Thread: XZ-1, how's it in low light.

My favorite camera of all time has been the Sony TX5. I take it everywhere. It's been around the planet 3 times. Sadly, the years have not been good to it. The elephant stepping on it this year was the turning point. Now the shutter will only fire about 50% of the time I push the button. I need a replacement. I want the RX100 but I refuse to pay full price. So I need a replacement until the RX100's price comes down. The problem is that I need great low light. The TX5's handheld twilight mode is phenomenal. I've been thinking about the XZ-1. The price has really come down. How's it's low light? I've had the LX5 and even with the bright lens, it didn't come close to touching the TX5 in low light. It didn't make the cut. Or should I simply get a 14mm lens for one of my GF2s and use that until the RX100 is more affordable?

Originally Posted by lenshoarder

Sadly, the years have not been good to it. The elephant stepping on it this year was the turning point.

Funniest line I've read all day.

the XZ-1 has a fast lens and excellent IBIS.
Keep it to ISO 400 or less and it rocks in low light
Shoot RAW BTW, much better
XZ-1 - a set on Flickr
much of this set is low light
BTW, Elephant?
Ouch!!!!

Originally Posted by lenshoarder

The price has really come down. How's it's low light? I've had the LX5 and even with the bright lens, it didn't come close to touching the TX5 in low light. It didn't make the cut. Or should I simply get a 14mm lens for one of my GF2s and use that until the RX100 is more affordable?

Its excellent wide open and at base ISOs upto 400. Check my Photo-set on XZ-1, many were taken in low-light and am very impressed. I also had LX5, was ok in low light but XZ-1 is better with its wide lens.

Camera - Olympus XZ-1 - a set on Flickr

Really depends whats your shooting style, if you like to show at base ISOs and wide open (plenty of DOF for street photos bec of still small sensor) and again very important is in RAW and post process... XZ-1 is Highly recommended, otherwise LX5 is still better with wider and slower zoom and still somewhat better higher ISO results.

and Lili said it all :)) am just reconfirming!

Also if money is not an issue, maybe you wanna wait for XZ-2 will be much much better in all respects!

Thanks for the responses, those shots are awesome.

Originally Posted by Luke

Funniest line I've read all day.

+1

You don't want to just get another TX5, then?

I bought an XZ-1 for my wife recently to replace her old Panny TZ5 superzoom. It's a nice camera with a great lens on it, but the usual caveats apply with regards to this size of sensor and higher ISO sensitivites.

I'd get a TX20 if I were to get one now. Maybe a TX10 since people have been less than thrilled about the TX20. The issue is that the TX20 costs more than the XZ-1.

I love my XZ-1, and I wont be "upgrading" to the XZ-2. I think its better than adequate in low light, and I have some in my set on Flickr

If you didn't like the LX5 you probably won't like the XZ1 either - its essentially the same sensor and only barely brighter lens. The LX7 (and probably XZ2) has a marginally better sensor and notably faster lens but to get notably better low light performance in a compact, you have to step up to a Fuji X10 (better, but at the cost of resolution) or the RX100 (best). The RX100 really is quite remarkable in terms of the sensor and at f1.8 at the wide end, it can go places no compact has been able to before (although the lens slows down a lot as you move through the zoom range). I hated the handling of the RX100 and have ended up going back to the X10, but the image quality, particularly in low light, is really pretty amazing on the RX100. If you can put up with the handling, its worth the money if you can stretch to afford it. They got such a jump on the other compact makers with that camera that I think it'll be a while before prices come down much...

I was comfortable shooting the LX5 up to about 400 and would go 800 in a pinch. I'd bet the XZ1 would be about the same, but with a marginally brighter lens. The LX7 is good to 800, OK at 1250 and marginally usable at 1600 in a pinch. The X10 is really good at 1600, decent up to about 2000-2500, with 3200 OK in a pinch. The RX100 is frickin' amazing at 3200 and isn't bad at all at 6400. You get what you pay for...

-Ray