Earlier today Olympus announced a a new super zoom camera with some advanced characteristics – primarily a 28-300mm (35mm equivalent) lens with an impressive f/2.8 aperture (all the way). The only reason Olympus was able to create this “miracle” is because of the relatively small sensor of the camera (similar to what you can find on most advanced compact cameras (Canon G16/Nikon P7800/Olympus XZ2 etc.).
The Stylus 1 is a different approach to the advanced super zoom concept than the recently announced Sony RX10. Both have f/2.8 apertures but Olympus went for a 28-300mm with a much smaller body while Sony for a 24-200mm with a more massive build and a much larger sensor with better image quality (and better audibility to blur backgrounds) but also with a much higher price tag.
Here are some of the main features of the new Stylus 1 from Olympus:
- Sensor:12MP 1/1.7″-type BSI CMOS (similar to the Olympus XZ2).
- ISO: 100 – 12800
- Lens: 28-300mm – 35mm equivalent stabilized f/2.8 (constant)
- Dials: : Two-mode (click/free turning) control dial
- Filter: Built-in 3 EV ND filter (for shooting in broad daylight).
- Viewfinder: 1.44M dot LCD electronic viewfinder
- LCD: 1.04M dot 3″ tilting touchscreen rear LCD
- Connectivity: Built-in Wi-Fi (with app control).
- Price: $700 (pre-roder on B&H).
The above video is a hands on preview of the Olympus Stylus 1 (per-production unit) by Angela Nicholson from Digital Camera World.
* Note: if you encounter any issues playing this video – please let us know.
Iddo Genuth 
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