Olympus has announced the release of two new camera bodies: The lightweight E-410 and the versatile E-510. Olympus also announced the release of a successor to the E-1, scheduled for later in the year.

The pair come complete with an enhanced Live View rear-panel LCD, enabling users to frame their subject directly on the 2.5” HyperCrystal LCD panel as opposed to using the viewfinder.

The E-510 comes complete with a mechanical image stabiliser built directly into its body, whilst both camera’s offer ‘quality, robustness and flexibility to live up to the rigorous demands of the ambitious photographer’.

For more information, visit www.olympus.co.uk

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See below for full press release



Las Vegas, 4 March 2007 – Olympus is pleased to announce a major expansion to the E-System, its innovative series of digital SLR cameras and accessories. Two new camera bodies are being introduced: The ultra-compact and lightweight E-410 turns heads as the extremely portable D-SLR, while the E-510 boasts versatility and high-performance with a mechanical image stabiliser built directly into the body. A third D-SLR – the eagerly awaited successor to the groundbreaking E-1, which is destined to become the flagship of the Olympus E-System line-up – will make its debut later this year. All three cameras boast the advantage of Live View, with an enhanced rear-panel LCD bringing a new level of usability to D-SLR photography. This capability, together with a wealth of professional level features and functions, will form the basis of the forthcoming successor to the E-1. The highly anticipated, exciting new D-SLR body will boast tremendous performance and functionality, taking picture quality, mobility and reliability to unprecedented levels.

With the announcement of plans for E-System expansion, Olympus ushers in the next chapter of the story that began in autumn 2003. As the world’s first fully digital SLR camera based on the Four Thirds Standard, the E-1 marked the beginning of a new era. Today, this award winning camera’s legacy lives on in both the E-410 – with its light and compact body – and the E-510, which benefits from innovative technology such as a mechanical image stabiliser built directly into its body. These D-SLRs offer the ultimate in quality, robustness and flexibility to live up to the rigorous demands of ambitious photographers – no matter what the situation.

“Stunning results, intuitive design and superior reliability anyplace, anytime – these were the demands these cameras had to meet. Our R&D team did an incredible job. The proof – which you can preview here at PMA – is plain to see: D-SLR photography has evolved as a result of the Four Thirds Standard and the E-System. We’re able to do things that aren’t possible according to conventional SLR concepts. So why should professionals have to limit themselves? We have the solution here and will continue to develop technologies that will be incorporated in future models, such as the successor to the E-1, that will deliver the highest reliability and extreme performance,” explains Michael Handa, Executive Managing Director, Olympus Imaging Europe.

Inheriting all the superb features that made the E-1 the benchmark for digital SLR cameras, the new camera's performance will be enhanced with the addition of powerful new functions, a rugged design to withstand heavy-duty professional use, improved specifications and greater system extendibility.