Olympus has debuted the SP-590 Ultra Zoom, a 12-megapixel point-and-shoot with a 26x wide-angle zoom. The SP-590UZ offers full manual control settings similar to those on digital SLRs, plus the automatic scene modes of a point-and-shoot in a compact body.

The bright, f/2.8-5 lens provides the equivalent focal length of 26-676mm. The compact lens construction combines aspherical lens elements and extra-low dispersion lens elements to capture fast-action sports and snapshots. The SP-590UZ boasts a 2.7-inch HyperCrystal II LCD to view images.

The SP-590UZ's TruePic III image processor makes it possible to capture images through the Ultra-High-Speed Sequential Shooting function with a pre-capture technology that begins working once the focus is locked. The camera also offers 29 shooting modes, dual image stabilization, perfect shot preview, face detection, several new artistic scene modes (including Multiple Exposure to overlay images) and in-camera editing functions.

The SP-590UZ allows users to store images on either xD-Picture Cards or microSD memory cards. The camera can also be hooked up to an HDTV via an HDMI cable and has wireless flash compatibility. The SP-590UZ retails for $449.