Olympus Stylus 770 SW Review

The Olympus Stylus 770 SW is a digital camera suitable for extreme conditions. Although it is heavier than other cameras of the same size, it surely will get you amazed. It is shockproof, freeze-proof, waterproof, and crushproof. It comes in a duotone stainless steel, bronze and royal blue. It weighs 5.5 oz (155 g) with dimensions 3.6 x 2.3 x 0.8 in (92 x 59 x 21 mm). It is equipped with LCD viewfinder. It uses xD memory card type and custom Li-ion batteries. 220 shots can be taken before battery life runs out.

The Stylus 770 SW has an LCD size of 2.5 inches with resolution of 7.10 Megapixels. It does not have an optical viewfinder. Its sufficiently bright LCD may comfortably be used under almost any circumstances. Its LCD is often too reflective under direct sunlight. Its Lens has 3.00x zoom with efficiency of 38-114mm. and max aperture of 3.5. It is equipped with macro (close-up) mode. The user can photograph an area up to 1.77 x 1.34 inches (45 x 34 mm).

Turning on the camera is surely a little slower than the average devices. The power-on time is 1.5 seconds. Comparing its speed performance to other digital devices, 770 SW is still not good. Every access to the xD memory card to store or read data has a slow operation. Using its normal auto-focus feature, the time from pressing the shutter button to the camera taking the picture is 1.700sec (wide angle) and 1.600sec (telephoto zoom). To reduce the shutter lag, pre-focusing should be done.

The user pre-focuses the camera by half-pressing and holding down the shutter button before finally pressing it all the way to take the shot. In doing so, the shutter lag time will be reduced to 0.095 sec.

The shot-to-shot time or time taken between shots is 2.53 seconds. This includes the saving process as best-quality jpeg file. In its continuous mode, it takes 0.95 frames per second. A maximum of 3 shots can be taken, and camera slows down afterwards to catch up. It has an LCD viewfinder accuracy of 99%. Its distortion wide angle is 0.9%, and the distortion telephoto is -0.2%.

Accessories
The Stylus 770 SW kit includes:

- Wrist strap
- Lithium battery (rechargeable)
- Battery charger
- USB cable
- AV cable
- Manual (Printed); “Maintaining Water Resistance” instruction guide; software - installation guide
- Software CD Olympus Master 2

Recommended Accessories

- Larger xD capacity
- Extra battery for extended outdoor activities
- Advanced wrist strap uses for extreme uses

Summary of Olympus Stylus770 SW Basic Features

- 7.1-megapixel CCD
- 3x optical zoom lens (equivalent to a 38-114mm lens on a 35mm camera)
- 5x digital zoom.
- 2.5-inch color LCD monitor
- Automatic exposure
- Built-in flash with red-eye reduction
- xD Picture Card up to 2GB
- 18MB internal memory
- USB full speed connection
- Lithium battery (rechargeable)
- Battery Charger
- Mac and PC software; Windows Vista (compatible)

Special Features

- Shockproof, freeze-proof, waterproof and crushproof (to a limit)
- ISO from 80-1600
- Digital image stabilization
- Twenty-four scene modes, including movie mode, with text descriptions
- Black and White, Sepia effects in playback
- Post-capture on-board editing for redeye, brightness, saturation
- Decorative frames and text greetings
- Organizational tools (favorites, calendar)
- Image resize
- Alarm clock (built-in)
- Panorama stitch assist
- Shutter speed from 1/2 sec. - 1/1000 sec
- Multi-metering and Spot metering modes
- White balance (color) adjustment (automatic and six presets)
- Digital Print Order Format (DPOF)

Pros: The Olympus Stylus 770 SW has a sleek design and is very compact. It is built with toughness and sealed to withstand elements. It is Shockproof, freeze-proof, waterproof and crushproof. It can be submerged up to 33feet without time limit. It has underwater scene modes. Its shutter lag is minimized when pre-focused. It is excellent in Super Macro Mode.

Cons: The Olympus Stylus 770 SW speed performance is slow compared to current standards. It has no shutter speed control and manual aperture. Its control sequence may be confusing to use. It has weak flash functions. Its spacing between the flash tube and lens can result to red-eyes. It has no optical viewfinder. Its mode button can be accidentally activated.

Overall: Although the Olympus Stylus 770 SW’s image features and performance are not on the high caliber, it is one tough camera that can capture images other cameras cannot. It can go places that are unbelievable and unimaginable. The Olympus Stylus 770 SW is an extreme digital camera.

Attached Images

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