This is what photos from a $6000 compact camera look like…

Zeiss ZX1
(Image credit: Zeiss)

After two years of waiting the Zeiss ZX1 compact camera is now available to pre-order. Costing $6,000 this camera with its fixed 35mm f/2 wide-angle lens justifies it high price tag with its designer looks, precision engineering, and its full-frame sensor. The camera also has a built-in Android computer operating system, which means it has Lightroom built in. But what do pictures taken with this luxury compact look like?

We have yet to get this camera for review, and we suspect that given the Zeiss ZX1 is only going on sale in Germany and the USA, that this unusual camera may be hard to find on sale when it actually goes on sale in November. But to give a taste of what this camera can do, Zeiss has handily provided sample images from three professional photographers who have been using the 37-megapixel ZX1.

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Chris George

Chris George has worked on Digital Camera World since its launch in 2017. He has been writing about photography, mobile phones, video making and technology for over 30 years – and has edited numerous magazines including PhotoPlus, N-Photo, Digital Camera, Video Camera, and Professional Photography. 


His first serious camera was the iconic Olympus OM10, with which he won the title of Young Photographer of the Year - long before the advent of autofocus and memory cards. Today he uses a Nikon D800, a Fujifilm X-T1, a Sony A7, and his iPhone 15 Pro Max.


He has written about technology for countless publications and websites including The Sunday Times Magazine, The Daily Telegraph, Dorling Kindersley, What Cellphone, T3 and Techradar.