The Olympus E-System and the Olympus E-1, the first camera based on the FourThirds Standard, have already received a host of prizes, including TIPA and DIWA awards. Now the virtual version of the Olympus E-1 has won an award of its own. Developed in cooperation with the Berlin-based agency Ehrke & Partner, the interactive simulation of the Olympus E-1 received the German Multimedia Award (Deutscher Multimedia Award) in the category Advertising/PR on 29 June 2004.
The German Multimedia Award has been conferred by the 'Bundesverband Digitale Wirtschaft (BVDW) e.V.' [the Federal Association of the Digital Economy] (previously the 'Deutscher Multimedia Verband [dmmv] e.V.' [German Multimedia Association]), the 'Deutscher Multimedia Kongress (DMMK), [German Multimedia Congress] and the 'Kommunikationsverband' [Communication Association]. It is awarded to online, offline and terminal applications that exemplify the innovative power and performance of interactive media. The prize is recognised as one of the most important awards in the field ? not only in Germany but also in Austria and Switzerland.
The Olympus E-1 simulation was submitted for nomination by the Berlin-based agency Ehrke & Partner (www.ehrke-partner.com). Technically brilliant and unique in its complexity, the simulation beat 186 competitors and was chosen as one of the three winners in the category Advertising/PR.
The jury's verdict: Above all, the solution impresses with the tremendous functionality, with which it presents the camera. The clear design and high degree of user-friendliness ensure information is imparted on a very high level.?
The Olympus E-1 simulation is an internet application programmed in Java. It lets visitors to the www.olympus-pro.com website discover the functions and performance range of the Olympus E-1 through interactive means. Help texts and tutorials provide an overview of all the camera?s modes and menus. All buttons and dials can be operated in any of the three camera views provided by using the mouse. It is even possible to take test images. These can then be viewed in playback mode where the affects of the adjustments ? including changes to the zoom setting can be seen.
By winning the German Multimedia Award, the Olympus E-1 simulation is also nominated for the World Summit Award. This will be presented in 2005 in Tunis at the World Summit on the Information Society, a congress organised by the United Nations and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
Ehrke & Partner develop simulations and interactive user manuals for electronic consumer goods and focus on mobile communications and leisure products as well as digital photography. Olympus is one of the world's leading manufactures of opto-digital products for business, leisure, medicine, science and industry.