Successful overall package

The Stylus 1 combines the features of several types of cameras: it has the sensor and the size of a compact camera, the zoom range of a bridge camera and a good electronic viewfinder and a fast lens, how to find it in System cameras. In my eyes it is thus a very successful and currently unique total package represents DSLR and however system camera Pampered should not expect too much -. It remains a compromise solution, the scores with the exceptional lens and shines in the combination of their properties, not in the individual disciplines , But first things first:

Housing / processing
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* The size of the camera is great. Small enough to fit in a jacket pocket, but big enough that even men's hands must balance not only with your fingertips. By grip can grow them easily in one hand.
* The electronic viewfinder is finally useful for a compact camera. Big enough and with good resolution, that one really uses it. In low light and fast pans he jerks, but this is bearable.
* The camera has a built-in flash, which I sorely missed at a OM-D. He can (automatically!) Be extended manually when needed.
* The case seems to me well made, but not overly robust. Could imagine that because fast times a scratch in it.
* The difficult handling with lens caps prevent a clever automatic lens cover. With me it runs purely clean and without Geknarze and out. How long this construction is durable, however, is hard to say.
* At the lens there is a second rotating wheel, which allows you to set the aperture optionally eg. This is very handy.
* When switched on my camera but rustles softly audible, as if inside a running fan. This is audible in video shooting in quiet environments. Much worse, however, is that the power zoom lens is clearly audible. That I find disturbing in videos. Too bad, because there is a lever on the lens, which allows you to zoom the lens gently just for video - which I will, however, then use only with appropriate volume level.

Image quality / optical properties
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* The small compact camera sensor provides in my opinion a remarkable image quality - at least better than the Canon G12, which I had since then. So far the camera has always exposed clean, even when using the flash - because I was used to significantly worse in my G12. The automatic white balance works well and I am always amazed at how well the Olympus hinbekommt colors. RAW development and post-processing of images can often save yourself so.
* The lens is of course the hammer: 28-300mm (more power without a tripod anyway does not make sense) and transmitted light intensity 2.8. The Image Stabilizer is effective, so that one riff shoot in 300mm still sharp images from the hand. At 28mm it has a slightly barrel distortion, but this is not particularly striking.
* The noise performance of the camera, despite powerful lens not quite convinced me. In low light or ISO> 1000 the noise is already clearly visible. From a compact camera sensor which is to be expected in principle, but I've had a little more hoping for here.
* Autofocus is fast and mostly reliable. Care, who photographed mainly in automatic mode: The automatic often uses the 2.8 aperture and sometimes you have therefore with the depth of field to watch something. For portraits which is great because the background is blurred (which you get with most compact cameras barely out) but often you want to give the picture but have consistently sharp and the aperture must be highly regulated manually. Something photographic expertise so you should bring along in order to achieve optimal results with this camera.

Others
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* Since I mainly take pictures with the camera through the viewfinder, I hardly use the Touch AF. Can with but imagine that some find the practice: touch only at the desired location of the screen and the camera automatically focuses and triggers.
* The videos in FullHD / 30p are useful but in my opinion not a selling point. Well, I think that the focus is automatically adjusted. Other manufacturers offer here but significantly more. Disturbing is like saying the audible motor zoom lens.
* Wi-Fi and smartphone remote control I have not yet used, but is indicative of the camera, that something here just is.

After a few days testing the camera I am satisfied overall. Sure, there are individually quite a few weaknesses and a star deduction would be justified. Especially since you already almost gets a good DSLR / System camera at the current price of EUR 600, the Stylus 1 hits in the optical characteristics and the image quality. Nevertheless, one of compactness for me and I think that Olympus has found in 1 Stylus here a good compromise.

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Supplement after three months of use: there were now already several photo-events, where the Stylus images have surpassed the SLR competition partly. Meanwhile, I would say a great camera - even when the picture quality! The price is justified. Even as a take-along-family Knipse it has proven itself in the meantime.