Casio is known for its small cameras and the Exilim EX-S770 carries on that tiny tradition. This 7-megapixel shooter has a few irritating bits, but its size, style, and speed make it a good choice for a pocket point and shoot. The S770 succeeds last year's Exilim EX-S600 by offering a higher resolution and an improved interface.
Design
The S770 is a slim and attractive little camera, with a stylish metal body that's available in silver, blue, or bright red. It weighs 127 grams and is only six centimetres thick, making it the perfect size to slip into any pocket. The camera manages to feel solid in the hand, but its small body still has drawbacks. The S770's buttons are quite small and flat, making them feel awkward under large thumbs.
Despite the irritating buttons, the S770 offers great control. The wider-than-usual LCD displays handy status information users can thumb through to change camera settings on the fly, without diving into the menus. This control scheme is leaps and bounds better than that of the S770's little brother, the Exilim EX-Z70.
Features
The S770 comes with the same handy features as all of Casio's Exilim cameras. Casio's Best Shot modes offer users more than two dozen scene presets, including the auction-photo-optimising eBay mode. Digital image stabilisation helps reduce shake and blur when using the camera's 38-to-114mm-equivalent lens, though it shouldn't be confused with the more effective optical or mechanical image stabilisation offered by some other camera-makers. The camera maxes out at ISO 400 sensitivity, leaving it somewhat underequipped for low-light or high-speed shooting. The S770's 2.8-inch LCD screen is quite bright, but washes out very easily. Since the display leaves no room for an optical viewfinder, users are forced to use the LCD whenever framing a shot, regardless of the lighting.
Performance
Despite a few quirks, the S770's performance was excellent. The camera powers up in only 1.2 seconds and can take a shot every 1.3 seconds thereafter. With the onboard flash enabled, shot-to-shot time increases to a still satisfying 2.4 seconds. Shutter lag measures a speedy 0.4 second in bright light and only 1 second in dim light. Burst mode was sluggish, pumping out 24 full-resolution images in 33 seconds for a rate of 0.7 frame per second.
If even 0.4 second is too slow for you, Casio offers the Quick Shot mode: when you press down quickly on the shutter release, the camera takes a photo without bothering to focus. Unfortunately, this is of dubious value. You might snap dozens of shots very rapidly, but when you get home to edit, e-mail, or print them, they'll be nothing but grainy blurs. Instead, press the shutter release down halfway until it achieves a focus lock, then take the shot. It takes a bit of getting used to, but once you have the rhythm down you'll be taking quick, focused photos.
Image Quality
Compared with the S770's great performance, its image quality disappoints. While it reproduces color and highlights quite well, fine details tend to be softened by processing artifacts. Noise generally wasn't too bad, but since the S770 can only reach ISO 400, that isn't a very big achievement. We also notice some heavy purple fringing where dark and near-white objects contrast with each other.
The Casio Exilim EX-S770's slim, stylish form is hard to beat. It's colourful, completely metallic, and small enough to take anywhere. It delivered excellent performance in our lab tests. Unfortunately, its iffy photo quality dulls the camera's overall glow. If you want an ultraslim shooter but don't think the S770 is quite for you, the Sony Cyber Shot DSC-T50 offers optical image stabilisation and higher ISO sensitivity for a bit more cash.
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canon powershot a430
15/05/2008, 12:56 AM
rating
8/10
This stylish mobile is easily conquer any person's heart. Its features are pretty good than others. Easy handling.
Pros: Easy handling.
Stylish design with great color.
Good camera lens.
Cons: Nothing.
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Lan
08/01/2008, 09:11 AM
rating
10/10
Best cameras I've Used. Have two Casio's and they're working great. Are getting great photos out of this cameras.
Pros: Screen size, Record button, Text viewer, Fast, easy to use, Anit-shake, etc.
Cons: Nothing I've seen in a 1 year I've had with the cameras
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sweeeee
11/07/2007, 04:09 AM
rating
10/10
Perfect machine . 2.8 "
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davkr164
24/04/2007, 10:28 PM
rating
10/10
great camera
Pros: best ever
Cons: nothing
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visual200
21/12/2006, 05:52 AM
rating
3/10
The day after I purchased my camera, it was put to use for a day to take seasonal pictures. A week after that, I took it out of its case to download the pictures, only the screen was faint. It looked black until I took it out into the sunlight where I could scroll though the modes. I copuld not get my camera to fuction or take pictures. Worse yet, when I called tech support, they made me needlessly give all my information (name and #) before telling me I should call another number. Apparently Casio has no one to help over the phone or suggest a way to get the camera operable again. Wolf camera was also no help since it had been 10 days since the purchase.
Pros: Never got that far.
has large LCD screen
Cons: Terrible customer service and support.
Manual does not give information for amber light indicator. Also, it does not explain the individual screen modes and how to adjust the camera screen back to brightness.
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mike
03/11/2006, 12:37 PM
rating
5/10
6cm thick? typo?
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