The feature set and performance of the 10-megapixel Olympus XZ-1 ($499.99, direct) is far beyond that of most compact digital cameras. Its standout feature, an extremely bright (f/1.8) lens, will allow you to give your flash a break and capture much more natural-looking photos. This bright lens, alongside an image sensor double the size of most other same-class cameras, produces the best images you’ll get from a compact shooter. There are also plenty of manual controls and accessory ports, which are a nice bonus. The only downside to the XZ-1 is that its size and price put it up against cameras with significantly larger image sensors. The Editors’ Choice Sony Alpha NEX-3 ($549.99, 4.5 stars) and Olympus’s own E-PL1 (3.5 stars), which currently lists for $499.99, will both deliver much better images and video for essentially the same price.
Design
The body of the XZ-1 measures 2.55 by 4.35 by 1.67 inches (HWD) and weighs 9.44 ounces. It may or may not fit in your pocket, and certainly won’t fit comfortably. If you’re looking for a truly compact camera, the Editors’ Choice Canon PowerShot S95 ($399.99, 4 stars) fills the bill, and costs $100 less.
Olympus XZ-1 View SlideshowSee all (11) slides
More
The image sensor is no slouch; it’s the largest you’ll find in a compact model: the 1/1.7-inch sensor’s surface area is 43mm². Still, though, there are new interchangeable-lens cameras with bodies only a little larger than the XZ-1, that integrate sensors five to eight times larger. ThePanasonic Lumix DMC-GF2 ($699.95, 4 stars) and Sony NEX-3 feature 225mm² and 370mm² sensors, respectively.
Olympus XZ-1 Specifications
- Type
- Compact
- Megapixels
- 10 MP
- Media Format
- Secure Digital Extended Capacity
- 35-mm Equivalent (Wide)
- 28 mm
- 35-mm Equivalent (Telephoto)
- 112 mm
- Optical Zoom
- 4 x
- LCD size
- 3 inches
- Video Resolution
- Yes
The manual controls we loved on the PowerShot S95 are also on the XZ-1, but the experience here is less pleasing. There’s a ring around the front of the lens and one on the back next to the display. On the S95, you can use these at the same time in manual mode to control shutter speed and aperture. On the XZ-1, the lens ring controls aperture, but the back ring wont control shutter speed unless you tap the exposure button first—it’s not difficult, just odd. There’s also no way in manual mode to set ISO sensitivity to Auto, a setting I use frequently. Auto-ISO is available in aperture priority and shutter priority modes, and in these modes the lens ring controls the aperture or shutter speed.
The XZ-1′s uses the bones of the interface found on the many other Olympus cameras, but it’s been spiced up a bit with color here, and text is much more legible thanks to the super-sharp display.
Performance
No point-and-shoot camera can keep up with the XZ-1. The camera boots and shoots in an average of 2.89 seconds, which admittedly isn’t all that exciting, but it averages just 1.15 seconds between shots, and shutter lag for each individual shot is a mere half-second—both extremely impressive results.
In the PC Mag labs we use Imatest to collect objective information about image quality. The XZ-1′s tests scores closely resembled the Editors’ Choice PowerShot S95: the Canon was able to capture a very sharp center-weighted average of 1,858 lines per picture height, and the Olympus XZ-1 averaged 1,777. Both cameras were also able to shoot at high ISO sensitivities without breaking Imatest’s threshold for visible noise in an image. Like the S95, the XZ-1′s noise level was below the 1.5 percent threshold all the way up to and including ISO 1600. Even at ISO 3200, when images showed higher than 1.5 percent noise, to my eye, photos weren’t unusable. In all real-world shooting tests, the XZ-1 truly dazzled me.
Video recorded by the XZ-1 looks great, and the camcorder functions are easy to operate. There’s a dedicated recording button, so with one press, the XZ-1 captures high-definition 720p30 video files. Video is captured in Motion JPEG format, which is compatible with YouTube and Facebook. While recording, you can use the optical zoom or press the shutter release half way to re-focus, though when doing so you’ll hear a slight sound from the lens motor in your recordings.
Olympus includes its proprietary digital accessories port on the XZ-1. You can add a stereo microphone, an electronic viewfinder, an external flash and more—from the Olympus Web site. There’s also a standard micro-HDMI out to connects the camera to an HDTV for image playback, and a proprietary USB port for connecting the XZ-1 to your computer.
There’s no denying the fact that the Olympus XZ-1 is a fast camera that produces top-notch pictures. But it’s big, and at $500, it’s pricey for a compact-class camera. On performance alone, though, it edges out our Editors’ Choice Canon PowerShot S95, which is much smaller and less-expensive. The problem is that that the XZ-1 is too big and expensive to compete with compact cameras, and lacks the features and performance to measure up to D-SLRs or interchangeable-lens cameras. If you want the best pocket camera, get the PowerShot S95, and if you want the best possible images for your $500 look at Olympus’s own E-PL1 or the Sony NEX series.
No comments:
Post a Comment