A mini review of the Olympus Stylus 1 compact camera

Olympus has spent the last year making system camera fans happy with powerful new technological advances. Finally it’s time for those who like all-in-one solutions.

Olympus Stylus 1 compact camera

16MP 28-300mm 10.7x 3″ $790

The Stylus 1 is nominally a compact camera by definition of class, but in size and weight it looks more like a professional category interchangeable lens unit. With the exception of an unremarkable sensor – a 1/1.7-inch backlit CMOS – everything else about this camera is extremely remarkable. At least the lens is worth a start – an almost 11x zoom with a constant aperture of F2.8. You won’t get a shallow depth of field like you would with an interchangeable lens camera, but you couldn’t ask for a better one for low light conditions.

The O-MD-series influences are clearly visible in the exterior. The high-security metal body is studded with all kinds of controls, some of them borrowed from Olympus systems cameras, others from previous Stylus models, like the click wheel with the function selector lever. The large, bright, high-resolution viewfinder is complemented by a tilt-up touch screen. Duplication of hardware and touchscreen controls gives the user the ability to situationally select the right style of operation. Manual controls, RAW and RAW+JPEG compatibility, compatibility with Olympus system flashes, the flexibility that the PEN and O-MD are famous for, fast shutter speeds, and high-quality video mode all make the Stylus 1 a desirable purchase for the experienced and demanding amateur.

A rare case where in a review of a powerful, but expensive compact, we would not risk to offer the buyer to prefer a “system” camera. For example, the constant aperture zoom alone and the smaller magnification will cost as much, if not more, than the entire Stylus 1.