Olympus slims down with Stylus 1040

[David Rasnake]

The most visually arresting new offering from Olympus this evening, the slim Olympus Stylus 1040 pushes the high-fashion envelope in the manufacturer's Stylus lineup of ultracompacts.

Sporting a 10.1 megapixel sensor and a 3x optical zoom, the sliding front 1040 offers twelve shooting modes including an Intelligent Auto setting and an in-camera panorama function. With a depth measurement of only 0.65 inches, the 1040 is also the slimmest Stylus model yet.

A 2.7-inch HyperCrystal LCD provides high-contrast image reproduction, glare control, and 140-degree viewability in every direction.

The newest Stylus incorporates a full complement of Olympus's current technologies, including multi-face face detection, Shadow Adjustment Technology, Smile Shot, Perfect Shot Preview, and Perfect Fix in-camera editing – all powered by a TruePic III image processor.

Digital Image Stabilization is employed to provide sharp shots in less than ideal lighting conditions; there's no optical or mechanical IS on the 1040, however.

As with the rest of this group of new models, the Stylus 1040 should be available in October, attractively priced somewhere around the $200 according to Olympus.

Olympus Stylus 1040 Specifications:

Sensor	10.1 megapixels, 1/2.33" CCD
Lens/Zoom	3x (38-114mm) zoom, f/3.5-5.0
LCD/Viewfinder	2.7", 230K-pixel HyperCrystal II LCD with five steps of backlight adjustment
Sensitivity	ISO 80-1600
Shutter Speed	1/2-1/2000 seconds
Shooting Modes	Program, Intelligent Auto, Scene, Movie
Scene Presets	Portrait, Landscape, Landscape with Portrait, Night Scene, Night Scene with Portrait, Sports, Self-portrait, Smile Shot, Cuisine
White Balance Settings	Auto, Daylight, Overcast, Tungsten, Fluorescent 1, Fluorescent 2, Fluorescent 3
Metering Modes	Digital ESP, Spot, Face Detection AE
Focus Modes	iESP Auto, Spot AF, Face Detection AF, Macro
Drive Modes	Not Specified
Flash Modes	Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Fill, Forced Off
Self Timer Settings	12 seconds, Off
Memory Formats	xD-Picture Card, microSD (with included adapter)
Internal Memory	48 MB
File Formats	JPEG, Motion JPEG
Max. Image Size	3648x2736
Max. Video Size	640x480, 30 fps
Zoom During Video	Not Specified
Battery	Lithium-ion rechargeable
Connections	USB 2.0, AV output
Additional Features	Digital Image Stabilization, Face Detection, Perfect Shot Preview, Shadow Adjustment Technology, In-Camera Panorama