Shooting stars

Which of these compact cameras will make you the envy of your friends?

by Trevor Tan

04:46 AM Apr 01, 2011


Intuitive, fast and sleek

Olympus has sounded its advanced-digital-compact camera battle cry with the XZ-1, on the backs of other successful cameras such as the Panasonic Lumix LX5 and Canon's Powershot S95.

Armed with a 10-megapixel high-sensitivity image sensor, a bright 4x (28-112mm equivalent of 35mm) i.Zuiko optical zoom lens and a three-inch LCD screen, the XZ-1 is about the size of an iPhone 4 (albeit 4.6 times thicker) and weighs a mere 275g.

Its "bright" lens allows more light to enter through its large aperture. Its f1.8-2.5 lens is one of the brightest on a digital compact camera in the market currently.

At first glance, the black XZ-1 (also available in white) bears a striking resemblance to the Canon S95, with its simple angular design. However, Olympus' offering has an accessory port above its display that allows you to mount the VF-2 electronic viewfinder or an external flash.

We wish the XZ-1 hadn't borrowed the detachable lens cap design from Panasonic's LX5. But thankfully, unlike the LX5, it automatically pops out when you switch the XZ-1.

Button placement is great, with the mode dial, shutter button, zoom ring, dedicated video record button and a rear wheel dial within easy reach of your right index finger and thumb. There is also an adjustment ring around the lens, for aperture adjustment in aperture-priority mode; or other settings in other modes.

As a result, the handling of this camera is generally superb and properly intuitive. If I had to nitpick, I'd argue that there should be a dedicated white balance and ISO button.

Startup takes around 1.2 seconds while shutting down clocks in at two seconds. Auto-focusing speed is generally fast with almost instantaneous lock-onto focus in good lighting conditions. In darker conditions, the XZ-1 uses its AF illuminator to hasten the focusing speed, taking slightly less than two seconds to get a sharp focus.

Using the Zuiko-class lens found in Olympus DSLRs, the image quality of the XZ-1 is exemplary for its class with sharp rendition of pixels. Its colours are vivid with smooth gradation of tones, while its Auto white balance didn't fail me.

For best results, shoot in ISO 100 as the images are almost flawless. At ISO 200 and 400, you can hardly spot any noise. Noise artifacts only appear from ISO 800. At ISO 1600 and above, chromatic noise becomes readily evident. For more noise control, shoot in RAW.

On the downside, the 720p high-definition video quality of the XZ-1 is not that sharp and picks up a big chunk of ambient sound. But you can get around it by shooting with Art Filters for more interesting results.

In terms of image quality, the XZ-1 is definitely top of the class. At S$748, this compact camera is affordable, yet delivers professional images.

Birth of a cult classic

The Fujifilm FinePix X100 is not your typical camera. It's not exactly a compact camera, neither is it a digital single lens reflex (DSLR) nor a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The closest description is it's a digital version of cult favourite, Konica Hexar.

It has a fixed 23mm lens (equivalent to 35mm due to the sensor's crop factor) and a 12.3-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor (found in DSLRs) in a rangefinder-like magnesium alloy body with a leather finish.

The button layout may take some getting used to, with the shutter release, On/Off lever, exposure compensation and shutter speed dials located on top. An aperture ring sits around its lens, and a sharp 2.8-inch display with wheel dial and menu and display buttons can be found on its back.

At first try, I couldn't find out how to switch between shooting still images and videos. After some fiddling, I realised you have to press the top of the wheel dial to bring up the menu to change the shoot mode.

The Function button, located near the shutter release, is a nice touch. You can customise it to a setting of your choice: I set it to change the ISO since there isn't a dedicated button for that.

But the most impressive is X100's revolutionary hybrid viewfinder that switches between being an optical viewfinder (OVF) and electronic viewfinder (EVF). Just push a front lever to toggle seamlessly between the two.

You can choose to shoot with various Fujifilm "films" such as the Standard Provia, Vivid Velvia or Soft Astia. Regardless of which "film" you choose, the image quality is the best I have seen so far among all the cameras I have reviewed.

Pixel rendition is sharp with vivid colours. It feels like you are viewing a full high-definition (HD) television when you view X100's images.

White balance is spot on, and noise performance is simply breathtaking. The 720p HD videos captured are equally sharp but, as with most digital cameras, it picks up a good chunk of ambient noise.

The built of the camera is sturdy and has a comfortable grip.

With a price tag of S$1,699, you can see it as an upmarket compact camera or a cheap Leica. But either way, the Fujifilm FinePix X100 will become a cult classic with its retro looks, wonderful handling and superior image quality.

Source: www.todayonline.com