Olympus's first zoom compact — 1987 35-70mm f/3.5-6.7 autofocus 35mm camera, Infinity-branded in the US
The Olympus AZ-1 Zoom, first retailing in 1987, was Olympus's first compact camera with a built-in zoom lens and the founding model of the AZ/Infinity/IZM series of zoom compacts. It carried Infinity branding in the US, and a quartz-date QD version was also sold. Advanced for its day, it looks large and bulky next to later 35mm compacts.
The lens is a 35-70mm f/3.5-6.7 zoom with 7 elements in 6 groups, with automatic focus and exposure and a viewfinder that zooms with the lens. The built-in flash offers auto, off, fill-in and slow-sync modes with a roughly 3-second recycle. It auto-loads, winds and rewinds DX-coded film, offers one-touch continuous shooting and a macro mode down to 60cm, and runs on a 6V CR-P2 battery. Body weight is 412g without battery.
As an early zoom compact it suits collectors of 1980s Olympus gear and shooters who like chunky, deliberate point-and-shoots more than pocketability. The slow tele end of the zoom leans on the flash indoors, but the 35mm end is usable for everyday scenes, and handling is simple with everything automated.
It is fully battery-dependent, and the CR-P2 lithium cell is a bulkier, pricier battery than button cells, so check availability and that the camera powers up. Test zoom action, autofocus confirmation, flash charge and the motorised load/rewind cycle, and inspect the light seals and battery compartment for corrosion on stored examples.