Olympus xz1 review

Offering a lens that's both faster and sharper overall than its rivals, the Olympus XZ-1 comes out swinging and lands quite a few punches.

The first one of these is the Olympus XZ Since then technology has changed and there's a lot of pocket cameras out there that can produce great results, but in the early s not nearly as many could go toe to toe with a DSLR or a new emerging Mirrorless system camera and get respectable results. The Olympus XZ-1 was in its own league at the time. The power of this camera came from an incredible lens, a 4x zoom f1. One interesting feature was the hotshoe accessory mount which lets you attach an external flash or add an EVF or GPS capabilities. The sensor itself has a very mediocre Dynamic range, so it really needs to be used in even lighting either direct sunlight or well lit indoor environments it does not handle shadows well. Given good light however this camera produces really great photos even to this day with those great higher end CCD colors and contrast look.

Olympus xz1 review

I do many types of photography. With my long-time background as a photojournalist I need an appropriate camera for street shooting. My love of the outdoors and wild places means a camera suitable for high quality landscape work. So does studio work. No one camera fits all. Not for any one photographer and his or her needs, nor different photographers. But one type of camera that most serious photographers need in common is a pocket camera. Something that easily comes along wherever one goes — from a walk in the park to a night on the town. If your eyes are open you never know when a worthwhile shot is going to present itself. But with the advent of cell phone cameras the ubiquitous always-present camera has become a reality, so why bother with anything else? A good question, and one that causes traditional camera makers to stay up at night with the sweats. Established No sooner is a niche identified than camera makes try and fill it.

Almost as good ;-!

Photo Review. A new flagship digicam with a fast zoom lens, a wide range of exposure controls and support for raw file capture and p HD video recording. S Show opened in Las Vegas. An external stereo microphone adapter kit SEMA-1 is also available for clipping onto this port. The new camera, which will be offered in black and white, is similar in size to a typical advanced digicam, although somewhat slimmer than most.

Trusted Reviews is supported by its audience. If you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Learn more. Second, we have the photography enthusiast looking for a smaller back up to complement their existing digital SLR. First impressions of the XZ-1 suggest that it is indeed a class act that deserves to stand shoulder to shoulder with existing high-performing rivals. Wireless flash control is available from the XZ-1 should it be required. We had the compact XZ-1 in for testing alongside the new Olympus E-PL2 and, as expected, there are similarities between these closely priced and featured rivals. Macro close ups at as near as 1cm from a given subject are possible too. But as this is not your average point-and-shoot that requires stylish curves to sell it, we actually like its no-nonsense appearance.

Olympus xz1 review

Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may get a commission. Reviews ethics statement. Olympus XZ Olympus forges into that market with its XZ-1, a promising-looking model that's not quite as compact as the S95, but with an exceptionally fast f1. Its photo quality falls short of excellent, though. While the JPEG processing is a problem, it seems like the images don't come off the sensor clean enough to lay all the blame at the feet of the algorithm. I found that I could fix detail issues at low ISO sensitivities, but couldn't gain much latitude with respect to noise. Even at ISO details like hair can come out mushy in JPEGs at midrange distances; this is a problem for landscapes, for example, where grass and leaves will look muddied.

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I can carry the xz-1 in my pocket and the e-pl3 around my neck and if I need a different focal distance the xz-1 will do a good job for me.. Resolution : Our laboratory resolution chart revealed sharp, distinct line patterns down to about 1, lines per picture height horizontally, and to about 1, lines per picture height vertically. Latest news, reviews, tips, special offers, and new ways to improve and inspire your photography. Left of the accessory port is a button for popping up the built-in flash, which is a small tube, similar to those used in compact digicams. I was looking at the new XZ-1, but got the Canon s95 instead because it is smaller and I think the image quality is about the same. Olympus XZ-1 grip. As you can see, this feature really does seem to make a difference and could mean capturing a successful, sharp shot or missing the opportunity altogether. Click here for list of stores. Michael Reichmann is the founder of the Luminous Landscape. No sooner is a niche identified than camera makes try and fill it. I was delighted to discover later that noise wasn't objectionable at that speed. Currently my traffic has been increasing but my funds to pay for the site has been decreasing, so any help would be GREATLY appreciated! I have the VF-3 viewfinder that I carry in my pocket and it works with either camera. As Shawn noted in the Hands-on Preview , Olympus uses image stabilization for video that crops the capture and responds slowly to your camera moves. Share Tweet Comment.

Offering a lens that's both faster and sharper overall than its rivals, the Olympus XZ-1 comes out swinging and lands quite a few punches. Olympus is quick to point out that the XZ-1 is the first pocket camera to have a Zuiko-branded optic built in.

Most of these are self explanatory. Mobile banner. And I seriously misread the exposure of the zoom series itself. What say? So if you increase saturation, you see saturation increase on the OLED. While there's a nice rubber pad on the back panel for your thumb, Olympus left the front of the camera bare. Top view of the XZ-1 showing the mode dial, shutter and zoom controls and accessory shoe. Processing times ranged from 3. I might have liked to be able to assign aspect ratio to the lens ring actually. There was a firmware update for the Olympus XZ-1 so I downloaded it. I have owned nearly all the high end compacts and the XZ-1 is the keeper because of the optional EVF. Again, not that useful on a small sensor. Image Quality. Even juggling two menu settings was a pain, though.