Olympus Announces Minimalist D-425

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January 5^th, 2005, Las Vegas, Nevada � *Olympus opens the year with the beginner-friendly, 4.0 megapixel Olympus D-425. Offering nine preset settings, intuitive 15 and 30 fps movie modes, and an accessible help guide, the D-425's �one-touch� design brings enhanced performance to digital camera novices.

�The D-425 was developed with the first time digital camera user in mind. Every feature was designed for simplicity and ease of use,� according to Naoki Tai, product manager, Olympus Imaging America Inc.

To augment the camera�s simple layout and structure, a 1/2.5-inch 4.0 megapixel CCD and TruePic TURBO Image Processor are included. Along with enhanced image quality and naturalistic color representation, the TruePic TURBO processor improves startup time and recording speeds while reducing shutter lag.

With a fixed 36.7mm (equivalent) lens but virtually no manual control available, the D-425 expresses a minimalist aesthetic, offering an individual review button to access playback mode directly. The simplistic �one touch� configuration is further aided by the inclusion of an optional on-screen help guide that offers brief descriptions and analysis of the various modes and functions offered on the D-425.

Printing is as simple as shooting with the Olympus D-425. A USB Auto Connect feature links the camera directly to a computer without reliance on accompanying software. The D-425 is PictBridge enabled to ensure compliance with specified PictBridge printers.

Aiding in portability and convenience, the 4.0� x 2.0� x 1.4� D-425 runs off two AA alkaline batteries and includes 14MB of internal memory to supplement the camera�s xD media card slot.

The Olympus D-425 should be available for purchase later in January at an estimated $149.99 (USD) street price.