Olympus launches an impressive line-up of compacts ahead of Christmas

Models include a 10MP compact, a waterproof one that can be taken to a depth of 5 meters, and a new prosumer

23 August 2006 9:41 GMT / By Amber Maitland

Olympus launched a raft of new compacts at an event for the international press at the Hamburg Planetarium yesterday.

Pocket-lint was among the first to get a look at the new cameras, admiring the view of the city from the top of the Planetarium through the lenses of the line-up of new products.

The FE series, whose initials stand for “Friendly and Easy,” has received four new additions: the 170, 180, 190 and 200.

All the cameras in the basic and affordable range are designed for ease-of-use for beginning users.

The FE-190 is a super-thin model that measures just 18.5mm thick, and boasts a 6Mp sensor, while the FE-200 features an impressive 5x zoom equivalent to 28-140mm on a 35mm camera, a 6MP sensor, and a 2.5-inch LCD.

In the next series, Olympus’ popular and stylish Mju series, the company has added five new models: 725 SW, 730, 740, 750, and 1000.

The 740 and 750 are essentially the same camera, except that the 750 has added image stabilisation for taking sharp pictures in low light.

Both models feature 7.1MP, have a weatherproof casing so that they can be used in rainshowers, a lens that zoom 5x, and come in five bright colours.

The 730 is designed for those who want a super-big, bright LCD screen, as it measures 3 inches.

It has the added functionality of Bright Capture technology so that steady images can be shot even in low light conditions, as the camera boosts the ISO automatically.

It also features a Perfect Fix function to optimise images and get rid of red-eye in one click, and sports illuminating buttons so that functions are easy to find, even in the dark.

The 725 SW is the most impressive camera in the range, at least for eager divers, as its shockproof and waterproof up to 5 meters.

An optional underwater casing has been developed for the camera to make it waterproof to a depth of 40 meters.

Last in the series is the flagship Mju 1000, which is the latest 10MP compact to hit the camera scene.

It too is waterproof, and features a 3x zoom, image stabilisation, and the Perfect Fix function to improve images for direct printing without a computer.

The last camera is a prosumer rather than a compact, the SP-510 UZ, which features a whopping 10x optical zoom.

It runs on AA batteries rather than li-ion, features Bright Capture technology that boosts the ISO up to 4000, and will be available for around £260.