Hands on with the Olympus XZ-1 enthusiast camera

Olympus launches a promising competitor to the popular Canon PowerShot S95.

Lori Grunin Senior Editor / Advice

I've been reviewing hardware and software, devising testing methodology and handed out buying advice for what seems like forever; I'm currently absorbed by computers and gaming hardware, but previously spent many years concentrating on cameras. I've also volunteered with a cat rescue for over 15 years doing adoptions, designing marketing materials, managing volunteers and, of course, photographing cats.

Expertise Photography, PCs and laptops, gaming and gaming accessories

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Lori Grunin

Jan. 5, 2011 8:34 p.m. PT

3 min read

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LAS VEGAS--Though ILCs may be the more interesting enthusiast cameras, the more popular market seems to be the compact, fixed-lens models, most notably the Canon PowerShot S95. 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 f1.8 lens and a sleek design that rivals models like the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5 in size and operation. I had some time to play with a preproduction version of the camera--can't really make any judgments about photo quality or performance, unfortunately--and think it's got a nice combination of features and usability that make it a model to watch.

First, here's how the XZ-1 compares with the rest of the crowd (with the exception of the Samsung TL500--no room in the table):

	Canon PowerShot G12	Canon PowerShot S95	Nikon P7000	Olympus XZ-1	Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX5
Sensor (effective resolution)	10-megapixel CCD	10-megapixel CCD	10-megapixel CCD	10-megapixel CCD	10-megapixel CCD
Sensor (effective resolution)	1/1.7-inch	1/1.7-inch	1/1.63-inch	1/1.63-inch	1/1.63-inch
Sensitivity range	ISO 80 - ISO 3200	ISO 80 - ISO 3200	ISO 100 - ISO 3,200	ISO 100 - ISO 6,400	ISO 80 - ISO 3200
Lens	28-140mm 5x	28-105mm f2-4.9 3.8x	28-200mm f2.8-5.6 7.1x	28-112mm f1.8-2.5 4x	24-90mm f2-3.3 3.8x
Closest focus (inches)	0.4	2.0	3.2	0.4	0.4
Continuous shooting	1.1fps frames n/a	1.9fps frames n/a	1.3fps 44 JPEG/n/a raw	2fps 23 JPEG/8 raw	2.5fps 3 JPEG/n/a raw
Viewfinder	Optical	Optical	Optional OVF	Optional EVF	Optional OVF or EVF
Autofocus	n/a Contrast AF	n/a Contrast AF	9 area Contrast AF	11 area Contrast AF	23-area Contrast AF
Metering	n/a	n/a	256 segment	324 area	n/a
Shutter	15-1/4,000 sec	15-1/1,600 sec	60-1/4,000 sec	60-1/2,000 sec; bulb to 16 min	60-1/4,000 sec
Flash	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Hot shoe	Yes	No	Yes	Yes	Yes
LCD	2.8-inch articulated 461,000 dots	3-inch fixed 461,000 dots	3-inch fixed 921,000 dots	3-inch fixed OLED 610,000 dots	3-inch fixed 460,000 dots
Image stabilization	Optical	Optical	Optical	Sensor shift	Optical
Video (best quality)	720/24p H.264 QuickTime MOV	720/24p H.264 QuickTime MOV Stereo	720/24p H.264 QuickTime MOV	720/30p Motion JPEG AVI	720/30p AVCHD Lite Monaural
Manual iris and shutter in video	No	No	n/a	tk	Yes
Optical zoom while recording	Yes	No	n/a	tk	Yes
Mic input	No	No	Yes	Yes	No
Battery life (CIPA rating)	390 shots	220 shots	350 shots	320 shots	400 shots
Dimensions (WHD, inches)	4.4 x 3.0 x 2.0	3.9 x 2.3 x 1.2	4.5 x 3.1 x 1.8	4.4 x 2.6 x 1.7	4.3 x 2.6 x 1.7
Weight (ounces)	14.5 (est)	7 (est)	12.7 (est)	9.6	9.2
Mfr. Price	$499.99	$399.99	$499.95	$499.99	$450
Availability	September 2010	August 2010	October 2010	January 2011	August 2010

The Canon-like control ring around the lens is just as comfortable to use, and the 3-inch OLED is bright and high contrast. The camera has the same accessory port for an add-on EVF as the PEN ILC models.

The only real issue I had was with the body material (though it's not clear to me if it was final); it felt a little too slippery. But otherwise, it's got a straightforward interface and a nice control layout. I'm not sure where I stand yet on the USB charging. I look forward to testing the final version when it's available later this month.