Olympus Digital Still Cameras Shop Olympus E System Digital SLRs Online Olympus Compact Digital Cameras Feature Comparison Chart See also Olympus Compact Digital Cameras. Click on model number in the chart below to see photo and detailed features. Click on any underlined feature on this chart for a more detailed explanation.

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Olympus Digital Camera Feature Explanations:

1 - Live MOS Megapixel Imager

The excellence of image quality you've come to expect from the Olympus E-System takes a giant step forward. To give you all the benefits of digital photography combined with the unique Live View technology, a new imager was developed. Its hallmarks include high-quality edge-to-edge detail, accurate color and lower noise. These cameras are loaded with an impressive 10 million pixels for high-resolution photos. The 10-megapixel sensor gives users the flexibility to blow-up their prints to the large sizes supported by many of today's printers, or crop the image to print only a part of the image that is important to them. The high-performance Live MOS image sensor delivers excellent dynamic range for accurate color fidelity, and a state-of-the-art amplifier circuit to eradicate noise and capture fine image details in the highlight and shadow areas.

2 - All-Digital Interchangeable Zuiko Lenses

Most other digital SLR cameras use traditional 35mm film lenses on digital bodies. But since those lenses are based on designs from the beginning of the last century for film and not for pixels, they deliver insufficient light at the edges of a digital camera's image sensor. This can result in reduced sharpness and color definition, particularly when shooting with wide-angle lenses. Olympus E System Digital SLRs do not have this problem, because they accommodates the full line of interchangeable Zuiko Digital Specific Lenses™ designed specifically for digital capture with smart technology that allows the lenses to communicate with the camera to ensure the best possible image quality.

Olympus dedicated digital optics paired with the 100% digital Olympus E System Digital SLRs render sharpness and contrast more consistently at any given f-stop. The lenses are matched to the Four Thirds System standard image sensor for the optimal balance between image quality, camera and lens size, and expandability. With an array of digital specific lenses to choose from that are smaller and lighter than comparable 35mm film lenses, it's easy to select the ideal instruments to bring along when you don't want to lug a lot of heavy, bulky gear.

3 - Supersonic Wave Filter Repels Dust

Change lenses on the fly, without consequence. A common problem with interchangeable lens digital SLR cameras is dust settling on the image sensor. Olympus E System Digital SLRs feature an Olympus exclusive patented ultrasonic technology, the Supersonic Wave Filter™, to reduce the effects of micro dust settling on the image sensor and impacting the image quality. Located between the shutter and the CCD, the Supersonic Wave Filter uses high-speed ultrasonic vibration to cause most types of dust to fall away from the image sensor so it will not appear in photographs. The filter vibrates at 350,000 times per second and is activated every time the camera powers on, or manually via a menu selection, to instantly remove the dust from in front of the image sensor. The CCD assembly is isolated from the Supersonic Wave Filter by an airtight seal to protect it even more. This unique Olympus feature gives photographers the confidence to shoot photos and change lenses in the field, just as they've always done, without the worry of images being damaged or ruined by dust on the imager.

4 - TruePic III Image Processor

Olympus' enhanced TruePic III Image Processor produces crystal clear photos using all the pixel information for each image to provide the best digital images possible for every photo with accurate color, true-to-life flesh tones, brilliant blue skies and precise tonal representation in between. TruePic III also lowers image noise by one step to reduce noise in images shot at higher ISO settings, enabling great results in low-light situations.

5 - Burst Mode

The E-3's highly reliable 5-fps burst shooting provides extra flexibility when shooting sports, wildlife or any other dynamic subjects. The E-3's ability to process over 10 million pixels of high-quality image data at extremely high speed enables continuous shooting at up to five frames per second. In fact, you can shoot until your finger tires -- as continuous shooting up to the limit of available memory is possible at the highest resolution setting.* If the memory card slot cover is opened during card writing, image data is held in the buffer memory. Writing continues when the card lid is closed again.

* When using a high speed 133X or faster compact flash card, using the default record mode of Large Normal JPEG.

6 - Live View HyperCrystal LCD

The big and bright 2.5-inch LCD displays with approximately 230,000 pixels include HyperCrystal™ technology, which offers many times the contrast of conventional LCD monitors, and enables images to be beautifully displayed in vivid color -- both in preview and playback. The HyperCrystal LCD also provides a wide viewing angle, which ensures images can be composed from even the most obscure angles. The larger LCD makes viewing icons and text on the camera's menu a squint-free process.

The E-3's Live View HyperCrystal LCD monitor has the added benefit of a dual-axis flexible-angle structure for free swiveling in the horizontal and vertical directions so that the user can shoot pictures from any angle, whether high or low, without adopting an uncomfortable posture.

The E-420 uses a new 2.7-inch HyperCrystal II LCD monitor with even higher visibility than previous Olympus LCD monitors. The new LCD monitor has increased the contrast and expanded the color reproduction gamut to enable finer image checking in Live View shooting and picture playback. With a viewing angle of 176 degrees in all directions, checking the monitor image is easy from any angle. Image reproduction in Live View shooting and picture playback is further improved by an anti-reflection multi-coating and easy-to-use color temperature adjustment that works the same way as a traditional brightness adjustment control.

7 - Magnesium-Alloy / Advanced Polycarbonates Body

The E-3 boasts a rugged camera body featuring a splash- and dust-proof construction, with all major parts -- including the built-in flash, LCD monitor and switches -- sealed to keep out sand, dust, rain and splashes. The same goes for Zuiko Digital lenses. You'll find splash-proof and dust-proof models that are as tightly sealed as the camera. When the E-3 body is combined with one of the Pro Line dust- and splash-proof Zuiko Digital lenses, users can shoot with confidence even under the most severe conditions.

Made of a thixomold magnesium alloy with homogeneous composition, the E-3 camera body is extremely strong, durable and lightweight. As the use of swiveling LCD monitor makes it unnecessary to make holes for the LCD monitor on the back panel, the back panel also has the rigidity and durability required to protect the delicate internal mechanisms. The camera's interior is supported by structural members made of durable, high-precision engineering plastics and reinforced by a metallic frame.

Designed with advanced polycarbonate plastics, Olympus EVOLT cameras possess uncompromising strength and durability -- to stand up to everyday use and even support the 300mm f2.8 Zuiko Digital Lens. Yet EVOLT is extremely lightweight -- so you'll find it easy to carry and handle.

8 - CF, Micro Drive, xD-Picture Card Recording Media

These cameras feature Dual Memory Slots for Compact Flash (Type I and II), Microdrives and xD-Picture Cards™. For increased storage flexibility, switch between CF and xD-Picture Cards when one becomes full. Or use the camera's menu to copy an image onto both, for backup purposes.

9 - Mechanical Image Stabilization

Unlike other digital SLR cameras in its class, the E-510 employs Mechanical Image Stabilization, which compensates for camera movement. This new technology complements Digital Image Stabilization, which compensates for a moving subject. Combined, Mechanical Image Stabilization and Digital Image Stabilization provide a powerful solution, ensuring blur-free photos even in active shooting situations where photographers may encounter camera shake or a moving subject. This powerful combination resides within the camera's body, translating to blur-free images taken with any of the more than 30 digital-specific lenses.

10 - High-Speed 11-Point Autofocus With Full-Twin Cross AF Sensors

The 11-point AF sensor incorporated in the E-3 features a fully crossed array of 11 points, each of which is composed of two horizontal and vertical lines to improve accuracy. Dual sensing arrays on both vertical and horizontal axes are arranged in a unique half-pitch shifted pattern that dramatically improves autofocusing precision, making it possible to detect contrast in both horizontal and vertical directions and prevent subject patterns from interfering with AF operation. Determination of the position of the 11 AF points was based on statistical analysis of the positions of the main objects in thousands of different photos as well as input from professional photographers.

Thanks to a dedicated AF data processing engine that can process data from all sensors simultaneously and a sophisticated new distance-measuring algorithm, processing speed and object capturing/tracking performance have been greatly improved, resulting in the world's fastest AF speed*. In addition, a unique pixel addition technology is used to expand the distance-measuring brightness range from -2 to 19 EV, ensuring high-precision autofocusing performance even in low light.

* Among digital SLR cameras available as of October 17, 2007. When the ZUIKO DIGITAL ED 12-60mm f2.8- 4.0 SWD lens is used with the E-3 at a focal length of 60mm (35mm equivalent: 120mm).Based on Olympus's in-house measurement conditions.

11 - 1/8000 Second High-Speed Shutter

You can capture spectacular images using the E-3's 1/8000-second high-speed shutter, while shooting at maximum aperture even under very bright lighting conditions. The E-3 also boasts an ultra-fast shutter release time, allowing instant shooting for superior tracking and response. The camera also employs a highly reliable mirror construction engineered to achieve the precision required for the high-speed shutter. Simplifying the drive mechanism increases precision while reducing transmission loss. And a carbon-based plastic was used for the mirror box to provide twice the rigidity of conventional mirror boxes.