Olympus XZ-1 compact digital camera release date

Way back on January 1, I wrote an article entitled Olympus XZ-1 digital camera – rumour or real?, and said that it was likely that it would be launched at CES 2011, and that more details would be forthcoming. It was, and they have.

Amongst the Olympus XZ-1’s main features are a Zuiko-brand wide-angle lens with 4x zoom, and a 3.0-inch OLED screen. It also takes a few tricks from another Olympus digital camera, the PEN Lite E-PL1. One is the Live Guide interface, which serves to help novice photographers take better pictures through adjustment of colour saturation and hue, and to provide advanced photographers ‘direct control over camera functions using the control ring and control dial’. Also borrowed from the PEN Lite E-PL1 is the Art Filters feature allowing you to apply the following effects to your images – Pop Art, Soft Focus, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Diorama, and Dramatic Tone.

Video tour of the Olympus XZ-1

Here’s a video Olympus has produced, an overview of the XZ-1. It runs for about four-and-a-half minutes. To the video!

Olympus XZ-1 release date

The Olympus XZ-1 is down for a late-January release date. At the time of writing there are no pricing details available.

UPDATE: The Olympus XZ-1 is now on sale at the Amazon store online.

Olympus XZ-1 specifications

• Dual IS combining the CCD-shift image stabilization and high ISO sensitivity
• Multi-motion function for stabilizing the image during movie shooting while walking
• Low light mode that adjusts the ISO sensitivity automatically up to ISO 3200
• Art filters: Pop Art, Soft Focus, Grainy Film, Pin Hole, Diorama, Dramatic Tone
• AF illuminator for accurate focusing even under low light
• 18 scene modes including “Multi-exposure” and “Pet”
• Dedicated movie button for instant start of HD movie recording (AVI Motion JPG 1280 x 720, 30 fps)
• RAW format shooting capability
• Magnified display for use in manual focusing
• Accessory port for connecting an accessory such as the EVF, external stereo microphones
• Multi-aspect function providing selection of four aspect ratios including the “square picture (6:6)”
• HDMI terminal for high-quality reproduction of both still images and movies on a TV screen
• Multi-Mix Slide Show for playing slideshows with five kinds of background music, plus audio dubbing (post-recording) function
• e-Portrait function for representing smooth skin
• Highly precise 324-area metering system
• Tracking AF for keeping a moving subject in focus
• Shadow Adjustment Technology for shooting both subject face and background well
• Bulb shooting capability (max. 8 min.)
• New image management software [ib] and OLYMPUS Viewer included
• Mechanical ND filter built in
• CUD (Color Universal Design) approved