Olympus FE-300 (2007)

The Olympus FE-300 was the top model in Olympus's entry-level FE series when it arrived in September 2007. Its selling point was simple: a full 12 megapixels at an affordable price. Digital Camera Magazine (2007) noted that only a few years earlier this much resolution at a US$299.99 list price would have been unthinkable. It was part of a summer 2007 wave of nine new consumer cameras from Olympus, announced alongside the FE-290 and FE-280.

The camera had a 1/1.72-inch CCD sensor and a 3x optical zoom lens (35-105mm equivalent, f/2.8-4.7). All of it sat in a slim, mainly metal body that weighed just 133g with battery and card. The lens used six elements in four groups, with four aspherical lenses. Olympus included its TruePic III image processor - the chip developed for its professional DSLRs - for better color and noise handling, plus Face Detection technology. The 2.5-inch LCD was large for the class. ISO went up to 6400, though DPReview noted that at the top setting pixel-binning reduced resolution. ISO 1600 was the limit at the full 12MP output. Macro focus reached 10cm.

Reception was generally positive for what it was. PhotographyBLOG's first impressions of the slim-line FE-300 were good. Digital Camera Magazine (2007) summed up the appeal with "You simply can't argue with more resolution," while also noting the xD-Picture Card format was harder to find and more expensive than competing media. The camera used a Lithium-Ion battery. The record beyond the launch period is thin. No production end date, dimensions or detailed specifications are documented in the sources we have. Today the FE-300 shows up mostly as used listings, sometimes as working units needing a battery replacement, sometimes as parts cameras.

- 12.0MP 1/1.72-inch CCD sensor

- 3x optical zoom (35-105mm equivalent), f/2.8-4.7

- 2.5-inch LCD; TruePic III processor

- ISO up to 6400 (pixel-binned); 1600 at full resolution

- Available September 2007; ~£200 UK / $299.99 US list