Flere bilder hos DPreview.com.

Pressemelding fra Olympus Japan:

Olympus Expands "Olympus E-System" Lineup With the development of New Digital SLR Cameras, And Interchangeable Lenses

Olympus Outlines the Next Chapter of its Professional DSLR and Family of Lenses

Olympus Imaging Corporation (President: Masaharu Okubo) is pleased to announce the plans to significantly expand the Olympus E-System, its industry-leading lineup of interchangeable-lens digital SLRs compliant with the Four Thirds System standard. Two new cameras are being announced today — the E-410, an ultra-compact, ultra-lightweight go-anywhere camera, and the E-510, a versatile, high-performance camera with advanced functions including new Mechanical Image sensor shift image stabilization A third, the eagerly anticipated successor to the revolutionary E-1 designed for professional use and destined to take over as flagship of the Olympus lineup, will make its debut this year.

All three models incorporate the Fulltime Live View function, an enhanced rear panel LCD monitor that can be used to compose images while shooting, making these cameras suitable for both newcomers and professionals. These same capabilities, together with a wealth of professional level features and functions, will form the basis of the forthcoming successor to the E-1. As befitting a camera that will serve as the flagship of the Olympus lineup, the E-1’s successor will boast tremendous improvements in both performance and functionality, taking the excellent picture quality, mobility and reliability of the E-1 to new and unprecedented levels.

To support the new cameras, Olympus is also developing four interchangeable lenses. All will be fully compliant with the Four Thirds System standard, and three will incorporate the newly developed SWD (Supersonic Wave Drive) autofocusing system. Olympus also announces that it would be introducing a 2x teleconverter. These lens products are expected to be available from this year.

The products under development will be exhibited as reference products at the PMA 2007 International Convention and Trade Show in Las Vegas, USA from March 8 to 11, and at Photo-Imaging Expo 2007 (PIE2007) from March 22 to 25 at the Tokyo Big Site, Japan.

The first chapter in the Olympus E-System story began in the fall of 2003 with the launch of the award-winning E-1. This not only marked Olympus's entry into the digital SLR camera market, it heralded the arrival of the world's first fully digital SLR camera system based on the Four Thirds System standard. Since then, the “designed for digital” Olympus E-System has continued to set new benchmarks for professional image quality, performance, mobility, and reliability thanks to compact, lightweight designs supported by innovative features like our advanced Dust Reduction System.

Today, the Olympus E-System has grown to include 17 ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses, and a wide range of accessories including a teleconverter lens and an extension tube, with sales of more than one million units worldwide.

In Cologne, Germany in the fall of 2006 — three years after the E-1 made its debut — Olympus boldly proclaimed at Photokina 2006 that,

"Chapter Two (in the history of Olympus E-System) will begin in 2007, we will continue to develop revolutionary features that extend the frontiers of DSLR photography, and to strengthen the Olympus E-System body, lens, and accessory lineup. A successor to our current E-1 flagship will also be introduced in 2007. We will continue to develop Olympus E-System bodies, lenses, and accessories for a wide range of genres, so that even more people are able to take photographs that could never be taken before."

One of the main elements distinguishing the products in Chapter Two from those in Chapter One is the incorporation of the Fulltime Live View function, In combination with the 100% Dedicated Digital Design and the Dust Reduction System that form the foundation of the Olympus E-System, the Fulltime Live View function brings a new level of usability to digital SLR photography. With the introduction of the ultra-compact, ultra-light E-410 for go-anywhere mobility, the versatile E-510 with enhanced features such as Mechanical Image sensor shift image stabilization and the in-development successor to the E-1 which will offer the high reliability required for professional use, Olympus hopes to offer a comprehensive camera lineup that will appeal to a wide range of uses and unlock the full potential of digital SLR photography. The excellent visibility and shooting versatility made possible by the "Live View" LCD screen not only make shooting as easy and simple as with a compact camera, they facilitate the creation of dramatically new photographic art with images shot from new and unique angles.

At the core of the lineup in Chapter Two will be the successor to the E-1, scheduled for release this year. Inheriting all the superb features that made the E-1 the reference point for digital SLR cameras, the new camera's performance has been enhanced with the addition of powerful new functions, a rugged design to withstand heavy-duty professional use, improved specifications and greater system extendibility.

In addition, the interchangeable lenses announced today also incorporate advanced new features such as the revolutionary SWD (Supersonic Wave Drive) which makes possible the world's fastest-class auto focusing, the enhanced super telescopic zoom capability that is one of the biggest advantages of the Four Thirds System standard. Olympus will continue to develop new products that will help users "to take photographs that could never be taken before" the Olympus E-System.