CNET Editors' Take
September 17, 2012 11:36 AM PDT
(Credit:
Lori Grunin/CNET)
Olympus seems to be following Samsung's lead with the latest version of its advanced compact camera. On one hand, the XZ-2's new tilting LCD is a great step in the right direction and it retains the fast lens that makes the XZ-1 a pleasure to shoot with. Plus it now incorporates a grip, which addresses one of my own gripes about the XZ-1's design, and updates the control ring operation to flip between smooth zoom/focus and discrete exposure settings adjustments.
But as with Samsung's EX2F, Olympus has shifted to a backside-illuminated CMOS sensor, which makes it a little disappointing for pixel-peeping photography enthusiasts. I could see it if Olympus was trying to go after more mass-market buyers, but the price has also increased to $600, which not only puts it out of reach for point-and-shoot owners who just want a faster lens, it makes it more expensive than all of its competitors -- and it lacks Wi-Fi connectivity.
Here's the field:
| Canon PowerShot S110 | Fujifilm XF1 | Olympus XZ-1 | Olympus Stylus XZ-2 | Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 | Samsung EX2F | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor (effective resolution) | 12.1mp CMOS | 12mp EXR CMOS | 10mp CCD | 10mp BSI CMOS | 10.1mp MOS | 12.4mp BSI CMOS |
| 1/1.7-inch | 2/3-inch | 1/1.63-inch | 1/1.7 | 1/1.7-inch | 1/1.7-inch | |
| Sensitivity range | ISO 80 - 6400 | ISO 100 - ISO 12800 | ISO 100 - ISO 6,400 | ISO 100 - ISO 12800 | ISO 80 - ISO 6400 | ISO 80 - ISO 3200/ 12800 (expanded) |
| Lens | 24-120mm f2-5.9 5x | 25-100mm f1.8 - 4.9 4x | 28-112mm f1.8-2.5 4x | 28-112mm f1.8-2.5 4x | 24-90mm f1.4-2.3 3.8x | 24-80mm f1.4-2.7 3.3x |
| Closest focus (inches) | 1.2 | 1.2 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Continuous shooting | 10fps 10 frames | 10fps n/a | 2fps 23 JPEG/8 raw | n/a | 5 fps 12 JPEG/ n/a raw (11fps without tracking AF) | n/a |
| Viewfinder | None | None | Optional EVF | Optional EVF | Optional EVF | None |
| Autofocus | n/a Contrast AF | n/a Contrast AF | 11 area Contrast AF | 35 area Contrast AF | 23-area Contrast AF | n/a Contrast AF |
| Metering | n/a | n/a | 324 area | 324 area | n/a | n/a |
| Shutter | 15 - 1/2000 sec | n/a | 60-1/2000 sec; bulb to 16 min | 60-1/2000 sec; bulb to 30 min | 60-1/4000 sec | 30-1/2000 sec |
| Flash | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Hot shoe | No | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| LCD | 3-inch fixed touch screen 461,000 dots | 3-inch fixed 460,000 dots | 3-inch fixed OLED 610,000 dots | 3-inch tilting touch screen 920,000 dots | 3-inch fixed 920,000 dots | 3-inch articulated AMOLED 614,000 dots |
| Image stabilization | Optical | Optical | Sensor shift | Sensor shift | Optical | Optical |
| Video (best quality) | 1080/24p H.264 QuickTime MOV Stereo | 1080/30p H.264 Quicktime MOV | 720/30p Motion JPEG AVI Mono | 1080p frame rate n/a H.264 QuickTime MOV | 1080/60p AVCHD @ 28, Mbps; 1080/60p QuickTime MOV @ 28 Mbps Stereo | 1080/30p H.264 MP4 Stereo |
| Manual iris and shutter in video | Yes | n/a | No | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Optical zoom while recording | Yes | Yes | Yes | n/a | n/a | Yes |
| External mic support | No | No | Yes | n/a | No | Yes |
| Wireless connectivity | Wi-Fi | None | Optional Bluetooth | Optional Bluetooth | None | Wi-Fi |
| Battery life (CIPA rating) | n/a | 300 shots | 320 shots | n/a | 330 shots | n/a |
| Dimensions (WHD, inches) | 3.9 x 2.3 x 1.1 | 4.2 x 2.4 x 1.2 | 4.4 x 2.6 x 1.7 | n/a | 4.4 x 2.6 x 1.8 | 4.4 x 2.4 x 1.1 |
| Weight (ounces) | 7.0 (est) | n/a | 9.3 | n/a | 10.6 (est) | 11.4 (est) |
| Mfr. Price | $449.99 | $499.95 | $399.99 | $599.99 | $499 | $499.99 |
| Availability | October 2012 | October 2012 | January 2011 | November 2012 | August 2012 | August 2012 |
I think the camera would be a lot more competitive at $499. But as it is, in an increasingly crowded segment I don't think it'll be able to rise above the crowd. But I've been wrong before; hopefully, once I've tested it I'll find my fears about the sensor are unfounded. Or maybe it will drop to a great street price.
