Olympus XZ-1 Premium Ultra-Compact Digital Camera Pops Up at CES 2011

Beside the E-PL2 pocket DSLR we've already talked about yesterday, Olympus brought plenty of other interesting surprises at CES, including here a brand-new ultra-compact premium camera, the XZ-1 model.

The XZ-1 sports a new functional design called X-factor Style, that delivers full manual controls in a slim, stylish pocket-sized camera, as well as a 10 megapixel CCD sensor with the TruePic V Image Processor to produce higher-quality photos and an iZUIKO f1.8-2.5 6.0-24mm lens for improved shooting in low-light scenarios.

The device also packs a 3.0-inch OLED monitor, that can really come in handy for reviewing the 720p HD videos recorded by the XZ-1 at 30 frames-per-second after the user presses the dedicated video recording button.

Additionally, the camera sports a Dual Image Stabilization system, formed out of a Mechanical Sensor-Shift Image Stabilization system and Digital Image Stabilization on the side.

We'll also have to mention that, in order to mitigate the situations when there's simply not enough light, the camera's low-light mode automatically adjusts the ISO sensitivity up to ISO 3200, while its iAuto mode automatically detects low-light scenes and adjusts the ISO accordingly for the best image quality.

Additionally, the XZ-1 features six Art Filters that photographers can apply to still images and HD video, as well as a Live Guide interface that simplifies the whole picture-snapping process.

"The XZ-1 features one of the world's brightest built-in lenses on a digital compact camera to enable you to shoot high-quality still images and HD videos in any shooting environment, including difficult low-light conditions," said Katie Roseman, product manager, Olympus Imaging America Inc., adding that "this camera will give you the versatility needed to take on any challenge without weighing you down."

The Olympus XZ-1 comes in black and white and will be available in January 2011 at an estimated retail price of around $499.99.