Tech bytes for tea?

The 16-megapixel SZ-31MR has 24x zoom, shoots Full HD movie, gets iHS and high-res touch LCD. It’ll be available in May 2012 in either black or silver.

The Olympus SZ-31MR comes in either black or silver

Olympus claims that the new SZ-31MR has the lightest, smallest (and cutest) body of any compact with a 20-plus optical zoom.

Olympus SZ-31MR

The SZ Traveller range is the first to capture 1080 Full HD movies and 16-megapixel stills simultaneously, using Olympus’ Multi Recording (MR) technology.

The AF is faster, the LCD is brighter and – thanks to the new touch interface – features like Multi Framing and Live Guide are even easier to use.

The SZ-31MR can now record movies and stills at high frame rates, and play back photo slideshows with music and transition effects.

Olympus SZ-31MR has 24x optical zoom

The SZ-31MR is an extraordinary compact, despite its 24x wide optical zoom lens from 25-600mm (35mm equivalent).

The new iHS (Intelligence, High Sensitivity and High Speed) technologies make it possible to capture good blur-free images in the most challenging conditions, for example in low light or with backlight.

iHS draws on Olympus’ 16-megapixel backlit CMOS sensor and two separate TruePic V image processors (originally developed for D-SLR cameras) to dramatically improve low-light performance, speed up camera response and enhance scene and subject recognition.

Olympus SZ-31MR has16 megapixels

Combined with high-speed sequential shooting and high-speed autofocus, iHS cuts down picture noise and enhances resolution and colour gradation with fast-moving subjects, night scenes and other tricky shots.

Multi motion Movie IS and Dual Image Stabilisation all but eliminate blur, even when you are walking and shooting at the same time.

IS is crucial with macros or close-ups of inaccessible subjects, when even the slightest wobble might otherwise ruin stand-out shots that regular lightweight compacts, with their weaker zoom lenses, simply can’t deliver.

Olympus SZ-31MR shoots Full HD

When time is tight, Multi Recording and Multi Framing give another big advantage: You never have to choose between capturing one-off scenes as a 1080 Full HD movie or still photo – nor as a close-up or broader shot.

The SZ-31MR lets you do both.

A simple tap on the bright 3-inch 920,000-dot LCD takes a photo while you are filming.

Olympus SZ-31MR

Or resets the point of focus, shutter speed and zoom factor – all without interrupting your movie recording.

The touch-sensitive screen also gives you direct access to Live Guide, which in i-Auto mode displays a sliding scale that you can move with your finger to adjust key parameters such as brightness and depth of field.

You can check the effect of your changes in real time before you capture the scene.

Main features for the SZ-31MR:

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