Melville, New York, June 30, 2005 - Fulfilling photographers’ desire for dramatic ultra wide-angle images of 180 degrees, Olympus Imaging America Inc. today introduced the new Zuiko Digital ED 8mm F3.5 Full Frame Fisheye Lens. The Zuiko 8mm fisheye is designed to be digital specific and render sharp edge-to-edge images, in an easy to handle size, and with a close focus of less than 5 ½ inches. This is truly a must-have lens for the wide-angle photography enthusiast.

Along with its many attributes this 8mm fisheye promises to set a new professional standard for ultra wide-angle underwater photography because it can be used in conjunction with the EVOLT E-300 digital SLR and the new PT-EO1 underwater housing and PPO-E04 lens port at depths of up to 196 feet (60m).

“The unique expressive qualities of fisheye lens photography can now be achieved on land as well as in underwater settings with the new Zuiko Digital fisheye lens,” said John Knaur, senior marketing manager for Digital SLRs at Olympus Imaging America Inc. “This high-performance lens is perfect for photographers wishing to utilize the special creative possibilities, including the powerful distortion effects, that can only be achieved with a fisheye lens.”

Fisheye Lens with 180º Frame Filling Field of View
This full frame fisheye lens has a 180º field of view diagonally to the Four Thirds image sensor, and a focal length of 8mm (equivalent to 16mm in a 35mm camera). Because of this it can be used to create extremely dramatic photographic images that cannot be seen unaided with the human eye. These images include humorous representations of the subject using extreme barrel distortion, or images with exaggerated perspective and extremely great depth of focus. Because this lens is specifically designed for digital cameras and conforms to the “Four Thirds System,” it will provide reliable photographic performance even at the edges of the images.

Super-Close-Up Capability — Just 0.79 inch from Lens Front to Subject

A New Standard for Underwater Photography
Because of the different refractive indexes of light in air and water, the angle of view underwater will be reduced to approximately 153º, and since it is often more difficult to capture light underwater, it is necessary to get closer to the subject. To remedy the problem, the super-close-up capability of this lens allows photography of the subject just 0.79 inch from the front of the lens to achieve the wide-close-up effects for which fisheye lenses are famous.

Additional Features

* ED Lens Element Used to Minimize Chromatic Aberration: By using an ED lens element, Olympus eliminates peripheral chromatic aberration, focusing all the colors accurately from edge to edge, which cannot be fully corrected with conventional optical glasses. The result is excellent resolution and contrast.
* Multi-Coating Process to Reduce Ghosting and Flaring Even against the Light: Olympus uses a multi-coating process to minimize ghosting and flaring in the lens.
* Circular Aperture Diaphragm for Soft, Gentle Defocusing of Background: Olympus has created a circular aperture diaphragm by using a seven-blade design that allows attractive, realistic photographs with a softening of focusing from the closest focus point to the background with larger apertures.
* Dust and Splash Resistance for Enhanced Reliability: Exterior parts of the 8mm fisheye lens have been sealed to provide excellent protection against water droplets and dust. This ensures reliable performance even under the tough shooting conditions experienced by serious amateurs and professional photographers.