Olympus Press Release 30/09/03

Olympus celebrates Ferrari F1 sponsorship with limited edition Mju 400.

- The first digital camera in the world to be officially authorised by Ferrari SpA
- Sleek, stylish, all-weather metal body with official Ferrari team colours and logo

Just in time for Christmas, Olympus launches the first, and only, digital camera in the world currently branded by Ferrari SpA. The ?Ferrari DIGITAL MODEL 2003? is a limited-edition camera, developed to celebrate the Olympus sponsorship of the Ferrari Scuderia Formula One Racing Team. The camera will be available in the UK by mid-November 2003. 

Olympus became an official sponsor of the Scuderia Ferrari Marlboro F1 racing team at the start of the 2003 Formula One racing season.

The Ferrari DIGITAL MODEL 2003 is based on the all-weather Mju 400 digital camera. Its distinctive design reflects the style and quality that are hallmarks of Ferrari craftsmanship. The body of the camera is finished in distinctive Ferrari Red, and the lens barrier is adorned with the world famous “Cavallino Rampante - Prancing Horse” logo, featured on Ferrari road cars and F1 racing cars.

When the camera is switched on, the built-in colour LCD monitor displays the Ferrari name and logo, as well as an image of a Ferrari F1 racing car. As a limited-edition model with a production run of only 10,000 units worldwide, each camera is stamped with a unique production number.

The Ferrari Red finish was subjected to approximately five times as many checks as usual to ensure colour accuracy, and the external aluminium parts were hand-polished and given a special coating to ensure a level of lustre and durability which are extremely difficult to achieve through ordinary mass-production methods.

A limited-edition camera designed to appeal to both motor sport fans and the style conscious photographer, the Ferrari DIGITAL MODEL 2003 comes complete with a red-toned suede-textured camera case and custom-designed camera strap, both of which are emblazoned with the Ferrari logo. A Certificate of Authenticity bearing the serial number is also included, along with a greeting card featuring autographed photos of the Ferrari drivers Michael Schumacher and Rubens Barrichello.

The Ferrari DIGITAL MODEL 2003 boasts all the top-class features of the Mju 400 digital camera, including:

- a compact high-resolution lens and 4 megapixel CCD
- a stylish all-weather metal body
- fully automatic mode plus five scene programmes for operational ease
- versatile white balance settings
- digital ESP metering as well as spot metering
- movie recording function
- exposure compensation and several image editing functions

High performance ? [mju:] 400 DIGITAL camera functions:

All-weather protection
The compact and stylish metal body features exclusive Olympus all-weather technology to ensure protection equivalent to IEC Standard Publication 529 IPX4 (protection against water splashed from any direction). As a result, the Ferrari DIGITAL MODEL 2003 allows worry-free shooting in rain or snow, and can be used at beaches, pools, ski resorts, and other locations where the use of a digital camera has previously been problematic.

High image quality
A compact, high-resolution lens and 4.0 megapixel CCD ensure that the compact Ferrari DIGITAL MODEL 2003 is capable of delivering truly stunning image quality.

Superior handling and response
Advanced technologies ensure top-class digital camera handling ease and shooting response for an improved user experience.

Ease of operation
The Full Auto mode provides simple and intuitive point-and-shoot operation. In addition, there are five Scene Program modes (portrait, night scene, landscape-portrait, landscape, and self-portrait) with optimised settings for frequently encountered shooting situations.

Versatile white balance settings
In addition to an auto white balance mode that assures faithful reproduction of skin tones, four preset white balance settings are provided (daylight, overcast, tungsten light, fluorescent light).

Light metering modes
Two light metering modes are offered: digital ESP metering, which ensures natural-looking exposures even when shooting in backlight or in high-contrast situations; and spot metering, which allows exposure values to be set to suit a specific area of the composition.

Exposure compensation
Exposure compensation of up to ?2EV can be set in 1/3EV increments.

Easy to use in-camera image editing functions
A number of still-image editing operations can be performed directly in the camera, eliminating the need to download images to a personal computer for editing. Because the edited version is automatically stored in a separate area of memory, there is no need to worry that the original image will be overwritten.

- Crop and merge (2-in-1) function
When this feature is activated, the camera automatically combines the next two shots into a single split-screen image.
- Monochrome & sepia modes
Monochrome or sepia-tone versions of photos taken in colour can be saved separately at the touch of a button.
- Resize function
The resize function saves a smaller-sized duplicate of the original image, making it possible to create photo e-mail attachments right in the camera.

All-in-one package
The all-in-one package includes everything necessary for image editing and storage, allowing entry-level users to begin enjoying digital photography straight away.

Long life batteries for worry-free shooting
To ensure worry-free shooting, the dedicated rechargeable lithium-ion battery provides power for approximately 150 shots under normal operating conditions. Recharging time is approximately two hours.

Test conditions for normal operation: repeated 2-shot shutter release followed by 10 minutes of rest; one zoom round trip per shot; HQ mode; LCD monitor and flash used on 50% of shots; no digital zoom, image display or file downloading; 25?C ambient temperature.

QuickTime Motion-JPEG shooting
QuickTime Motion-JPEG movies with a frame advance speed of 15 frames-per-second can be recorded. Up to about 16 seconds can be recorded at a resolution of 320 x 240 pixels, and up to about 70 seconds can be recorded at a resolution of 160 x 120 pixels.