TIPA Awards for the Olympus E-620 & μ TOUGH-8000

Hamburg, 17 April 2009 - The Olympus E-620 & μ TOUGH-8000 have been recognised as the leaders of their respective camera categories at the annual Technical Image Press Association (TIPA) awards for products and technologies in the field of photography. This year, the Four Thirds-based E-620 won the prestigious award for "Best D-SLR Entry Level", while the μ Tough-8000 was named "Best Rugged D-camera" of the year. TIPA is comprised of members from 29 independent publications based in 13 countries around the world.

Clearly impressed by its ease of use and accessibility, the TIPA jury had this to say about the Olympus E-620 - the world's smallest and lightest creative digital SLR with built-in image stabilisation: "This lightweight 4/3 D-SLR camera features enough technologies to satisfy all novice photographers". In selecting the Olympus E-620 as the "Best D-SLR Entry Level" for 2009, the jury also noted that "beyond the 3200 ISO sensitivity of its Live MOS 12.3 MP sensor, we welcome its autofocus system with 7 points, several artistic filters and the swivelling display which allows the use of Live View from all angles". The new award-winning E-620 sees Olympus chalking up another success in its mission to put advanced digital photography technologies into the hands of ambitious photographers everywhere.

In an exceptional double whammy, success for Olympus products at TIPA continued with the μ TOUGH-8000 being recognised as 2009's "Best Rugged D-camera". Noting its all-weather, all-terrain resilient features, the judges remarked: "The Olympus μ TOUGH-8000 is perfect for those who want to push things to their limits. It's waterproof to 10m, shockproof to falls from up to 2m, freeze-proof down to temperatures as low as -10°C and crushproof to weights of up to 100kg". The robust model offers a 3.6x wide zoom lens, Dual Image Stabilisation, and TAP Control to enable operation in all weather conditions by simply tapping on the casing. The TIPA judges concluded: "Being tough doesn't mean that the camera doesn't have advanced photographic options", noting that it "incorporates the latest technology with features such as Face Detection and Shadow Adjustment Technology".

For further information, please contact:

Franziska Jorke Olympus Europa Holding GmbH Tel.: +49-40-237 73-4759

Email: franziska.jorke@olympus-europa.com