Olympus so whats wrong with the oly xz-2?

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rbelyell

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given my disappointment with the fuji x20's IQ at medium to advanced subject distance, ive been doing some reading about the oly xz-20--that is when i can find something to read! there seems to be a dirth of critical and user info on this cam. even on this forum the last entry is from october!

now the cam seems to have some pretty nifty features, like the hybrid lens ring that controls either exposure (aperture or exposure comp) or telephoto/focus at a flip of the switch that looks like an analogue timer switch. depending on ones choice, the ring functions either smoothly or in detente steps. in addition, it has an articulating screen with the same 'touch, focus, shoot' ability as the omd--a boon feature for street shooters, and it can use any of oly's evfs. and finally, oly is known for wonderful OOC jpegs.

so, i thus ask: whats wrong with this camera? why no users and such a lack of info and interest?
 
I suspect the answer, generally, is the Sony RX100. For those who won't or can't spend that much money on that type of camera, the answer, generally, is the Panasonic LX7.

Yep. Any SC has to run through that comparison at the moment. Makes it pretty tough on the competition. If you aren't providing a sensor on par with the RX100 it is hard to command that price. Fuji still manages, but Oly is hard-pressed to do so. And now that they are giving the LX7 away with happy meals at McDonalds the more affordable end of the SC market is really under pressure.
 
the other problem with the xz-2 is how heavily they discounted the xz-1. And it's my understanding that the improvements between the 2 models were negligible. I've had an xz-1 in my shopping cart a number of times....and then I remember that I don't like small sensor IQ.

And quite frankly, if you aren't happy with the X20, I think you'll be even more disappointed in the Oly.
 
interesting replies, thanks. anyone know how the oly IQ stacks up against these others? certainly the user experience, as it is with the fuji, has got to be better with the oly than the sony or panny, given the customizable lens ring, articulating lcd, and evf compatibility. so for me personally, it would come down to IQ. if it beats the x20, i wouldnt hesitate to give it a go.
 
I can't believe the XZ-2 would have better IQ than the X20. I had the the X10 and the currently have an XZ-1 (my spouse's camera) and the X10 had much better IQ.
 
Also discounted m43/nex models are competing with the pricier serious compacts. Last week, new EPM2+kit lens was selling for $430. That comes with same OMD sensor. Used mirrorless cameras are even cheaper...

Interesting chart from 1001 Noisy Cameras:
Compacts with RAW Prices snapshot in a single Giant Chart (visual reference) - 1001 Noisy Cameras
rawsumer-price-charts-with-expensive-models-as-of-may-15-2013.JPG
 
Here's a short thing I did a few months back, comparing my shooting impressions with the XZ2, LX7, and G15. Not terribly technical on IQ, but it might be worth a look...

https://www.photographerslounge.org...g15-panasonic-lx7-shooting-impressions-16881/

I liked the XZ2 a lot, particularly the lens ring and flip up touch screen. But as others have noted, with the RX100's superior IQ for not much more money, and the LX7's equally impressive feature set (with similar IQ) for barely more than HALF the price, it kind of leaves the XZ2 in a no-man's land of sorts. Make it price competitive with the LX7 and they'll sell buckets of them. At the current price, though, its tough to come up with a compelling reason to buy one...

-Ray
 
And to some extent, I think what you just said provides a sort of validation of something Thom Hogan said about Oly's ego getting away from them. There ARE other cameras out there and if they want to sell cameras, price them better. Olympus: you are NOT Leica, lol.
 
In the UK the LX7 is still generally over £300, virtually the same price as the XZ-2. I wish it got the discounting it seems to have got in the States, I'd definitely get one if it was more like £200.
 
I can't believe the XZ-2 would have better IQ than the X20. I had the the X10 and the currently have an XZ-1 (my spouse's camera) and the X10 had much better IQ.

couple things: i had an x10 also, and i personally found its IQ better than the x20 for subjects over say 20' away. under that, x20 wins hands down. also i thought, though i could certainly be wrong, that oly changed sensors between the z-1 and z-2, like fuji did between the x10 and x20.
 
I still have and love my XZ-1. The camera has surprisingly good IQ for a small sensor. I did not (and will not) give it up in favour of the XZ-2, simply because they dropped the CCD sensor in favour of some kind of *MOS and I know you nearly cant even get CCD sensors in serious compacts these days... but I think they give better rendition of colour and scene than *MOS in compacts. My personal jury is out on whether that also applies to larger sensors... I still prefer the CCD in most cases.

I would not bother with the XZ-2.
 
I agree, after reading every professional review on the XZ-2 and using the Studio shot comparison (from DPR) and comparing it to my G12, I bought one yesterday from Adorama. They had one XZ-2 left with 16GB mem, cleaning kit and bag package for only $299, I could not pass it up. If you compare the XZ-2 with my old G12 in that comparison tool, it simply outclasses the G12 in total IQ and sharpness. I also like then extra 2 MP's, slightly better low light capability, touch screen, manual controls on the lens, and super fast lens. I am confident it will be a good upgrade, especially since they are going to buy my G12! If I get $150 for my G12, and the free $40 of accessories I got, it's only a $110 upgrade for a much better camera, not bad IMHO :D
 
My only gripe with the XZ-2 is that it's not any smaller than my E-PL5. As a result, I just jumped at the Olympus Refurb sale and picked up an Olympus XZ-10 - and it just arrived today. Now THAT is a tiny camera, and it will fulfill my need for a take anywhere body when my E-PL5 and a few lenses is still too much kit to carry. And how can anyone complain about a price, all in including sales tax, of $138 for the XZ-10. Yep, the sensor's small - but EVERYTHING about this camera is small - it's about 2-4mm bigger in most dimensions than a Canon Powershot S110 (which was the other camera I was considering for this purpose - in fact, I was just about to buy one when the Olympus Spring 20% off refurbs sale was announced, so I went the XZ-10 route instead, figuring that the faster lens will more than make up for the Canon's slightly bigger sensor.
 
thats not exactly correct. it is in fact much smaller than the epl5 with a comparable f1.8-2.5 24-100 zoom lens, which doesnt exist.
 
thats not exactly correct. it is in fact much smaller than the epl5 with a comparable f2 24-100 zoom lens, which doesnt exist.

But it's NOT smaller than the E-PL5 with the lenses I actually use on it especially the Panasonic 14mm and the Sigma 60mm - which are enhanced by a noticeably larger sensor, and give me a slightly wider FOV spread and more low-light capability than an XZ-2, which has at least 2 stops less High ISO capability than an E-PL5. Interchangeable lenses means I don't need to buy a single zoom to cover that range.

In any case, that's why, for my TRULY pocketable camera, I went with an XZ-10, which sacrifices a LITTLE BIT of the IQ of the XZ-2, but is quite noticeably smaller and lighter, as well as costs only 2/3 as much. My E-PL5 gives me all the quality and flexibility I might ever need, and my XZ-10 gives me total take-anywhere pocket-ability.
 
Another camera to consider when thinking about the Oly XZ-10 (which I do like, actually) is the Fuji XF1. It's genuinely pocketable - about the same size as an XZ-10 (just a tick longer but a tick thinner) and features a sensor that's larger than even the XZ-1 and XZ-2. Brand-new examples can be still found on Amazon for $199. The 25-100mm zoom works manually. Aperture range is f/1.8-4.9, the same as the Sony RX100.
 
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