Build and handlingĪt first glance, the XZ-2 looks to be a vastly different camera from its predecessor, with a more workmanlike appearance than the slick style of the original XZ-1. Most of the other major new features of the XZ-2 are to do with the camera’s build and handling, and the LCD screen, so more on these later. Sadly, the XZ-2 suffers identically, and JPEG files aren’t corrected for this in-camera. On the XZ-1, this lens has proven to be very sharp, although it does suffer from curvilinear distortion. One feature that has remained the same is the 6-24mm (28-112mm equivalent) f/1.8-2.5mm lens. When combined, the new sensor and processor provide a sensitivity range of ISO 100-12,800, which is 1EV greater than the ISO 100-6400 range of the XZ-1. This newer processor should help to reduce image noise, while speeding up the camera’s functions. Powering the XZ-2 is a version of the TruePic VI processing system found in Olympus’s OM-D E-M5. The sensors in most other high-end compacts all seem somewhat underwhelming compared to the size and resolution of the RX100. However, like all other high-end compact cameras, the XZ-2 will face stiff competition from the Sony Cyber-shot RX100 and its large, 1in-type, 20.2-million-pixel sensor. Given the size of the sensor, this is a wise decision from Olympus, and one that bodes well when we look at image quality more closely later. The 12.76-million-pixel, 1/1.7in (7.6×5.7mm) back-illuminated CMOS sensor should offer improvements in image quality, rather than big increases in detail resolution. Thankfully, Olympus has been sensible with the improved resolution of the new XZ-2, increasing it by around 1.5 million pixels. Image: Noise reduction is very obvious in this ISO 400 image With this in mind, the XZ-2 has undergone a redesign and received a range of new features that should, once again, see Olympus challenge the likes of the Panasonic Lumix DMC-LX7 and the Canon PowerShot G15 for the compact crown. Announced in September at the photokina trade show, the new Olympus Stylus XZ-2 will have to strike the right chord to exceed the popularity of its predecessor.
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