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April 30, 2005
[ REVIEW—Olympus C 770 ]
Olympus C 770 Ultra Zoom
Price: $799
Rating: 3.5
The low-down: As the “ultra zoom” tag on the Olympus C770 name suggests it is the lens that is the distinguishing feature of this camera. It is a whopping 10 times zoom, from 38mm (film equivalent) to 380mm. This is definitely the camera to take to the zoo. No animal is beyond its reach,
The lens is not only long, it is also fast with a maximum aperture of 2.8, dropping to a respectable f3.7 at its longest extension. To cap off its qualities the lens is also sharp and reasonably quick focussing, and as if that were not enough has a super macro function that will focus down to about 30mm.
The sensor is a 4 megapixel receptor delivering good detail and the potential for image enlargement to at least A4.
Colour balance is good but the camera tends to overexpose. As the default brightness of the LCD screen is set too high the images look washed out on review, but the screen brightness can be lowered in the menu settings and the exposure compensation method is easy, once you stumble across it by accident. You won’t find it in the totally inadequate instruction manual.
Used properly this camera is capable of delivering exemplary images, as good as any 4 mp camera, but with such an unsatisfactory manual most users, unfamiliar with digital cameras, will never fathom its hidden virtues. Any novice who can work out how to stop the camera resetting to defaults every time it is restarted should get a Nobel prize. It can be done, but it’s not in the book.
Tactile feedback from controls is squishy which is uncharacteristic for Olympus.
The Olympus has one feature that is rare, if not unique, in cameras of this price -- it has an external flash shoe, as well as a good inbuilt flash. All cameras should have this and then the dreaded red-eye might be a thing of the past.
Like this: The external flash shoe; the good manual controls; the “quick view” button and the excellent image quality.
Dislike that: We’ve said it before and we will go on saying it – electronic viewfinders are an abomination.
Parting shot: This is a good camera and some retailers are selling it bundled with Adobe Photoshop Elements -- a bargain worth shopping for.
DPReview looks at the Olympus C770 Pro Movie
DCRP review: Olympus C765/C700
Imaging Resource review of the Olympus C770
DPForums Olympus user forum
Posted by terry at April 30, 2005 06:10 PM
Worth Checking Out
Digital Cameras SydneyComments
I have the preceding C750 Ultra Zoom. The whole family is generally similar - small for a 10x zoom, good build, good optics, most have an external flash hot shoe which works with legacy flash units (like my 20 year old Vivitar 283). Hungering for a wide angle (not common on digital compacts because the sensor size is so small), I recently bought a 4 element Olympus add-on. I now get 28mm (35mm film equivalent focal length) views. My C750 takes 4 AA NiMh or alkaline batteries. That's another plus point when travelling.
Sure there are things to year for, like built-in wide angle, RAW image saves, cheaper storage cards (xD are relatively expensive), "round the lens" manual focus and zoom controls, optical viewfinder instead of EVF, Image Stabiliser.
But the Olympus UZ combination in value / cost / size ratio / quality is pretty good.
Posted by: Ananda Sim at May 1, 2005 11:03 AM
What is the difference between the Olympus C770 Ultra Zoom
and the C770 Movie(black case)?
Posted by: Joseph Burke at July 5, 2005 04:45 PM
Joseph:
They are the same camera, the only difference is the colour. Olympus do not refer to the black camera as the C770 Movie but as the C770 Ultrazoom Black. Have a look on their web site at www.olympus.com.au and you will see the two cameras side by side with exactly the same specifications.
Posted by: Terry at July 5, 2005 10:56 PM
This seems to be the best solid state video camera that I can find. I have no purchased it yet but as well as external flash it has the capability of attaching an external microphone, a feature rare in digital cameras. It has much better glass than the built for video "hybrid" cameras by mustek and nisis etc. But I have not purchased it yet. I wish that more modern digitals had a microphone jack. Built in microphones are too sensitive and no good for interviews, reportage due to the background noise.
Posted by: Timothy Takemoto at December 26, 2005 02:26 PM