Olympus has announced a new premium compact camera, the Olympus Stylus 1, with a tempting combination of performance and portability.
The Olympus Stylus 1 is shaped like a DSLR, but its specs point to a highly capable fixed-lens camera.
It comes with a 12-megapixel 1/1.7-inch back-illuminated image sensor and a fixed i.Zuiko lens, which is capable of retaining a constant f/2.8 aperture across the 10.7x zoom range. It also features the same in-built 1.44 million dot electronic viewfinder as the excellent Olympus OM-D E-M5.
Another component the Stylus 1 shares with the OM-D E-M5 is its TruePic VI image processor, which enables the camera to handle ISO 100-12,800.
Around back there’s a 3-inch tiltable 1.04 million dot LCD touchscreen display, and the Stylus 1 also features Wi-Fi connectivity for hassle-free image uploading.
Thanks to that DSLR-like shape, the Stylus 1 features a host of manual controls. These include a hybrid control ring, which can be switched between digital and analogue operation, as well as a mode dial and customisable function buttons. You also get a hot shoe on top for additional accessories.
Another manual control present here is a direct movie button, which hints at the Stylus 1’s 1080p recording capabilities, as well as the potential for 120fps/240fps slo-mo-friendly modes.
Despite all of these potentially bulky components, the Olympus Stylus 1 comes in a relatively compact 116 x 87 x 56.5mm body.
The Olympus Stylus 1 will go on sale in late November for £549 / $699.99.
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