Olympus and Ferrari announce new digicam
By
Mike Tomkins
(Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 01:39 EDT)
Olympus Japan has today announced a new digital camera model dubbed the "Ferrari DIGITAL MODEL 2004", in cooperation with Ferrari S.p.A. of Italy.
The new model, celebrating Olympus' sponsorship of the Ferrari Formula One racing team, follows in the footsteps of "Ferrari DIGITAL MODEL 2003" (first announced in September of last year). As with that camera, the '2004 model is based on an existing Olympus digital camera, and will be sold in limited quantities as a collector's item of interest to camera and Formula One motor racing enthusiasts.
The DIGITAL MODEL 2004 is based on the ultracompact Olympus Camedia AZ-1 which was announced last month, and hence most features are identical to that camera. 10,000 cameras will be sold worldwide, with 1,000 of these allocated to the Japanese market. The camera will be unveiled officially during this weekend's Monaco Grand Prix, probably the most prestigious event on the 18-race 2004 Formula One calendar. Reservations for the camera will be accepted from June 21st in Japan, with pricing set at ¥84,000 (approximately equivalent to US$736 / €614 / CAD$1,029 / £417, ignoring exchange rate fluctuations, taxes and duties.
As with the previous Ferrari digital camera, the new model gets a Ferrari-red color scheme and a new startup screen showing a Ferrari F2004 Formula One car. The startup screen is accompanied by a new startup sound replicating the engine sound of a Ferrari F2004, and a new Ferrari "picture frame" has been added to the slideshow function. The camera case and strap have been replaced with Ferrari-styled versions, and a photograph showing Ferrari drivers Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello, plus a CD-ROM with pictures from 1999 to 2003 (the five years in which Ferrari has won successive Formula One championships) are also enclosed.
Finally, since the cameras are released in a limited edition, each camera is engraved with its production run number and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity.
If/when the camera is announced in the USA, we'll post a separate news item detailing this. Specifications and product images follow:
| Ferrari DIGITAL MODEL 2004 |  | | Number of Effective Pixels | 3.2 million pixels | | Image Pickup Element | CCD | | Lens | | Structure | 9 elements in 7 groups | | Focal Length | 5.8-17.4mm (equivalent to 38-114mm zoom in 35mm camera format) | | Aperture | F2.9 (W) - F4.9 (T) | | Optical Zoom | 3x | | Digital Zoom | 2.7x (approx. 8x seamless zoom when combined with 3x optical zoom) | | Working Range | | Standard mode: 0.5m-infinity | | Macro mode: 0.3m-infinity | | Super Macro mode: 0.08m-0.3m (tele focal length only, Fill-in flash off) | | | Light Path | Optically folded light path | | | Recording | | Still Image Recording System | JPEG (DCF: Design rule for Camera File system), DPOF compatible, Exif2.2, PRINT Image Matching II | | Still Image Storage Capacity (when using bundled 16 MB xD-Picture Card) | | 2048 x 1536 / Super High: approx. 20 images | | 1600 x 1200 / High: approx. 33 images | | 1024 x 768 / PC Monitor: approx. 58 images | | 640 x 480 / E-Mail: approx. 99 images | | | Motion Image Recording System | QuickTime Motion JPEG (Frame rate: 15fps) | | Motion Image Storage Capacity (with sound recording when using bundled 16 MB xD-Picture Card) | | 320 x 240 pixels: up to approx. 41 sec. | | 160 x 120 pixels: up to approx. 149 sec. | | (entire memory media capacity can be used) | | | Sound Recording Format | WAVE format | | Recording Media | xD-Picture Card (16, 32, 64,128, 256, 512MB) | | | Viewfinder | None | | LCD Monitor | | Size / Type | 2.5-inch Mobile Advanced Super View semi-transmissive TFT color LCD with LED backlight | | Number of Pixels | Approx. 215,000 pixels | | | Playback | | Still Image Close-up | Magnification: 1.5x / 2.0x / 2.5x / 3.0x / 3.5x / 4.0x | | Still Image Index Display | Divided into 4 / 9 / 16 / 25 parts | | Still Image Rotation | 90 degrees / -90 degrees (Rotation information written in Exif) | | Still Image Slideshow | Yes | | Motion Image Playback | Normal, Fast Forward, Fast Reverse, Frame-by-Frame | | | Sensitivity | Auto (approx. ISO64-250) | | Focusing System | Auto focus, TTL contrast detection system | | Still Image Exposure Control | | Modes | Program Auto, Scene Program (Landscape, Landscape & People, Night Scene, Night Scene & People, Party, Fireworks, Sunset, Beautiful Skin Tone, Macro, Super Macro, Cuisine, Document, Manner Shot, Sports, Beach & Snow, Solo Travel, Candle, Sleeping Face, Show Window, 2-in-1, Panorama) | | Shutter Speed | 1/2 sec. - 1/725 sec. (Night Scene mode: up to 4 sec) | | Exposure Compensation | ±2EV in 1�/�3EV increments | | | Photometric Systems | Digital ESP metering, Spot metering | | White Balance | | Auto | Full-auto TTL | | Presets | Daylight, Overcast, Tungsten Light, Fluorescent Light | | | Flash | | Flash Working Range | | W: Approx. 0.3m-3.6m | | T: Approx. 0.3m-2.0m | | | Flash Modes | | Auto (automatic flash activation in low light or backlight) | | Red-eye reduction | | Fill-in | | Off | | | | Sequence Mode | Up to 3 frames at approx. 1 frame/sec. (in Super High mode) | | Special Functions | | Still Image Edit (separate file) | Monochrome, Sepia, Resize (640x480, 320x240), Rotation | | Motion Image Edit | Index image creation | | Special Image Processing | TruePic TURBO | | | PictBridge Support (supported functions vary according to printer) | | Supported Printers | PictBridge-enabled printers | | Paper Size Settings | Varies according to printer (up to A0 supported) | | Print Settings | Single-image print, multi-image print (up to 10), all image print (1 copy each), all image index print, date imprinting, file name printing (avail. only with single-image, multi-image, and all image print functions) | | Print Layout | Full-page (with�/�without border), multi-pane (2-250 multi-pane layout of single image) | | DPOF | DPOF print scheduling | | | Connectivity | | PC | | USB interface | | (Windows XP / Me / 98 / 2000, Mac OS 9.0-9.2 / X), | | PictBridge | | | TV | AV output terminal (NTSC / PAL switchable) | | Power Supply | DC input terminal | | | Power Supply | | AC adaptor | D-7AC (optional) | | Battery | LI-20B lithium-ion rechargeable battery | | | Dimensions | 94 (W) x 67(H) x 21.9(D) mm (excluding protrusions) | | Weight | 160g (excluding battery and media card) | | Bundled Accessories | xD-Picture Card (16MB), USB cable, AV cable, cradle, neckstrap, CD-ROM (CAMEDIA Information Disk, CAMEDIA Master 4.2), lens cap, lithium ion battery, AC adapter, AC adapter power cable | | More Photos |  |  | | . |
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