News

KYOCERA Announces New Contax SL300R T* Digital Camera

Newest Digital Camera With RTUNE Has Sophisticated Upscale Look Associated With Contax's Award-Winning SLRs; Features Carl Zeiss T* Lens, Slim Swivel Body Design and Unlimited Continuous Shooting at 3.5 Frames Per Second

Somerset, NJ -- Somerset, NJ - Kyocera Optics, Inc., the imaging industry arm of Kyocera Corporation, expands its breakthrough line of digital cameras with the new, upscale Contax SL300R T* featuring its revolutionary RTUNE^TMimaging technology. Targeted for the discriminating photographer, the new 3.2 MegaPixel Contax SL300R T* is equipped with a Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar T* 5.8-17.4mm F2.8-4.7 lens (which is equivalent to a 38mm to 115mm zoom in 35mm format).  Kyocera’s RTUNE imaging engine virtually eliminates shutter lag time and allows the world’s fastest full-memory continuous shooting at 3.5 frames per second (fps) with outstanding image quality.

“Kyocera now expands its revolutionary, new RTUNE imaging technology to the Contax brand with the Contax SL300R T* and enhances it with upscale features such as the Carl Zeiss-Vario Tessar T* lens and the eye-catching, rich leather-accented body”, explained Ben La Marca, President of Kyocera Optics, Inc. “Great picture-taking moments don’t wait and our exclusive RTUNE Imaging Technology practically eliminates the shutter lag-time issue that is the number one irritant among users of other manufacturers’ digital cameras. RTUNE is at the heart of our new digital camera lineup.

Kyocera is providing a robust solution for consumers through the integration of RTUNE on our new Contax SL300R T* digital camera as well as imminent future models. Kyocera will continue to strive to mimic the consumer film camera experience with new breakthroughs like RTUNE in its future digital camera solutions."

The 3.2 Megapixel Contax SL300R T* offers a solution for digital camera fans who have been frustrated by "missing the moment" due to the combination of the shutter speed lag time and slow "shot to shot” speed that they have been forced to live with when using other manufacturers’ digital cameras. Utilizing Kyocera’s exclusive RTUNE Imaging Technology, the Contax SL300R T* offers the World's fastest Continuous Capture Mode. In combination with its virtually non-existent shutter lag time of 0.07 second (*1), the Contax SL300R T* can capture images at an incredible unlimited 3.5 frames per second! (*2)  For instance, you can fill a high speed 256MB SD memory card with continuous images at 3.5 fps, then go back, review the shots you’ve taken and pick the ones you want to keep. And this all happens at full 3.2 MegaPixel resolution of 2048 x 1536. This dynamic feature removes the restrictions imposed by other manufacturers’ point and shoot digital camera models.

Kyocera's RTUNE Imaging Technology accomplishes this by eliminating the barriers that limit the speed in which digital image are captured and written to the memory card. The pipelined operation removes all of the bottlenecks for non-stop image capture at a speed that is 10-12 times faster than the competition.

The real benefit to users is that they will be able to capture images with the Contax SL300R T* that were missed before due to shutter lag time. Imagine being able to capture the very moment your daughter blows out the candle on her first birthday cake or your son sliding into home plate with the winning run! Any action sequence can be captured and shared with the new Contax SL300R T*.

The Contax SL300R T* has a rich looking, extremely thin, magnesium body whose front panels are covered in rich black leather. The swivel lens/flash camera body of the Contax SL300R T* rotates, enabling easy framing of any scene from high overhead to low angle shots. The rotating lens provides easy movement for perfect framing in every scene such as self-portrait, low and high angle shots and macro mode. A protective lens hood and 28mm filter adapter is included. Its diminutive size (3.9" wide x 2.5" high x .6" thin) and sleek body with its rich finish including the black leather front panels are sure to make the Contax SL300R T* a fashion statement. The Contax SL300R T* also offers a vast array of very flexible functions such as seven scene modes to suit any type of shooting conditions, voice memo feature that makes it possible to record a voice message with an image, and movie mode with sound that can be recorded in full VGA resolution at 30 frames/second until the memory card is full.

Kyocera’s exclusive RTUNEimaging engine provides the world's fastest consecutive shooting of any digital camera.  RTUNE provides the combined features of Continuous Capture at 3.5 frames/second with outstanding image quality and dynamic range.  In addition, Kyocera’s unmatched "DayFine" LCD Monitor displays the subject in real time during consecutive shooting. RTUNE is the perfect solution for subjects on the move such as pets, children and sporting events. 

The Contax SL300R T* offers outstanding image quality which users have come to expect and appreciate from Kyocera. With conventional digital cameras, adjusting the white balance after converting the analog image information from the CCD to the digital signal processor controls the level of each RGB color in captured images. However, this method requires compensating an uneven signal level for each RGB color at the analog stage with the digital signal processor, so if the signal levels in shadow areas are not sufficient, the result is poor image quality. 

The RTUNE imaging engine in the Contax SL300R T* adjusts the output level for each RGB color at the analog signal stage before it is converted into a digital signal.  Then the image processor converts it into a digital signal to provide fine detail that faithfully reproduces the original image.

Thanks to RTUNE,color noise is reduced in 16-bit A/D calculations.  The A/D conversion of analog image information into digital signals is performed with accuracy of 16 bits internally, and outputted as 12 bits.  Since detailed resolution reduces color noise, which tends to occur in a single color or in a dark area of an image, it faithfully reproduces subtle darkness and lightness as well as shades and shadows of color.

High-Resolution 3X Optical Zoom

The high-resolution, 3x optical zoom lens can be combined with the 2x digital zoom for a maximum of 6x.In addition, up to 8x digital zoom can be used when playing back images. The Contax SL300R T* incorporates high-resolution optics, which provide a projected resolution of at least 200 lines/mm at the image center at focal lengths of 5.8mm (wide-angle) to 17.4mm (telephoto). These focal lengths correspond to approximately 38mm to 115mm for 35mm format cameras. The lens combines ultra compact size and high performance through the breakthrough engineering advances developed by Kyocera’s Optical Equipment Division’s R&D group.

Special scene modes provide the perfect solution for any shooting situation. The Contax SL300R T* incorporates seven scene modes to make the most of challenging photographic setting according to the situation, based on six predefined settings. The seven modes include Standard, Sport Action, Night View, Night View Portrait, Portrait, Macro and Landscape.  Each of the settings can be easily selected by using the scene button located on the back of the camera body.

The Contax SL300R T* enables the user to easily shoot movies with audio at 30 frames/second up to the maximum capacity of the memory card. The recorded file is in AVI format and can be played back easily on the “DayFine” LCD Monitor or a personal computer. (To play back movies on a personal computer, it is necessary to install QuickTime 4.1 or later). 

The customized start-up screen allows the Contax SL300R T* user to select a favorite image as the start-up screen. The image appears whenever the Contax SL300R T* is turned on for a personalized experience.

It is easy to resize captured images with the Contax SL300R T* down to 320 x 240 or 160 x 120 pixels after being captured.  This is the ideal solution for emailing images to family, friends and co-workers.  From the Contax SL300R T*’s menu selection, you can select from three image resize options: full, one quarter and one sixteenth.  The area to be resized can be selected via the selection button.  This unique function in combination with a PDA incorporating an SD memory card slot, allows the user to easily create an image size suitable for the PDA’s display.

The Contax SL300R T*incorporates Kyocera’s unmatched “DayFine” LCD technologyin the 1.5 inch LCD Monitorthat is easy to see even in the brightest of outdoor sunlight conditions.   In addition to the conventional back light system, the DayFine” TFT (Thin Film Transistor) technology includes a special optical film coating and exclusive light transmission circuitry that harnesses the power of the sun by absorbing incoming light and then reflecting the light back through the LCD, adding to the brilliance and contrast of the display.

When it comes to navigating the menus, Kyocera’s Contax SL300R T* makes it easy for the user to navigate from setup to capture to playback.  To make it intuitive, the camera offers an easy to use Control button that works on the principal of a joystick.  Along with the logical screen selections and functions, the Contax SL300R T* is easy for anyone to use.

The Contax SL300R T* is provided with a USB cable that is perfect for uploading images to a personal computer.  The cable complies with the USB mass storage class of accessories and images can be read via the cable as a mass storage devise on a computer.

To fit every situation, five flash modes are available (Auto flash, Red-eye reduction auto flash, Red-eye reduction fill-in flash, Fill-in flash, Flash off), three color modes (Color, sepia, B/W), six white balance modes (Auto, Daylight, Tungsten, Cloudy, Fluorescent, Preset), five sharpness settings (+3, +2, +1, standard, -1), two chroma settings (standard, +, -) and exposure compensation (+2.0EV ~ -2.0EV) is also available.

The Contax SL300R T* features Epson’s revolutionary new PRINT Image Matching (PIM) technology, enabling them to work perfectly with the newest generation of EPSON Stylus Photo printers. With PRINT Image Matching, critical image specific parameters for printing are recorded by the camera and saved in each image data file. PRINT Image Matching-enabled Epson Stylus Photo printers use this information to ensure that they accurately reproduce the image created by the camera.

Additionally, the Contax SL300R T* is shipped with the highly rated Adobe Photoshop Album software.  The street price of the Contax SL300R T* is $499.99 and is shipping immediately.  Visit us at www.kyoceraimaging.com.

For product images, contactMichael Steavenson (Michaels@hwhpr.com) or Russ Rowland (russr@hwhpr.com) at (212) 355-5049.

 

Notes:

(*1) The time from pressing the shutter button halfway to completely pressing it in order to start the exposure.

(*2) Compared to other compact digital cameras as of 2/2/04.  Full-memory, consecutive shooting means shooting successively until the full capacity of the memory card is used. It is available when using a SD memory card with a recording speed of at least 10MB per second for high-speed recording.

 

About Kyocera:

Kyocera Optics Inc., is the imaging arm of Kyocera Corporation serving North America that brings you the Kyocera Finecam, Contax, Carl Zeiss and Yashica brands. Our product lines serve the consumer, prosumer, serious amateur, and professional photographer customer segments.

Kyocera Corporation, parent and global headquarters of the Kyocera Group, was founded in 1959 as a producer of advanced ceramics. By combining these engineered materials with metals and plastics, and integrating them with other technologies, Kyocera has become a leading supplier of telecommunications equipment, cameras, laser printers, copiers, solar energy systems, semiconductor packages and electronic components. During the year ended March 31, 2003, the company’s net sales totaled 1.069 trillion yen ($9.06 billion) with net income of 41.1 billion yen ($348 million). Kyocera Corporation trades on the NYSE, Tokyo, and Osaka stock exchanges under the symbol “KYO”.

For more information, please visit us at www.kyoceraimaging.com.

RTune and DayFine are exclusive trademarks of Kyocera Corporation.

 

Specification of CONTAX SL300R　T*

 

Type	Digital still camera with record, playback, and erase modes.
Recording media	SD Memory card/MMC(Multi-Media card Complies with JPEG standard (Exif Ver. 2.2), DCF standard *(notes1) Supports DPOF  *(notes 2)
Effective pixels	3.17 Megapixels
Image sensor	1/2.7” square-pixel interlace readout system CCD with 3.34 Megapixels gross
Image dimensions in pixels (Still Image)	2048x1536, 1600x1200, 1280x960, 640x480
Image quality	2 settings: F (Fine), N (Normal)
Image dimensions in pixels (Motion Image)	640 x480, 320x240, 160x120
Movie frame rate	30 frames per sec., 15 frames per sec.
Lens Focal length F stops Digital zoom	Carl Zeiss Vario-Tessar T*  Zoom lens (6 lens in 6 groups) 5.8 ~ 17.4mm (equivalent to approx. 38 ~ 115mm in 35mm format) F2.8 ~ 4.7 1.3x, 1.6x, 2x (3steps)
Focusing control	Video feedback auto-focusing (Wide AF/Spot AF selectable), Manual focusing
Shooting range	From front cover surface: approx. 0.60m ~ ∞ (Tele/Wide modes), approx. 20cm ~ 60cm (Macro mode, when wide angle is fixed)
Exposure control Control methods Metering mode   Metering link range Exposure correction Aperture	Program AE, Aperture Priority AE mode 3 modes selectable: CCD Multi-area evaluation metering, center-weighted metering, spot metering LV6 ~ LV16 +2.0EV ~ -2.0EV (1/3EV step) fixed (F2.8, F7.5*), Auto     * : Brightness converted for F-value
Shutter	1 ~ 1/2000 sec. using the CCD electronic shutter with the independent aperture control; Time exposure mode: 2 sec., 4 sec., 8 sec.
Speed range	Automatic, Equivalent to ISO100, 200, 400, 800
White balance	Automatic, fixed mode (daylight, incandescent light, cloudy weather fluorescent light and preset)
Color mode	Color, white-black, sepia
Sharpness control	+3 ~ -1 (5 steps)
Brightness control	+, 0, -  (3 steps)
Flash Effective range	Built-in Approx. 0.6 ~ 2.5m (Wide mode), about 0.6 ~ 1.8m (Tele mode)
Flash mode	Auto flash, Red-eye reduction auto flash, Fill-in flash, Flash off and Red-eye reduction fill-in flash(only under long exposure mode)
Scene modes	1.Standard 2.Sports 3.Portrait 4.Nightscape 5.Night portrait 6.Macro 7.Landscape
Movie recording mode	File format: AVI (Audio - Visual - Input), sound On or Off selectable
Recording time	VGA 30 frames per sec. : up to the recording media capacity*4 PC play environment : QuickTime4.1 or later (Windows, Macintosh)
Continuous shooting	Approx. 3.5 frames per sec.: up to the recording media capacity*3 (when using an SD memory card suitable for recording at data transfer speed exceeding 10 MB/second. Some capacity of memory card may remain depending on the type of picture.)
Still image after-recording	Maximum 30 sec. per image
LCD monitor	1.5 inch DayFine TFT color LCD monitor with brightness control, the brightness of the LCD is adjustable. Backlight ON/OFF is selectable.
Resize	Images resizable to 320 X240 or 160 X120 resizing image area selectable, JPEG file format
Power source	3.7V 780mAh lithium ion battery, dedicated AC adapter
Display language	Japanese, Chinese ,English, French, German, Spanish
Interface	DC (dedicated AC adapter), USB (mini B)
Dimensions	100(W) x 62.5(H) x 16(D)mm (not including protruding parts)
Weight	Approx.125g (not including battery or memory card)
Operating temp:	0 ~ 45 degrees C (with no condensation)