The Olympus Camedia C770 is the updated (it replaces the C750) "C" series flagship model. The C770 offers its target audience (serious amateur shutterbugs, demanding family photographers, travelers, hikers/bikers/backpackers, and fans of the great outdoors and nature) a useful selection of features, SLR like ergonomics, a 10X monster zoom, and performance that is slightly better than its predecessor.

What's New? How does the C770 differ from the C750?

Olympus'engineers stuffed almost everything from the popular C750 into a slightly smaller body (made possible by switching from the AA batteries that powered its predecessor to a smaller proprietary Li-ion battery) and added a larger LCD screen, a new (faster) processor, a dual range built in flash, an external microphone input (for improved audio on video clips), and an on-board speaker.

NUTS & BOLTS

Viewfinder/LCD

The C770 features a relatively high eyepoint tunnel style Electronic Viewfinder (EVF) that zooms with the lens. The C770's EVF is fairly bright, color accurate (although reds have a slight orangish cast), and fluid. The C770's EVF provides a diopter correction for eyeglasses wearers. C770 users can switch back and forth between the EVF and the LCD screen (via the Display button).

The C770's larger 1.8" LCD screen (the C750’s LCD screen was 1.5") is fairly bright, color correct (see EVF color description), fluid, and quite sharp. The LCD screen provides users with a detailed information/status readout -- Select Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority mode and the user selected exposure parameter is displayed on the LCD screen as a constant while the camera’s exposure meter determined value (aperture or shutter speed) updates continuously (in response to changes in the shooting environment). In Manual mode the LCD screen shows both the user selected aperture and shutter speed as constants while the camera selected exposure parameters update continuously. For major under or over exposure (more than three EVs) the camera recommended exposure values turn red ---- a very useful 21st century variation on "old time" match needle metering.

The C770 provides a live histogram display (a graphic representation of brightness/contrast levels across the image frame that highlights over or under exposed areas) a very useful feature allowing shooters to tweak settings before exposure. The C770 also permits users to crop (or resize) images post-exposure, another logical and very useful feature, since images can often be strengthened by cropping away extraneous space that doesn't contribute to the composition. Both the LCD screen and the EVF show (approximately) 100 per cent of the image frame. Neither the EVF or LCD screen automatically gains "up" in low light, making both more difficult to use in low light, however screen brightness can be adjusted via the setup menu.

Zoom Lens

The heart of the C770 is its f2.8-f3.7/38-380mm (35mm equivalent) all glass zoom. This broad-range optic allows the C770 to be used for shooting everything from moderate wide-angle (landscapes, group shots, street scenes) compositions to super telephoto (sports, wildlife, concerts, auto racing) shots. The C770's monster zoom extends from the camera body when the camera is powered up and retracts into the camera body when the camera is powered down.

The C770's 10X zoom is a very complex optic so it realistically can't focus as rapidly as a simpler 3X zoom. AF Speed issues are going to arise most often in low light situations, but in good light the C770's monster zoom is surprisingly fast. Apertures can be adjusted in 1/3 EV increments.

The C770 also provides a very well thought out close up system with two Macro settings (the normal macro setting focuses from 2.7 inches and the Super Macro setting allows focusing as close as 1.2 inches. Users can enable spot metering in macro mode (biasing exposure for the most important element in the composition) virtually guaranteeing correct exposure even in extreme close-ups. The C770 permits the use of 55mm filters and auxiliary lenses, but users will have to buy an optional adapter.

The C770's monster optic is sharp as a tack. Barrel distortion at the wide-angle end of the zoom range is very well controlled and there's no visible pincushion distortion at the telephoto end of the range; that's astonishing performance for a lens of this complexity. Chromatic aberration (purple fringing) is slightly higher than average, despite the presence of a couple ED elements.

Auto Focus

The C770 utilizes Olympus' proven multi-area iESP TTL contrast detection system as its default AF mode. In iESP AF mode, the camera bases focus on the entire frame, automatically concentrating focus on the primary subject (based on closest focus priority). There's also a full-time AF mode (good for moving subjects) that adjusts focus continuously (as opposed to only when the shutter button is pressed halfway) but this function drains the battery more quickly and (contrary to popular myth) does not shorten shutter lag.

The C770 also provides two special AF modes -- in the Spot AF mode, focus is based on the center of the frame. The C770 also permits shooters to move the AF point anywhere in the frame. The C770's AF speed is a bit faster than the C750's, but it is still noticeably slower (especially in low light) than its primary competition (K-M Z3). In good light the C770's iESP AF is quite accurate, but in lower light it tends to hunt for focus. Shooters can use the C770's AE Lock button to lock exposure (and focus) on an off center subject and then recompose before tripping the shutter.

The C770's AF Sequence mode (other manufacturers call this AF bracketing) captures a series of 3 images, varying the focusing distance slightly in each case (one exposure focused slightly behind the subject, one at the camera selected AF distance, and one slightly in front of the subject). AF Bracketing is a great option, virtually guaranteeing at least one sharply focused image when shooting rapidly unfolding action.

Manual Focus

C770 users can manually adjust focus (with the up and down arrow keys and a distance scale superimposed on the LCD screen). In MF mode the central portion of the frame is enlarged 2x (to help ensure accurate focus). Like most digicams with manual focus capability, the C770's MF mode is neither fast nor convenient -- but it does get the job done.

Flash

The C770's on-board multi mode manually enabled popup flash features a genuinely unique over and under dual tube flash head. The upper flash tube is set into a very shallow reflector to spread the flash across a wider area (for maximum coverage at the wide-angle end of the 10X zoom's range). The lower flash tube is recessed into a deeper reflector so that it projects a narrower beam (to extend flash coverage to the telephoto end of the 10X zoom’s range). The flash automatically enables the correct flash tube based on the zoom's focal distance at the time of exposure.

The C770's built-in flash is very versatile, allowing shooters to mimic first or second curtain flash synch, use fill flash for natural looking portraits, and adjust flash intensity by +/-2 EV (in 1/3 stop increments) to balance ambient light and flash. Olympus claims the maximum range of the unit is between 12 feet and 16 feet with a flash recycle time is between 6 and 7 seconds. Red-eye problems are less prevalent with the C770 (as opposed to most compact digicams) because the flash is positioned as far from the lens as design constraints allowed.

The C770 also provides a hot shoe for external flash units. Olympus flash units work best (because they provide the widest range of flash options), but third party flash units can be used (with both camera and flash in manual mode). Maximum flash sync is 1/200th of a second.

Image File Storage/Memory Media

The C770 stores images to xD picture cards. A 16MB Olympus xD picture card ships with the camera. Like all Olympus digicams, the C770 will only record to Olympus brand memory media in panorama mode.

Image Format(s)

The C770 saves images in either uncompressed TIFF or a variety of JPEG compressions.

Connectivity

USB 1.1, A/V out, DC in, and Audio in
Power

The C770 is powered by a proprietary Olympus LI-10B rechargeable battery pack (the C750 was powered by 4 AA batteries). Battery Life is noticeably shorter than it was with the C750. Shooters can figure on 150-200 exposures (depending on flash use, LCD screen use, etc) which makes the purchase of a back up battery a necessity for everyone except casual users.

EXPOSURE

The C770 provides a very impressive level of exposure flexibility, including Auto, Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, full Manual mode, plus six Scene modes. The scene modes make shooting stunning images easy by automatically optimizing all exposure parameters for each specific photographic genre (Portrait, Landscape, Portrait Landscape, Night-Low light, Sports, and Self-Portrait). The C770's advanced exposure system is aimed at more experienced photographers who want/need the maximum level of creative control, but even rank amateurs can shoot great pictures with the C770's Auto/Program/Scene modes.

Movie Mode

The C770's Movie mode allows users to record video clips with mono audio at 640x480 @ 30 fps. The C770 records movies in MPEG4 format (videos that require less xD card space than standard AVI or QuickTime movies). Maximum clip length is limited only by the capacity of the mounted xD Picture Card.

Like most digicams, the C770 disables zoom function during video clip capture (to avoid picking up the sound of the zoom motor) unlike every other currently available digicam the C770 allows users to plug-in an external microphone and use the zoom during video clip filming, which adds substantially to the C770's video flexibility.

Audio Notation

The C770 also allows users to add short (up to 4 seconds) post exposure audio reminder notes to still images.

My Mode

My Mode allows users to save custom (favorite) exposure settings and access them easily and quickly via the Mode Dial. What's really kind of neat about the C770's "my mode" is that users can actually edit the Shortcut menu list to reflect personal preferences (up to four unique sets of My Mode settings can be saved).

Metering

The C770 provides two light metering modes; the Digital ESP (default) metering measures light from multiple points in the image frame to determine the best aperture--shutter speed combination based on the brightness and contrast of the entire scene. Spot metering bases exposure on a small area at the center of the frame, allowing photographers to place that "spot" on the most important element in the composition (like the face or eyes in a head & shoulders portrait) and bias exposure for that element of the composition. Spot metering is also very useful in tricky lighting (backlit subjects or a subject that’s lighter or darker than the background). Multi spot metering (manual mode) bases exposure on averaged data from up to eight user-selected spots in the image frame.

White Balance

White balance options include TTL Auto, Daylight, Overcast, Tungsten, Daylight Fluorescent, Warm White Fluorescent, Cool White Fluorescent, and Custom. Users can also bias white balance +/-5 steps (plus steps warm the color balance toward red. Minus steps cool the exposure toward blue). The ability to tweak the color produced by each of the pre-set WB settings is a very useful feature and one rarely seen on consumer digicams. The C770's auto white balance is fairly accurate, but the overall "look" is a bit warm, which is not unusual with mass market digicams, since most consumers like warmer color.

Sensitivity

The C770 provides a decent sensitivity range (Auto, and 64, 100, 200, and 400 -- 35mm equivalent -- ISO settings). The new ISO 64 setting (the C750 didn't offer a sub ISO 100 setting) is a really nice usability/flexibility improvement.

In-Camera Image Adjustment

The C770 permits users to adjust (+5/-5 steps) color saturation, contrast, and sharpening "in camera" rather than having to do it post exposure. Users can lower contrast to preserve shadow detail when shooting under bright lighting, punch up color saturation to add some pop on an overcast day, or boost sharpening to avoid the slightly softer look at the telephoto end of the C770's long zoom. Users can also record images in black-and-white or sepia tone and capture text/graphics with the Whiteboard/Blackboard modes.

Exposure Compensation & Auto Exposure Bracketing

The C770 permits users to bias exposure +/-2 EV (in 1/3 EV increments) to compensate for tricky lighting. The Auto Exposure Bracketing (AEB) mode significantly increases the probability of getting at least one keeper by capturing either 3 or 5 successive images (with one press of the shutter button) at slightly different exposure settings ( +/- 2 EV in 0.3, 0.6, or 1.0 EV steps) when precise exposure is critical.

Noise Reduction

One of the real shortcomings of all digital cameras (and hi-res digicams especially) is that (unlike film cameras) higher sensitivity settings and longer shutter speeds produce exponentially amplified image noise. The C770's dark frame subtraction Noise Reduction mode engages automatically on long exposures.

CONTROLS, DESIGN, ENGINEERING, & ERGONOMICS

The C770 is a stylish satin finished black with silver trim unit that's noticeably smaller than its predecessors; in fact it is the smallest 10X zoom digicam currently available. It's still a bit large to drop in a shirt pocket but it slips easily into a cargo pocket, fanny pack, or small purse. The C770's (polycarbonate/metal) body should be tough enough to go just about anywhere (except extreme climates and combat zones) and do its job when it gets there. The C770's control layout is intuitive and all controls are logically placed and easily accessed. The user interface is excellent and menus are efficiently organized and easily navigated (once users become familiar with the camera).

Technical Specifications

Resolution: 4 megapixels (2,288 x 1,712) plus an interpolated 3200 x 2400 resolution
Viewfinders: EVF (electronic viewfinder) and 1.8” TFT color LCD
Lens: f2.8-f3.7/38-380mm (35mm equivalent) all glass optical zoom (11 elements in 7 groups with 2 aspherical elements for improved color and clarity)
Exposure Modes: Auto, Program, scene modes (Portrait, Sports, Landscape, Portrait Landscape, Night Scene, and Self-Portrait), Shutter priority, Aperture priority, and full Manual modes.
Exposure Compensation: Yes +/-2EV in 1/3EV increments
Auto Exposure Bracketing: Yes -- 3 or 5 images
In Camera Image Adjustment: Yes—Contrast, Saturation, and Sharpening (+/- 5 steps)
Noise Reduction: Yes, Automatic on shutter speeds of one second or longer
Flash: Built-in Multi Mode--- Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Fill-In Flash, Slow Synch, Off
Hot Shoe: Yes
Image Formats: TIFF and JPEG
Metering: ESP Digital TTL and Spot
Auto Focus: iESP TTL AF, and Multi area spot AF
Sensitivity: TTL Auto, 64, 100, 200, & 400 ISO equivalents
White Balance: TTL iESP multi-pattern auto, and Pre-sets (Daylight, Overcast, Tungsten, 3 Fluorescent settings, and Custom)
Image Storage: xD Picture Card
Connectivity: USB 1.1, A/V out, DC in, Audio in
Power: Olympus LI-10B Li-ion rechargeable battery

Street Price Range $369.00---- $449.00

Included

16MB xD-Picture Card, Olympus LI-10B battery pack & charger, remote control, USB and A/V cables, software CD-ROM, neck strap, lens cap, Quick-Start Guide, and User's manual

Optional

CLA-4 lens adapter, wide-angle conversion lens, telephoto conversion lens, macro conversion lens, Olympus FL-40 & FL-50 external flash units, Olympus Underwater Housing, Olympus AC adapter, and Olympus leather case.

In the Field/Handling & Operation

My friend (who sells new and used photographic equipment) picked me up for our third fall color photographic outing on a recent Saturday afternoon. Our first test (with the C770) was for color accuracy. Over the past couple of years my friend and I have developed a simple color test that works very well and allows us to compare results from one digital camera to another. We use a large cardboard box with the front panel cut away, the box is then lined with white photographic background paper. We test the auto white balance system by shooting a selection of brightly colored plastic children's beach toys (arranged artfully on the white paper) with the camera mounted on a tripod. See the Image Quality section of this review for the results of our test.

After we finished our color tests we headed for the Heine Brothers Coffee shop right across from the Mid City Mall. It’s a great place to sit outside and photograph interesting local characters without attracting their attention. The C770's compact size and 10X zoom allowed us to reach out and touch anyone walking down Bardstown Road, which was pretty neat. The afternoon light was pretty good (it was a little chilly sitting outside but a couple of Heine Brothers famous cappuccinos helped keep us warm) and Bardstown Road was really jumping. The Baxter Avenue Cineplex, several restaurants, and the Comedy Caravan keep Bardstown Road jumping on Saturday afternoon and evening. We spent about two hours (until it got too dark to shoot anymore) snapping candids, street shots, and environmental portraits of some of the area’s more interesting characters.

Sunday morning was absolutely gorgeous, an almost perfect fall day --- high sixties with blue skies and cottony white clouds---so we headed for J-town and the Blackacre State Nature Preserve. In the late eighteenth century Edward Tyler (a prominent Louisville Tavern owner) and his adult sons were drawn to the Chenoweth Run area by its abundant water and rich soil. The family used the surrounding old growth forests, and easily accessible limestone outcroppings to supply all the building materials the tiny settlement needed. Three of the original homesteads survive (each with its own springhouse). There's also an original log barn (called a pole barn in Kentucky) and a small family cemetery. Today, the area is called the Tyler Settlement Rural Historic District. The area is used primarily for environmental and historical education by Metro Louisville's public schools, but it is open to the public (on Sundays) in the spring and fall.

The Blackacre State Nature Preserve has old growth trees, native bushes, shrubs, wildflowers, and prairie plants. The area provides habitat for salamanders, frogs, great blue herons, red tailed hawks, barn owls, white tailed deer, raccoons, squirrels, rabbits, and coyotes. A gravel road runs through the village and the preserve has three hiking trails.

We checked out the pioneer era buildings of the little settlement and then hit the trails of the preserve looking for fall color scenics. There are dozens of varieties of hardwood trees in north central Kentucky because this area is where the northern most extension of the ancient southern forests and the southern most extension of the northern forests that flowed south as the glaciers melted at the close of the last ice age met up. We didn't really get a good fall color peak this year, but there were pockets of nice color and we had lots of great individual trees, several with spectacular displays.

After we finished up at Blackacre, we made a short stop at Paul's Fruit & Vegetable Market on Taylorsville Road. Paul's has been an East End landmark since just after World War II. They sell fresh fruits and vegetables, nursery plants, flowers, gourmet groceries, deli items (and in autumn pumpkins, gourds, corn shucks, hay bales, and Indian Corn). We shot a few pictures of the autumn displays and couple of close ups of baskets filled with colorful small gourds and Indian corn before calling it a day.

PERFORMANCE

Image Quality

In the final analysis, image quality should be the single most important consideration when choosing a digicam. The C770's color is very pleasant with accurate hue and slightly subdued saturation, although reds and blues tend to be slightly over saturated. Caucasian skin tones are handled very well and informal portraits look natural. Default contrast is a bit flat, which will make it necessary to boost contrast in scenes with light/dull colors or pastels.

Chromatic aberration is a real problem for most digicams and the C770 is not immune, however the 10X zoom's ED glass does a decent job, limiting the dreaded purple fringe mostly to the extreme edges of the frame.

Image Noise is very well managed in brightly lit outdoor venues, but rises perceptibly in dimmer lighting. Strangely, the C770's overall noise levels are noticeably higher than those of the virtually identical C765 (which I recently tested). Image noise increases, exponentially as sensitivity increases. At ISO 64 and 100 the C770's images are virtually noise free, but at higher ISO settings image noise begins to be problematic. The C770's ISO 400 setting produces image noise levels that are unacceptably high, but slightly cleaner looking than most of its competition.
The C770's images are consistently sharp as a tack (obviously the C770's default sharpening is very aggressive) so excellent 8X10 enlargements shouldn't be a problem.

We printed one 8X10 image and two 5x7 images from our outings with the C770 on an Epson 2200 (on Epson photo paper). All three showed good color, decent contrast, and excellent resolution. Overall, the C770's image quality is above average.

Timing/Shutter Lag

The C770's boot up cycle is a bit longer than average. Shutter lag is also longer than average, but image capture is fairly quick if you pre-focus and track the action. Write to card times are about average. The C770's 10X zoom covers a very long range so it obviously can't focus as rapidly as a shorter zoom. AF Speed is decent and the lens is surprisingly fast in good light. Shooters who want to use the C770's monster zoom to shoot action will have to practice pre-focusing and learn to anticipate the decisive moment by about a quarter to half a second. Overall, the C770 is (in every category) noticeably slower than average (and conspicuously slower than the K-M Dimage Z3).

A Few Concerns

The C770's LI-10B battery is smaller and lighter than the 4 AA cells that powered its predecessors and that allowed Olympus' camera designers to marginally reduce the camera's size, unfortunately that slightly more compact profile comes at a stiff price. The C750 (the C770's predecessor) had substantially better battery life. Re-chargeable AA cells are much cheaper than proprietary Li-ion batteries, and they're available everywhere. In my opinion Olympus changed power sources because digital camera accessories (like proprietary batteries) have a higher profit margin than digital cameras. This arbitrary change is a perfect example of the law of diminishing returns --- Consumers lost a stronger/cheaper power source (to gain a marginal reduction in weight and a slightly smaller footprint) and Olympus gained one more optional accessory (a back-up battery). To add insult to injury, Olympus could have opted for the slightly higher capacity LI-12B that powers the C60 (instead of the LI-10B) and didn't.

In low light the C770's EVF/LCD screen is almost too dark to be useable---combine this problem with the lack of a focus aid beam and the C770 isn't the best choice for a low light, indoor, bar/party camera.

Conclusion

The C770 will appeal to amateur photographers who want a camera that can grow with them as their imaging skills develop. The C770 will also appeal to family shooters who want the flexibility of a prosumer digital camera, a super movie mode, AND the simplicity of a point and shoot digicam. Travelers and nature lovers who want a 10x zoom, manual exposure options, a high tweakability quotient, and a flash hot shoe in a compact package will also be drawn to the C770.

Many serious photographers will be put off by the C770's shortcomings (short battery life, high image noise, above average shutter lag, etc.) and those folks should take a very close look at K-M's Z3 or A1 models. Overall, Olympus'C770 is an eminently usable digicam that will perform like a champ in an exceptionally broad range of picture taking situations and for most casual users its shortcomings will be outweighed by its strengths. Amateur shutterbugs who can get by without external flash capability may want to opt for the C765 (which is virtually identical) and save themselves about a hundred bucks.

Remember, Epinions is always your best source for critical independent reviews of the electronic gadgets and gizmos on your "must have" list.

For definitive advice on How to Choose a Digital Camera please see my review:
http://www.epinions.com/elec-review-2E46-17B174E2-39A418E3-prod1

For information about similar/competing 3-6 megapixel long zoom Digital Cameras, you may find the reviews below informative:

Canon Digital Cameras

Canon Powershot S1-IS
http://www.epinions.com/content_145477242500

Fuji Digital Cameras

Fuji Finepix S7000
http://www.epinions.com/content_120479321732

Konica-Minolta Digital Cameras

K-M Dimage Z3
http://www.epinions.com/content_159561911940

K-M Dimage A2
http://www.epinions.com/content_132907372164

Olympus Digital Cameras

Olympus Camedia C765
http://www.epinions.com/content_152865181316

Panasonic Digital Cameras

Panasonic DMC FZ20

http://www.epinions.com/content_162095730308




Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 399.00
This Camera is a Good Choice if You Want Something... Flexible Enough for Enthusiasts