Olympus Announces E-330 Digital SLR Camera

Olympus Announces World’s First AF Digital SLR with Full-time “Live View” LCD Monitor - E-330 Digital SLR Camera

Olympus has announced the introduction of the fourth digital SLR camera in the designed-for-digital Olympus E-System. Called the E-330, it is the first interchangeable-lens-type AF digital SLR in the world to offer full-time subject framing via a rear-mounted LCD monitor. The E-330 is scheduled to go on sale in Japan at the end of February, 2006.

The Olympus E-330 comes in a kit with a high-performance ZUIKO DIGITAL 14-45mm 1:3.5-5.6 lens (28-90mm), and will be available from March 2006 in UK/US camera shops retailing for around $1100/ £900 (body only $1000).

Summary
• World’s first* AF digital SLR with a full-time “Live View” LCD monitor
• World’s first* variable-angle, 2.5-inch, high-definition HyperCrystal LCD monitor
• Newly developed, 4/3-type, 7.5-megapixel Live MOS sensor

The E-330 is the first interchangeable-lens-type AF digital SLR in the world to offer full-time, “Live View” subject framing via a rear-mounted LCD monitor. This feat, which has until now been thought difficult to achieve, was made possible by mounting a dedicated CCD sensor for LCD display, separate from the taking sensor, in the optical path of a porro mirror viewfinder like the one used on the Olympus E-300.

In addition, we employed the class-leading, 2.5-inch, HyperCrystal monitor for which the Olympus E-500 has been praised, and equipped it with a variable-angle mechanism that allows the monitor to be tilted on the vertical axis to maximize the shooting freedom that Live View framing offers. And to ensure Live View capability for macro shooting, we employed a newly developed, 4/3-type, 7.5-megapixel Live MOS sensor as the taking sensor.

The E-330 offers the outstanding mobility, operating ease, reliability, and image quality of an SLR camera while allowing users to frame their subjects in either the viewfinder or LCD monitor. In addition, the camera’s revolutionary design makes it easy for users to capture low-angle and high-angle shots that are extremely difficult to take when looking through a viewfinder.