Olympus XZ-1 Review | 108 Data compared

Based on David Chua’s review of the pre-production Olympus XZ-1, this compact point-and-shoot camera offers remarkable low-light capabilities that can rival or exceed mirrorless systems. The reviewer heavily praises the incredibly bright f/1.8 maximum aperture lens, stating that its low-light focusing speed at night is exceptionally fast—even outperforming the Olympus PEN E-PL2 mirrorless camera in tricky situations where the latter failed to lock focus. Furthermore, the camera delivers remarkably clean images up to ISO 1600 straight-out-of-camera (SOOC) without visible noise, which is heavily aided by a highly effective built-in image stabilization system. In terms of comparative image quality, the reviewer ranks the XZ-1 as a clear winner over its primary compact rivals, the Panasonic LX5 and the Canon PowerShot S95. However, the camera does present several notable drawbacks and limitations. Users looking for high-quality video will likely be disappointed, as the reviewer and commenters note that the HD video quality is quite poor, especially when compared to cheaper compact alternatives. Because it is a compact camera built around a physically small digital sensor, users cannot achieve a pronounced or blurry...

The DPReview of the Olympus XZ-1 highlights the enthusiast compact camera for its bright 28-112mm equivalent F1.8-F2.5 iZuiko lens, producing sharp images and excellent color, which earned it a Gold Award. Key pros include a pocketable design, dual control dials with a functional lens ring, a 610k-dot OLED screen, and wireless flash control. Conversely, the review notes significant limitations, including the lack of a dedicated AEL/AFL button and restricted customization for dials or buttons. Furthermore, the camera suffers from aggressive, unadjustable JPEG noise reduction at high ISOs and records 720p video in an inefficient Motion JPEG format.

Olympus XZ-1 Review Summary The Olympus XZ-1 stands out as a high-end, 10-megapixel compact camera featuring a superb, ultra-fast F1.8–F2.5 Zuiko lens that provides excellent depth of field control and backgrounds that blur slightly when zoomed to 112mm. Designed with intuitive, comfortable physical handling akin to the Canon S95, it boasts rapid startup times, consistent focusing speeds, built-in image stabilization, and manual control dials for streamlined adjustments. For video, the device delivers 720p HD recording at 30 fps using a dedicated one-touch button, successfully offering continuous auto-focus and quick exposure adaptations. Image quality proves highly competitive with clean details up to ISO 400, while the bright lens minimizes the need for higher, noisier ISO settings in dimmer environments. It includes premium features like a hot shoe for external strobes, RAW formatting, and a built-in 3-stop neutral-density filter to utilize wide apertures in bright sunlight. Despite its strengths, the camera exhibits notable drawbacks, particularly regarding its macro performance; standard macro capability is poor, and while the "supermacro" mode lets you focus right on the lens port, it locks the focal length...

The Olympus XZ-1 is a lightweight, metal-bodied 10-megapixel digital camera featuring a bright iZuiko f/1.8-2.5 zoom lens and a high-resolution 3-inch LCD monitor. Key advantages highlighted in the review include its fast low-light focusing, excellent display quality, and a bright f/2.5 aperture even at maximum telephoto zoom. The camera offers excellent physical handling with a responsive shutter, a dedicated video button, and an intuitive, heavily cleaned-up menu system. A standout feature is the large, machined control ring around the lens barrel that allows for seamless, real-time adjustments of exposure settings like ISO and aperture. On the downside, the reviewer strongly criticizes the camera for lacking an external, dedicated battery charger. Users are forced to keep the battery inside the camera and connect the device directly to a charging adapter, which feels unprofessional for a pro-spec camera. Additionally, despite its prominent appearance on the lens barrel, the control ring relies on tactile click-stops and cannot be used for traditional manual focusing. However, it remains highly accessible for beginners due to an idiot-proof Auto mode and built-in Art Filters.

The Olympus XZ-1 is a fixed-lens compact digital camera reviewed by Barrie Smith on Digital Photography School. Built to challenge premium compacts like the Canon G-series, the camera features an impressive 10-megapixel CCD sensor capable of producing 3648×2736 pixel images, which is enough for high-quality prints up to 31x23cm. Its most notable asset is the fast Zuiko f/1.8-2.5 4x zoom lens (28-112mm equivalent), marking the first time a Zuiko lens has been utilized on a compact camera body. The camera offers robust manual controls via a front lens ring and a rear dial, alongside an impressive 7.6cm OLED screen, a built-in Neutral Density (ND) filter, highly praised Art Filters, and compatibility with the wider line of PEN system accessories. Despite its premium features, the review reveals several clear performance limitations. On the positive side, the pros include the incredibly fast f/1.8 lens that retains a bright f/2.5 aperture at maximum telephoto zoom, a highly effective handheld image stabilizer, and a versatile selection of expanding system accessories like a macro arm light and an underwater housing. On the downside, the cons...

The Olympus XZ-1 is positioned as a premium compact camera bridging the gap between portability and DSLR-like image quality, featuring a high-performance iZuiko lens that produces exceptional, contrasty, and saturated images. Key advantages include its bright lens and auto-gradation technology for high-contrast scenes, although it faces disadvantages with limited dynamic range when shooting directly into light. Envato Tuts+ Optically, the camera performs well but exhibits minor, correctable drawbacks, including slight barrel distortion at the widest angle and occasional chromatic aberration at the image edges. Despite these limitations, the XZ-1's overall image quality is high, and minor errors are easily managed in post-processing. Envato Tuts+

summary of the Olympus XZ-1 review: Despite these strengths, the XZ-1 has notable limitations that may impact specific shooting workflows. While the camera matches its core competitors in overall resolution, it suffers from slightly higher image noise at high ISO settings, and the RAW files "fall apart" quickly if they are heavily manipulated during post-processing. Furthermore, advanced users might find it frustrating that the body completely lacks a dedicated AE/AF lock button or a customizable soft key. Physical limitations include a non-articulated rear screen, which restricts awkward-angle shooting, and the absence of a standalone external battery charger, forcing users to charge the battery directly inside the camera body via a USB cable. Lastly, for multimedia creators, the video capabilities are hindered by an inefficient, outdated Motion-JPG saving format.

The Cameraderie forum review of the Olympus XZ-1 praises the camera's fast, sharp lens, sturdy build, and exceptionally clear OLED screen, which enables easy composition in bright sunlight. The reviewer highlights the intuitive controls, dual-mode macro performance, and the overall enjoyment of the shooting experience as major pros, noting that despite a slightly larger footprint, the camera remains portable and produces excellent image quality. Cameraderie However, the field report notes that the lens cap relies on a weak friction-fit, leading to it falling off easily when packed. Other minor drawbacks include the OLED screen's tendency to over-saturate colours and a less-pocketable size compared to rivals like the Canon S95. Despite these issues, the reviewer finds the trade-offs justified for superior, fast-lens performance.

The Olympus XZ-1 is a fixed-lens compact camera designed for enthusiasts, praised for its solid user interface, sleek design, and exceptionally fast f1.8–2.5 lens featuring a 4x zoom range. It handles everyday operations quite responsively, matching rivals with a 0.4-second focus-and-shoot time in good light and standing out with a superior shot-to-shot speed of 1.1 to 1.4 seconds. Key physical highlights include a functional lens control ring for quick setting adjustments, an accessory port for an external electronic viewfinder, a hot shoe, and a bright 3-inch fixed OLED display that remains visible in direct sunlight. However, the camera falls short of excellence regarding image quality, showing muddied details and sensor noise even when shooting raw at low ISO sensitivities. Its JPEG processing applies too much sharpening, which adds artifact crunchiness to natural shots, and its wide 28mm-equivalent focal length suffers from barrel distortion. Additional drawbacks include video recording that appears soft and jittery with abrupt exposure shifts, an out-of-focus highlight blur compromised by a six-bladed iris, a basic 2.1 fps continuous shooting speed that limits action photography, and a poorly...

The Olympus XZ-1 is a high-end compact digital camera featuring an 11-megapixel sensor and a premium 4x optical zoom Zuiko lens with a bright f/1.8 maximum aperture. Priced at an MSRP of $499.99, it targets manual control enthusiasts by providing a heavily incremented control ring around the lens for adjusting exposure settings, alongside an accessory port that supports an optional electronic viewfinder (EVF). The camera boasts a high-quality 3-inch OLED display, records 15 image size options across RAW and JPEG formats, and includes distinct scene profiles like an "e-Portrait" smooth-skin mode. Physically, it weighs 275g and lacks a pronounced front grip but relies on a matte finish and a small rear rubberized thumbpad for steady handling. The primary pros of the XZ-1 include its outstanding color accuracy, particularly in its "Muted" picture mode, and exceptional noise control that remains consistently low in both bright 3000 lux and dim 60 lux environments. Additionally, its sharpness is highly rated, and the lens shows negligible distortion apart from mild 1.73% barrel distortion at its widest 6mm focal length. Conversely, the most notable cons...