Olympus is resurrecting the Stylus line of cameras, starting with the Olympus ZX-2. This a compact, non-interchangeable lens, camera that has been built and optimized for low-light (in my opinion). The camera comes with a 12 Megapixel backside illuminated (BSI) sensor (1/17″). More interestingly, the accompanying lens is a iZUKIO 6-24mm (4X Optical zoom) with a f1.8-f2.5 aperture, and that’s quite good, especially in low-light situations.
The lens also has a control ring that can be set on analog mode (smooth rotation for “fine” adjustments) or digital more (sharp “click” dial). The ring can be used as a manual focus control, or as an aperture, shutter speed or flash control.
In the back, there is a VGA touch display which supports the touch AF function that allows the user to touch the screen to focus on a specific area and snap a photo at the same time. This is convenient when you want to compose a photo with a blurred foreground/background. By using the touch AF function, you can focus on the framing, and leave the focus to the camera.
Just like the new Olympus PEN E-PL5, the Olympus XZ-2 also have a swivel monitor that raises up to 180 degrees for self-portraits. The Olympus Stylus XZ-2 is also capable of capturing 1080p movies as well.
At $600, this is not a cheap camera, and the price itself can certainly be compared to the Micro Four Third camera from this manufacturer. However, if you take into account that the lens is a f1.8-f2.5, it may cost much more to create this setup with a micro 4/3 camera. Basically, this a high quality compact camera which should be simple enough to use for everyone.
Specifications highlights
SD/SDHC/SDXC
1/17″ Sensor
Built-in image stabilization
35-area auto-focus
Shutter speed: 1/2000 – 60sec
Built-in-Flash
Movie format: MOV(MPEG-4AVC/H.264)