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We got the chance to lay our hands on Olympus’ newly announced XZ-2 iHS advanced compact on the Photokina tradeshow floor this afternoon. Our initial reactions to the brief time spent with the XZ-2 were quite positive–the ergnomics and button layout scream of a professionally-oriented compact. However one thing specifically caught our attention: the new Hybrid Control Ring.

A timer-looking switch on the body allows users to toggle said ring — in digital mode, the ring clicks with each turn, and can be assigned to control things like aperture or zoom. However, in analog mode, the clicking disengages and the ring turns into a super smooth manual focus. Check out the video below for a quick demonstration.