Olympus SZ-30 MR unboxed

We've just received the new Olympus SZ-30 MR super-zoom – it's the one that can take 16MP still photos while simultaneously recording 1080p hi-def video. Yes, it's magic. Take a look at us unboxing it…

The SZ-30MR is amazingly small and light. Never mind the dual processing power needed for that concurrent photo/movie capture; this thing also has a massive 24x optical zoom lens (equivalent to 25-600mm).

The top-mounted mode dial has a few options you might not recognise. MR (multi-recording) takes either two photos or two videos simultaneously that each have some different processing, such as two different resolutions or one normal and one with an arty Magic filter applied.

There's also the option of panned panoramic shots and 3D - captured by simply taking one shot of the scene then panning across a little to take it from a different perspective.

The dual recording is really as simple as it sounds. Hit the video record button on the back and while the video is recording you can press the shutter button on the top to capture stills. When you go into playback, the photos are stacked alongside the video file to keep things neater.

The Olympus SZ-30 MR will be on sale later this month for £300. We'll have a full review very shortly.

Also

Olympus SZ-30 takes 16MP photos and Full HD movies – at the same time