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EVENT
IMMEDIATE GRATIFICATION
Olympus
Digital Camera
Gives Instant Pictures
By TIM BOXER
OLYMPUS
has come out with a winner. Olympus, the far-sighted innovative
Japan-based company has teamed up with U.S.-based Polaroid to produce
North America’s first digital instant camera. The innovative Camedia
C-211 Zoom Digital Camera combines Olympus’ excellent digital
shooting setup with Polaroid’s instant printing technique.
With this strategic alliance,
these two giants have created a new industry category: digital photo
printing cameras.
You point and shoot, then print
without the need of a computer.
The 1.8-inch LCD monitor in back
allows you to review each shot. If you don’t like what you took, you
simply erase and shoot again, this time with eyes wide open.
This 2.1 megapixel camera is the
ideal tool for a lawyer at a car crash, a private eye on the trail of a
wayward husband, a federal agent scouting a couple of hoods, a
photographer shooting a model on an isolated beach – you know who you
are.
It’s for anyone who’s on
location and needs a camera with Polaroid capability that won’t run out
of film, because there is no film in this baby. The name of the game is
digital.
Just be sure to carry plenty of
Polaroid 500-SA instant film (priced around $10 for a 10-photo pack).
Take the camera back to your
office or home, with all the images stored on the 8MB SmartMedia removable
memory card, and use the USB to connect to your computer to download the
pictures and make large prints on photo paper.
Of course, if you’re ambitious
you can get SmartMedia cards of higher storage capacity that will take
more than a hundred pictures for later viewing, storing or printing.
It was sheer delight using the
camera in people situations. I took it along to various society benefits
and charity dinners. Personalities were so intrigued by this innovative
camera that they readily posed whenever asked.
The pictures ejected out of the
top of the camera. Each takes about two minutes to fully develop. The
fade-resistant photos look superior to inkjet-printed pictures.
The images were clear and sharp.
It was easy to use the f2.8 3X optical zoom lens for wide group shots as
well as for close tight single headshots.
I showed people their instant
photos, which they were eager to autograph on the spot. I added these
signed pictures to my instant celebrity autographed photo collection.
The
camera has a street price of $800. For more information on the C-211 ZOOM,
call 800 622-6372 or visit www.olympus.com. Buy
it!
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