Olympus Stylus 770SW
Olympus Stylus 770SW Reviews: This camera deserves 5 stars if you need a camera that easily fits in your pocket or purse and is ready to use whenever that picture or movie moment arrives, even under water. Considering the varied picture taking situations, action, and lighting conditions, the performance was beyond my expectations. The only significant limitation is seeing the display in bright sunlight or under water, even when the screen is set at its brightest. However, aiming was intuitive enough that I never missed a shot and I was able to change modes even under water (but I did practice switching between underwater wide 2 and movie ahead of time). One feature that would be an improvement would be the ability to zoom while taking a movie.
I received this camera just a couple days before leaving on a cruise so I didn’t have any time to practice with it. Be careful not to have your finger in front of the lens, especially under water where you may not be watching the screen. Also be aware that when you zoom in for movies that the image movement is also magnified. The wide angle underwater movies are much better than at full optical zoom (digital zoom is off). After a couple days the controls were easy to use to change modes and review pictures and movies.
I used 1 gig cards and the highest resolution which provided about 240 pictures or about 40 minutes of movies. Switching back and forth was easy. Movie recording will continue until the card is full or the battery runs out, not just short clips. My clips were too short until I was comfortable that I would not quickly fill up the memory card or run out of battery. Under water pictures were superb with a natural shift in color toward green. I recharged the battery every other night. The battery was able to take about 100 pictures and 15 minutes of movie between recharges. I recommend a spare battery as it did indicate it was getting low a couple times and ran out once. The camera was also used in daylight, inside, with and without flash, even night shots.
I purchased a lanyard with metal clasp at Sports Authority for a dollar which provides a very secure leash. With the lanyard around my neck I could tuck the camera in my shirt pocket. I was always ready for the next picture opportunity without worrying about dropping it.
I’m very pleased with the picture quality although it may not match a camera with a much larger lens system, but it was great to be able to take pictures and movies when I would not have had my larger camera available. The 15 fps movies do not match a 3CCD digital video camera, but they are acceptable. I even recorded short clips during live theater performances (with the screen brightness set at its minimum) and I was pleased with the quality from this tiny camera.
Olympus Stylus 770SW Reviews: I had this camera flood once although it may have been user error. Olympus fixed it and returned it. Then the next time I used it anywhere near water the screen stopped working. Well it comes on for a couple seconds but then goes black. This doesn’t seem like a water issue but I don’t know what else it could be. So I am not sure whether to send it back to Olympus or forget about it. Also, in general while the pictures are OK for what it is, it’s really hard to take pictures with. You can’t see a thing on the screen in daylight or under water and the screen illuminator feature doesn’t seem to do anything. I got lots of pictures of fish going either into or out of the picture, not fish nicely centered on the picture. When the picture does come out it is nice, but it is not easy. Perhaps I am spoiled by DSLR but I was hoping for something a little better and more reliable.
Olympus Stylus 770SW Description: The Olympus Stylus 770 SW is the world’s most durable digital camera. You can drop it from 5 feet, dunk it to 33 feet, freeze it (-10C/14F) or even try to crush it up to 220 pounds and it will still take amazing photos. The Stylus 770 SW’s durable construction is designed to withstand a five-foot drop, bump, or other mishap, so your camera and images are protected. It features a bright 2.5-inch Hypercrystal LCD so you can easily compose, view and share your images even underwater. Digital Image Stabilization (DIS) creates sharp, blur-free pictures, even if your subject is moving. The 27 Shooting Modes allow you to master any shooting situation in stills or movies with sound. The 770 SW is winterized to perform at below-freezing temps. The stainless steel body and reinforced LCD makes the Stylus 770 SW able to withstand up to 220 pounds of pressure, so your camera and images are always protected.
The large, high-resolution LCD features a wider viewing angle (140 degrees, left to right or up and down) and anti-glare technology that uses natural light to brighten the LCD. Lens - 6.7 - 20.1mm (38 - 114mm equivalent in 35mm photography), 10 lenses in 8 groups, 3 aspherical lenses Auto, 80, 100, 200, 400, 800, 1600 ISO 2.5-inch HyperCrystal LCD lets you easily compose or share your shots even in direct sunlight White Balance - Auto, Pre-Sets (Sunlight, Overcast, Tungsten and 3 Fluorescents) Panorama Modes - Up to 10 frames automatically stitchable with OLYMPUS Master software when using Olympus brand xD-Picture Card Power Supply - Lithium Ion Rechargeable Battery (LI-42B), AC Adapter (E-7AC) with optional CB-MA1 DC coupler System Requirements - Windows 98SE, ME, 2000 PRO, XP, Vista, Mac OS 9.0-9.2x/OS X 10.1-10.4 with USB port Dimensions - Width 3.6 x Height 2.3 x Depth 0.8 inch (91.8mm x 59.2mm x 20.6mm) Weight - 5.5 ounces (155 grams) without battery & media card.
Olympus Stylus 770SW Reviews: I read all the reviews before I chose to buy this camera. Having three kids, a shockproof and waterproof camera sounded unbelievable and perfect for me. At first it was great. The pictures came out great and the camera was very user friendly. I love to take pictures and had the camera in my purse at all times to never miss a golden opportunity of the perfect picture. Then after using it one day with no problems, two days later when I went to use it again and the camera would not stay on. I tried a new battery, but still nothing. So much for this camera, its was supposed to be shockproof and waterproof yet it broke in its case inside of my purse.
Olympus Stylus 770SW Reviews: We purchased this camera for our honeymoon in Hawaii, and used it on 5 or 6 snorkeling/boating trips. In general the results were very disappointing. The camera is rugged enough to stand up to drops and salt water, but picture quality is poor in my opinion. It is also very slow to take pictures, which made it nearly impossible to catch photos of fish, sea turtles, etc. Outside of the water, the picture quality is equally disappointing. I am sticking with my 3-year old Canon Digital Elph for normal usage and will just rent a digital camaera for underwater use.
Olympus Stylus 770SW Reviews: I have owned this camera for over a year now and i still love it. As an professional/amateur photographer i had the nice big camera but i needed something with a little more versatility. We bought this camera for our honeymoon because we were going to be near water and love it. It takes great pictures and it is a lot of fun to have a camera that you literally don’t have to worry about.
Price: $309.95