Olympus Stylus 1

From Photography Monthly we have a review of the new Olympus

Big camera handling meets compact size, the premium Olympus Stylus 1 is said to be the first of its kind.

There is a lot of choice in the “compact” camera market right now but nothing that combines a larger high quality sensor with a versatile zoom range and full manual control yet remains truly pocketable. Olympus engineers were determined the Stylus 1 would stand out for its excellent quality. Of course they applied the same high standards to the compact design. The Stylus 1 is a genuinely portable, slim, ‘anytime anywhere’ camera with the manual controls, eye-to-the-viewfinder stability and picture quality to satisfy the most discerning photographers, be they compact enthusiasts or D-SLR owners looking for a more compact, second camera.

A larger 1/1.7-inch BSI CMOS sensor heads an impressive list of credentials that includes a new and versatile, ultra-slim, constant-aperture 1:2.8 10.7x (28-300mm*) high-power i.ZUIKO DIGITAL lens and a high-performance TruePic VI image processor. A premium high-definition electronic viewfinder, Fast AF and shoot-and-share WiFi round off a persuasive semi-pro package.

The Stylus 1 is available in classic black for £549.99, from late November 2013.

The Stylus 1 at a glance

Ambitious photographers demand excellentpicture quality. One look at the Stylus 1 spec sheet and you know you’ve found it. Despite a casing depth of just 52mm, it has a brand new 28-300mm* high-power i.ZUIKO DIGTAL lens that offers a constant 1:2.8 aperturefrom wide to telephoto shots, with a 10.7x optical zoom. Olympus designed this lens to work seamlessly with its large-format BSI CMOS sensor, as well as the TruePic VI image processor that is already familiar to users of its high-end OM-D E-M5 system camera. Other tried-and-tested OM-D features include the rock-solid handling and grip that comes from the D-SLR-style casing and layout. For accurate and professional framing, there is the large,1.44 million dot electronic viewfinder, Fast AF for near-instant, precision focusing via touch screen and built-in WiFi for real-time smartphone access– likewise all OM-D-proven. The Stylus 1 has superb dynamic range and low-light capability, plus the same Hybrid Control Ring for manual or digital control of key settings that has proved so successful on the Olympus XZ series.

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If you need more technical information then DP Review is the place to go

This is their astute opening to the review

The rapid collapse of the compact camera market has pushed all the major manufacturers to look for new markets – to create reasons for people to still need a ‘real’ camera as well as a smartphone. At one end of the spectrum, this has meant attempts at ‘social’ cameras, such as Canon’s PowerShot N but, more interesting to us, it’s meant much more capable, higher-end cameras, such as Sony’s Cyber-shot RX100. The latest example is Olympus’s range-topping Stylus 1.

It’s probably the most capable compact the company has made – a feature-packed, flexible camera with a lot of direct control and the longest zoom range we can remember seeing on a camera with a 1/1.7″-type sensor. In terms of styling, it’s been modeled on the company’s excellent OM-D E-M5, but in concept it’s perhaps closer to being a super XZ-2 – the company’s erstwhile top-end enthusiast model.