Olympus settled into the ranks of Fuji and Panasonic this week with the release of its own digital camera, the SP-560 Ultra Zoom, with an 18x zoom that's the 35mm equivalent of a 27-486 zoom. Here are some of the eight-megapixel unit's highlights.

• Auto Focus (AF) and Auto Exposure (AE) face detection that lets the camera continuously track faces even if they're moving without having to press the shutter button.


• Shadow Adjustment Technology that compensates for difficult lighting situations-like shooting in wooded areas on a sunny day.


• Olympus's TruePic III Image Processor which reduces graininess even with high ISO settings.


• Perfect Shot Preview which enables you to view and select photographic effects on the LCD screen before snapping a picture.


• Two image stabilization methods: Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization, which keeps images sharp by adjusting the CCD to compensate for camera shake, and digital image Stabilization, which freezes the action in a shot with high ISO sensitivity.


• A burst mode of 15 frames per second for images with a maximum resolution of 1600 x 1200 pixels.


• A 2.5 inch LCD and electronic viewfinder.


• 33 shooting modes, including "smile shot," and three underwater modes.

The camera is expected to reach the shelves in October and sell for an estimated street price of $499.99.