To obtain lens quality comparable to interchangeable-lens cameras, Olympus adapted the advance lens design and technologies developed for its line of ZUIKO DIGITAL lenses, refining and repurposing them for use in a compact camera. The lens unit is composed of 8 groups of 11 lens elements. The extensive use of high-performance components - including a DSA (Dual Super Aspherical) lens element that helps eliminate aberrations, an EDA (Extra-low Dispersion Aspherical) lens element that eliminates frame flare in the peripheral area by correcting color aberration, and an HD (High refractive & high Dispersion) that prevents color aberrations that may cause blurred colors or poor contrast - keeps unwanted picture artifacts to a minimum and ensures sharp imaging from the center to the periphery. In addition, by using a large-aperture cemented lens featuring an extremely precise, yet thin, optical surface and an SHR (Super High Refractive) lens that makes it possible to reduce the number of lens elements, we were able to implement an optical 4X zoom lens with a 35mm equivalent focal length of 28mm to 112mm in a very compact configuration.

F1.8 wide-angle / F2.5 telephoto

The wide aperture of f1.8 at the wide-angle end and f2.5 at the telephoto end make it possible to shoot pictures with enhanced defocusing, which is usually hard to do with small-aperture lenses. The performance of this lens is especially apparent in portrait and macro shots.

High-sensitivity CCD image sensor & image processing engine

To take full advantage of the extraordinary optical performance of the i.ZUIKO DIGITAL lens, the XZ-1 incorporates a large 1/1.63-inch CCD image sensor with high sensitivity that boasts twice* the light receiving area per pixel of a conventional sensor. This breakthrough was made possible by actually limiting the number of pixels to 10 megapixels and by applying advanced microfabrication technology. The result is an extended dynamic range, assuring smooth gradations, while minimizing blown highlights or blocked-in shadows. This sophisticated sensor is paired with the TruePicV Image Processor, which applies highly accurate noise control to ensure the clearest, highest quality possible.

• * When compared with conventional 1/2.33-inch 14-megapixel CCD.

Control ring and manual shooting

A control ring made of machined aluminum with an intricately knurled band that allows precise fingertip adjustment lets you manually adjust the ISO sensitivity, f-number or shutter speed*, giving you unprecedented control over your images and allowing you to produce pictures that truly reflect your vision. The ergonomic design of the control ring, together with the user-friendly layout of dials and buttons, serve to make camera operations easy, comfortable and reliable. It's the little details like this that make this camera such a joy to use.

• * The adjustable function varies depending on the shooting mode.

Control ring

Manual shooting

3.0-inch OLED monitor

The large 3.0-inch, 610,000 dots OLED (Organic Light-Emitting Diode) monitor produces rich, deep colors, while its wide field of view makes it easy to shoot from difficult angles. Its rendition of greens and yellows is far superior to ordinary LCD monitors, enabling it to reproduce the sky, plants and flowers in more natural color tones. The high quality color reproduction and high resolution of this monitor makes it ideal for reviewing your photographs, as well as for composing and focusing during shooting.

Art Filters & Multi-Aspect

The XZ-1 incorporates six Art Filters, including the new Dramatic Tone filter. You can use these filter effects when shooting to add creative flair to both still pictures and movies. You can also select the picture aspect ratio from "4:3", "16:9", "6:6" and "3:2" to suit the requirements of the composition or the application of the picture. Before you shoot, you can check the results in the monitor.

Incorporated Art Filters
Pop Art / Soft Focus / Grainy Film / Pin Hole / Diorama / Dramatic Tone

Low light mode

Darkness is never a problem with the XZ-1. The low light mode combines three state-of-the-art features: the bright, large-aperture i.ZUIKO DIGITAL lens, a high-sensitivity CCD sensor and DUAL IS. You'll be able to capture clear, sharp images in dim interiors or outdoors at night without losing the atmosphere that makes the scene so memorable - even in handheld shooting without using the flash. The ISO sensitivity is automatically boosted as high as 3200 to ensure that you are able to capture the scene and the ambiance just as it is.

Super macro mode

This mode lets you shoot clear close-ups as near as 1 cm in front of the lens. The superb quality of the f1.8 i.ZUIKO DIGITAL lens allows you to capture even the tiniest details accurately. The brightness of the lens allows you to use higher shutter speeds, reducing the blurring due to camera shake or subject motion that can be noticeable in macro shooting.

Various functions

• VF-2 Electronic Viewfinder
  This electronic viewfinder (optional) can be attached externally to the accessory port of the camera. With a 100% field of view, 1.15X magnification*1 and 1.44-million dots, this viewfinder displays images with extremely high contrast and brightness. The viewfinder angle can be adjusted*2 to support your comfortable shooting style. 
  *1: -1 m-1, 50 mm infinity. *2: 0 to 90° upward.
• Live Guide
  Available in the iAUTO mode - in which the camera automatically sets the optimum shooting mode according to the current scene, the new Live Guide interface helps you take advantage of advanced photographic techniques and shooting styles. Simple menu selection operations of parameters including background defocusing, color saturation, image brightness and color hue make possible the shooting of picture as you want.
• DUAL IS
  The combination of high ISO sensitivity and CCD-shift image stabilization mechanism to cancel image blurring by detecting camera motion during shooting helps ensure a stable image. Together with the bright f1.8 lens, DUAL IS effectively prevents image blurs due to camera shake or subject motion.
• HD movie
  Movies can be recorded in the 1280 x 720 HD format (30 fps). Recording can be started instantaneously with a single press of the dedicated Movie button so you'll never miss the critical moment. The newly developed multi-motion image stabilization stabilizes the image during movie shooting while walking.
  * The use of a card compatible with SD speed class 6 or higher is recommended for movie shooting.
• RAW format shooting
  In addition to the standard JPEG format, you can also use the RAW data format to save pictures for more convenient picture retouching after shooting. The RAW data can be developed on a PC, by running the provided "OLYMPUS Viewer 2" software, or on the camera itself.
• ND filter
  A mechanical ND filter is built into the camera body to attenuate the light incident from the lens. Exposure control in up to three steps is possible by selecting the ND filter in the menu. This is particularly useful when you want to express the flow of water in the sea or in a river.

• * The photo is for illustrative purposes only.
• * Product availability depends on sales areas.
• * Color availability depends on sales areas.