The Best Compact Camera From 10 Years Ago 

When I try to watch this clip music drowns out the commentary. Also commentary is distorted from 2:29.

I managed to get hold of one of these at a very good price and it arrived today. Really looking forward to trying it out.

I think that despite their limitations, fixed-lens compact cameras marked a golden era in digital photography. They were fun to use, pretty capable across the board in good lighting, pocketability wasn't just a marketing slogan. Despite owning a few high-end cameras since, I still look back to the days when I happily sported the tiny Lumix DMC-TZ3 and enjoyed both the shooting and the results.

This just proves you don't need the latest and greatest camera to take excellent photos. I have a 12 year old E-PL1 that goes everywhere with me.

My god this guy’s personality and vibe is so infectious! Love the positive energy! 😂😊 🤗

What a stunning colors ! All those old CCD cameras produce such nice and rich colors.

Thanx for the review, im convinced now, I will order mine, your enthusiasm arrives everywhere, cheers

I love when you find an older camera and still can be blown away by the results! The colour pop is beautiful. I feel the same way by my new/old Pentax MX-1. I am so glad we are re-discovering these gems. Definitely a great camera with some limitations! Always enjoy your enthusiasm and attitude! Thanks for sharing!

I bought one too a year ago, paying about $100 in near mint condition. $40 is a really good deal for it. I treat it like a ISO 100 slide film camera, shooting it only when I would shoot slide film. I have the telescope, expandable lens cap that screws on as I got that with the XZ-2. Both cameras us the same extension filter thread.

Aloha Robin! Yes, I loved my XZ-1, which I bought before moving to Hawaii 10 years ago. I gave it to my friend who uses it to this day. When I look back at the thousands of shots I took, they still make me smile. I'm glad you got a chance to enjoy it!

Your video inspired me to take my XZ-1 out of the cupboard & charge it up. I'm really enjoying using it again. I've got the Oly retractable lens hood which is super handy. I also have an Oly VF-2 electronic viewfinder which is compatible with this camera (also compatible with the Oly Pen). This makes shooting under bright daylight conditions a pleasure, along with the ability to articulate the angle of view 90 degrees for low angle shooting.

I had one ages ago as well. It was a fantastic little camera! But like most others, when I pushed the camera in low light or other challenging situations, the image started to break down, so I reluctantly moved on. But despite all that, I was so impressed, and honestly, with present technology, the form factor would be fantastic with a 1 inch sensor, or maybe even if the could stick a m4/3 sensor in it with some re-engineering. Great find!

Your observations are very fair and accurate in my experience. I added the auto lens cap, a VF-2 EVF, a Flipbak grip, and a wrist strap, which improve handling immensely. It is definitely a good light, low ISO camera (I won't push ISO beyond 400), but if you recognize and stay within its limitations, it is still capable of great images in 2022. I rarely use it anymore, but my wife loves it and still uses it when she wants something a cut above her iPhone.

I always love your enthusiasmRobin! Last summer I bought the XZ-2. I also looked at the XZ-1 because of the CCD sensor but the tilting screen of the XZ-2 made it more usable to mee. Got some pretty good photos with the XZ-2 and in general it has all the benefits and flaws that you mentioned in this video.

Really love the way the setting are presented on every picture

That was some of the most wonderful and exciting photography. I’ve seen in a long time. That little camera appears to be quite awesome.!

They are beautiful photos.

Very enjoyable video Robin. Some great shots, as always you have managed to get the most out of any equipment you use. Quite a surprise how gd this camera is in the right conditions, Rich.

Because if this video, I dusted off my XZ1 got a new battery for it and I’m now ready to go! Thank You for your expertise on all things photography ❤

I get great satisfaction getting good results from minimal equipment. Up until recently I had an old Fuji S5000 bridge camera which was given to me and I got amazing shots of my grandson with this 5mp "oldie" . It had its limitations obviously, not least the fact that it would eat the four double A batteries that it used but it was great fun none the less. Must check out the XZ1 - great video Robin,thanks.

Thank your for your review. This Olympus XZ1 is my trusty companion for street an nature photography. Portraits have a three dimensional quality to them, you could hardly get better, even with todays system cameras or DSLRs. I totally agree to all the strengths and with all the minor weaknesses, you mentioned in your video.

I have a Pentax MX-1 since 2013 and I am still using it occasionally. Recently I have bought a used Canon s120 and I am very happy with it. Unlike my Pentax, it easily fits into almost any pocket and is lighter as well. Finally a camera I carry with me everywhere. And it is really a pleasure to use. This Olympus seems to be somewhere between those two.

I’ve still got an XZ-1. Photos are still insanely good. I think you’re right about it being down to the lens.

I bought one of these new in 2011. I’ve since replaced it with a G85, but I still own it(along with the diving kit for it). I’ve started using it again because when I look back at the photos I’ve taken with it, you really do notice the extra pop the lens offers. Amazing little camera. It really looks sharp in white as well.

Wow , glad to see you visited Thailand

Thankyou Robin , another brilliantly done video . I was looking for an affordable , do everything digitally camera for my daughter's birthday and you've made the decision for me . 😁👍👌 Thanks again , I absolutely love your videos 👍🤗💯

Yep. These retro digital cameras are hot. In June 2024, i just picked one up for $220. Prices range between $200-$300 now.

Thank you Robin 🏵.

Good Video and Good Information. Thank You Robin.

Thank you :) I love the self portrait :)

This was my first compact camera along side my Olympus E620. Good old days. Still cherish the photos i took with it 😍

Nice video, Thanx to you I invested in olympus and hopefully one day I can start my photography business..

It was really an amazing little camera that I loved very much. You didn't mention that it could also be used with the Olympus VF-2 electronic viewfinder. That was a great combination!

Hi Robin. Great review and I did the same as you about 5 years ago. I bought a cheap second hand one that looked pristine. The images from this camera are superb, I would even say better than today's M4/3 cameras. This is my 'go to' camera on holiday. Bright, sharp and colourful images. This is a definite 'best buy' if you can find any for sale.

I still use this compact camera for casual and street photoshoot. I have the gold color ones (50th Olympus anniversary version). Love the lens and CCD color.

Olympus had a long heritage of excellent digicams. My #1 one was a Olympus into 1996. Also had serveral Olympus, incl. the Camedia C-750, C-3030, C-5050, C-8080...all have been extraordinary for their time. Also some Olympus 35mm gear, Superzoom Bridge, and XA, XA2. I have not owned it, but also think about the E-10, E-20 back from the heyday...

This is a great camera and I purchased one on its day one for a vacation. My wife just returned from a month in Uganda and used it successfully for the whole time...she used it solely on auto! It is still a real useful travel camera!

Dang it, Robin - now you’re gonna make the used market for the XZ-1 blow up! Hahaha! I bought 2 of these for about $80US each so I’d have a backup and a spare battery & charger at the same time. Also, the key is to find one without dust on the sensor so I bought two. The lens is excellent. I haven’t found the IBIS to be very effective. The sensor is noisy past ISO 400 but I don’t care. The rendering of the lens at f1.8 in the super macro mode is really beautiful. I shot the center of a flower up close to get the stamen and pistil and pollen with this camera, and had a 16x20 printed and it looks incredible for “only” 10MP. And it has a hot shoe! Put a radio trigger on the camera and fire your flash units at pretty much any shutter speed due to the leaf shutter! Practically, though, usable shutter with flash will top out at 1/800 but that’s really good compared to a focal plane shutter especially when attmpting to overpower the sun. It also has a built-in ND filter! Video though? Just use your phone for video capture.

My first “advanced” camera. Still love it to this day. Shortly after I got the E-M5 Mark I

Amazing small compact camera. The image looks very sharp and beautiful. Big LIKE 👍. Greetings from Singapore.

Great shots!!!! 😉☺👍

I still have my XZ-1 which was my first Olympus Compact Camera before I purchased my OMD EM-10 with the F 2.8 12-40 mm lens. I still use the XZ-1 when I want convenience and do not wish to carry the EM-10 around. Usually I use it when I'm in a small group 2-3 people over lunch or dinner get together I will use the XZ-1. Still very happy with the camera as it takes good shots when I've got all the settings right with the flash etc,

Great photos Robin! Totally usable street photography! I should get a cheap point and shoot. Looks fun!

Thanks for your informations

thanks robin.. i bought this camera a few months ago for $23 , and as you said its a great camera for travel and street camera. it's very compact,

I have one of these. I bought one when they were dirt cheap and it is a great point-and-shoot camera. "It has a small sensor." It actually has a larger than usual sensor for a point and shoot digital camera. It's not a lot smaller than M43. That is definitely a big part of why the pictures look better than a lot of point-and-shoot cameras. The lens is pretty good though.

Very nice pictures. :)

Hey Robin, your photos are just too good to miss. I watch your videos for your sample photos alone, even if I am not particularly interested in the topic and this set from Chang Mai really hit it out of the park. It's just such a joy to look at them and take note for one's own photography. And I would never have thought that this camera can produce such great results. Remarkable and highly interesting... Btw, could you still get spare batteries?

Fantástic camera. Thank you

A quality compact is such a breeze to own. Lugging around with "pro" gear gets old pretty fast 😅 Never been to Asia but I'd love to snap some pics there (and some food). Greetings from The Netherlands.

I have an OLYMPUS STYLUS XZ-2. I use this camera with an external electronic viewfinder VF-4 attached. This makes shooting fun.

very very good video ... iii have had an olympus xz-1 camera since y2011 , long before iii knew much "camera talk". Olympus xz-1 served me very well . Everything "Robin Wong" states in this video , iii agree with.

Really, images are awosome

I have one of these in mint condition.Also I have a ZX-2 In mint condition .The reason being that I hardly ever used them.Also I have all of the attachments and accessories for them.I also have a Stylus -1 which I use a lot.And I have an OM-10 Mk2 with quite a few primes.But I must say that this little camera is just like Robin says.Great for your pocket and travel,and in good light can produce some great images.

These are still awesome in my books ..always wanted one...I see eBay have em for under 200usd on eBay.. awesome vid as us Robbie

I can understand it. I love my Nokia 808 and it's my street art camera, I use it mostly for blackwhite pictures. My Olympus is mostly used for tele pictures with the 100-400.. switching up and down does take a lot of time and it's not easy but the Nokia 808 is small enough to fit in every pocket, so I keep on walking through parks etc with the Olympus with 100-400 and the 808 in the hand or pocket. But this one looks awesome, nice camera, thanks for the video =)

I got the XZ-1 this fall and I agree the colors are very nice. The lens is also very sharp. I did not think much of theXZ-1 when it was released because so much was happening in the photo industri and this camera was kind of boring. I wish the newer cameras had just as nice colors but they do not. At least I think so. . Of course you can process them to get good or even better but that is another story. Sad to see the compacts go away because of the smartphones but it is what it is. The new Sony ZV1 seems to have very nice colors and the same with the Canon G9X. I also got some older compacts this fall like the Canon Ixy 750 and the Ixy 400 for 10 and 15 bucks and thy are very nice, almost to nice. A pity they do not go over ISO 400 so you need good light. Thanks for your video! Nice photos!

Back in 2010 I bought the Panasonic LX5. I still have it. I love that camera. It is similar to your Oly. It has the same problems too, ISO 800 is as high as I dare go. But for daylight photos or works ok. I learnt a lot from the LX5 so I can't bring myself to part with it.

I still have this camera bought in 2012 and it still works fine! Your images from it are awesome! Great review! I'm put off by it's lcd display though and 10MP sensor for printing now and in the market for a replacement for a trip abroad, but what to get in 2023? I have a few Nikon DX lenses and a Nikon full frame 50mm F1.8 but loved the compact pocketability of this!

Hi! I have got a xz1 since 6 months, 35€ used. Is a great camera in a little body.

I had the Pentax mx-1, After i sold It i bought the xz-2 for 79 dollars, i love It.

Thanks Robin! Examining your photos w EXIF really helped me to evaluate the IQ on this Olympus CCD compact. Maybe I should have bought an XZ-2 when I had the chance -- but I thought my PM2 + EZ pancake zoom would do better. But now I'm not so sure!

terima kasih bang… 2 months after this video released I found used one for rm250 in Johor Bahru… could be cheaper but the owner also gave away another partially faulty xz-1 which broke because the lens was impacted… i believe this is the best looking cheap retro ccd p&s street photo camera

I once had this camera but then gave it to someone after switching to another compact. XZ-1 is a beautiful small camera with an elegant look. Under good lighting It is possible to good looking photos with nice bokeh. But I am more interested in their Stylus 1 with longer zoom range, though I never have it.

Thanks!

I have 2 of them with all the accessories it came with including water proof case, also got an xz2 and the stylus 1

very interesting !! thank You !! N.B / Vienna

Robin, you got the best deal of Oly XZ-1, here in US price range $199-280 - pre owned. I will start looking. Thanks.

I got mine a year ago for cheap cuz the lens made funny sounds and used it every day for 6 months till it died, I miss it sooo much!! It's an amazing camera, one of the best point and shoot. The lens cap does suck though!

I enjoyed my XZ-1 till I dropped it from a high balcony 😕 and replaced it with an XZ-2 to get the tilt screen. Somehow I didn't get on with the '2' as well as I did with the '1'. Quite different rendering from the ccd versus cmos sensors, both delightful cams.

Watching

Hi, I recently got this camera based on your review. This camera is great! My question is how can I see a quick preview of the photo after you took it? I couldn't find this option in the menu. Thank you!

My first digital camera was an Olympus Stylus 9000. It was a fantastic little point and shoot. I later graduated to an OM-D EM-10, and most recently to an EM-1 Mark iii. All great cameras!

Super Olympus-colors

I love it 😉😉😉😉

It is sad that my XZ-1 is broken. I took a lot of photos with XZ-1 when I visited KL.

Hi Robin, i've had the XZ-1, and also the Samsung EX-1, both have been popular, both with 1/1.7" Sensors, before 2012 - when Sony arrived with their Type 1.0 Sensor, and 20 MP....it was being called the RX100. Still have my EX-1, but i think no more the charger, lost somehow...

What camera and lens do you film with? Beautiful results.

Beautiful for an 11 Years Camera.

XZ-1 was my EDC camera for several years before replaced in this role by XZ-2 and Stylus1s. But I still have it. JPG output is pure tragedy, but RAW files are very good with plenty of fine detail and good color reproduction. And even though it only has CCD sensor, it can do low-light photos thanks to F1.8 lens. But I prefer to close it to F2.8-4 if light allows. And I barely let sensitivity to go over ISO400 because as you said, dynamic range is gone by that sensitivity levels and noise is not nice. It is sad, that Olympus stopped development of this camera class. It will be great to see some XZ-3 with a bit improved image output, better video, better AF and some wifi options. Same for Stylus1s which is still great camera with the mighty 28-300/2.8 lens. The hot-shoe is also good thing and even some small manual old flash coupled with the bright lens can do a lot. Another cute thing is 52mm adaptor collar which allows you to put on filters or magnifiers or even various wide or telephoto adaptors. $40 is great price. Usually they cost at least 2x as much :)

Interesting video. I own a XZ-2 with the original automatic lens cap and I'm very happy with this camera. Do the XZ-1 and XZ-2 use the same sensor and same lens? Which are the difference between those two cameras?

tour excitment for the camera alone is a reson for me to buy it 😂❤

Much better than smartphone

1:40 I always knew deep inside me that Robin is a Hitman :D

also, may I ask the model/brand of the auto lens cap you bought? would love to get one

Picked one up earlier this autumn. Got it for $75, with the LF-2 viewfinder, bag, SD card and some other sundries, it had about 7500 shutter actuations on it and was not very mint. Have been using it a bit, but I somewhat default to the Lumix LX7, if compacts is where it is at. Will pick up a ZX-2 if I find one for a reasonable price though. The older models are great fun to horse around with. :-)

Thank you so much for the detailed explanation . Im just starting a new hobby.. photography but theres a question why is my olympus xz-1 have a automatic lense cover it closes and opens when i turn it. My mother said it came with the camera.

What camera settings do you use? I can't seem to get colors quite right.

初めまして、Mr.Robin。私はあなたとあなたが撮る写真のファンです。 5年ほど前にRobinのブログを見て中古のOLYMPUS XZ-2を購入しました。 その後、中古でOLYMPUS XZ-10、Stylus1も購入。 XZ-10はコンパクトで画質がいいので日常使いに使用しています。 Stylus1は明るい望遠レンズなのと有名なカメラマン Masayoshi Sukitaさんが使っていたのでお気に入りです。 その後、Micro Four Thirdsのコンパクトさを知り、今ではOM-D E-M10 Mark III(中古)、E-M1 Mark II(新品)、E-M1X(新品)のユーザーです。 世間では新製品のカメラにばかり注目しがちですが、ユーザー視線で古いカメラもレビューしてくれるRobinに感謝です。 いつの日か XZ-2、XZ-10、Stylus1の懐かしい話も見れたらいいなと思います。😀

Hi Robin! That looks like a nice camera, but eBay prices are currently about the same as for an EP-3/w kit lens. I have been using an Olympus SP-350 8mp camera ($16 on eBay). It is a small point and shoot with auto/PASM/movie controls that takes AA batteries. The downsides are the battery life is poor (use rechargables) and it takes XD cards. But like the XZ-1 it is a cheap, fun, and pocketable camera for casual shooting that allows you to control the settings of the camera.

Thank you for an excellent review. $40, you cannot beat it. Yes, of course, those who have the newest iPhone, Google Pixel Pro or Samsung S22 can say, what for? But not everybody spends / can spend $1000 on a new phone every few years. This camera can be a real alternative to get good photos in normal daylight. - I will use my mobile phone or take a M43 camera with me when I want better quality / more control.

Hi Robin, try image at 1600ISO xz1 on dxo pure raw, you will be amazed by the detail it brings out

just ordered one from Japan … costs a lot! going to set the custom white balance or shoot a little colder …

I have the Olympus Stylus 1s from about that year and i have loved it so very much all years. That camera made me come back to Olympus, and still use it a lot today, despite I have E-M1 and OM-1 (new version) and also started take photos with my retro OlympusFlex 2.8. How does the Stylus 1 compare to your lovely XZ-1?

I had it - very good camera. I loved it, unfortunately, lost it in the forest

I have it , a white one . Still use it for concerts , because at some venues they only allow fixed lens cameras , so my D850 is not allowed . Sometimes my Xpro2 is allowed as they think it is a fixed lens. Any case , for pictures with this XZ-1 close to the podium , it is very sharp . I printed on A3+ perfect . Cropping however or high iso is logic not to be compared to todays compacts. Use it also with an electronic viewfinder , snapping on basis of a screen is not for me, though it will drain out batterylife quickly.

40 usd?? That's definitely a great find. Lately I realize that I value build quality somewhat more than image quality. If it feels good in the hand, then I'm happy.

In the US used market, these sell for $100+ in “parts/repair” condition and closer to $200 mint.

I've bought a Panasonic tz60. It has 24-720mm zoom range and fit's into the pocket like the XZ-1!

Are you willing to sell the camera? I don’t live in the USA and have been looking for a camera with this quality and price. I also love the quality and colors and I found your video about it incredible