Olympus shrinks XZ premium compact by 40%

Olympus XZ-10
Olympus has unveiled a compact camera that has many of the XZ-2's features in a smaller body.

Olympus has revealed a new premium compact camera to sit alongside the Olympus XZ-2. The Olympus XZ-10 features many of the same technologies, packed into a body that's 40 per cent smaller.

Perhaps the most important aspect is the bright f/1.8 5x optical zoom lens. This boasts a wide angle point of 26mm (in 35mm format) and the ability to retain a fast aperture of f/2.7 even at the telephoto end of the optic.

The camera's 12 million pixel 1/2.3-inch sensor is smaller (physically) than that found on the Olympus XZ-2, which could potentially have an impact on overall image quality. This is something we'll be testing out when we get our hands on a final production sample for a full review.

Ring in changes

Like the Olympus XZ-2, the Olympus XZ-10 also includes a customisable control ring around the lens for adjusting key settings, such as aperture and shutter speed. A function button on the back of the camera can be used for other commonly used settings, such as ISO or metering.

On the back of the camera, you can use a 3-inch touchscreen to set the focus point or trigger the shutter release.

Although the camera isn't Wi-Fi enabled, it is compatible with Toshiba's FlashAir Wireless LAN cards for transferring images between the camera and a tablet or smartphone.

The Olympus Stylus XZ-10 price will be £349 (around AU$526/US$551) when it is released in March. Read our hands on: Olympus Stylus XZ-10 review.

Amy Davies

Amy has been writing about cameras, photography and associated tech since 2009. Amy was once part of the photography testing team for Future Publishing working across TechRadar, Digital Camera, PhotoPlus, N Photo and Photography Week. For her photography, she has won awards and has been exhibited. She often partakes in unusual projects - including one intense year where she used a different camera every single day. Amy is currently the Features Editor at Amateur Photographer magazine, and in her increasingly little spare time works across a number of high-profile publications including Wired, Stuff, Digital Camera World, Expert Reviews, and just a little off-tangent, PetsRadar.