The Olympus µ [mju] 7050 is a new, 14-megapixel digital compact camera with 7x optical zoom, HD video recording and six Magic Filters. A successor to the mju 7040, the new mju 7050 gains the ability to apply four of its Magic Filters - Drawing, Pinhole, Pop and Punk/Rock - to movies. Punk/Rock and Soft Focus (the latter of which is only available for stills) are new, inasmuch as they were not available on the mju 7040, though Soft Focus had made its debut already as one of the “Art Filters” available on some of the manufacturer’s interchangeable-lens cameras. Apart from these novelties the Olympus mju 7050 appears almost identical to the mju 7040 (read review). It is scheduled to go on sale in Japan from late August.

Olympus Press Release

”µ-7050” Compact Digital Camera

14-megapixel CCD*3 and 7X zoom lens with wide angle of 28mm*4

Olympus Imaging Corporation (President: Masaharu Okubo) is pleased to announce the introduction of the µ-7050, featuring a 7x zoom lens, HD movie recording, six Magic Filters, and four Magic Movies which can apply the Magic Filters effects to movie recordings. It is scheduled to go on sale in Japan from late August, 2010.

Main Features

  1. High quality 14-megapixel CCD*3, “DUAL IS*5”, and 7x optical zoom lens with wide angle of 28mm*4
  2. HD movie (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264) recording on SD card
  3. High-capacity internal memory of 2GB*6 enables Photo-surfing on high-resolution 3 inch LCD monitor
  4. Six Magic Filters (still images) *1 and four Magic Movies (movies)*2 are available

Olympus “µ Series” compact digital cameras combine slim, stylish designs with outstanding high-magnification zooming performance. The new µ-7050 is equipped with TruePicIII image processing engine, which is originally developed for a Interchangeable lens digital camera, delivering natural color fidelity and wide dynamic range. Shooting functions evolved with an expanded range of 6 Magic Filters including 2 new filters and 4 Magic Movies, which apply Magic Filters effects to movie recordings. These functions make usual scenes a quick change into exciting atmosphere filled with fun and pleasurable surprise.

Boasting a high-magnification 7X optical zoom lens with wide-angle shooting capability in an ultra-slim body, the µ-7050 is the ultra-slim body camera to feature this level of power. The µ-7050’s impressive zoom capabilities are supported by a 14-megapixel 1/2.33-inch CCD that works together with the high-resolution lens to capture brilliant, high-definition images featuring natural, lifelike colours and impeccable details, accurately reproducing the subject throughout the image area. A built-in “DUAL IS” image stabilization based on high-sensitivity shooting and CCD-shift image stabilization mechanism compensates for image blur due to camera shake by adjusting the direction of the CCD.

HD movie (MPEG-4 AVC / H.264) recording

Extended HDTV (1280 x 720 pixels) movie recording is possible thanks to the advanced MPEG-4 AVC / H.264 movie compression format.*7 *8 *9 Movie recording can be manipulated by a dedicated movie REC button.*10 *11

Photo-surfing

Made possible by the incorporation of a 2 GB memory, photo-surfing allows you to download favorite pictures from your PC back to your camera, search desired pictures according to recording information such as “date”, and “scene mode”, and view them on the camera. It’s just like the camera version of netsurfing. With the provided [ib] software*12, users can create image collections based on various criteria such as who is in the picture or where it was shot.*13
Magic Filters

The µ-7050 features an expanded range of 6 Magic Filters, Pop, Pin Hole, Fisheye and Drawing inherited from the previous model, and newly added Punk and Soft Focus, plus 4 Magic Movies which are the Magic Filters effects applied to movie recordings. First in compact digital camera, Magic Movies recordings are available in Pop, Pin Hole, Drawing and Punk delivering distinct look and artistic feel.

Pop
Enhances colors, making them more vivid and bright to create high-impact images and movies. Also available in Magic Movie.

Pin Hole
Creates images and movies with a retro feel, reducing brightness at the periphery. Also available in Magic Movie.

Fisheye
Makes a photo mysterious feel with the effect of shooting with a fisheye lens.

Drawing
Transforms your photo and movie into an intriguing line drawing. Also available in Magic Movie.

Soft Focus
Creates a surreal, dreamy, romantic atmosphere such as a wedding scene.

Punk
Makes a photo and movie like a block print in pink and black. Also available in Magic Movie.

*1 Saved only images created with filters. In Drawing effect, image size is limited to 5 MB or less
*2 Pop, Pinhole, Drawing, and Rock are available.
*3 Effective pixels
*4 35mm camera equivalent
*5 The image stabilization effect varies depending on shooting conditions.
*6 The area available to the user is restricted.
*7 The available recording time varies depending on subject motion and shooting environment.
*8 The recording time per session is limited to less than 29 minutes.
*9 Recording is terminated automatically when the file size reaches 4 GB.
*10 When the HDMI control setting menu is set to ON.
*11 Restricted to devices compliant with HDMI 1.3a or later.
*12 Compatible with Windows OS only
*13 Tag information added using “ib” is required.
*14 Image size after compensation is limited to 5 MB. The compensation effect may vary between individuals.
*  Available colours: Silver, Pink and Black

Basic Performance

Effective pixels 14 megapixels
Optical zoom 7X
Wide-angle shooting 28mm (35mm camera equivalent)
Image stabilization DUAL IS (CCD-shift image stabilization & High-sensitivity shooting)
LCD size 3.0-inch, 230,000 dots
LCD type TFT colour
Movie recording HD movie (MPEG-4 AVC/H.264)

Other Features

  * Shadow Adjustment Technology that detects faces of subjects and optimizes focus and exposure accordingly
  * Beauty Mode *14 to touch up human faces for more attractive results
  * Scene Modes for one-touch shooting adjustment in difficult environments as well as in standard conditions
  * HDMI output control for operations including picture selection and frame-by-frame advancement using a TV’s remote control *10 *11
  * Face Detection AF with which the camera detects and focuses on human faces automatically
  * iAUTO function that analyzes the current composition and optimizes camera settings automatically
  * In-body panorama composition function that lets you shoot a panorama picture by simply panning the camera as guided
  * Key Backlight for easier button operations even in dark places
  * USB battery charging enables the camera battery to be recharged from a PC while automatically storing and organizing recorded data in the PC
  * AF Tracking to keep a moving subject in focus by tracking it automatically
  * Perfect Shot Preview function for compensating the exposure and white balance by comparing images on the LCD screen
  * Intuitive menu operation using new user interface and scroll dial
  * Compatible media: SD memory card / SDHC memory card

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