Photography news, before it happens

After the great Fuji X100 review (the third most viewed post in March), Dan shared his experineces with the Olympus XZ-1 camera. You can follow Dan in Twitter @ZDP189. Here is his review:

Olympus XZ-1 – stuck with it

Executive Summary
If money is no object, just about any normal consumer would buy an XZ-1 over the competition. It’s so tactile, the front lens element looks sooo big and it makes some great photos at the touch of a single button. Ricoh camera fans are not normal consumers. We want intuitive control, detail, the exact image we envisioned every time. The XZ-1 is not that camera.

Build Quality, Fit and Finish
The first thing that struck me about this camera is its beauty. It is slim, has subtle curves, and every surface is tacile. The ridges of your finger tips tingle at every touch. There is a sexy rubber thumb pad that you can’t help but rub. It has a fascinatingly enormous front element.  The lens control ring feels cut, not moulded; the aluminium shell has the most sensual matt surface. It’s not particularly robust, but it’ll do. The top plate is brushed, coated aluminium. The shutter button has a machine turned finish. There’s glittering, sparkling logos and highlights. It’s positively bling city. It entices you to pick it up, use it and own it.

It’s a trap.

Read More »