Olympus Reveals Nine New Point-And-Shoot Cameras [Olympus' New Cameras Feature HD Video Recording, HDMI out, Wild Colors]

Not all of us can figure out SLR cameras and their lens and moment of expose and all that. For us photography simpletons, Olympus revealed nine new point-and-shoot models earlier this month at CES. They’ll vary in sophistication and price, with the cheapest one coming in at $261.

The first line of cameras is the µ-series. It’ll come in five models, each with a differing zoom, but all the same digital sensor. All four cameras will sport a 14-megapixel sensor, while the µ-9010 will sport 10x zoom, the µ-7040 and µ-7030 will support 7x zoom and the µ-5010 will support 5x zoom.

All five models will support image stabilization and HD movie recording – albeit at 720p. They’ve even included an HDMI-out port for playing back your HD movies on a bigger screen. I don’t see the point if it’s only 720p, but maybe I’m cynical. In addition to the generous 2GB of internal memory, there is also a SD card slot on these cameras. Olympus’ press release suggests: “Slip a stylish µ out of your cocktail bag or jacket breast pocket and prepare to impress with one of the world’s smallest zoom power packages.”

At the other end of the spectrum is Olympus’ FE series of cameras. Considerably cheaper than their µ big brothers, they have the same 14-megapixel sensor, but they cut out the HD video, HDMI port, and on-board storage (unless you count the 18MB). The FE cameras will come in a wide variety of colors and Olympus is keeping their operation simple with “one button – one function” as a motto.

All cameras will be out in March of this year, with the µ Series starting at $326 and the FE Series starting at $261.