Olympus introduce the CAMEDIA C-700 Ultra Zoom, a compact, easy-to-handle digital camera equipped with a bright, powerful, F2.8 - 3.5 10x optical zoom lens. The lens has a zoom range that is equivalent to 38 - 380mm on a conventional 35mm, and when used in tandem with the built-in digital zoom function, offers the equivalent of 1000mm telephoto power. The camera offers full-auto shooting convenience, and its compact size makes it extremely easy to handle. Olympus introduced its first 10x optical zoom digital camera, the CAMEDIA C-2100 Ultra Zoom, in August 2000. It was a camera that made the most of the inherent advantages of digital technology, and made the light-gathering power and versatility of a bright, F2.8 - 3.5 10x optical zoom lens accessible for the first time -- because on a conventional silver-halide film camera, such a lens would have to be extremely large and costly to produce. The new CAMEDIA C-700 Ultra Zoom makes this power even more accessible and affordable. Although it is even lighter and more compact than its predecessor, it offers the same high image quality because the lens is specifically designed to match the performance characteristics of the camera's 2.11-megapixel CCD. In addition, the 10x optical zoom can be used in tandem with the digital zoom function to achieve maximum telephoto power of 1000mm. The CAMEDIA C-700 Ultra Zoom also features iESP* auto focus, iESP auto white balance, digital ESP light metering, as well as Portrait, Sport and other auto exposure modes. As a result, it makes high quality, 10x zoom photography extremely easy to enjoy. It also features manual exposure control, auto bracketing, multi-spot metering, one-touch white balance settings, and a range of other features for greater creative control. Ease of use is enhanced by a new settings menu that can be displayed on the camera's built-in color LCD monitor, and the AE lock button can customized by the user to provide instant access to frequently used settings. Other features include motion JPEG recording, sepia and monochrome shooting modes, and a White/Black board shooting mode.
With its light, compact body and 10x optical zoom lens, the CAMEDIA C-700 Ultra Zoom combines superior image quality with the inherent performance advantages of digital technology to offer consumers an entirely new photographic experience. * iESP=Intelligent Electro Selective Pattern Main Features Bright, High-Performance 10x Optical Zoom Lens in a Compact Body The CAMEDIA C-700 Ultra Zoom measures only 107.5mm (W) x 76mm (H) x 77.5mm (D) (excluding protrusions) and weighs only 310.5 grams. The lens incorporates one glass aspherical element and one element that is aspherical on both sides. As a result, it is extremely compact despite offering the advantages of a bright F2.8 - 3.5 aperture range and powerful 10x optical zoom. The camera's light, compact design makes it easy to carry, while the lens allows photographers to shoot everyday subjects in dramatic new ways, and capture subjects that they never could before. When used in combination with the digital zoom function, a maximum of 27x magnification is possible (equivalent to 1000mm telephoto on a 35mm film camera). 
Built-In High-Performance Features High-Performance Zoom Lens and 2.11-Megapixel CCD for Superior Image Quality Image quality is outstanding because the lens is specifically designed to maximize the imaging potential of the camera's 2,110,000-pixel, 1/2.7-inch CCD. In addition, users can shoot in either JPEG or uncompressed TIFF mode, at sizes ranging from 1600 x 1200 pixels to 640 x 480 pixels. High-Accuracy iESP* Autofocus iESP autofocusing improves conventional center-weighted contrast analysis accuracy by dividing the center portion of the image into a greater number of sectors when performing analysis. As a result, focusing accuracy is less likely to be affected by background elements when the primary subject is not in the center of the frame. * iESP=Intelligent Electro Selective Pattern iESP Auto White Balance for Accurate Color Proprietary iESP auto white balance technology compares average values for the entire frame with values for the area immediately around the subject to accurately determine subject color and surrounding lighting conditions. As a result, users are assured of natural colors and skin tones under a wide range of lighting conditions. Easy Handling and Operation New, Easy-to-Use Settings Menu The settings menu displayed on the camera's built-in color LCD monitor has been significantly improved for greater ease of use. The top-level directory displays one gateway that gives users access to all of the advanced settings, and three gateways that users can customize to provide quick access to the settings they use most frequently. Even when using the full-function advanced settings gateway, a new four-tab menu display (Shooting, Image Quality, Card, Settings) makes it easy for users to find the setting they are looking for. Convenient User-Programmable Custom Button The AE Lock button does double duty as a custom button that users can set to perform a particular function. It's a convenient way to access features with a single touch. Easy-to-Operate Control Buttons Separate buttons are provided for flash, light metering and macro mode controls to allow these frequently used features to be activated at a moment's notice. A separate ON/OFF switch is also provided. 0.55-Inch TFT Color LCD Monitor A built-in, 0.55-inch TFT color LCD monitor provides parallax-free viewing across the entire 10x zoom range. In addition, information about essential settings is displayed inside the regular viewfinder so that users can keep their eye to eyepiece when shooting ultra-telephoto pictures, moving subjects and motion JPEGs. Storage-Class* USB Interface A storage-class USB interface and USB cable are provided for fast easy downloading of large image files. In addition, image files in the camera can be manipulated using Windows Explorer or other third-party software applications. * Supported operating systems: Windows 98; Windows 2000 Professional; Windows Me; Mac OS 9.0 or higher. Versatile Modes for Enhanced Creativity Versatile Exposure Modes In addition to Program AE, Aperture-Priority AE, Shutter-Speed-Priority AE, Manual exposure modes, the CAMEDIA C-700 Ultra Zoom features full-auto Portrait, Sports and Landscape Photo exposure modes. In Manual exposure mode, shutter speeds of up to 16 seconds can be set. An AE lock function is also provided. A Choice of Light Metering Modes In addition to digital ESP metering (for backlit and high-contrast situations), spot metering is also offered. In Spot mode, users can take up to eight readings and fine-tune their exposures to get the precise results they want. Exposure Compensation and Auto-Bracketing Exposure compensation of up to +-2EV can be set in 1/3-step increments. In addition, a convenient auto-bracketing function is provided to automatically adjust the exposure settings up and down from the standard setting to ensure that a perfectly exposed picture is always captured. Versatile Flash Mode Settings In addition to Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Off and Fill-In flash modes, a Slow Shutter Synchronization mode (with first- or second-curtain effect) is offered. As a result, photographers can capture natural-looking images of people with a darkened room or city lights in the background, as well as 'trails' created by moving lights or other subjects. 4-Step Pre-Set White Balance Settings In addition to Auto White Balance, pre-set white balance settings are provided for daylight, overcast, tungsten light and fluorescent light. As a result, users can obtain correct color balance even if lighting conditions are too complex to be handled by the Auto White Balance function. Sharpness Settings Hard, Normal and Soft image sharpness settings allow users to choose the level of image sharpness that best suits their purpose (i.e., printing, image manipulation, etc.). Contrast Settings Image contrast can be set to High, Normal or Low according to the user's preference. ISO Sensitivity Settings ISO sensitivity can be adjusted to facilitate flash-free indoor photography, eliminate blurriness caused by camera shake at high telephoto settings, or otherwise achieve the user's creative goals. The settings are approximately equivalent to ISO 100, 200, 400 and 800. Other Convenient Features 2.7x Digital Zoom for Telephoto Power Equivalent to 1000mm 2.7x digital zoom can be used in tandem with the 10x optical zoom lens to achieve seamless 27x zooming that offers maximum telephoto power equivalent to 1000mm on a conventional 35mm camera. The digital zoom can be used for both still and motion JPEG shooting. Convenient File Name Setting Consecutive numbering can be applied even when memory cards are removed and replaced, greatly simplifying image file management. Duplicate file and folder name problems are eliminated, and downloaded image files are much easier to organize and manage. Special Shooting Modes In addition to regular color images, the CAMEDIA C-700 Ultra Zoom can be used to take sepia or monochrome photos. There are also special White and Black board modes that automatically ensure maximum legibility when photographing text written on a white board or black board. Continuous Shooting Mode Continuous shooting is possible in all modes except TIFF. In HQ mode, more than six shots can be taken at a speed of approximately 1.5 frames per second. Rotated Image Display Captured images can be rotated by 90 degrees or 270 degrees for viewing. Pictures taken with the camera rotated for vertical framing will therefore be displayed with the correct orientation when viewed on the camera's LCD monitor, or as a slideshow displayed on a TV. Audio Recording Capability A built-in microphone is provided for audio recording. Sound can be recorded during motion-JPEG shooting, and a 4-second (approx.) sound byte can be recorded immediately after a still picture is taken. Still-image sound memos can also be recorded or re-recorded later, and recording can be switched off during motion-JPEG shooting if it is not needed. External Flash Connection Terminal An optional Olympus FL-40 dedicated external flash unit can be attached to the CAMEDIA C-700 Ultra Zoom via the optional FL-BK01 flash bracket and FL-CB01 bracket cable. With the FL-40 linked to the camera, photographers can take advantage of an expanded range of creative flash functions. AV Output Terminal An AV output terminal and cable are provided for sound and image playback on a standard TV set. LB-01 (CR-V3) Lithium Battery Pack Included as Standard Equipment Two CR-V3 lithium batteries are included as standard equipment. The batteries provide sufficient power for approximately 150 pictures under normal operating conditions; if the camera is operated continuously, over 4,000 pictures can be taken.1 NiMH batteries and an AC adapter are also available as options. If necessary, the camera can also be used with commercially available NiCd or alkaline batteries. * Test conditions for continuous operation: SQ (640 x 480) mode, LCD monitor off, flash off, no image display or file downloading. Test conditions for normal operation: repeated 2-shot shutter release followed by 10 minutes of rest, HQ mode, LCD monitor on when shooting, flash used on 50% of shots, continuous AF off, Zooming for each shoot, no image display or file downloading. Optional Conversion Lenses By attaching an optional lens adapter CLA-4 to the CAMEDIA C-700 Ultra Zoom, photographers can extend the camera's shooting capabilities with the optional WCON-08 wide-angle conversion lens and MCON-40 macro conversion lens. The company names and product names are the trademarks or registered trademarks of each company. Image (c) Olympus Corporation - All rights reserved - Olympus Press Release - 21.03.2001
