The Zeiss ZX1 is available immediately in Germany and the USA, the manufacturer announced in a press release. The price is therefore 6000 euros. Zeiss already announced the full-format compact at Photokina 2018, but had to postpone the market launch again and again.

The coordination of hardware and software was probably responsible for this: “We have once again worked intensively on the overall workflow and the smooth integration of hardware and software and are convinced that the wait was worth it, “says Jörg Schmitz, Head of Zeiss Consumer Products. The special thing about the concept of the 35 – megapixel camera is the integration of the raw Development software Adobe Lightroom.

The rear display is the heart of the ZX1 controls. Via this and with the help of Adobe Lightroom, photographers should be able to edit and process their images directly on the camera.

(Image: Zeiss)

Lightroom subscription free for one year Photographers should be able to edit and distribute their images directly on the camera via the 4.3-inch touchscreen, for example on social media. The manufacturer wants to appeal to ambitious amateurs and professionals who want to spread their work quickly and without the detour via external devices. Even on SD cards, they will no longer be dependent, because the internal memory of the ZX1 should 512 Gigabyte and space for 140. 000 JPEGs or 7000 Raw files offer. External storage devices should be able to be connected via USB-C. The scope of equipment also includes WLAN and Bluetooth.

According to Zeiss, the ZX1 is delivered with a free one-year Lightroom subscription, whether there will still be discounts for camera buyers afterwards is not yet known. Adobe itself currently offers the subscription for just under 140 euros.

Fixed focal length and display with kink Makes a kink: Zeiss ZX1.

(Image: Zeiss)

The Zeiss ZX1 has an integrated fixed focal length with 35 millimeters and an aperture of f / 2.0. With this moderate wide angle, the camera wants to be particularly flexible, because it is suitable for both landscape and street photography. Even atmospheric portraits succeed with the right composition. The photographer has an electronic viewfinder with a resolution of 1280 × 1080 pixels available.

The design of the compact is idiosyncratic, because the housing makes a noticeable kink that is also through the rear display (1920 × 720 pixels). Furthermore, operating elements are extremely rare, according to the concept one navigates mainly via touch.

Full format compacts are rare It’s not just its software and operating concept that makes the ZX1 exotic. In addition, there are very few compact cameras that work with a full format chip. Sony offers the RX1R II, Leica the Q2. Both cameras cost several thousand euros.

(ssi)