Olympus UK Press Release 01/05/04

New price structure for Olympus E-1 offers professional system at consumer value

Olympus announces a new price for the multi award-winning Olympus E-1 digital SLR camera.

From the 1st May 2004 the camera will be available at new RRPs of:
Olympus E-1 body only: ?999.00 (inc VAT)
Olympus E-1 kit (body and 14-54mm lens): ?1,399.00 (inc VAT)

The camera has scooped numerous awards, including the TIPA (Technical Image Press Association) award for Best Innovative Technology 2003/2004, the DIWA (Digital Imaging Websites Association) awards for Best Professional System 2003 and Best Innovation 2003, and the BIPP (British Institute of Professional Photography) award for Best New Product 2003.

The Olympus E-System is the first product to be launched based on the Four Thirds Standard and is the world?s first fully digital SLR camera system. It offers new benchmarks for professional image quality and performance. All components and accessories of the Olympus E-System ? from the camera body and flash units, to interchangeable lenses ? have been expressly designed for digital use and ensure the system?s performance potential is maximised in every instance. The Olympus E-System hails a new chapter in the history of photography, breaking the mould of previous digital SLR solutions.

The Olympus E-System?s ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses are designed to maximise the performance and feature telecentric optics, which are required by digital cameras to give images perfect colour, clarity and brightness from the centre to the periphery of the frame. The growing list of ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses currently available includes (35mm equivalent values in brackets):

- ED 300mm, F2.8 tele (600mm)
- ED 150mm, F2.0 (300mm)
- E 14~54mm, F2.8~3.5 zoom (28~108mm)
- ED 50mm F2.0 macro (100mm)
- ED 50~200mm, F2.8~3.5 zoom (100-400mm)
- E 11~22mm. F2.8~3.5 zoom (22~44mm)

In addition to these lenses, a comprehensive list of accessories is now available, including a Macro Flash System (ring and twin) and external power supply.