Olympus releases PC free digital imaging system

650-210-9857

OLYMPUS TOTAL IMAGING SOLUTION PROVIDES THE MEANS TO SHOOT, ORGANIZE,

STORE AND PRINT DIGITAL IMAGES WITHOUT USING A PC

System Enhances Digital Imaging Experience with Style, Simplicity and

Portability

Melville, New York, October 13, 2004 ? Olympus introduces a PC-free,

modular imaging system that will alter the way the world experiences

digital photography. Emphasizing design and mobility, the Olympus

Total Imaging Solution breaks free from the stringent requirements of

the current computer-reliant imaging process. It allows consumers to

organize, print, and store photos quickly and hassle-free virtually

anywhere, while putting the digital camera at the center of the

solution where it belongs.

Now users are able to eliminate the often burdensome and intricate

computer-based process currently necessary to print, save and share

images from a digital camera. The Total Imaging Solution makes this

endeavor as easy as connecting the camera and cradle directly to an

Olympus printer, hard drive or DVD burner. By selecting images for

printing and saving without requiring a computer ? essential for

other imaging systems ? Olympus has removed several steps in the

process.

At the heart of the solution is the new IR-500 digital camera with a

360-degree rotating semi-transmissive TFT color LCD, 4.0-megapixels,

a 2.8x optical zoom lens (40mm ? 112mm equivalent), 30X total zoom

including digital zoom, and an f2.9-f4.8 aperture range. The IR-500

connects with other products available in the Total Imaging Solution,

such as the S-HD-100 hard disk drive, and the P-S100 dye-sublimation

photo printer, and a DVD burner (available at a future date). Form

follows function with all components being lightweight, sleek and

pearl white ? projecting an image of style, along with ease-of-use

and high performance.

?Olympus, once again, remains true to its pioneering heritage of

delivering innovative solutions to the imaging industry,? said

Richard Campbell, Product Marketing Director, Olympus Imaging America

Inc. ?With breakthrough, revolutionary product design we?re putting

the camera back in the forefront of photography so it?s not just

another peripheral for your PC. In doing so, we have streamlined the

overall digital imaging experience for the consumer.?

The Merging of Design and Function

The IR-500 is the first Olympus camera to feature a 360-degree

rotating (front to back) LCD display. By rotating the display, users

can view their subjects when taking images from a variety of angles.

The multi-swing display also ensures portability and protection by

covering the lens and the LCD monitor when in its closed position.

The LCD monitor, at a generous 2.5 inches, enhances still image and

QuickTime? movie viewing pleasure. The high-contrast 210,000-pixel

Semi-Transmissive TFT Color LCD is designed for enhanced clarity and

easy viewing in bright outdoor light.

The new Album Function on the IR-500 allows users to organize images

into photo albums on the camera?s xD-Picture Card from the images

taken by the camera, or even those transferred to it from a

computer. Users can create up to 12 separate albums of 100 images,

sort them as thy chose, and access them conveniently. The new built-

in Calendar Function automatically organizes and recalls images by

specific dates. If users desire to transfer images to a computer,

they can do so with the Auto-Connect USB 2.0 that does not require

software drivers (for most computers/operating systems), enabling

hassle-free and full-speed image downloads.

The camera offers a choice of 19 Scene Program Modes for shooting in

a wide range of conditions. Simply select a scene mode and the

camera is ready to photograph the situation at hand with the optimum

aperture, shutter speed, white balance, color saturation and flash

setting. Scene Program modes include: P-Auto, Landscape, Landscape +

Portrait, Night Scene, Night + Portrait, Indoor, Fireworks, Sunset,

Portrait, Self Portrait, Available Light Portrait, Cuisine,

Documents, Sport, Beach & Snow, Candle, Behind Glass, and Vivid. The

QuickTime Movie mode incorporates a camera shake correction function

to reduce image unsteadiness and allow more carefree movie shooting.

Store Images Anywhere with External Hard Disk Drive

By connecting the IR-500 or any USB 2.0 compatible digital camera to

the compact S-HD-100, an astonishing 40,000 4.0-megapixel-class

images (approx.) can be stored on its 40-gigabyte hard disk drive

anywhere, allowing the user to continue taking images with the same

memory card.

The S-HD-100 is equipped with a built-in CPU that enables image file

management functions. For example, when downloading images from a

digital camera that supports the dock, the S-HD-100 checks each image

to see if it has been downloaded previously and only downloads the

images that are new.

The S-HD-100?s handheld size of 4.9in. (W) X 0.8in. (H) X 5.0in. (D)

(approx.), and weight of 10.94oz. makes it extremely portable. The

hard drive can be easily connected to a computer when necessary to

transfer, edit and back-up images

Print Top Quality Images Directly From Camera

The IR-500 connects directly to the P-S100, a new dye-sublimation

photo printer designed to work without any connection to a computer,

for instant printing. It prints 4x6-inch photo lab quality prints in

84 seconds (approx.). The P-S100 is compact, sleek and lightweight,

and measures a mere 6.6in. (W) X 2.8in. (H) X 5.7in. (D), and weighs

just 38.8 ounces.

The P-S100 offers a higher-than-average 50-sheet paper capacity to

reduce the need for frequent paper replenishment. Each print is

sealed with a light and moisture-resistant over-coating, which

ensures that prints retain their beauty for a long time. Vivid and

beautiful print quality is achieved with 16.77 million vibrant colors.

The P-S100 Printer features PictBridge? technology so that any

PictBridge-enabled camera may connect to it via USB 2.0 cable and

start printing right away.

Box Contents

The IR-500 comes with a Cradle, a Li-12B Li Ion Rechargeable Battery,

A/C Adapter, 16MB xD-Picture Card, Wrist Strap, Audio/Video Cable,

Camera WIN/Mac USB Cable, Quick Start Guide, Basic Instruction

Manual, Warranty Card, and Camera reference manual.

The IR-500 also includes a CD ROM with OLYMPUS Master Software.

OLYMPUS Master software enables users of Olympus digital cameras to

get the most out of their digital experience. With a logical and

intuitive user interface, OLYMPUS Master allows users to instantly

store and manage images by keyword or by shooting date in an easily-

searchable Calendar View database so they never misplace digital

photos again. Powerful, one-click editing tools enable users to

optimize their images prior to printing on a postcard, index card,

calendar, or via online services. Online support, templates,

firmware upgrades and other services are just a mouse-click away.

U.S. Pricing

IR-500 Estimated Street Price: $499 (U.S.)

S-HD-100 hard disk drive storage device Estimated Street Price:

$299.99 (U.S.)

P-S100 digital photo printer Estimated Street Price: $199.99 (U.S.)

For more information, review units, product specifications and high-

resolution images of the Total Imaging Solution, contact Michael

Bourne, Mullen Public Relations, 650-210-9857 or

michael.bourne@mullen.com, or Chris Sluka, senior public relations

manager, Olympus Imaging America Inc, Two Corporate Center Dr., P.O

Box 9058 Melville, NY 11747-9058, ph: (631) 844-5000 (800) 622-6372,

Fax: (631) 844-5262 or the Olympus Web Site:

http://www.olympusamerica.com.

ABOUT OLYMPUS IMAGING AMERICA INC

Olympus Imaging America Inc is a precision technology leader,

designing and delivering award-winning products for consumer and

professional markets.

Olympus Imaging America works collaboratively with its customers and

its parent company, Olympus Corporation, to develop breakthrough

technologies with revolutionary product design and functionality that

enhances peoples lives every day. These include:

? Digital and film cameras

? Professional SLR Imaging Systems

? Digital and Microcassette recorders

? Digital Music Players

? Personal Photo Printers

? Digital Print Kiosks

? Digital Video Projectors

? Digital Media

? Binoculars

Olympus Imaging America Inc is responsible for sales in United

States, Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America.

For more information, visit. www.olympusamerica.com.

Agency Contact:

Mullen Public

Relations

Michael Bourne, account

supervisor

(650) 210-

9857

michael.bourne@mullen.com

Company Contact:

Olympus America,

Inc.

Chris Sluka, senior public relations

manager

(631) 844-

5321

chris.sluka@olympus.com

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