Introduction

When it arrived at the beginning of 2011, the Olympus XZ-1 was a very impressive camera. It was also a clear signal that Olympus was gunning for the throne in the advanced compact segment—a window left open by the decline of Canon's formidable G series. The XZ-1 shared the styling, handling, and seriousness of the company's PEN line of Micro Four Thirds cameras, giving it a decidedly upmarket feel. Now, nearly two years later, the XZ-2 arrives amid a changed landscape. Not only has Canon's G series returned to prominence, but there are strong challenges from Nikon, Samsung, and Panasonic as well. The XZ-2 retains its ancestor's most impressive feature—its f/1.8 zoom lens—and attempts to build on it with a new 12-megapixel CMOS sensor, an innovative dual-mode lens ring, and a tilting touchscreen LCD.

The Olympus Stylus XZ-2 iHS will be available in early November, in black, for $599.99.