Casio Exilim EX-S770 Digital Camera Review
By Emily Raymond
Reviewed.com Editorial Staff
May 11, 2007
The ultra-slim digital camera market is a vast arena. To stand out among the camera masses, manufacturers offer models with features such as wireless technology, musical slide shows, and sturdy housings. Casio soups up the Exilim EX-S770 with a new data transport feature, 7.2 megapixels, and 34 Best Shot Scene modes.
A highlight of the skinny S770 is its movie mode. Casio adds to the S770 a 16:9-format resolution, in addition to the standard 30 fps options of 640 x 480 and 320 x 240. The 704 x 384-pixel widescreen resolution matches the wide format of the 230,000-pixel, 2.8-inch LCD screen, which provides a great view. However, the widescreen movie resolution isn’t as good as other models made by Panasonic, for example, which provide 848 x 640-pixel movies. The $149 Panasonic LS70 has smooth and large movies. The more expensive Canon TX1 outdoes the competition with its 1280 x 720-pixel movie mode. Oh yes, high definition.
Still, the S770's movies look great and the audio is crystal clear. The Casio S770 has dual recording buttons – one for movies and one for still images – so you don’t have to turn a mode dial or enter a menu to shoot a video clip. This cool setup is complemented by interesting Movie modes such as the Past Movie mode that records five seconds before the button is pushed so you never miss a moment.
The S770 takes decent images and there is a host of Best Shot modes. The Casio S770’s colors are accurate in good lighting, but the camera’s performance suffers in low light; it is difficult to balance the camera on a tripod, the autofocus system is very unreliable, and the built-in noise reduction system doesn’t do a good job of maintaining details. Basically, images captured in low light turn out blurry, crooked, and dark.
Images and movies are only part of the Casio Exilim EX-S770’s functionality. The Data Transport function aims to make the camera an all-purpose device by allowing you to upload files to the camera with the included software. It took me a few minutes with the user manual to figure out, but it was easy once I memorized the process. This feature is handy for storing train maps, directions, and documents. If you use a Macintosh computer, don’t fall in love with this feature: it only works on Windows operating systems. The Samsung i70 is another multi-talented 7.2-megapixel digital camera that packs a "text viewer" (similar function to Casio's Data Transport), MP3 player, headphones, and 3-inch LCD.
One of the S770’s best attributes is its stainless steel body that measures 0.7 inches in width and comes in trendy red, silver, and blue colors. It is easy to stash in a pocket – even in tight pants – because of its flat shell and thin profile. It isn’t quite as easy to handle though; it’s the size of a skinny box and handles like one too. The buttons are small and handling the camera for more than 10 minutes might cause hand cramps, but it’s still portable and attractive.
The Casio Exilim EX-S770 was announced in August 2006 with a retail price of $299, which makes it a competitive choice in the trendy ultra-compact digital camera market. If you want a portable and sexy camera that takes decent movies and pictures without the hassle of shutter lag, it is a good bet. If you will be photographing in low light often, however, you should consider another camera.
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