Olympus claims it has developed the world’s smallest and lightest 600mm equivalent telephoto lens.

The M.Zuiko Digital ED 75-300mm f/4.8-6.7 (equivalent to 150-600mm in 35mm format, designed for the Micro Four Thirds standard) is 70x116mm in size and weighs 430g, and is made from 18 elements in 13 groups, including two ED elements and three HR lenses. Available in black or silver versions, it has seven rounded diaphragm blades, and a minimum magnification of 90cm.

Olympus UK says it expects the lens to go on sale in December, priced around £800.

Optimised for both stills and video capture, “It features Olympus’ near-silent focusing technology to eliminate the whir that can otherwise ruin movie playback on a High Definition TV,” adds the company.

Another zoom designed for its Pen cameras. The M.Zuiko Digital ED 40-150mm f/4-5.6, will arrive in late October, priced around £300. Equivalent to 80-300mm in 35mm format, the compact 190g lens is made from 13 elements in 10 groups (including one ED element), and will also be available in kit form with a Pen camera and the M.Zuiko Digital ED 14-42mm f/3.5-5.6.

In a further announcement, Olympus says it will also go on sale with two new all-black Pen kits, each featuring an E-P2 camera and 17mm f.2.8 pancake lens, plus either an electronic viewfinder or an external flash.

Rumour sites are also speculating that Olympus will unveil an update to its digital SLR range, the new top-of-the-range E-5.