Olympus C-770 UltraZoom Review

Click to take a QTVR tour of the C-770UZ

The CAMEDIA C-770 Ultra Zoom shares the title as the world's smallest 10X optical zoom, 4.0 megapixel digital camera with its sibling, the C-765UZ (as of April 2004). It's an all-in-one camera solution for photographers who want the widest focal length range plus manual and automatic controls in a rugged and portable digital camera. The 10X optical zoom lens has a 35mm equivalent zoom range of 38mm to 380mm. Olympus introduced the first-ever Ultra Zoom digital camera four years ago, and has since produced increasingly robust and feature-rich models.

The C-770UZ features an improved image processor called TruePic TURBO, that improves image quality and delivers faster overall processing speeds. TruePic TURBO captures information from all 4.0 million pixels with pixel "micro- smoothing" that delivers clearer and more color-accurate photos. The camera also utilizes PictBridge technology, which allows users to print directly to any PictBridge compatible printer without the use of a computer.

The C-770UZ offers a wide variety of record modes. In full Auto mode, the camera offers basic point-and-shoot simplicity. In Program AE mode, you can have the ease of Auto mode with the ability to change setting for Metering, ISO, etc. The A/S/M symbol on the mode dial gives you access to more advanced controls with Aperture priority, Shutter priority, and Manual exposure modes. The scene program modes provide fully automatic exposure adjustments for Portrait, Sports, Landscape, and Night Scenes. The special "My Mode" feature saves time by allowing users to assign frequently used settings to the mode dial for quick access.

Other controls include Digital ESP multi-pattern and spot metering; six white balance settings (Auto, 4 presets and Manual); multiple flash settings; selectable ISO speeds (Auto, 64, 100, 200, 400) and exposure compensation. The built-in flash offers 5 settings including slow synch to provide a wide range of options.

The C770UZ differs from the C-765UZ in its all metal body, the provision of a flash hot shoe, a larger buffer for sequential shooting, a speaker for audio playback, and the ability to record 30fps MPEG4 movies.

C-770 Ultra Zoom Features:

• 10x zoom (38-380mm equivalent)
• 4 megapixel CCD imager
• Compact, durable metal body
• High-resolution Color EVF viewfinder with 240,000 pixels
• 1.8-inch color TFT LCD monitor
• Built-in, multi mode flash
• Built-in Hot Shoe for the attachment of external flash
• Uncompressed TIFF, JPEG image formats
• 11 shooting modes to choose from
• ISO settings for Auto, 64, 100, 200, 400 (equivalent)
• Movies with sound - 640x480 MPEG4 at 30fps, QuickTime at 15fps
• 1/1000 to 15 second shutter speeds
• Noise Reduction on shutter speeds of 1 second or longer
• iESP auto TTL white balance with 4 presets and manual
• Digital ESP, Multi-Pattern, and Spot metering
• Macro and Super Macro modes for focusing as close as 1.2-inches from the lens
• Adjustable image sharpness, contrast and saturation
• TruePic TURBO image processor
• xD-Picture Card storage
• USB 1.1 "auto connect" connectivity
• Proprietary 3.7v 1090mAh Lithium rechargeable battery pack
• PictBridge compatible

All capacity figures are approximate. Movie recording times are based on not using sound. With sound, lengths are slightly reduced.