Olympus takes it two steps further this time, after announcing the first 18x zoom camera the Olympus SP-550 UZ (a couple of others followed with the Panasonic Lumix FZ-18 and the Fujifilm FinePix S8000fd), now they are pushing into new territory again with a 20x zoom and even wider at the wide end (26mm for 35mm equiv.).

I always prefer compacts to start wider than zoom further, it’d be ideal if they started at 24mm IMHO, with a 20x zoom would be great.

The Olympus SP-570 UZ – main features:

• 20x optical zoom (equivalent to 26-520mm) - from extreme close-ups to stunning scenes
• Avoids blur thanks to Dual Image Stabilisation
• Don’t miss the moment with high-speed 15fps sequence shooting
• Face Detection Technology for perfectly focused and exposed faces plus correct exposure of other image areas
• P/A/S/M exposure modes for creative freedom
• 22 scene modes for the best results in different situations
• 10 Megapixels to make poster-size prints
• See and share images on the 6.9cm/2.7″ LCD
• Great for shots of flowers and detail from as close as 1cm with Super Macro mode

I’ll certainly be looking forwards to the reviews on this one, a very versatile backup and travel camera. The performance of the previous model was a little disappointing. Both in terms of speed and image quality.

It’ll also be interesting to see if Panasonic and Fuji follow again with 20x zooms and 10megapixel upgrades.

Read the full release here:

Olympus SP-570 UZ

To compliment the new full frame Nikon D3 - Nikon has announced two new full frame lenses. The super-wide AF-S 14-24 mm and the new slimmer and lighter 24-70 mm F2.8G ED.

As far as I know 14mm will be the widest proprietary zoom lens released so far.

The 24-70mm f/2.8 is considerably slimmer, the old one was called ‘The Beast’ for a reason.

I can’t wait to see the results of the new 14-24mm f/2.8 coupled with the D3!

Fully compatible with existing DX-format Nikon DSLRs as well, they share fast f/2.8 apertures across the zoom range. The ultra wide-angle AF-S NIKKOR 14-24mm f/2.8G ED and the slimline AF-S NIKKOR 24-70mm f/2.8G ED, are designed for the exacting optical demands of professional use.

“These new zoom NIKKORS offer photographers immense creative potential when combined with the new FX-format D3, but are equally useful for those using Nikon’s DX-format cameras too”, said Robert Cristina, Brand Manager, Nikon Professional Products Europe.

“They are the first wide-angle lenses to incorporate Nikon’s unique Nano Crystal coat, that suppresses the ghost and flare that sometimes occurs with the reflective surfaces of digital sensors.”