Olympus D-590 Zoom

The Olympus D-590 Zoom is a modest entry-level digital compact announced in October 2004. It was aimed at first-time digital camera buyers.

The specs are simple. The sensor is 4.0 megapixels effective (4.23 megapixel gross), shooting JPEG stills up to 2272×1704. The zoom is 3x optical. The LCD is 1.8 inches, and Olympus called it a "sunshine" display that stayed brilliant even in bright sunlight. There is no optical viewfinder - the AZ-2 shared that choice, as DPReview noted - so the rear LCD is the only way to frame a shot. The same screen handles playback with index display, up to 4x enlargement, slide shows, and scene rotation. It can also output to a television through the included audio/video cable.

The D-590 Zoom has 8 scene modes, a QuickTime movie mode with audio, and PictBridge compatibility for direct printing. It stores images on xD-Picture Card and runs on a lithium-ion rechargeable LI-12B battery. The body measures 3.9 × 2.28 × 1.39 inches and weighs just 4.3 ounces.

DPReview (October 2004) covered the announcement, describing the camera as aimed at the "entry level market" and confirming the 4-megapixel resolution, 3x zoom, and the "sunshine" LCD designation. Beyond that announcement, the record is thin. No original retail price is documented, nor are details on the lens's focal length or aperture, ISO range, or video resolution. A later spec-sheet reference from imaging-resource.com and a DCResource review dated April 7, 2005 confirm the basics but add little color.

The naming gets tangled in the record. Some sources list the camera alongside the C-470 Zoom and X-500, and one DPReview article title appears to confuse it with the C-470 Zoom. That is an editorial error, not a product family connection. The D-590 and D-590 Zoom are the same camera, and the manufacturer's announcement gives the full name as D-590 Zoom.

Examples surface occasionally on the secondhand market. One Bonanza listing offered a unit at $29.99. It turns up in drawers more often than in collector discussions.