Olympus Stylus XZ-2

Image Quality

Not only does the XZ-2 have glorious external looks, it also delivers in the images that it can produce.

We’ve already covered the wide aperture and how much that can lend to an image’s appeal, but the XZ-2 has plenty of other features on board that high-end snappers will appreciate.

Principally it’s the inclusion of raw capture that will have an impact. Being able to snap away in the knowledge that an ORF raw file will hold all that extra data is definitely useful should an exposure be a little off or, simply, because you prefer the untouched, grainier look. It’s a good base canvas to work from.

The camera can shoot from ISO 100 through to a maximum ISO 12,800 sensitivity, but the wide aperture values can be helpful in avoiding high ISO shots, which is for the best as those upper values really aren’t great.

ISO 3200 full image taken from raw file

There’s little image noise to worry about at ISO 100-200, some slight interference at ISO 400-800, and then from ISO 1600 and upwards it’s a push as to whether the shots are of as much practical use. JPEG noise reduction does a good job to keep shots usable through to around ISO 3200, beyond which it’s a descent into muddied, noise-smattered fare. But we rarely to never used such settings, so it doesn’t really matter.

Same ISO 3200 image as above, taken from JPEG file (shows noise reduction processing)

On the whole images are cracking. There are plenty of on-board adjustments too, from the simple JPEG processing — neutral, natural and so forth — through to distinctive art filters that include pseudo-HDR dramatic tone, pale colour, pinhole effect and plenty more besides.

Verdict

We’re big fans of high-end compact cameras, and the XZ-2 really does excel at what it does. We like the style, the images, the available wide aperture settings and that awesome dual-function lens ring.

In fact there’s not much we don’t like. A wider-angle lens would be welcome, as would a smaller body and — here’s the likely purchase clincher — a smaller price too. That’s the XZ-2’s biggest barrier really — it’ll cost £479 upon launch, although we’re hopeful that will drop to the £420 mark that the XZ-2 black is currently hovering around at.

READ: Olympus Pen Mini E-PM2 review

But for that money it’s the presence of Olympus’s own E-PM2 «Pen Mini» and the likes of the larger-sensor Sony RX100 that will call into question this high-end compact’s asking price. Each is roughly the same price, while other high-end competitors, such as the Panasonic LX7, are notably cheaper yet, often, equally remarkable in many areas.

READ: Sony Cyber-shot RX100 review

Combine all that and it’s the cost that, er, costs the XZ-2’s final score. Our hearts give it top marks, but our wallet-tight heads disagree. It’s a lovely camera that does inspire that gut feeling of greatness about it. If you’re rich go and buy one. No, go and buy two, y’know, just because you can.

Внешний вид и удобство использования

Камера с установленной на лицевой панели накладкой выглядит более пухлой, нежели предшественница. Это заслуга не только накладки, но и наклонного дисплея, который также добавил несколько миллиметров. Как уже упоминалось, появились и новые органы управления: программируемая клавиша Fn1 с тыльной стороны и Fn2 — с лицевой, причём последняя дополнена рычажком, который управляет режимами работы кольца объектива.

Слегка видоизменена и правая часть верхней стороны — клавиша спуска и рычажок управления трансфокацией, а также диск выбора режимов съёмки немного утоплены, благодаря чему удалось слегка уменьшить общую высоту камеры, которая увеличилась бы из-за установки наклонного дисплея. Также стоит отметить немного иную форму резиновой накладки под большой палец с тыльной стороны, край которой теперь слегка приподнят, благодаря чему удерживать корпус камеры значительно проще, нежели у предшественницы. Материалы корпуса те же, что и в случае XZ-1. Прежним, то есть безупречным, осталось и качество сборки. При попытках скручивания корпус не поддаётся и не издаёт ни единого звука.

Вид спереди

Спереди находятся лампа подсветки автофокуса, объектив с кольцом управления и программируемая клавиша Fn2 с рычажком, отвечающим за режим работы этого кольца. Всего есть три режима — трансфокация, ручная фокусировка и ручная фокусировка/трансфокация. В последнем режиме управление фокусировкой вручную возможно, но только если автофокус был предварительно переведён в данный режим. В режиме ручной фокусировки коррекция при помощи кольца возможна независимо от установленного режима работы. Но это ещё не все функции кольца. При повороте рычажка ход кольца становится не плавным, а пошаговым, причём каждая ступень чётко чувствуется, а само кольцо хорошо фиксируется. Стоит напомнить, что у предка кольцо работает лишь в таком режиме, без возможности плавного перемещения, поэтому функция ручной фокусировки при помощи кольца объектива была недоступной, как и управление трансфокацией.

На программируемую клавишу Fn2 нельзя назначить любую функцию. По сути, она поочередно вызывает меню нескольких параметров: режима стабилизации, режима цвета, сюжетных программ, арт-фильтров, баланса белого, режима протяжки, пропорции, качества изображения, режима работы вспышки, коррекции вспышки, выбора режима экспозамера и автофокуса, установки чувствительности, активирования приоритета лиц и настройки ND-фильтра. Примечательно, что в настройках можно выбрать не все функции, а лишь перечень необходимых параметров, которые будут циклически пролистываться при нажатии программируемой клавиши. Отчасти данная фишка XZ-2 дублирует функции быстрого меню, но всё же существенно облегчает работу с камерой.

Вид сзади

Сзади большую часть поверхности занимает дисплей, над которым находится клавиша замка подъёмной вспышки и порт подключения аксессуаров. Правее дисплея расположены следующие функциональные элементы: клавиша видеозаписи, кнопка перехода в режим просмотра, программируемая клавиша Fn1, круглая 4-позиционная многофункциональная клавиша навигации с кнопкой ввода по центру и кольцом управления по периметру, а у нижнего края находятся кнопки входа в основное меню и смены режима отображения дисплея.

Вид сверху

Сверху разместились подъёмная вспышка, «горячий башмак» с парой микрофонов у переднего края, клавиша питания, кнопка спуска затвора, дополненная рычажком управления трансфокацией, а также круглый селектор режимов съёмки.

Вид снизу

Снизу находятся разъём установки на штатив, системный динамик, который чётко попадает на штативную головку, а также пластиковая дверца, скрывающая отсеки установки аккумулятора и карты памяти. Справа под пластиковой дверцей скрыты разъёмы подключения USB/AV- и HDMI-кабелей, а левая боковая поверхность пустует.

Вид слева и справа

Дисплей, видоискатель и интерфейс

Предшественница приятно удивила наличием OLED-дисплея. XZ-1 стала первой камерой Olympus с матрицей данного типа, тогда как Samsung начала продвигать AMOLED-дисплей в камерах гораздо раньше. Но каково же было разочарование, когда в пресс-релизе, посвященном новинке, было обнаружено упоминание обычного ЖК-дисплея. Да, он сенсорный, да, он наклонный, да, у него значительно большее разрешение, но тех углов обзора, той контрастности и качества цветопередачи у него нет. Конечно, для ЖК-матрицы и углы приличные, и цвета неплохие, да и прямые солнечные лучи не заставляют матрицу слепнуть, но всё же это немножечко не то.

Интерфейс камеры претерпел небольшие изменения, ведь у XZ-2 есть возможность организации гибридного управления. Однако у всех камер Olympus с сенсорным экраном его возможности используются откровенно слабо, и тестируемая камера тут не исключение. Например, при помощи экрана нельзя управлять быстрым меню и тем более основным. Фактически предусмотрен лишь сенсорный спуск/выбор зоны фокусировки, управление функциями обработки в режиме iAuto (насыщенность, оттенок, яркость, размытость фона, динамичность сюжета или размытость движения плюс просмотр советов по съёмке), а также пролистывание снимков и масштабирование в режиме просмотра. В общем, в плане удобства гибридное управление камер Olympus пока ещё существенно уступает оному в камерах Panasonic, где сенсорные экраны начали внедрять гораздо раньше и к этому времени уже успели набить множество шишек, но в результате довели гибридное управление почти до совершенства. Ниже для ознакомления приведено несколько снимков экрана.

Stylish Stylus

It seems Olympus has an affection for writing implements: pens, styli — okay so we digress. But there is a small point to be made — the XZ-2 brings its Stylus branding to the fore. The XZ-1 didn’t bear the name of it at all. The latest model includes the brand logo on top of its pop-up flash as well as on the rear LCD. It’s done away with the more brash «F1.8» stamp that was on the front of the XZ-1, and opted for a cleaner, more subtle front-on finish. It’s simple, it’s classy. We like it. We like it a lot, Forrest Gump style.

But this Snow White, fair-skinned compact isn’t as dwarfish as the classic XZ-1 was on account of its tilt-angle screen bracket. It adds a meagre 6mm to the depth, so although the camera is slightly larger than its predecessor, on the whole it’s fairly hard to tell. Size is an important factor to any buyer, but we think the XZ-2 is just about on the right side of small. It might look positively large sitting next to, say, a Canon S110, but then the Olympus has a few extra tricks up its sleeve…

READ: Canon PowerShot S110 compact camera review

Introduction

The new Olympus XZ-1 is a 10-megapixel premium compact camera featuring an ultra-bright 28-112mm equivalent f/1.8-2.5 zoom lens, a high-resolution 3-inch OLED screen and a 1/1.63 inch CCD imager with sensor-shift image stabilisation. Professional features include a full manual exposure mode, raw image capture, wireless TTL flash control and compatibility with a wide range of accessories including external flashguns and macro LED lights, a detachable electronic viewfinder and external microphone set. Priced at £399.99 / $499.99, the Olympus XZ-1 also offers half a dozen Art Filters, eighteen scene modes and one-touch HD movie recording.

Характеристики

Сенсор

Тип матрицы

BSI-CMOS

Форм-фактор

1/1,7″

Разрешение полное

12,8 млн пикс.

Разрешение эфф.

12,0 млн пикс.

Процессор

TruePic VI

Изображение

Макс. размер кадра

3968×2976 точек

Соотношение сторон

4:3, 3:2, 16:9, 1:1

Запись RAW

есть

Форматы файлов

RAW (12 бит), JPEG

Оптика

Фокусные расстояния

28—112 мм

Оптический зум

4×

Цифровое увеличение

2×

Значения диафрагмы

F1,8/F2,5

Стабилизация

сдвиг матрицы

Фокусировка

Типы фокусировки

автоматическая по контрасту; ручная

Автофокусировка

многозонная с автоматическим или ручным выбором зоны; покадровая, следящая, с приоритетом лиц

Зон автофокуса

35

Минимальная дистанция

0,06 м

Непрерывная АФ

есть

Брекетинг по фокусировке

нет

Подсветка автофокуса

есть

Фотографические функции

Чувствительность

авто, 100—12 800 ISOшаг 1/3 EV; регулируемый верхний предел в автоматическом режиме (1600—12 800 ISO); брекетинг

1/2000—60 с, от руки

Экспозамер

многозонный, центровзвешенный, точечный; TTL с открытой диафрагмой в диапазоне от 0 до 20 EV; режимы приоритета светов/теней

Управление экспозицией

авто, приоритет диафрагмы, приоритет выдержки, ручное; 16 сюжетных программ

Компенсация экспозиции

±3 EV

Эксповилка

3 кадра, ±1,0 EV с шагом 1/3 ступени

Баланс белого

7 пресетов, по образцу, установка в градусах Кельвина; брекетинг по балансу белого;2 пользовательских настройки по образцу, 1 установка в градусах Кельвина (2000—14 000 K); коррекция ±7 шагов по двум осям; брекетинг 3 кадра со смещением 2, 4 или 6 ступеней по каждой оси

Серийная съемка

5 кадров/с, 200 JPEG в серии

Запись видео

1920×1080 точек, 30 кадров/с

Особенности

длительность ролика до 29 минут; доступны художественные эффекты

MPEG-4/AVC/H.264

Форматы файлов

MOV (H.264)

Управление экспозицией

есть

Скоростная съемка

нет

Стабилизация

есть

Оптический зум при записи

есть

Вспышка

Встроенная вспышка

есть, ведущее число 5,2

Дальность действия

от 0,6 до 11,1 м

Внешняя вспышка

да, горячий башмак

Режимы работы

авто, заполняющая, медленная синхронизация, ручная установка мощности импульса (1/1—1/128); управление экспозицией ±3 EV с шагом 1/3 ступени

нет

Дисплей

3,0 дюйма, 920 тыс. пикс., TFT

Поворотное крепление

наклон

Тачскрин

да

Встроенная память

39 Мб

SD, SDHC, SDXC, поддерживается UHS-I

Физические характеристики

Материал корпуса

металл

Защита от внешней среды

нет

Габариты, Ш×В×Г

113×65×48 мм

Вес

346 граммов

Питание

литий-ионный аккумулятор LI-90B

Автономность

310 кадров

HDMI-порт

micro HDMI тип D

Встроенный Wi-Fi

нет

Пульт ДУ

есть

Подключение внешнего микрофона

есть

Прочие особенности

GPS-модуль

нет

Датчик ориентации

есть

Автоспуск

2, 12 c

Встроенный RAW-конвертер

есть

Запись голоса

голосовые метки, режим диктофона

Performance

The XZ-2 has its own way of working. It doesn’t quite conform to the norm — but everyone loves a rebel. The layout is intuitive enough, but the use of the rear rotational d-pad to adjust, primarily and by default, exposure compensation is common cause for accidental knocks. The number of times the XZ-2 would be pulled from pocket and bag and show -0.3EV was, well, a lot.

Arranged around the d-pad are quick-access controls for autofocus point position, flash, drive mode and the aforementioned exposure compensation. For more detailed options the quick menu is a single press of the «OK» button away but, as with previous Olympus models, the inclusion of the touchscreen still isn’t compatible with hands-on menu use. Still, at least most stuff is readily accessible without digging into the main menu.

Focus is divided into single AF, Super Macro, continuous AF, tracking AF and manual focus. A 7 x 5 grid covers the majority of the screen so focus areas are most places they’ll be needed and, if not, then a simple finger press on the subject area of the screen itself will suffice. Focus is swift, very much so in good light, and appeared accurate in the majority of our shots.

The Super Macro mode — or indeed any close-up snapping — is nothing short of incredible from the XZ-2. Even handheld with the f/1.8 wide-angle lens in full effect we managed to grab some impressive shallow depth of field close-ups with no added accessory extras. Top stuff.

It’s that wide aperture that’s the camera’s winning feature. The blurred background effect from f/1.8, even with the 1/1.7in sensor size, is quite considerable though not over-the-top. Good for street snaps, portraits and, well, pretty much anything you’d care to shoot.

A small gripe is that the lens is less wide-angle than its predecessor in our opinion. We’d rather see a 24mm or 25mm equivalent, not the 28/29mm version in this model. But then others will disagree, and the less-wide wide-angle does hold together image quality well.

Build quality and handling

Matching its heavyweight feature set, the black plastic and metal fashioned Olympus XZ-2 exudes a bulkier and bigger presence than most contemporary compacts, yet is slimmer and more streamlined than the common CSC, sitting somewhere in the middle with a shooting ethos to match.

Using the device is relatively comfortable, thanks to a rear thumb pad and front finger grip, the latter of which can be removed. The extra weight and girth suggest durability is assured, and we found its hinges and compartments as sturdy as the rest of it.

One of Olympus’ biggest selling points of the XZ-2’s design is the touch-sensitive 3-inch 920,000 dot tilting LCD, offering photographers the ability to focus and shoot instantly, and zoom into captures and move around images in playback.

Although there may be occasions when setting the AF point on screen is useful, we found it relatively hit-and-miss, and especially found highlighting areas at the edge of the screen almost impossible.

The enhanced feature-set of the LCD goes some way to make up for the lack of a viewfinder, but the device does have an accessory port which can accommodate the optional external viewfinder (or flashgun for example).

We were delighted with the brightness of the screen, which depicts scenes clearly in most lighting scenarios, and thanks to its pull out and tilt design we were able to shoot at a pleasingly wide range of viewing angles, including accurately composing shots over head, up high and at floor level.

It’s just a small shame the screen can’t be tilted vertically as well as horizontally, and although Olympus pledges that the anti-fingerprint coating should ward of paw prints, during our week-long assessment of the camera we can honestly say it didn’t.

Manual shooters will be pleased to note that the Olympus XZ-2 improves on its predecessors’ offerings with the inclusion of the front control ring, which, in analogue mode, can be used for zooming in or for fine tuning focus manually.

Or in digital mode it can adjust aperture, shutter speed, flash exposure and exposure compensation.

The manual functionality here is a big plus, and as soon as the camera is turned on the lens zooms in close on the subject, leaving the shooter to ensure focus is pin-sharp.

Elsewhere, the addition of two customisable function buttons (one on the back and one on the front) come in handy for programming commonly sought-after controls such as ISO or White Balance.

The device’s menu systems and commands can seem a little backward to operate at first but, after a little time spent familiarising with it, things become a little easier.

Although there are some processes which seem questionable, such as the lack of a dedicated on-body macro mode; instead users must trawl through the menu system to find it.

Formidable Features

There are some standout features dotted around the XZ-2’s body that make it well worth a look-in for any high-end compact fan. As well as a built-in pop-up flash, there’s also a standard hotshoe coupled with an accessory port to the rear that’s compatible with the VF-2 electronic viewfinder or flashguns, even wireless flash control is available. Expansion is great, but it’s a minor shame there’s no VF-2 in white too. Oh, and the cost implication is also rather heinous on top of the XZ-2’s already sizeable £479 recommended retail price.

But there’s plenty on board for the money: the 28-112mm equivalent lens offers a maximum f/1.8-2.5 aperture which is up there with the best of the bunch. Some might say it’s a touch behind the Panasonic LX7, but the Olympus has the longer zoom of the two so they’re fairly level-pegged.

READ: Panasonic Lumix LX7 compact camera review

Around the XZ-2’s lens is a control ring that, much like a traditional aperture ring, gives a reassuring click with each portion of rotation. But here’s the extra cool part: the Fn button situated to the side of the lens also has a function switch that, once flipped, releases the lens ring into a free-rotating one. Awesome. Not only is it super smooth in the hand, this dual control available at — literally — the flick of a switch is perfect for aperture selection followed by manual focus, for example. Lovely stuff.

An inspection of the XZ-2 spec sheet also suggests that its 1/1.7-inch sensor is slightly smaller than the XZ-1’s claimed 1/1.63-inch sensor, yet the latest model packs in 20 per cent more resolution at 12-megapixels. Both XZ-series models show a «6-24mm» lens marking on their respective fronts which is an absolute truth, but it’s the respective sensor sizes that generate each camera’s equivalent view.

Some digging revealed it’s the XZ-1’s alleged sensor size that’s the red herring; the original camera didn’t utilise all of its size to produce its images, so the two XZ-series cameras both use approximately the same surface area to capture an image.

In response to our queries, Olympus says: «The lens of the XZ-1 and the XZ-2 is the same the 35mm equivalent is of course not quite he same … as the XZ-2 sensor is a little bit smaller than the XZ-1 sensor. In reality focal length would be between 27 and 29mm.»

Anyway, rather than read more of our inane ramblings about equivalents, it’s the sensor’s format shift that’s another significant point. The XZ-2 has ditched the CCD sensor in favour of a new back-lit CMOS version that should, in theory, beef up image quality beyond its predecessor. In simple terms, the backlit part means that the wiring has moved to the rear of the sensor, out of the way of the light path, which helps to provide a «cleaner» signal.

There have been several changes in the screen department too. The XZ-2 now offers a tilt-angle-mounted 3-inch touchscreen LCD, not the much-touted, non-touch OLED version in the XZ-1 original. Some may see this as a jump forward coupled with a backwards step, but we’re more than happy with how the XZ-2’s 920k-dot resolution looks and the viewing angle is up to the task amid its various repositioned points too.

Introduction

The new Olympus XZ-2 is a premium compact camera featuring a 12.3-megapixel 1/1.7” BSI CMOS sensor, an ultra-bright 28-112mm equivalent f/1.8-2.5 zoom lens, a high-resolution 3-inch touch-sensitive tilting LCD screen, TruePic VI image processor, 1080p Full HD movie recording and Eye-Fi/FlashAir compatibility for sharing images directly on your social network. Other standout features include a full manual exposure mode, raw image capture, wireless TTL flash control, 11 Art Filters and compatibility with a wide range of accessories including external flashguns and macro LED lights, a detachable electronic viewfinder and external microphone set. Priced at £479.99 / $599.99, the Olympus XZ-2 is available now in black.

Olympus STYLUS XZ-2 Review

By: Josh Fate

Review posted 02/25/2013

Quick Take

Pros

iAuto shooting mode is accurate and easy in all situations Dedicated Video Capture Button is always ready to record Overall image quality is excellent for a compact Performance is outstanding LCD is bright, sharp and tilts Touch control of LCD is sensitive, but lacks pinch type controls Great Battery Life Camera controls are easy well placed HDMI output

Cons

Flash has a tendency to blow out images WiFi capabilities are limited and more complicated than need be No audio input on camera Some special shooting modes did not work as hoped

Bottom Line

The Olympus Stylus XZ-2 is a compact and powerful digicam. It provides higher image quality and better performance than you will find from most compact cameras; but, it comes at a cost with a MSRP of $599 USD. Read more in our Full Conclusion.

There are too many flagships to keep track of these days, but here’s the latest one. Filed under Olympus’ «flagship point-and-shoot», meet the STYLUS XZ-2, which boats many of the same technologies from Olympus’ Micro Four Thirds and dSLR cameras. Basically, this is the point-and-shoot camera for dSLR enthusiasts who want high resolution images while holding a convenient compact digicam.

But what makes this little camera so fancy? Well, it has plenty of strong specs, which we’ll list in a moment, but what’s notable about the XZ-2 is what Olympus calls the «world’s first hybrid control ring.» See the thing that looks like a focus ring around the 4x optical zoom lens? Well, whenever the Fn 2 lever next to said lens is in the «down» position, the hybrid control ring switches into analog mode — it becomes a focus or zoom ring. Pop the Fn 2 lever into the «up» position, and the ring clicks into digital mode. No longer smooth-turnin’, the ring clicks around, allowing users to change exposure-related settings.

Hybrid control rings aside, the XZ-2 is a well equipped camera, featuring a 12-megapixel BCMOS image sensor, the aforementioned 4x optical zoom, and the TruePic VI Image Processor; which is popping up on much more expensive cameras. Speaking of that zoom lens, it is rated between f/1.8 at its widest angle to f2.5 at full zoom? That’s practically unheard of in the point-and-shoot market, and should allow pros and newbies alike to take some impressive shots; whether in lower lighting, or when trying to capture some pleasing bokeh effect in close up shots.

The XZ-2 also features Full HD Video recording, which takes advantage of the Touch AF Shutter function (press the 3.0-inch touch screen, and the camera will focus on that spot while you shoot video, or focus and snap a still photo). DUAL Image Stabilization will keep your stills clear and your video smooth. iAuto will let the camera pick and choose settings for less experience shutterbugs (hey, they call them «point-and-shoot» for a reason!). But if you’re feeling adventurous, try out one of the 11 Art Filters or 5 Art Effects.

Olympus is also excited about FlashAir capability, which boils down to this: Toshiba makes WiFi-capable storage cards (similar to Eye-Fi cards) and when you combine one of those with the Olympus Image Share app (for Android and iOS smartphones and tablets), your the XZ-2 will be able to load images onto phones and social networking sites. The camera is also Eye-Fi compliant.

Olympus STYLUS XZ-2 Features

• 12 megapixel 1/1.7″ high-sensitivity back-lit CMOS sensor
• 4x Optical f1.8-f2.5 lens
• 3.0-inch (920k dot) Touch Swivel Display
• TruePic VI Image Processor
• Full 1080p HD Video Recording (MOV/H.264)
• ISO 100-12,800
• Built-in pop-up flash
• AF Illuminator (brightens low-lighting, reduces red eye, etc)
• Touch AF Shutter
• DUAL IS (Image Stabilization)
• HDR Backlit Correction
• Super Resolution (Digital Zoom up to 8x)
• iAuto (chooses between 30 pre-programmed scenes)
• 11 Art Filters
• 5 Art Effects
• Toshiba FlashAir compatible
  • Use Olympus Image Share smartphone app to
    • upload images onto a smartphone
    • add Art Filters to images on the smartphone
    • share images on your favorite social networking site

The Olympus STYLUS XZ-2 is available in any color you want, as long as it’s black. The MSRP is $599.99 USD, however you can check the most current online pricing by clicking our Lowest Price button at the top right of the page. What’s in the box?:

• USB Cable
• Video Cable
• Li-Ion Battery Pack
• Li-Ion Battery Charger
• Shoulder Strap
• OLYMPUS ib software CD-ROM
• Manuals
• Registration card.

Additional Product Views

You can check out the price of this camera on Adorama by clicking here.