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| (Credit: Olympus) |
Olympus refreshed its FE-series of budget digital cameras with the announcement of two 14-megapixel models. The FE-4020 and FE-47 add more resolution, but don’t make many other changes. The FE-4020 will go on sale next month for $149 while the FE-47 makes its debut this month for $119.
Yawn, yawn. The Olympus FE-4020 follows the FE-4010 with many of the same specs. Both have a 4x optical zoom lens that reaches a wide 26-105mm and has a bright f/2.6 aperture. They share the same 2.7-inch LCD screen. Both have auto focus tracking and magic filters, as well as an intelligent auto mode. The only differences between the two cameras are the resolution and media compatibility. The 12-megapixel FE-4010 accepts xD and microSD cards and the new 14-megapixel FE-4020 accepts SD and SDHC cards.
The Olympus FE-47 has a lot in common with its relative, the FE-46. Both have 2.7-inch LCDs, 5x optical zoom lenses, and the same features as the FE-4020. The memory card compatibility has changed to the more standard SD/SDHC cards on the newer FE-47 and the camera has 14 megapixels instead of the 12 on the FE-46.
Head to head, the Olympus FE-4020 and FE-47 are very similar. Besides the slight change in the zoom, the cameras are powered by different batteries. The FE-4020 comes with a proprietary lithium-ion battery that gets about 180 shots per charge. The FE-47, however, is powered by two AA batteries; alkaline batteries can take 120 shots.
The two new digital cameras are designed to be very easy to use. So easy, in fact, that the company says the cameras can practically take the pictures without you…
“Whether you’re snapping photos of a backyard soccer game of a get-together with friends, these new FE cameras do the thinking for you so you won’t miss a moment,” said Jennifer Schmell, product manager at Olympus Imaging America Inc., in the Jan. 7 press release.
