Olympus has announced three new consumer-oriented digital cameras aimed to make photography easy and fun for everyday folks—and bring some zoom to the table for people who believe in close-ups. The Olympus VR-320 offers a very respectable 12.5× zoom, while the Olympus SZ-10 steps all the way out to an 18× zoom and offers the ability to take two different photos from slightly different angles for 3D viewing.
The Olympus SZ-10 is the latest in the company’s line of super-zoom compact cameras; it sports a 14 megapixel resolution, that 18× optical zoom (with both optical and digital image stabilization), along with a 3-inch LCD viewfinder display. The SZ-10 can shoot 720p high-definition video and even shoot 3D photos by taking two pictures and combining them into a single .MPO image that can be viewed on a 3D device. The SZ-10 also features in-camera panorama capabilities, Olympus’s Magic Filters for stills and movies (enabling users to add creative effects right in-camera), along with autofocus tracking and face detection. The SZ-10 should be available in March for a suggested price of $249.99.
The Olympus VR-320 sports the same 14 megapixel resolution and 3-inch LCD display, but steps back a bit to a 12.5× optical zoom—although it features a smaller all-metal body, which can be important for carrying a camera for everyday use. The VR-320 doesn’t have the SZ-10’s 3D capabilities, but it can handle 720p video, offers Olympus’s Magic Filter effects, and sports an intelligent auto mode, autofocus tracking, face detection, and both optical and digital image stabilization for clear shots. Expect to see it in March for a suggested retail price of $199.99.
For folks who want small, sleek, and inexpensive, Olympus has also introduced the VG-110, sporting a 12 megapixel resolution 4× optical zoom, 2.7-inch LCD display, autofocus tracking, face detection, intelligent auto mode, and the ability to shoot VGA-resolution video. Not exactly cutting edge, but the price is right for some folks: it should hit retailers for $99.99 this month.
