New Large-Aperture Lens Designed for E-1 Professional Digital SLR

Melville, New York, February 20, 2004 – Olympus America Inc. introduced a compact, lightweight, large-aperture Zuiko Digital Specific™ 150mm F2.0 interchangeable lens for the Olympus E-System at the 2004 PMA Convention and Trade Show. The lens is scheduled to go on sale in the fall of 2004.

The new Zuiko Digital 150mm F2.0 (equivalent to 300mm on a 35mm film camera) is the second large-aperture telephoto lens designed for the Olympus E-System, the world’s first 100 percent all-digital interchangeable lens SLR system. Ideal for nature, sports, journalism and fashion photography, the 150mm f2.0 joins the previously introduced Zuiko Digital 300mm (600mm) F2.8.

“The new Zuiko Digital 150mm lens delivers exceptional performance advantages of digital photography and the Olympus E-System lens design for professional photographers,” said John Knaur, senior marketing manager professional markets, Olympus America Inc. “The new lens is unprecedented in combining a fast aperture of F2.0 with exceptionally compact size and an ideal telephoto range, giving photographers the flexibility they need to shoot in a wider range of situations than ever before.”

The Zuiko Digital 150mm lens offers high mobility, high image quality, outstanding brightness, and excellent close-focus capability. As a result of the use of Super ED and ED lens elements, the lens delivers exceptionally sharp imaging with an absolute minimum of chromatic aberration. It also has superb defocusing characteristics that make it possible for photographers to precisely achieve their creative goals when shooting portraits, sports, wildlife and other subjects where there is a need to make the subject stand out.

Super ED and ED Lens Elements for a Minimum of Chromatic Aberration
The Zuiko Digital 150mm F2.0 incorporates one ED lens element and one Super ED lens element, which offers color dispersion characteristics similar to that of fluorite, enabling it to suppress color aberrations that cannot be corrected with conventional optical glass. As a result, the highest level of resolution and contrast are achieved.

New Multicoating Reduces Ghosting and Flaring
A new multicoating reduces reflection at a wide range of wavelengths, minimizing the ghosting and flaring that can occur with telephoto lenses.

Advanced New 'Floating' Mechanism
A newly developed 'floating' mechanism is incorporated into the focusing system to ensure exceptionally smooth action across the entire focusing range. In addition, the range of situations in which the lens can be used is enhanced by a minimum shooting distance of just 1.2 meters.

Focus Limit and Focus Stop for Operating Ease
Of special appeal to professional photographers are focus limit and focus stop functions. The Focus Limit switch allows photographers to reduce autofocusing time by limiting the focusing range to 'near' or 'far.’ The Focus Stop button prevents the autofocus system from reacting if an object suddenly enters the frame in front of the main subject.

Dust and Water Droplet Resistance
Special seals shut out dust and water droplets, assuring the high reliability under adverse shooting conditions that professional photographers demand.

Zuiko Digital Specific Lenses™
Zuiko Digital Specific Lenses are designed specifically for digital capture with smart technology that delivers edge-to-edge sharpness with reduced distortion and shading. The lenses are designed to perfectly match the imager so light strikes the sensor directly, ensuring rich, accurate colors, sharp contrasts and bright images even at the edges. Zuiko Digital Specific Lenses deliver higher resolutions, faster aperture speeds and focusing, and more compact sizes than equivalent 35mm lenses built for digital.

The Olympus E-System: Digital From the Ground Up
The Olympus Digital SLR System with Digital Specific Lenses™ (www.olympusamerica.com/E-1), based on the new Four Thirds open standard for digital SLR cameras and interchangeable lenses, is the world’s first 100 percent all-digital interchangeable SLR System. The Olympus system provides professional photographers with powerful advantages in terms of edge-to-edge image quality, camera and lens size, durability, and speed.

The first camera in the Olympus E-System, the E-1 digital SLR, has won a succession of recent awards for its innovative design and superior performance from Popular Science, Professional Photographer, Electronic Publishing, the Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) and the PhotoImaging Manufacturers and Distributors Association (PMDA).

The E-System currently includes the E-1 digital SLR and six Zuiko Digital Specific Lenses: 11-22mm F2.8-3.5 wide-angle zoom lens; 14-54mm f2.8-3.5; 50-200mm f2.8-3.5; 50mm f2.0 1:2 Macro; 300mm f2.8 Super Telephoto; and TC14 1.4X Teleconverter. Also available are the FL-50 Flash and Accessories and the Power Battery Holder Set. For more information on the E-System, please visit www.olympusamerica.com/E-1

About Olympus
Olympus is a precision technology leader, designing and delivering innovative solutions in healthcare and consumer electronics worldwide.

Olympus works collaboratively with its customers and its parent company, Tokyo-based Olympus Corporation, to leverage R&D investment in precision technology and manufacturing processes across diverse business lines. These include:

• Gastrointestinal endoscopes, accessories, and minimally invasive surgical products;
• Advanced clinical and research microscopes;
• Lab automation systems, chemistry-immuno and blood bank analyzers and reagents; and
• Digital and film cameras, and digital voice recorders.

In the U. S. and Canada, Olympus serves healthcare, scientific and commercial laboratory markets with integrated product solutions and financial, educational and consulting services that help customers efficiently, reliably, safely, and easily achieve superior results. Olympus is the leader in gastrointestinal endoscopy and clinical and educational microscopes. The company’s market-leading consumer electronics business spans North and South America. For more information, visit www.olympusamerica.com.

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