EPSON now shipping world's first color digital camera under $500 — designed for work or play — the EPSON PhotoPC color digital camera

Business Wire, Feb 11, 1996

TORRANCE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 12, 1996--Imagine snapping a color photo and instantly bringing it into your computer.

Imagine placing that picture into a letter presentation or newsletter and then printing it out on a color printer, or sending it by e-mail to a business colleague or friend over the Internet.

EPSON, the creator of high-quality, award-winning imaging products, now makes that an affordable reality with shipment of the EPSON PhotoPC -- the world's first color digital camera for under $500 designed for work or play.

For Work or Play

PhotoPC is targeted at business and home computer users who desire a quicker and easier way to bring pictures into their PC. It can be used to communicate more effectively in correspondence, proposals, newsletters and presentations, and can also add a creative touch to personal letters, greeting cards, flyers and school projects. The PhotoPC also saves time when developing comps for graphic design projects such as brochures or packaging.

``The EPSON PhotoPC is an effective business tool that happens to be a great deal of fun to use,'' said Anna Jen, manager of market planning, EPSON. ``By going directly from the PhotoPC to the computer, users eliminate the time and expense of photographing, developing film and scanning images. The speed and cost-effectiveness is a huge advantage, whether for business or personal creative purposes.''

PhotoPC Features

The point-and-shoot EPSON PhotoPC has the look and feel of a standard 35mm film camera weighing less than one pound and measuring 6.6 x 3.5 x 1.9 inches (WxHxD). It provides 24-bit color in 16.7 million colors and a choice of high- and standard-resolution settings, 640 x 480 and 320 x 240 pixels, respectively.

The PhotoPC base unit has one megabyte of flash memory that stores up to 16 high-resolution images and a minimum of 32 standard images. Optional expandable PhotoSpan memory modules increase total storage capacity up to 160 images in standard mode.

For added flexibility, the EPSON PhotoPC accepts any 37mm video camcorder lens or filter, allowing the options of wide-angle and telephoto lenses, among others. Two flash modes, auto and forced, provide flash ranges from 3 to 10 feet as well.

Ease of Use

For ease of use, the EPSON PhotoPC comes with everything users need to get pictures into their computers -- digital camera, communications cable and EasyPhoto software by Storm Software Inc. Among its many features, EasyPhoto retrieves images from the camera and provides intuitive image management and enhancement capabilities.

For convenience, an LCD display indicates the number of images taken, number remaining, image quality resolution, flash setting and battery level. To avoid wasted shots, such as a person with his/her eyes closed, the EasyTouch control panel provides ``erase last image'' and also has a ``self-timer'' capability.

``PhotoPC is our first step in bringing a range of popular image capture products to market that leverage the `Photo Quality' power of EPSON Stylus Color printers,'' said Jeff Mandell, director of market planning and business development, EPSON. ``With this product, we are making it possible for business and home computer users to express themselves with color photos as easily as they do with text today.''

The EPSON PhotoPC carries a one-year limited warranty and has an estimated street price of $499. A Macintosh compatible unit is expected by spring 1996. For more information on EPSON and its products, call 800/289-3776, ext. 3000, or stop by EPSON's corporate Web site on the Internet at http://www.epson.com.

About EPSON

EPSON offers an extensive array of technology products including ink jet, laser and dot matrix printers, scanners, portable and desktop computers, and for the OEM market, a variety of component and electronic devices.

Founded in 1975, Epson America Inc. is an affiliate of Seiko Epson Corp., a global manufacturer and supplier of high-quality technology products that meet customer demands for increased functionality, compactness, systems integration and energy efficiency. Epson America has headquarters in Torrance. -0-

Note to Editors: Brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.

CONTACT: EPSON, Torrance

Susie Mitchell, 310/782-5174; 310/782-5179 (fax)

or

Manning, Selvage & Lee

John Fitzsimmons/Kristen Peay, 213/782-6600