To put it short: I've had some good and relatively expensive compact cameras in my possession (eg Canon S95, Fuji F30, Fuji F100, Samsung WB2000, Sony HX5V), but none has been so convinced me as the XZ-1 , The main reason is that you can do something with the XZ-1, which simply hinbekommt no other compact camera: you can the subject actually very nice indemnify against the background. This can usually only DSLRs - physical reasons, because that's not just a feature that you can install. There needs to a certain ratio of sensor size (as large as possible), focal length (telephoto much) and f-number or speed of the lens (wide light intensity = small f-number). This very fast lens of the XZ-1 thus enables this exceptional feature here. In most other areas, the XZ-1 is very good, though not necessarily better than other high-end compact (S95 LX5 etc.): - Image Quality: (? White Balance) overall very good, sharpness absolutely top, color reproduction has sometimes a very slight reddish tint, can others still better (eg Canon S95), but not tragic or even as bad as eg Samsung WB-2000 - Noise Reduction High ISO: good, not outstanding, but thanks to the high-aperture objective one works anyway very often at ISO 100. In low light you thanks to f / 1.8 for about 2 ISO levels vs. profit. most other cameras (also DSLRs with kit lenses!) Thus, one has to compare ISO 400 in the XZ-1 with ISO 1600 with other Cams! - Very fast shutter lag - Good display (who's is important). Incidentally, only the 3: 2 format full filled.
Everything else is made to the data and the other reviews well. What I noticed is negative: - Unfortunately, no ISO 80 available - why in this lens? But ISO 100 always convinced me. - No internal HDR program - Panorama function unconvincing - Video can other half as expensive photo cameras much better.
Overall, convinced me the camera very - when properly adjusted can do amazing photos that are not possible with any other compact and in most situations where an entry-level DSLR (which one gets the same money) are absolutely equal. From alone (only in automatic mode) does not make these photos, of course also, perhaps this explains the odd negative review ...
