Review posted 07/25/2013

Quick Take

Pros

iAuto shooting mode is accurate and easy in all situations Dedicated Video Capture Button is always ready to record Command Dial and Hybrid Control Ring allow for fast and simple manual control Excellent image quality Image Stabilization keeps handheld images sharp Touch LCD is easy to operate and shows excellent detail Outstanding shooting performance

Cons

Weak pop-up flash unit Flash makes it tough to hold camera with 2 hands Poor battery life No external charging unit

Bottom Line

The Stylus XZ-10 sports Olympus's top features and hardware, giving the user higher image quality and performance than ever before. Built to perform better than most compact digicams, Olympus succeeded in producing a compact digital camera with very high image quality. Read more in our Full Conclusion.

For 2013, Olympus has added their third entry into the XZ-series of compact, yet powerful cameras; with the introduction of the XZ-10. This unit builds off of their recently announced XZ-2, which they boast as the flagship model for the XZ line. The XZ-10 borrows many of its features, however it packs them into a body that Olympus claims is "stealthier". In all reality, the XZ-10 is just a lot smaller, approx. 40 percent smaller than the XZ-1 and XZ-2 by volume.

It boasts a 12-megapixel backlit CMOS image sensor, just like the XZ-2, however this is a 1/2.3" sensor; not the larger 1/1.7" we see in the XZ-2, and XZ-1. The zoom lens is still very fast, offering a maximum aperture range of f/1.8 - 2.7 (Wide - Tele), and it also sports a longer focal range at 5x (versus 4x on past models). So, while they sacrificed a bit in the image sensor department, the XZ-10 has gained a slightly longer lens.

Some other new and cool features include 120fps high-speed HD video recording, a GUI that resembles and operates like that found on their PEN and OM-D cameras, Full 1080p HD video with a new Multi-Motion Movie IS feature, and a 3.0-inch touch screen LCD.

The XZ-10 iHS looks like a powerful compact camera, however we are sad to see that Olympus chose a smaller image sensor compared to its predecessors. We hope that this doesn't negatively effect image quality. Continue reading our hands on to review to find out how well the XZ-10 performed during our tests.