ZEISS ZX1 Review | 108 Data compared

The Digitalkamera.de review of the Zeiss ZX1 highlights the premium, full-frame camera's exceptional build quality, intuitive 4.3-inch touchscreen, and the superior sharpness of its fixed 35mm f/2 Zeiss Distagon lens. A standout feature is the native, integrated Lightroom Mobile workflow, which allows for immediate, on-device photo editing and cloud sharing. Conversely, the review notes significant ergonomic drawbacks, including a large physical form factor that restricts portability and tactile control dials that lack locking mechanisms. Furthermore, the aperture ring is prone to accidental adjustment, and the overall software experience, while innovative, can feel sluggish during intensive editing tasks.

The Heise review examines the Zeiss ZX1, a high-end compact camera integrating a 37.4-megapixel full-frame sensor, a 35mm f/2 lens, and built-in Lightroom software for an all-in-one workflow with a 512GB SSD. While praised for excellent image quality, the device suffers from a very high €6,000 price, bulky design, slow startup, lack of image stabilization, and finicky touchscreen controls, prompting questions about its long-term viability.

The ZEISS ZX1 is an unusually designed camera that features a fixed 35mm f2 Distagon lens, which delivers incredibly sharp images, beautiful bokeh, and excellent light management with almost no color distortion. The camera is built with a unique grip that curves into the palm, making it very comfortable to hold securely, and it features a large touch screen that is cleverly bent to create a separate space for the right thumb. While the autofocus is not as fast as other modern cameras, it is highly accurate, and the camera shines when used in manual mode. Another major benefit is the deep integration with Adobe Lightroom, allowing users to edit photos directly on the camera and instantly sync them to the cloud. On the downside, the camera's touch screen can feel a bit slow and sluggish when moving focus points or navigating menus. The electronic viewfinder is only average and can force the user to press their nose tightly against the body, while also showing noticeable purple noise when using high ISO settings. Adjusting settings like exposure compensation must be...

The connect-living review highlights the Zeiss ZX1 as a pathbreaking, highly modern camera concept priced at a premium €6,000. Its biggest strength lies in its exceptional RAW (DNG) image quality, which delivers impressive sharpness, brilliant detail, and deep fine-drawing capability that easily matches or beats competitor models. The review highly praises the integration of an Android-based platform featuring Adobe Lightroom, which introduces a much-needed, futuristic approach to capturing, editing, and sharing images directly to social networks from a single device. However, the camera comes with several notable disadvantages. The most significant flaw is its subpar and disappointing JPEG processing. JPEGs are tuned unusually soft with under-sharpened edges and high noise levels, rendering them unusable without immediate post-editing. On the hardware side, the camera body heats up noticeably during extended use, the menu fonts are occasionally too tiny, and the proximity sensor on the viewfinder sometimes interferes with touch operations. Additionally, the review notes a lack of a weather-sealed body, a desire for an upgraded viewfinder, and the inability to install external applications from the Google Play Store. I can break...

Leica Q2 Monochrom Review Summary The Leica Q2 Monochrom delivers outstanding performance for black-and-white photography, significantly outperforming its color counterpart in low-light environments. By omitting the color filter array, the camera captures more light, resulting in a one-stop improvement in noise performance and highly detailed, artifact-free images. Its solid, weather-sealed metal housing (IP52 rating) features a fast Summilux 28mm f/1.7 lens with a built-in macro mode and optical image stabilization, alongside a rapid continuous burst speed of up to 20 fps. However, the lens suffers from a sharp drop-off in resolution toward the image edges at wider apertures. Furthermore, the physical connectivity is non-existent as it lacks USB or HDMI ports and microphone jacks. The high price tag of €5,590 and an outdated, fixed 1.04-million-dot rear monitor also limit its general appeal. Zeiss ZX1 Review Summary The Zeiss ZX1 attempts an ambitious, unconventional approach by running an Android-based system with built-in Adobe Lightroom Mobile and a massive 512GB internal storage capacity. Its major strength lies in its Distagon 35mm f/2 T lens*, which produces exceptional edge-to-edge sharpness, minimal distortion, and...