Olympus launches waterproof X560-WP

Posted on 17 Jun 2010 at 11:06

Olympus has announced a new entry-level point-and-shoot camera which is built to allow use under up to three metres of water.

As revealed over on Let's Go Digital, the new Olympus X-560WP is a ten megapixel snapper with 3x optical zoom - something of a rarity in waterproof cameras - which uses a series of internal filters and gaskets to stay operational even underwater without the need for a separate case.

As well as the waterproofing, the X560-WP ticks all the usual boxes in a compact digital camera: 16-point autofocus tracking and face detection make an appearance, along with eighteen individual shooting modes that attempt to tailor the camera's settings to your particular shot requirements.

Interestingly, the camera will attempt to automatically determine which scene mode to use - although this can be overridden manually. Digital image stabilisation is built in to the camera for low-light photography, while it also features in-built help for quick reference without having to find the manual.

One feature which is likely to polarise option is the storage: rather than offering the ubiquitous SD Card format, Olympus has chosen to equip the X560-WP with xD Picture Card slot. While xD cards are physically smaller, anyone looking to upgrade from an SD-equipped camera would need to buy brand-new memory cards.

While UK pricing hasn't been officially announced, the X560-WP is expected to retail in the US at a budget-friendly $159.99 (around £108.)

Author: Gareth Halfacree

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