Zeiss full-frame ZX1 shown off in hands on video

Zeiss surprised us all at Photokina 2018 with the announcement of its full-frame ZX1 compact camera.

The camera has still been kept under wraps since then, but Zeiss has just shared a short two minute video that gives us a closer look at the new camera.

In the hands on video, we follow German photographer Sabrina Weniger as she wonders round Little Tokyo in Düsseldorf, with her narrating her experiences with the new camera. One of the big takeaways from the video is the Zeiss ZX1 is pretty hefty. 

That's not all - we also get a glimpse of how Adobe's Lightroom CC has been integrated into the camera, allowing you to shoot and edit with the ZX1. 

This is thanks to the camera's almost smartphone-rivalling 4.3-inch touchscreen display, while there's 512GB of internal storage. 

What about the other core features of the ZX1? It features a 37.4MP full-frame sensor with a leaf shutter, meaning you'll be able to sync your flash at whatever shutter speed you desire, while the lens is a fast 35mm Distagon f/2. Interestingly, Zeiss says that the 37.4MP sensor was developed in-house, rather than buying off the shelf from someone like Sony

As well as the touchscreen, there's a large 0.74x OLED electronic viewfinder, while thanks to the huge rear display, there are only two actual controls (shutter speed and ISO).

Burst shooting is limited to 3fps, but the the new camera can shoot 4K video. The Zeiss ZX1 price still hasn't been revealed yet, but Zeiss hopes the camera will be available in early 2019.

Phil Hall

Phil Hall is an experienced writer and editor having worked on some of the largest photography magazines in the UK, and now edit the photography channel of TechRadar, the UK's biggest tech website and one of the largest in the world. He has also worked on numerous commercial projects, including working with manufacturers like Nikon and Fujifilm on bespoke printed and online camera guides, as well as writing technique blogs and copy for the John Lewis Technology guide.