Olympus Announces VH-515

August 22, 2012

Stylish, High-performance Compact digital camera equipped with iHS Technology, for capturing images exactly as they are imagined

OLYMPUS STYLUS VH-515

Olympus Imaging (President: Haruo Ogawa) is proud to announce the introduction of the OLYMPUS STYLUS VH-515, a camera packed with the most advanced features, such as a back-illuminated CMOS sensor, iHS Technology from a digital SLR image processing engine, Full High-definition movie capability^*1, and a Makeup function^*2, all in a compact and stylish camera body. It is scheduled to go on sale from mid-September, 2012.

Main Features

• With a 12.0 megapixel^*3, back-illuminated CMOS sensor, and an image processing engine established with the OLYMPUS PEN, this camera achieves high-sensitivity and low noise images, and a fast AF (iHS technology)
• Supports Full High-definition movie (MOV/H.264) shooting^*1. Magic Filter^*4 is also available for use when shooting movies
• Equipped with DUAL IS*6, for double image stabilization, and an 8x optical zoom (Super Resolution 16x zoom) from a 25mm wide-angle^*5

Olympus compact digital cameras are equipped with image processing technology in the form of iHS Technology, enabling high-sensitivity, low noise, and a fast AF. With Super Resolution zoom, and iAUTO, which detects subjects and scenes from a maximum of 29 patterns, users can easily capture images just as they appear to the eye.

The OLYMPUS STYLUS VH-515 boasts a 25mm wide-angle, 5x optical zoom (Super Resolution: 16x) in a slim and stylish body, with a rich variety of colors to choose from. The VH-510 is equipped with simple auto functions, such as iAUTO, and Auto Tracking AF that allow anyone to easily take beautiful photos, even those who are new to digital cameras. With DUAL IS, the combination of CMOS shift-type image stabilization and high-sensitivity shooting, both camera shake and subject blur are effectively reduced.
Full High-definition movies are easy to shoot with a single push of the button on the rear of the camera. Magic Filter makes shooting even more fun by including two new filters: Dramatic, and Fragmented. Of the 12 available filters, 10 can also be used for shooting movies. Beauty Mode makes skin appear more smooth and beautiful when shooting, and the Makeup function allows users to apply full makeup after shooting images. Users can enjoy effects such as adding blush or eye shadow, false eyelashes, changing eye color, and making eyes appear bigger. The VH-515 also includes a function that automatically detects pets (dogs and cats) faces, and snaps a photo of them at the best possible timing. This is a compact and stylish camera, filled with features that are useful not only for events, but for everyday snapshots as well.

Main Features — Details

iHS Technology
iHS Technology is an advanced image processing technology only available on Olympus compact digital cameras. iHS stands for “intelligence”, “high-speed”, and “high-sensitivity”.

With a 12.0 megapixel, back-illuminated CMOS sensor, and the TruePicVI image processing engine established with the OLYMPUS PEN, this camera achieves high-sensitivity and low noise images, and a fast AF. Even in backlit, or nighttime scenes, the camera can beautifully capture images, just as they are seen by the human eye. With HDR backlit correction, with a single shot, the camera captures three images at different exposures and automatically merges them into a single image. With Super Resolution technology, users can zoom up to 16x with minimal image degradation. As an added facet of Intelligence technology, iAUTO can automatically detect up to 29 different scenes.

Full High-Definition Movies
With a 1920 x 1080 High-definition size, and H.264 movie compression, beautiful movies can be shot even longer*1. With a dedicated movie button, starting and stopping movies is easy with a single touch. Linear PCM method is used for audio recording for clear audio quality.

DUAL IS Image Stabilization
DUAL IS is an image stabilization that counteracts the direction of camera shake by moving the CMOS sensor via a shift-type image stabilization mechanism, and uses digital SLR algorithms. By using this function in combination with high-sensitivity shooting, camera shake and subject blur is effectively reduced, providing double image stabilization.

Magic Filter
The popular Magic Filter offers 12 different filters: Pop, Pinhole, Fisheye, Sketch, Wedding, Rock, Watercolor, Crystal, Miniature, Mirror, Dramatic, and Fragmented. Pop, Pinhole, Sketch, Fisheye, Wedding, Rock, Watercolor, Miniature, Mirror, and Dramatic can also be used when shooting movies.

Beauty Make-up Mode
With the Make-up function, users can enjoy applying full makeup to subjects after shooting in Beauty Mode.

This function offers a full range of 18 different effects that will make women happy. Because effects are divided into four different themes such as Makeup, Eye Effects, Performance, and Spa, they are easy to choose from.

The Makeup menu screen is packed with cosmetic choices such as Cheeks, Eye Shadow, and False Eyelashes, so that users can easily choose and apply effects. In the Eye Effect menu, users can not only change eye color, but make eyes appear bigger. In the Spa menu, users can make subjects faces appear smaller, and add effects such as to make faces look even more beautiful, such as Lift-up.

MPO Files (Multi Picture Format)
This is a file format that conforms to CIPA standards for treating multiple images as a single image file. With 3D Photo, the two images with a disparity between the left and right eyes are merged into a single image and recorded as a Multi Picture Format file.

Pet Mode (Scene Mode)^*7
Dogs and cats are automatically detected. By selecting Pet-cat or Pet-dog modes, the camera will automatically detect cats or dogs and focus on their faces. Up to ten dog or cat faces can be detected.

Auto Shutter
Capture pets’ cute expressions. With Auto Shutter, the camera will automatically shoot when a pet faces the camera head-on. With this function, users won’t miss the whimsical antics of their pets. (Auto Shutter can detect only one pet.)

Eye-Fi Support^*8
Eye-Fi cards are SDHC memory cards that contain an internal wireless LAN. Images can be wirelessly uploaded to picture services, online photo albums, and computers.

SNS Upload Function
This function allows images to be easily uploaded to services such as Facebook and Flickr.
After shooting, images users want to share can be added to a list, and then transferred to a computer. Images added to a list on a computer can be searched with a single touch and easily uploaded. (It is necessary to preinstall the included software, OLYMPUS Viewer2 on a computer.)

Basic Features

Other Features

• Sequential shooting function: 5 fps (12M), 15 fps (3M), 60 fps (3M)
• Multi Motion image stabilization support for movies – reduces slow, strong camera shake that occurs when breathing or walking
• Face and Back Control detects subjects faces and adjusts the focus, and optimizes the exposure
• Scene Mode allows for shooting standard scenes and enables easy shooting of beautiful images even in difficult shooting conditions
• HDMI Output Control^*9 enables control of the camera, such as selecting and switching images with a TV remote control
• Face Detect AF lets the camera automatically detect faces
• iAUTO allows never-fail, beautiful shooting of 29 different automatically detectable scenes for still images and movies
• USB Battery Charge allows users to charge the camera battery while connected to a computer, and transferring or organizing image data
• Auto Tracking AF automatically tracks moving subjects and adjusts the focus
• Photo Surfing allows users to search for images by keyword, such as the date and subject (person, dog, cat)
• Supported media: SD, SDHC, SDXC, Eye-Fi cards

^*1 The maximum recording time for a single movie clip is limited to 29 minutes. Recording will automatically stop once the file size has reached 4 GB.
^*2 The image size is limited to 5M and lower for corrected images. Effects may differ from person to person.
^*3 Camera effective pixels
^*4 The image size for still images is limited to 5M and lower when using the following Magic Filters: Sketch, Wedding, Watercolor, Crystal, Miniature, and Dramatic.
^*5 35mm film equivalent
^*6 Differences in image stabilization may occur depending on shooting conditions.
^*7 The number of detectable pets are as follows. Auto shutter on: 1, Auto shutter off: 10. Faces may not be detectable in certain shooting conditions or for certain subjects. During pet detection, detection of people’s faces, and use of the flash are not available.
^*8 Eye-Fi card use is only permitted in the country of purchase. Make sure to abide by the laws in the country of use. Do not use Eye-Fi cards inside aircraft, or where the use of radio transmissions are limited or forbidden, or set the Eye-Fi card’s transmission function to OFF. Images and movies with a file size exceeding 2 GB cannot be sent. For questions concerning Eye-Fi cards, contact the manufacturer.
^*9 When the HDMI control setting menu is set to ON.