Combines Point and Shoot Simplicity with an Array of Custom Controls for Under $200

New York, NY (October 30, 2003) - Microtek today introduced the newest member of its family of digital imaging products -- the Take-It TX1, Microtek s first CCD-based digital still camera. In their tradition of breaking price-value barriers, Microtek does it again with the Take-It TX1 3.34 Megapixel CCD digital camera, targeted at consumers who have varying levels of photographic expertise. The Take-It TX1 offers a wealth of easy-to-use, automated features for the consumer who wants point and shoot convenience. Yet it is also an affordable alternative for the photo enthusiast or hobbyist who enjoys the versatility of manual exposure control by adjusting shutter speed and aperture settings. The Take-It TX1 s image sensor is a custom-designed 2.7 inch Super HAD CCD that delivers a native resolution of 2048 x 1536 and interpolated resolution up to 2560 x 1920. Microtek s Take-It TX1 has a 9x combined image zoom, 3x optical and 3x digital, along with a non-interpolated Total Sensor Zoom feature.

The Take-It TX1 will allow Microtek to rapidly gain global market traction. This well-designed, quality digital camera enters the market at a very favorable $199.99 estimated street price. And with its impressive menu of automated pre-sets and manual controls, it will be hard to beat, said Sam Samimi, vice-president sales and marketing at Microtek. As is customary with our products, we strive to minimize the total cost of ownership to our customers. The Take-It TX1 offers tremendous value with the 3.34 MP CCD--both LCD and optical viewfinders to frame shots, built-in microphone and speaker, nine-image display, Direct Printing Output Format, a continuous shooting option, and even unlimited video capture depending on the size of available memory.

The Take-It TX1 is both stylish and functional. The attractive, palm-sized camera has a silver finish accented with chrome, along with a sculpted hand-grip for convenient, comfortable handling. Its 1.5 inch LTPS TFT color LCD facilitates viewing and framing to capture what the user is actually seeing. The camera s built-in lens cover automatically opens when the user turns the power button on. To preserve battery life, the Take-It TX1 provides an adjustable time-out setting triggering the camera to power down into sleep mode. Its convenient Quick Review button lets a user preview the last image taken with the option of deleting, protecting, or adding up to a tensecond voice memo with the camera s built-in microphone and speaker. Using Playback Mode, additional annotations can be added to selected images stored in memory. With the camera s self timer, which can be set to a 3-to 10-second delay, it is easy for everyone to be a part of that very special group photo of family and friends.

The Take-It TX1 is loaded with automatic pre-sets that deliver great shots with just the right exposure, contrast, and focus. With the camera s many auto features, snapshots of family, special events and holidays can have a professional touch. For instance, the Take-It TX1 supports 12 intelligent Scene Modes that automatically adjust the camera s settings to produce optimal results. Additional easy-to-use automatic features for capturing the best image possible include auto focus; auto white balance; spot, center-weighted, and full-zone average exposure metering; auto bracketing; Macro-mode for capturing small subjects such as flowers; and two continuous shooting modes.

Additionally, with various manual options, the Take-It TX1 offers the photo enthusiast hands-on photographic control of their digital image. For example, aperture control extends from F2.8 to F7.0 and manual shutter speeds range from 2 seconds to 1/1000 second. ISO sensitivity can be adjusted from ISO 50 to ISO 400 for various ambient light conditions. To improve contrast ratio, adjustment of EV compensation is available at +/- 2.0. The built-in flash, which has a red-eye reduction option, can be automatic, set to forced flash, or disabled. Another useful feature is the camera s Slow Sync mode, particularly suited to night shots requiring both slow shutter speed and flash.

To store images, the Take-It TX1 comes with 8MB of internal memory and a Secure Digital (SD) expandable memory slot. Supported file formats include JPEG for still shots, WAV for audio, and MPEG 4 for movie frames. Data transfer is via USB 1.1 connectivity and the Audio/Video (AV) output port is provided for television viewing.

To complete the package, Microtek bundles highly functional software including Ulead s Photo Explorer and DVD Picture Show, and Adobe s Photoshop Album SE and Acrobat. The camera comes with USB cable, video cable, two AA alkaline batteries, carrying pouch and wrist strap.

The Microtek Take-It TX1 digital camera will be available in December 2003 through Microtek's global distribution channels including Ingram Micro, Tech Data, distributors of photographic equipment and supplies, system integrators and value-added resellers, as well as the direct mail and retail channels.

Microtek is a global leader in designing and manufacturing desktop digital imaging products that help improve communications and digital workflow efficiency. Known for its first-to-market scanning technology with over 100 patents worldwide, Microtek continues to provide a wide range of desktop imaging solutions with its ScanMaker" and ArtixScan" lines - to users ranging from the mass market, to high-end professional desktop publishers, printers and pre-press service providers. Founded in 1980, Microtek International, Inc. is headquartered in Science-based Industry Park, Hsinchu, Taiwan. The company has a strong global presence with major operations and distribution channels in 53 countries around the world. Information about Microtek can be found on the Web at www.microtek.com.