Color. Power. Style. Find Your Verve.

Melville, New York, September 3, 2004 – When the world's top designers meet this month under the tents in New York City's Bryant Park, Olympus is proud to be one of them. In an unprecedented product launch, Olympus will release the new Stylus Verve 4.0-megapixel digital camera in 6 brilliant designer colors to make a fashion statement on the runways as the Official Camera of Olympus Fashion Week. The Verve has a compact and durable all-metal, all-weather body with a breakthrough shape that's sure to dazzle wherever it goes.

“The Stylus Verve lives up to its name as a camera that is full of vitality that will inspire users to elevate their creativity to a higher level of self-expression,” said Richard Campbell, product marketing director, Olympus America Inc. “In six electrifying new colors, there is a model to suit everyone's personal sense of style so you can find your Verve. It continues the tradition of power, performance and all-weather durability synonymous with the Olympus Stylus Digital series. This is truly a camera that looks as great as the images it produces.”

Delivering Style

Olympus designers have turned a corner with a radical out-of-the-box design for the Stylus Verve. Instead of an angular boxy body, the new Verve has rounded corners and a smooth contoured shape that looks as though it's been forged by the force of water for centuries. In Silver, Blue, Black, White, Red, and Copper colors, the Verve's metal body is made to mix and match with your own style.

At a compact size of only 3.74" x 2.18" x 1.08", and a weight of just 3.7 ounces, the Verve – the smallest Olympus digital camera introduced to date – fits snugly in a hip pocket, shirt-front pocket, purse, tote bag or backpack so it can make a memorable impression wherever you take it.

The Verve employs a new circular lens barrier that tucks away inside the camera body with a satisfying snap when the power is turned on, and protects it by creating a durable, impermeable seal from the elements when closed. The camera comes to life with a start-up sound of either a sports car engine, a pleasing chime or a lively electronic “Whew!” as well as a customizable start-up image on the LCD. The Verve also has three different catchy shutter sounds to choose from. Atop the camera's body is a unique rotating mode dial that spins to set the camera to take pictures, record movies or review images taken.

Designed to Do More

Because it's a Stylus, the Verve's lightweight and ergonomic metal body provides all-weather protection from the elements, so it's fine to take the camera outside in a downpour, on the slopes, on the yacht or in a blizzard. Rubber gaskets throughout the camera's interior insure that rain, sleet and snow can't stop the Verve from taking incredibly clear and colorful images in any weather condition – get the camera wet, wipe it off, and keep on shooting.

Thanks to the Stylus Verve's new HyperCrystal™ LCD, a bright 1.8-inch display with 134,000 pixels of sharp resolution, taking and sharing images is enhanced. This new LCD is designed to deliver a 160° angle of viewing so it can be seen clearly from above, from the side, and from below by a group of people at once, or on your own. Where conventional LCD displays fail to deliver clear, visible pictures under bright conditions, the Stylus Verve HyperCrystal LCD is viewable even in bright sunlight at the beach or on the slopes.

Designed For You

The process of taking images has also been streamlined for maximum efficiency. For example, the Stylus Verve has 16 selectable Scene Program Modes that cover the gamut of possible shooting situations: Portrait, Self-Portrait, Landscape, Beach & Snow, Indoors, Cuisine, Night Scene, Fireworks, Panorama and more. Accessing these modes is as simple as a push of a new navigation control pad that allows users to quickly and easily cycle through the various settings displayed on the LCD screen menu.

Once a picture is taken the ability to create a unique image just begins. In-camera editing effects like Soft Focus, Fish Eye, Black and White, and Sepia, allow you to apply an effect to the image directly inside the camera, saving a copy of the original image along with your fun new creation.

The camera's QuickTime Movie Mode with sound can be used to make mini movies with a length limited only by the amount of available memory on the media card. Movies of life's everyday achievements and events can be downloaded and emailed to friends and family across town or around the world.

PictBridge support allows direct printing from the Stylus Verve to any PictBridge-enabled printer, like the Olympus P-10 Digital Photo Printer, without using a computer. In addition, t ransferring images to the computer has never been easier with the Auto-Connect USB 2.0 that does not require software drivers (for most computers/operating systems) for hassle-free and high-speed image downloads. The Verve also comes with a rechargeable Li-Ion battery and charger.

Digital image management has never been easier than with OLYMPUS Master™ software that enables users of Olympus digital cameras to get the most out of their digital experience. With a logical and intuitive user interface, OLYMPUS Master allows users to instantly store and manage images, by keyword or by shooting date, in an easily-searchable Calendar View database so they never misplace digital photos again. Powerful, one-click editing tools – including improved red-eye reduction – enable users to optimize their images prior to printing on a postcard, index card, calendar, or via online services. Online support, templates, firmware upgrades and other services are just a mouse-click away.

Intelligent Design for the Most Realistic Digital Images

With a f3.5-f5.9, 2x optical zoom lens (35-70mm equivalent in 35mm photography) and 4x digital zoom, the Stylus Verve delivers a seamless 8x total zoom to bring the action closer. The very best picture quality is always assured thanks to incorporation of the TruePic TURBO image processor, which delivers a broad color spectrum of light and dark colors with breathtaking clarity. Camera start-up and shot-to-shot time are also enhanced so no photo opportunity is missed.

Availability

The Stylus Verve will be available in September 2004. It includes a 16MB xD-Picture Card, Wrist Strap, Li-Ion Rechargeable Battery and Charger, USB cable, Audio-Video Cable, Quick Start Guide, Instruction Manual, CD with OLYMPUS Master Editing Software. A metal neck strap, leather carrying case, water-resistant underwater housing, AC Adapter and AC Power Coupler are optional accessories.

U.S. Pricing

Stylus Verve Estimated Street Price: $349.99 (U.S.)

For more information, review units and high-resolution images of the Stylus Verve, contact Michael Bourne, Mullen Public Relations, 650-210-9857 or [email protected] , or Chris Sluka, senior public relations manager, Olympus America Inc, Consumer Products Group, Two Corporate Center Dr., Melville, NY, P.O. Box 9058, 11747-9058, ph: (631) 844-5000 (800) 622-6372, Fax: (631) 844-5262 or the Olympus Web Site: http://www.olympusamerica.com .

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:

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

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.

Specifications and design are subject to change without any notice or obligation on the part of the manufacturer.

All trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective holder.

©2004 Olympus America Inc.

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