DPReview.com is closing April 10th - Find out more

Olympus XZ-2 - should I keep or upgrade?

Started Jul 26, 2017 | Discussions
Sam808
Sam808 Regular Member • Posts: 159
Olympus XZ-2 - should I keep or upgrade?

Hi all,

It's been 3 years since I got mu Oly XZ2 and to be honest I shot less than 2k photos. It's a nice little camera with great lens but every now and then I feel like I need a camera with Evf while adjusting the manual focus on particular area on the subject which is hit and miss if you use the lcd only.

Should I:

1- buy the Evf for Oly and keep it

2- upgrade to a new Canon G7x / G9x Mkii?

How noticeable would be the IQ between the new Canon cams and XZ2 (considering the great lens on XZ2) ?

Thanks

 Sam808's gear list:Sam808's gear list
Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II
Canon G9 X Canon PowerShot G7 X Canon PowerShot G9 Panasonic Lumix DMC-G7
If you believe there are incorrect tags, please send us this post using our feedback form.
(unknown member) Senior Member • Posts: 2,265
Re: Olympus XZ-2 - should I keep or upgrade?
1

Sam808 wrote:

Hi all,

It's been 3 years since I got mu Oly XZ2 and to be honest I shot less than 2k photos. It's a nice little camera with great lens but every now and then I feel like I need a camera with Evf while adjusting the manual focus on particular area on the subject which is hit and miss if you use the lcd only.

Should I:

1- buy the Evf for Oly and keep it

2- upgrade to a new Canon G7x / G9x Mkii?

How noticeable would be the IQ between the new Canon cams and XZ2 (considering the great lens on XZ2) ?

Thanks

Neither of the cameras mentioned has an EVF so you would be back in the same boat. The G5X is what you probably need if anything though that is a Mk I. I would think the 1" sensor would show an improvement over the Olympus.

Sam808
OP Sam808 Regular Member • Posts: 159
Re: Olympus XZ-2 - should I keep or upgrade?
1

@KeepCalm Thanks for clarification. I wonder why Canin omiited the evf. To me it's more important than having a built-in flash. Why we should pay for features that must be standardized across all camera platform in entry level camera segment?

Sometimes when I check the DPR's review of old cameras I think the technology we use today were already available some 5-10 years ago but the manufacturers didn't bother to implement it property, whereas smartphone tech has changed quite rapidly and the changes were sensible.

 Sam808's gear list:Sam808's gear list
Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II
(unknown member) Senior Member • Posts: 2,265
Re: Olympus XZ-2 - should I keep or upgrade?

Sam808 wrote:

@KeepCalm Thanks for clarification. I wonder why Canin omiited the evf. To me it's more important than having a built-in flash. Why we should pay for features that must be standardized across all camera platform in entry level camera segment?

Sometimes when I check the DPR's review of old cameras I think the technology we use today were already available some 5-10 years ago but the manufacturers didn't bother to implement it property, whereas smartphone tech has changed quite rapidly and the changes were sensible.

The strange thing is it is sometimes best to get a camera with an viewfinder as the ones with viewfinders can have better rear screens than the ones without. I remember having a Nikon P7100 and a XZ-1 and the rear screen on the P7100 with the OVF was visible in sunlight whereas the XZ-1 wasn't.

Olympus were one of the first manufacturers to drop viewfinders but one of the last to get a useful rear screen to replace it.

I have G9X and if you hold the info button in it does switch to a brighten screen and it is not too bad then in sunlight. Definitely better than the XZ-1 but that was an AMOLED screen and I believe the XZ-2 switched back to the better in sunlight from my experience LCD. I have had a Samsung EX2f and that had a poor in sunlight AMOLED also. Probaby AMOLED has improved over time but in the past for some Samsung cameras it has been :

Any Major Overhead Light Extinguishes Display

damian5000 Senior Member • Posts: 1,948
Re: Olympus XZ-2 - should I keep or upgrade?

Sam808 wrote:

@KeepCalm Thanks for clarification. I wonder why Canin omiited the evf. To me it's more important than having a built-in flash. Why we should pay for features that must be standardized across all camera platform in entry level camera segment?

Sometimes when I check the DPR's review of old cameras I think the technology we use today were already available some 5-10 years ago but the manufacturers didn't bother to implement it property, whereas smartphone tech has changed quite rapidly and the changes were sensible.

I'm happy they didn't include an EVF. Keeps price and bulk down. I think the number of times I wished I had an EVF over the last few years of owning G7x.. Maybe once.

The g5x is the G7x with an EVF.

The mobile phone analogy doesn't work. They are a new tech... They've only really been around for a short bit. Regardless, I review mobile phones for a living and they're essentially the same as they've been since the first iPhone. Other than some quirky ones here and there.

 damian5000's gear list:damian5000's gear list
Canon PowerShot G7 X
Tim Murphy
Tim Murphy Regular Member • Posts: 438
Re: Olympus XZ-2 - should I keep or upgrade?

damian5000 wrote:

Sam808 wrote:

@KeepCalm Thanks for clarification. I wonder why Canin omiited the evf. To me it's more important than having a built-in flash. Why we should pay for features that must be standardized across all camera platform in entry level camera segment?

Sometimes when I check the DPR's review of old cameras I think the technology we use today were already available some 5-10 years ago but the manufacturers didn't bother to implement it property, whereas smartphone tech has changed quite rapidly and the changes were sensible.

I'm happy they didn't include an EVF. Keeps price and bulk down. I think the number of times I wished I had an EVF over the last few years of owning G7x.. Maybe once.

The g5x is the G7x with an EVF.

The mobile phone analogy doesn't work. They are a new tech... They've only really been around for a short bit. Regardless, I review mobile phones for a living and they're essentially the same as they've been since the first iPhone. Other than some quirky ones here and there.

Dear Damian,

As are digital cameras.  Same job as ever but each new one from any major brand seems to provide a different motivation for new users?

And so it goes.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg, PA 

-- hide signature --

Then the coal company came with the world's largest shovel
And they tortured the timber and stripped all the land
Well, they dug for their coal till the land was forsaken
Then they wrote it all down as the progress of man.

 Tim Murphy's gear list:Tim Murphy's gear list
Olympus SP-350 Olympus C-2040 Zoom Olympus C-5050 Zoom Olympus C-8080 Wide Zoom Canon PowerShot S90 +36 more
damian5000 Senior Member • Posts: 1,948
Re: Olympus XZ-2 - should I keep or upgrade?

Tim Murphy wrote:

damian5000 wrote:

Sam808 wrote:

@KeepCalm Thanks for clarification. I wonder why Canin omiited the evf. To me it's more important than having a built-in flash. Why we should pay for features that must be standardized across all camera platform in entry level camera segment?

Sometimes when I check the DPR's review of old cameras I think the technology we use today were already available some 5-10 years ago but the manufacturers didn't bother to implement it property, whereas smartphone tech has changed quite rapidly and the changes were sensible.

I'm happy they didn't include an EVF. Keeps price and bulk down. I think the number of times I wished I had an EVF over the last few years of owning G7x.. Maybe once.

The g5x is the G7x with an EVF.

The mobile phone analogy doesn't work. They are a new tech... They've only really been around for a short bit. Regardless, I review mobile phones for a living and they're essentially the same as they've been since the first iPhone. Other than some quirky ones here and there.

Dear Damian,

As are digital cameras. Same job as ever but each new one from any major brand seems to provide a different motivation for new users?

And so it goes.

Regards,

Tim Murphy

Harrisburg, PA

No, very different. The gulf in differences between modern cameras is huge in comparison to modern phones (other than a few quirky ones).

 damian5000's gear list:damian5000's gear list
Canon PowerShot G7 X
(unknown member) Senior Member • Posts: 2,265
Re: Olympus XZ-2 - should I keep or upgrade?
1

damian5000 wrote:

Regardless, I review mobile phones for a living and they're essentially the same as they've been since the first iPhone. Other than some quirky ones here and there.

So you consider the image quality coming out of a Samsung Galaxy S8 is no better than the original iPhone? It does not seem that way when I struggle to get the best quality out of pictures from my cameras when it all seems so effortless with my family with their android phones and they just seem to get better from what I can see. Sometimes I feel they must think cameras are just a mad irrational hobby and humour the old man.

You do surprise me. What about the dual main lens phones? Surely they are a big improvement and will erode even further the advantage of pocket cameras.

Sam808
OP Sam808 Regular Member • Posts: 159
Re: Olympus XZ-2 - should I keep or upgrade?
1

Well, I guess I found my camera.

Fuji X-M1 + XC 16-50mm cheaper than canin G7x MK2 and better IQ

 Sam808's gear list:Sam808's gear list
Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II
Kung Fu
Kung Fu Veteran Member • Posts: 3,990
Re: Olympus XZ-2 - should I keep or upgrade?
1

damian5000 wrote:

Sam808 wrote:

@KeepCalm Thanks for clarification. I wonder why Canin omiited the evf. To me it's more important than having a built-in flash. Why we should pay for features that must be standardized across all camera platform in entry level camera segment?

Sometimes when I check the DPR's review of old cameras I think the technology we use today were already available some 5-10 years ago but the manufacturers didn't bother to implement it property, whereas smartphone tech has changed quite rapidly and the changes were sensible.

I'm happy they didn't include an EVF. Keeps price and bulk down. I think the number of times I wished I had an EVF over the last few years of owning G7x.. Maybe once.

The g5x is the G7x with an EVF.

The mobile phone analogy doesn't work. They are a new tech... They've only really been around for a short bit. Regardless, I review mobile phones for a living and they're essentially the same as they've been since the first iPhone.

Are you joking? What do you mean?

The processors are 100x faster since 2007, they're now 64-bit, RAM is up to 4GB, the screens are 4x the resolution and way brighter, larger, and more accurate, iOS 10.3 vs 1.0... seriously. Connectivity, hand off, app integration... everything is better. You literally can't do the same list of tasks on an early iPhone.

Conversely, I can still take great photos with my Canon G6 from 2004. Newer cameras are just faster, and make the shooting experience easier in some ways. But much less of a gulf than as with phones.

Sam808
OP Sam808 Regular Member • Posts: 159
Re: Olympus XZ-2 - should I keep or upgrade?

And all of those features won't improve the IQ at all.

 Sam808's gear list:Sam808's gear list
Panasonic Lumix DC-FZ1000 II
YWG Senior Member • Posts: 1,364
Re: Olympus XZ-2 - should I keep or upgrade?

Sam808 wrote:

And all of those features won't improve the IQ at all.

I dunno. I think my first cell phone camera was 1.3 MP and looked like I shot through a vaseline can. Looking at the latest Samsung and Apple cameras that have fast lenses, OIS, 12-16MP, the photos look quite good to the point of not carrying a compact point and shoot.

 YWG's gear list:YWG's gear list
Olympus Stylus 1s Canon PowerShot G5 X Olympus E-M1 Olympus E-M1 II
YWG Senior Member • Posts: 1,364
Re: Olympus XZ-2 - should I keep or upgrade?

Sam808 wrote:

Hi all,

It's been 3 years since I got mu Oly XZ2 and to be honest I shot less than 2k photos. It's a nice little camera with great lens but every now and then I feel like I need a camera with Evf while adjusting the manual focus on particular area on the subject which is hit and miss if you use the lcd only.

Should I:

1- buy the Evf for Oly and keep it

2- upgrade to a new Canon G7x / G9x Mkii?

How noticeable would be the IQ between the new Canon cams and XZ2 (considering the great lens on XZ2) ?

Thanks

Would putting an expensive and big EVF on the XZ-2 deter you from carrying it? How would the focus aid be different from say a magnified view or focus peaking on LCD (If it has those)?

G7x and G9x don't have EVFs. The G5x, RX100 mkIII/IV do. I'd think the G5x is less bulky than the XZ-2 with viewfinder.

You'd get a little more dynamic range from the 1" sensor. Less noise and more resolution. Never shot a XZ-2 but the greater depth of field and well regarded lens would likely appear sharper. It might not be that much of a difference if you reduced the 20MP file to the dimensions of the XZ-2.

 YWG's gear list:YWG's gear list
Olympus Stylus 1s Canon PowerShot G5 X Olympus E-M1 Olympus E-M1 II
Keyboard shortcuts:
FForum MMy threads