Another day, another trio cameras introduced and this time it is from Olympus. It is their latest addition to the FE Product line -- the FE-300, FE-280 and FE-290 cameras. The highly compact and slim cameras are easy to use and packed with powerful features, though I do not see anything extraordinary.
While 12 mega-pixel FE-300 and the 8 mega-pixel FE-280 sports a 2.5-inch LCD screens and 3x optical zoom, the 12-megapixel FE-290 is larger than them -- it has 3-inch LCD screen and wide angle 4x optical zoom.
Let’s see, what all are there in the trios, a face detection feature, in-camera help and shooting guides (no need to flip a manual to go through the details) -- the FE-300 and FE-280 have Perfect Shot Preview and Digital Image Stabilization mode. Other features are automatic in-camera editing features that fix red eye, blur and lighting issues. The FE-300 has the “Smile Shot” mode (clicks the perfect smile pic) and features the “One button, one function” design principle.
Now, am I missing something here, it looks like another normal launch -- priced at -- FE-300 - $300 and FE-280 – $200, and FE-290 - $250 -- hitting the shelves this month. The difference is the price, compared to Sony’s DSC-T200 and DSC-T70, the FEs are cheaper and almost offers the same. Sony’s DSC series are quite high on fashion and style quotient, but if you are short of cash, even Olympus can enhance your style statement and almost offers you the same.