[shuttertalk]

Gadget news from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas is pumping out thick and fast, but this one caught my eye. From the guys that brought us the wildly successful PEN line (using the M4/3 sensors), Olympus is announcing a new flagship compact camera, the Olympus XZ-1, which is squarely aimed at amateur and professionals wanting a 2nd camera in addition to their SLR.

Particularly appealing features are:
- Large® sensor than normal compacts (1/1.63 inch CCD) - while not quite M4/3 size, it's certainly in the Canon G series range
- Fast f/1.8 - 2.5 wide angle 4x zoom ZUIKO lens
- Hotshoe for external flash and accessories. Apparently this is compatible with Olympus PEN accessories
- Dual image stabiliser, ISO 6400 sensitivity and AF illuminator
- 1/4000 shutter speed
- RAW shooting
- 720p HD movies
- Lens ring and menu wheel for precise manual control

To me, it looks like it's squarely aiming at the Canon S95 - which sports similar features such as the fast lens, lens ring, and even the same price range (actually $100 less than the RRP of th S95). It has a major advantage over it though in terms of the hot-shoe - that should open up a world of flexibility to users.

http://www.photographyblog.com/news/olympus_xz-1/