Tech bytes for tea?

The XZ-1 was first announced in September 2010 during the biennal Photokina 2010, the world’s largest visual equipment exhibition held in Cologne, Germany.

It is a 10-megapixel high-end compact with 4x optical zoom from 28mm to 112mm (35mm equivalent). It records HD movies, has a 610k dots OLED display and features 6 Art Filters that can be applied to movies recorded. The camera comes in black or white.

The XZ-1 hopes to produce good image quality approaching those of DSLRs whilst sporting a compact body. Olympus hopes this will appeal to compact point-and-shoot users aspiring for greater manual control and image quality without having to lug a bulky camera around. The camera also targets the more seasoned DSLR user as a more compact secondary camera.

Previously, Olympus had filled this niche with the Pen series of Micro Four Thirds mirrorless interchangeable-lens cameras. The XZ-1 aims to augment this niche by providing a lower priced, more compact, fixed lens alternative.

The main selling points of the camera are listed below:

1. i.ZUIKO DIGITAL 4X zoom lens — the first time Olympus has equipped a camera in its compact range with its premium lens. The lens has a large aperture of f1.8 at its widest angle of 28mm (35mm equivalent). Even at its telescopic end at 112mm, the maximum aperture is a large f2.5. This allows low-light photography to be done at faster shutter speeds to reduce camera shake during exposure. It also enables a shallower depth of field.

2. A  large 1/1.63-inch high-sensitivity 10 megapixel (effective) CCD sensor to achieve high picture quality and shallow depth of field close to that available from SLR cameras. Compared to previous sensors which cramms 14 megapixels in a smaller 1/2.33-inch, the new CCD sensor has double the light receiving area per pixel – achieving higher picture quality and sensitivity.

3. TruePic V image processing engine — the same as used in the OLYMPUS PEN series — optimizes picture quality, while 6 pre-canned Art Filters provide in-camera special effects on photos taken without the need to use complicated photo-editing software on a computer. The Art Filters include the new Dramatic Tone filter recently introduced in the E-5, Olympus’ flagship DSLR.

4. Live Guide interface guides novice users through various expert photographic techniques to help achieve the desired image, while the interface for advanced users provides direct control over camera functions using the control ring and control dial.

5. The 3-inch OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display can display VGA picture data with 610,000-dot pixels. The display is capable of expressing deeper black than LCD because it can implement zero light emission status for expressing black. The wide angle of view ensures high visibility even during high- or low-angle shooting.

6. Dedicated movie button for instant start of HD movie recording (AVI Motion JPG 1280 x 720, 30 fps)

Listed here are some earlier write-ups on the Olympus XZ-1:
Photo review | Full review | Detailed specs