Testing / Performance

As with all digital cameras that we review, we tested the Casio S770 by photographing an industry standard color chart manufactured by GretagMacbeth. We set the ISO to 50 to keep noise as minimal as possible and manually set the white balance to keep colors as accurate as possible under our studio lighting.

Once the pictures of the chart were taken, we uploaded them to Imatest imaging software. This program analyzed the ability of the Casio S770 to depict colors as compared to the industry standard chart. Below is a chart output by Imatest to show the differences between the ideal colors from the GretagMacbeth chart (the inner vertical rectangle of each tile) and the colors from the Casio Exilim EX-S770 (the outer square of each tile). The inner portion of the square represents the ideal corrected for luminance by Imatest.

 

Most of the colors look good, but the difference is better seen on the following chart. It shows the camera’s colors as circles on the color spectrum and the ideal colors as squares. The line sometimes seen connecting the two represents the degree of error; obviously, this shouldn’t be seen at all.  

Circles that bend to the outer edges of the chart are over-saturated and those that lean toward the center are under-saturated. The Casio S770 does a nice job in terms of saturation with 99.66 percent saturation – very nearly perfect. The camera performed fairly well in terms of pure color accuracy too with a mean color error of 7.4. This resulted in an overall score of 8.12, which bests the older Casio S600’s score of 6.7 by a long shot.

**Still Life Scene
**Below is a shot of our beloved still life composite captured with the Casio Exilim EX-S770.  

[

Click on  the image above to view the full resolution file.](https://reviewed.usatoday.com/cameras/viewer.php?picture=S770_StillLife-lg.jpg)

**Resolution ***(3.69)*

The Casio Exilim EX-S770 has 7.2 effective megapixels on its image sensor, a slight upgrade from the S600’s 6-megapixel count. To see how detailed the S770’s pictures really are, we photographed an industry standard resolution chart under optimal lighting at various exposure settings. With the ISO set to its lowest at 50 and the white balance manually adjusted, we snapped the photos and uploaded them to Imatest software. The program looked through all the images and selected the sharpest shot, which happened to be taken with a focal length of 19mm and an aperture of f/5.2.

[

Click on the chart above to view the full resolution version](https://reviewed.usatoday.com/cameras/viewer.php?picture=S770_Res_lg.jpg)

Imatest also determined how sharp this image is in units of line widths per picture height (lw/ph), which describes how many black and white alternating lines could theoretically fit across the frame without the S770 blurring them together. The Casio Exilim EX-S770 resolved 1663 lw/ph horizontally with 9.3 percent oversharpening, and 1388 lw/ph vertically with 7.78 percent undersharpening. The older Casio S600 had more consistent sharpening results but captured less detail with its 6-megapixel image sensor. The Casio S770 may have read more line widths per picture height, but it didn’t do proportionately better for having another megapixel on its sensor. Thus, the S770 comes out with a lackluster 3.69 resolution score.

**Noise – Auto ISO ***(1.74)*

In the bright studio lights, the Casio Exilim EX-S770 automatically picked out an ISO 200 setting and produced more noise than most cameras do. This is quite disappointing for a camera that point-and-shooters will rely on to automate the ISO frequently.

**Noise – Manual ISO ***(4.2)*

In the studio, we manually set the ISO to its 4 settings: 50, 100, 200, and 400. Below is a chart that shows the correlation between noise (vertical axis) and the ISO setting (horizontal axis).

While all digital cameras show an increase in noise as the ISO is bumped up, the Casio Exilim EX-S770 increases more than is usual within its already short manual ISO range. Most point-and-shoot cameras offer manual ISO settings to 800 and 1600, and some even to 3200 at full resolution. The S770, however, doesn’t offer much and what it does have shows more noise than it should.

Low Light*(4.0)*

We turned down the studio lights to 60, 30, 15, and 5 lux to see how the camera would react in less than ideal conditions. It seemed to do okay at 60 lux, which is about the light garnered from two soft lamps in an otherwise dark room. When the light waned further, though, the S770 had a lot of problems.

First of all, the Casio S770 had a hard time balancing on a tripod, so long exposures were tough even when the picture was taken with the self-timer. The auto focus system was unreliable and had difficulty focusing in anything less than 60 lux. And the limited ISO range hurt the camera’s ability to capture images at all.

When the shutter is open for longer periods of time, noise usually increases in the image. We tested the camera at a few shutter speeds from 0.5-4 seconds and plotted them on the chart below. The shutter speed is located across the horizontal axis and the percentage of the image turned into noise shows on the vertical axis.

This is the opposite of what we usually see: most cameras show a curve starting with lower noise at the faster shutter speeds and progressing into more noise as the shutter is left open longer. As evidenced by the graph, the Casio S770 has a very aggressive noise reduction system that looks good on paper (in text, not prints). Once the images are examined, though, viewers can see the details disappear and edges become increasingly smoother and smoother.

Between the noisy half-second pictures, the smooth and detail-less 4-second shots, the lack of decent auto focus, the inability to stabilize on a tripod, and the disappointing max ISO setting of 400, the Casio Exilim EX-S770 shouldn’t be used in dim lighting. Ever.

**Dynamic Range ***(5.25)*

We wanted to see how well the Casio S770 could capture a variety of light and dark shades, so we photographed a step wedge that shows rows of rectangles from black to white.

The images were analyzed with Imatest, which determined how many of those exposure values were depicted. The high-quality dynamic range is shown as the blue line and has up to 1/10 of a stop of noise. The low-quality range has up to a full stop of noise and is represented by the red line. Both measurements are useful: the high quality more for subjects and the low quality for throwing texture into backgrounds.

The Casio S770 showed average performance for an ultra-slim point-and-shoot digital camera. It had a little surprise with a bit less dynamic range at ISO 50 than at ISO 100, but then the camera went downhill around ISO 200. This is expected in most cameras, but farther into the ISO range. There isn’t much farther to go with the S770’s short sensitivity range, but this is still disappointing because many pictures will be taken using the ISO 200 and 400 settings.

Speed/Timing
*Startup to First Shot (8.6)
*The Casio S770 started at a leisurely pace. It took 1.4 seconds to wake up and snap its first shot.

*Shot-to-Shot (9.5)
*The Casio Exilim S770 has High and Normal burst modes. The High mode snaps a shot every half-second, but for only 3 pictures at a time. After the 3 pictures, the camera takes 2.5 seconds to write them to the memory card before shooting another round. The Normal burst mode shot images continuously without a hiccup, but wasn’t as fast with a shot taken every 1.4 seconds.

*Shutter-to-Shot (8.9)
*It was hard to get any measurement at all, which is great news. Most point-and-shoot cameras have some shutter lag, but the S770 performed well with its quick auto focus system.

Physical Tour

Front*(8.0)*

The front panel is glossy and sleek. It feels like a freshly washed and waxed car. In the top left corner is a Casio logo with a slot-like flash to its right. The Casio logo is printed while the Exilim logo below it is embossed and shimmers with chrome lettering. To the right of the flash is a small auto focus assist lamp. The lens sits to its right and takes up the entire right half of the S770’s front. The lens has a chrome ring around it and a rectangular window in the center that hides behind two doors which snap open when the camera is turned on. Around the inner lens’ rim are the words: "Exilim Optical 3x, 6.2-18.6mm." Barely noticeable is the tiny black dot to the bottom left of the lens; this is the microphone.

Back*(7.5)*

For the most part, this digital camera is quite flat, with the exception of a few creases in the body. For instance, the LCD screen is raised and framed slightly above the rest of the body. In the bottom left corner of the wide screen is an Exilim logo. The buttons and controls for this camera have been crammed into the back of the camera at the far right. In the top right corner is a circular button with a red dot in the middle. There are no labels on it, but the user manual revealed that it is the movie recording button. To its left is a vertical rectangle that acts as the zoom control. Pushing the top portion zooms in and the bottom zooms out. There is a tiny crease in the center of the rectangle, but it is still hard to differentiate the two sides without looking. Below the zoom control is a tiny square button labeled "Menu." Below this is the navigational control with a central button that is unlabeled, but it makes selections in the menus. The top of the circular control has a flower macro icon and the bottom has icons for flash and trash. Below the control is another square button labeled "BS." This translates as the camera’s shooting mode button, as it stands for "Best Shot" scene modes. The back of the camera looks organized and sleek, but the buttons are much too small and crammed so tightly that it's hard to push one at a time.

Left Side*(8.0)*

Not much can be seen from this angle. The skinny S770 shows two darker panels that sandwich a brushed silver band. There is a bolt near the top of the left side, with text printed below it: "7.2 Mega Pixels Digital Camera EX-S770."

Right Side*(7.0)*

On the right side, Casio made a feeble attempt to include comfortable handling features. The bottom of the right side is a bit thinner than the top, so the thumb can hang onto the bump at the top. This still isn’t that comfortable. Near the top is a bolt with a strap lug beneath it.

Top*(7.0)*

Viewing the Casio Exilim EX-S770 from the top, the different metallic plates can be seen. The front and back panels are a darker color, while a central brushed silver band covers the seam and adds visual interest. On the silver band, to the right, is a tiny oval-shaped power button set in a small bowl. To its right is a button that is the same shape, but it is much larger; this is the shutter release button. Interrupting the line between the silver band and the darker rear panel on the left side of the top are four buttons, with a tiny LED to the far left side of all of them. The buttons are rectangular in shape and are from left to right: Data, Display, Playback Mode, and Recording Mode.

Bottom*(5.0)*

The left side of the thin bottom makes up the battery compartment and has a plastic door that slides to the left and springs open. There is no lock on it, so users have to be careful not to slide it while shooting. To the right of the door’s hinge is the multiconnector that sits on the included camera dock. There are bolts to the right and below this feature. On the right side is a metal tripod socket, and there are six holes that serve as the built-in speaker.

Components

Viewfinder*(0.0)*

The wide LCD screen doesn’t leave room for an optical viewfinder, but users of this camera wouldn’t want one of those anyway. The large live view on the screen is nice and bright. It seems to stay that way no matter what the surrounding circumstances are. The bright view is complimented by great screen resolution and a fast enough refresh rate on the electronic screen so that moving subjects won’t blur. The live view doesn’t take up the entire screen no matter which aspect ratio or image size is chosen. When a picture is taken, the live view blacks out for almost a half-second. Nevertheless, the live view is helpful and accurate.

LCD Screen*(7.5)*

The Casio S770’s LCD screen measures a wide 2.8 inches on the back of the camera. It has 230,000 pixels, thus making live or playback images look crystal clear. The picture is bright whether in daylight or low light. It automatically gains up and down when the lighting changes when it’s in the default auto brightness setting. There are other brightness options, detailed below in the display menu. The LCD can be seen from side to side easily, but it turns negative when held above or below the head. The images on the LCD screen didn’t always fit in the 2.8-inch area because of the different aspect ratios and the vertical menus that appear while recording. I didn’t find this too disturbing, but picky photographers may desire a more unobstructed view.

The LCD screen’s view is affected by the Display button atop the camera. When pushed, a little menu appears with live views. It consists of the following.

 

The live view with this menu is very helpful in choosing proper display settings, especially when picking the "type." These can be deceiving, though, as the final image won’t be recorded looking as "vivid" or "dynamic" as the screen’s depiction indicates. Overall, the screen size is great and the resolution very helpful in viewing live feed and images in the playback mode.

Flash*(6.5)*

The S770 has a thin built-in flash unit that sits to the left of the lens when viewing from the front. The off-axis placement keeps fingers from wandering into its way, and the coverage isn’t too lop-sided. There is a definite bright spot in the middle of the frame that shows up when photographing shiny subjects – and sometimes shows on foreheads in portraits. The flash can cast stark highlights and shadows, but there is a Soft Flash mode that reduces the glaring effect. Other flash modes include Auto, On, Off, and Red-Eye Reduction. The flash isn’t incredibly powerful; it reaches from 6 inches to 12.8 ft at best (when at the widest focal length). When the lens is zoomed in, the flash range shortens to 1.3-6.6 ft. There is a way to manually soften the flash’s effect via the Flash Intensity control in the recording menu, and it can be set in whole steps on a +/- 2 scale.

In the recording menu, the burst mode can be changed to "flash continuous." The S770 can shoot 3 pictures in a second using the flash, but the flash range shortens to 0.9-5.5 ft (wide) and reaches only 2.9 ft when zoomed in. This won’t be practical for snapping photos at a basketball game – even if you do have front-row seats. It will be handy, however, for capturing baby’s first few steps in a room that needs new light bulbs.

Zoom Lens*(6.5)*

The Casio Exilim EX-S770 is equipped with a 3x optical zoom lens that telescopes outward from the camera body in three segments. Internally, the lens is composed of six lenses in five groups with one of those lenses being aspheric to reduce distortion. It appears to have worked fairly well. The S770’s lens doesn’t show much barrel distortion, faring better than most competitors’ lenses that almost look like fisheyes in the macro mode. Perhaps part of the reason barrel distortion can’t be seen is that the macro mode doesn’t focus as closely as other lenses do. Most can focus within an inch, but the S770 can’t focus any closer than 5.9 inches.

The 6.2-18.6mm lens, equivalent to 38-114mm, is controlled by a lever-type button shaped like a vertical rectangle. The lever doesn’t have much differentiation from the wide zoom on the bottom to the telephoto zoom at the top. There is a tiny engraved line in the middle, but users will most likely have to look and see where their thumbs are pushing rather than just feeling it out. When the control is pushed, a horizontal graphic display appears on the LCD screen to indicate where users are in the zoom range. There are six focal lengths available in the range, which is about what the average lens offers. The lens zooms in well, but when it moves from telephoto to wide, it breathes in and out a little when settling on a focal length. The most noticeable aspect of the lens is its sound. It makes a whirring electronic noise that won’t stop a Broadway show, but it would definitely keep you from sneaking a picture in a ballet performance. Overall, the lens does what it is supposed to. I wish it was longer and quieter, but it still works well as the eye of the S770.

Design / Layout

Model Design / Appearance*(8.0)*

The Casio S770 has a stainless steel body that is very slim. Its main design function is to be portable, and it succeeds with its flat surfaces and 0.7-inch thickness. The S770 is also meant to be trendy. It is sold in three colors: silver, blazing red, and graphite blue. Overall, the appearance of this model is outstanding.

**Size / Portability ***(8.75)* 

As mentioned in the previous section, the Casio S770 measures only 0.7 inches thick. It is 3.7 inches in length and 2.4 inches tall. It weighs 4.5 oz and that is barely enough weight to notice when it has fallen out of a pocket. The metal casing looks sturdy, but the screen and lens are perhaps the most vulnerable components. The camera is quite portable because of its tiny measurements and flat surfaces. You won’t need a special case to carry it around since it will comfortably fit in just about any pocket.

Handling Ability*(5.0)*

This digital camera is very portable, but it isn’t the most comfortable to handle for long periods of time. It is just fine for snapping a picture here or there, but it will cause hand cramping and possibly broken fingernails after a few hours shooting at a wedding, for instance. There aren’t any handling features on the front, and the only minor detail on the front is a bump near the top right side that curves slightly outward to create an ever-so-subtle grip for the thumb. Overall, the Casio S770 isn’t built for extended photo shoots.

Control Button / Dial Positioning / Size*(5.25)*

In general, the Casio S770’s buttons are undersized and crammed too tightly. On the top of the camera is a very small power button with a larger shutter release button next to it. There are also some designated buttons with icons and text that are engraved and hard to view in full daylight. On the back of the camera is a circular button in the top right corner that is not labeled with text but has a red dot in its center. This is the movie recording button and can be used at any time no matter what shooting mode is currently selected. The zoom control is to its left and looks like a vertical rectangular button with an engraved line in the center to divide the halves. This control isn’t comfortable, and it requires quite a push to activate it. The Menu and BS buttons on the camera are incredibly small and placed too close to the multi-selector that is also small.

Menu*(7.75)*

The Casio S770 is equipped with a menu system similar to those found on other Exilim digital cameras. This menu has the advantage of being on a large 2.8-inch wide screen though, so the font is large and very readable.

When the Display button is pushed in the shooting modes, users can choose to align the shooting information as a "panel" along the right side of the screen. When this is done, it not only looks more organized but acts as a sort of menu. Users can scroll up and down this panel and change the image size, flash mode, auto focus mode, self-timer, anti-shake mode, ISO, white balance, exposure compensation, and display time.

The longer route is to select all these through the regular menu that is accessed by the miniscule Menu button above the multi-selector. A menu appears with three tabs across the top – Recording, Quality, and Setup – and a page indicator at the bottom (eg. 1/3). The following options are from the recording portion of the menu.

Scrolling to the tab in the center brings the Quality menu. 

There are live views when choosing the exposure compensation, white balance, and color filters. It is probably easier to access some of these options from the display menu, though, rather than scrolling through pages of menus in this system. The third tab shows the Setup menu.

This menu has countless ways to tweak and display the date, among other things. It is easy to navigate through the menus using the multi-selector. In the first two menus, users can push the left side of the selector to navigate to a previous menu page. This isn’t the case in some of the options of the setup menu, but a push of the Menu button itself will bring users back to the main setup page. Overall, the menu is very readable and easy to navigate, but the scores of pages are a disadvantage. The best bet is to change settings like image size and white balance through the display’s "panel" menu, and only access the standard menu system when absolutely necessary.

Ease of Use*(7.25)*

The target audience of this Exilim digital camera is people who don’t care much for the traditional aesthetics of photography (namely, image quality) but want to snap a few pictures to show off and relive the memories. Users of this camera will not need previous photographic experience because the S770 is so easy to use. It is essentially a point-and-shoot camera that has neatly organized menus and properly labeled buttons (although they are small). Users may at first be confused by the dual record buttons for still and video shooting but will grow fond of the setup in no time at all.

Modes

Auto Mode*(6.5)*

When the camera is powered up, it starts in the Auto mode unless specified to memorize the current mode in the setup menu. The Auto mode works from a list of defaults that can be changed in the setup menu, but it is still the shooting mode with the most manual control on the Casio S770. There is no designated button for the Auto mode, and it is listed among the other scene modes. Some people won’t care about this placement, but others will want easier access to it for photos on the fly.

Movie Mode*(7.0)*

The movie mode does have its own button, although it isn’t labeled with the usual video camera icon. Instead, the small circular button in the top right corner of the back has only a red dot in the center. It begins recording when pushed, no matter what Best Shot mode is selected at the time. The red button activates a sort of "auto movie mode" and other movie modes can be found in the lengthy Best Shot mode list.

The automatic movie mode seems to work just fine. The focus looks good, moving subjects look smooth, and audio is captured and played back without sounding garbled. The zoom lever is functional in the movie mode, but it only activates digital zoom and degrades the video quality quickly. I recommend avoiding it so your footage doesn’t look like a convenience store’s security tape.

There are two other movie modes that are found at the bottom of the seemingly endless Best Shot scene mode list. Short Movie and Past Movie options are found here, and both record before the movie button is pushed. However, the Past movie mode keeps recording and the Short movie only records about 5 seconds before stopping. The Past Movie mode comes in handy with unpredictable subjects like toddlers. My toddler randomly broke into song, and I was still able to catch the whole thing despite my slow index finger.

The Casio Exilim EX-S770 records MPEG-4 files in several resolutions: 704 x 384, 640 x 480, and 320 x 240 – all at 30 frames per second. The top two resolutions are available in two compression sizes of HQ (High Quality) or Normal. There is a noticeable difference in the footage, especially if subjects are moving; splotchy artifacts appear in the Normal setting.

The widescreen videos are new to Casio Exilim Card-series digital cameras. The S600 has the standard 4:3 resolution settings, but it lacks the 16:9-formatted option included with the S770. The 704 x 384-pixel resolution on the S770 doesn’t quite blow the competition away since many compact digital cameras are including widescreen video modes this year, and most record at a resolution of 848 x 480 pixels.

So if you have a widescreen television and will use the wide movie mode often, another digital camera may suit you better. If you use the 16:9 movies sparingly, however, the S770 isn’t such a bad option. It takes great video with its quick frame rates and good focus and colors.

Drive / Burst Mode*(7.0)*

The Casio Exilim S770’s burst modes can be found at the top of the recording menu. There is a Normal Speed mode that shoots about a frame per second until the memory card is full. A High-Speed burst mode snaps 3 pictures in about a second, but then takes nearly 7 seconds to write them to memory. There are also Flash and Zoom Continuous burst modes. The Flash Continuous mode shoots at the same high speed as the aforementioned mode, but it fires the flash. It doesn’t reach far though – only 5.5 ft at most. This won’t work for shooting a lay-up at a basketball game or a runner rounding the indoor track. Most likely, users will be farther than 5.5 ft from their fast-moving subjects. The Zoom Continuous burst mode isn’t exactly a burst mode, but it’s grouped with them. When selected, it divides the LCD screen into halves and shows the full view on the left and a zoomed view on the right. The zoomed view covers the central third of the original frame. When users push the shutter release, the camera records the full-resolution image and a 2-megapixel zoomed image. Users can do the same thing, but with more control, in the playback mode with the resizing option.

Available from the display’s "panel" menu or the regular recording menu is the self-timer that has 2 and 10-second options, along with a 3-shot timer. The latter option waits 10 seconds, snaps a shot, then another 2 seconds before the second shot and another 2 seconds before the last shot. The lamp on the front blinks orange to indicate when the picture will be taken.

Playback Mode*(7.75)*

The playback mode is easily accessible from its own button above the LCD screen. Pictures appear full-sized unless the wide end of the zoom lever is pushed. When that is done, the images appear in sets of 12 or in a calendar view. The calendar view can also be accessed within the playback menu. If the telephoto side of the zoom lever is pushed, pictures can be magnified up to 8x – that is way too close to look flattering on these pictures.

Images can be scrolled through with the multi-selector. If one side is held down, the camera scrolls through files quickly. In the playback mode, the Menu button allows access to these options.

There are a lot of editing features for still images and movies; all of them save files separately too, so there is always an original file if users decide they didn’t like the effect. There is no option to delete files from the menu; it must be done from the bottom of the multi-selector. Options to delete one or all files are available, and since the camera quickly moves to the next file after deleting a single image, deleting scores of photos doesn’t take any longer than the check-box-method.

Movies can be viewed in the playback mode with audio that sounds clear. The volume can be adjusted while watching a video, and users can even scroll through movies frame by frame or with the standard fast forwarding and rewinding. Overall, the Casio S770’s playback mode is impressive with its vast options, great views, and wide LCD screen.

Custom Image Presets*(9.0)*

Casio Exilim digital cameras are known for their lengthy lists of scene modes, called Best Shot modes. The S770 carries on the torch with 34 presets found with the oddly titled "BS" button. Crude American connotations aside, the Best Shot modes appear 15 per page or one at a time if zoomed in upon. When they appear one at a time, there is a sample photo and explanation of each. Here’s the rundown.

This gigantic list could really be shortened as some of the modes are very similar ("Business cards and Documents" and "White board, etc." for instance). Nevertheless, Casio still seems to think the number of preset modes on a camera is a contest. If so, the S770 is winning.

Control Options

Manual Control Options

The exposure settings can’t be manually adjusted, but there are still a few ways that users can control the outcome of the picture. Exposure compensation, white balance, and ISO are just a few of the manual controls that are available from the display "panel" menu and from the standard menu system. The Casio S770 isn’t designed to be a hobbyist’s dream camera though, and it excludes many manual controls for a reason.

Focus
Auto Focus*(7.25)*

The Casio Exilim EX-S770 uses a contrast detection auto focus system that can be set to focus only in the center of the frame or all over the frame with the Spot and Multi modes. The Multi option displays nine boxes in the central third of the frame; these boxes light up green as they focus on subjects but doesn’t cover much of the frame though. These auto focus modes can be found in the recording menu along with macro, infinity, and pan focus modes.

The S770’s 3x optical zoom lens normally focuses from 1.3 ft, but it can get as close as 5.9 inches in the macro mode. This really isn’t all that close when considering that the average digital camera can focus within 2 inches in the macro mode. The infinity and pan focus modes seem to work quite well, though, keeping subjects sharp even when in motion.

There is an orange auto focus assist lamp on the front of the camera, but it seems to only be used as a last resort. I snapped some pictures in my bathroom with the lights out and only a tiny light streaming through the window, and the Casio S770 only used the assist beam about half of the time. Pictures were focused just fine, although it takes more time to focus in low light than in optimal lighting.

The auto focus system seems to work quickly – certainly faster than most ultra-slim digital cameras’ systems. If users want to make it go even faster, there is a Quick Shutter option that cuts down on focus time even more to snap shots even faster.

Manual Focus (2.0)

The manual focus mode is available from the same list that houses the macro, pan, infinity, and auto focus options. The specs indicate that the camera can manually focus as close as the macro mode can, but it didn’t appear to focus that close. The closest I could get it to focus seemed to be the 1.3 ft mark. Manual focusing is done with the left and right sides of the multi-selector. When they are pushed, a yellow box appears in the center and magnifies the image and a bar appears across the bottom showing 40cm on the left side and an infinity icon on the right. The screen resolution is good enough to support this manual focus setup, and that is surprising since most comparable digital cameras which offer this mode can’t support it well.

ISO*(7.0)*

For those who like to avoid this type of control, there is a High Sensitivity scene mode in the Best Shot list. It uses an ISO 800 setting that isn’t all that impressive when compared to other recent releases from other manufacturers. Some competing models have ISO 1600 or even 3200 in their high sensitivity or low light modes. The Casio Exilim EX-S770 has a short range of ISO options: 50, 100, 200, and 400. There is also an automatic setting. The options can be found on the display menu and standard menu.

White Balance*(8.0)*

A decent list of white balance modes can be found in both menu systems. Each menu has a live view, although the view in the display menu is much larger. The following options are available: Auto, Daylight, Cloudy, Shade, Fluorescent N, Fluorescent D, Tungsten, and Manual. When the Manual white balance is selected, clear instructions appear on the screen to help users: "Shutter: Adjust." The white balance appears to be accurate on the S770, but a more detailed analysis can be found in the Color portion of the Testing page of this review.

Exposure*(7.0)*

Although the exposure settings cannot be individually adjusted, there is an exposure compensation option that allows users to brighten or darken the image. The standard fare can be found in both menus: a +/- 2 scale with 1/3 steps. If users want to monitor the exposure, a live histogram can be activated in the display menu. It shows a small histogram on the left side of the LCD with red, green, and blue channels. The histogram can be viewed in the playback mode too.

Metering*(7.0)*

In the shooting menu only, the metering options can be found without a live view. These options are typical of compact digital cameras: Multi-pattern, center-weighted, and spot. There is also a Backlight scene mode, but it activates the flash and tweaks the saturation particularly on skin tones.

Shutter Speed*(0.0)*

The Casio Exilim EX-S770 has an electronic and mechanical shutter that can snap as fast as 1/2000th of a second. In most modes, it only slows to a half-second but can wait as long as four seconds in the Night scene mode. The Fireworks scene mode snaps at a fixed 2-second shutter speed. These numbers are typical for a compact digital camera, although lengthier shutter speeds could have been useful for snapping pictures of the night sky.

Aperture*(0.0)*

The Casio Exilim EX-S770 has a 3x optical zoom lens with a big f/2.7 aperture. That’s when it is zoomed out, of course. When zoomed in on a subject, it wilts to f/5.2, that is considerably smaller. The aperture is not a two-step system, and there are other apertures available too. They show up on the LCD screen when the shutter is pushed halfway down; the apertures can also be viewed in the playback mode’s file information.

Image Parameters

Picture Quality / Size Options*(7.0)*

There are plenty of image sizes available on the 7-megapixel Casio Exilim S770. They can be found in both menus, although they are easier to access on the display panel menu. Here are the options: 3072 x 2304, 3072 x 2048 (3:2), 3072 x 1728 (16:9), 2560 x 1920, 2048 x 1536, 1600 x 1200, and 640 x 480. There are three formats available at top resolution, and that is nice. When users scroll through the options, different information flashes. For instance, when users scroll upon "7M," the pixel count shows, and then the print size flashes. The Casio S770 shoots in JPEG files that can be compressed to Fine, Normal, and Economy settings. When pictures are shot at full resolution, they can be resized in the playback mode to 5M, 3M, and VGA sizes. Overall, the S770 has lots of image sizes.

Picture Effects Mode*(7.25)*

There are a few picture effects, although they aren’t as elaborate as Canon’s "My Colors" or HP’s "Design Gallery." Available in the Quality section of the recording menu are theses "filter" choices: Off, B/W, Sepia, Red, Green, Blue, Yellow, Pink, and Purple. These filters are used in some of the Best Shot modes too, such as in the Natural Green and Autumn Leaves modes. In the playback mode, the color filters cannot be added, but a general "color correction" tool can be found. It doesn’t seem to change much and its implementation is a bit strange. To use the color correction tool, it must also trim the photo, and it should be more accurately called the "keystone and color correction" tool. There is also a standalone keystone tool that trims the edges of the photo to straighten curved lines in architecture, for example. Overall, the picture effects aren’t incredibly impressive but are there for the taking.

Connectivity / Extras

Connectivity
Software*(2.0)*

The Casio S770 comes with primitive software that includes a USB driver B, Photo Loader 3.0, Photohands 1.0, Photo Transport 1.0, and Data Transport 1.0 on a CD-ROM along with the full user manual. The software is available on Windows and Macintosh systems except for a component that plays back movies; it is available only for Windows. Of note is the Data Transport program which is so cool that the camera has a designated Data button. The Data Transport program works on Macs and Windows but only for 2000 and XP Windows operating systems (not 98 or Me). Installing the software is a tedious process because each program must be loaded individually.

The Photo Loader program isn’t very useful. Sure, it loads pictures onto the computer, but there are usually programs already installed that do the job better.

Photohands 1.0 is a complete joke. Pictures have to be loaded into the program manually (apparently Photo Loader doesn’t sync with Photohands), and then can be scrolled through one at a time. Four animals appear on the left side of the screen and somehow represent editing features: retouch, resize, rotate, and print. The program doesn’t even allow for cropping. I wouldn’t waste time downloading this program – unless you want to see the resizing kangaroo for yourself.

Photo files can be dragged and dropped onto the Photo Transport button on the small window that represents the program. Also on the small window is a button for selecting pictures. Users must click the button, and then draw a box around whatever they want to transfer – photos, web pages, documents, etc. This is pretty neat, but it has its caveats. The box has a specific shape that is locked, so users can only change the size. The shape looks very square, so it’s hard to capture entire rectangular web pages. Also, users who want to load pages and pages of an electronic book, for example, would have to load each page separately. The Data Transport system is different and only works with Windows operating systems. It doesn’t have its own window, but it installs in much the same way as printers. It appears in the dropdown menu that appears when a printer is selected.

Overall, the transport software is quite interesting but the rest of the included software looks like it was written by an eighth grader in 1985.

*Jacks, ports, plugs (5.0)
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There is only one multiport on the bottom of the camera that docks into the included camera cradle. The cradle has connections to USB, AV, all power adaptor ports, and includes all the cables. In the dock, the battery can charge while transferring photos or viewing slide shows. The dock has a small LED on the left to show whether the camera is charging. On the right are two buttons: The left one has a "Photo" label and starts a slide show. The button on the right is labeled "USB" and transfers photos to computers and printers when pushed.

Direct Print Options*(6.0)*

In the playback menu, there is a DPOF Printing option that allows users to select a few or all images for printing. The number of prints can be changed from 0-99 and a date stamp can be turned on or off. Motion prints of movies can be made too, although users don’t have control over which frames are pulled out of the clips. Pictures are transferred by setting the S770 into the camera dock and pushing the USB button when the USB cable is connected to a PictBridge compatible printer. The printer then receives the DPOF print order. This is fairly simple, although the DPOF Printing option is buried in the playback menu. Some manufacturers have a designated print button or menu to make this process a little easier.

*

Battery**(6.0)*

A rechargeable lithium-ion NP-20 battery comes with the Casio S770, as well as a camera dock that it can charge in. A wall-mounted battery charger would have been more compact for traveling, but the cradle is also a nice inclusion because it allows users to transfer photos and view slide shows while charging the battery simultaneously. The battery gets 200 shots per charge, and while that isn’t fabulous, it shouldn’t be a problem because the camera is parked in the dock most of the time.

*

Memory**(3.75)*

The Casio Exilim EX-S770 has a whopping 6 MB of internal memory, enough for only 2 pictures. The camera can accept several types of memory cards: Secure Digital (SD), Secure Digital High Capacity (SDHC), MultiMediaCard (MMC), and MultiMediaCard Plus (MMCplus). In the playback menu, users can copy images and videos from the internal memory to memory cards and vice versa.

Other Features*(6.0)*
Data Transport – This feature has its own button on the camera, and can be activated by loading photos or data via the included software and USB cable. To transfer files, users can just hit the "print" command in the document, and then select the "Casio Data Transport" option from the dropdown menu. This wasn’t very intuitive; I had to look this up in the user manual after a few attempts with the photo transport system that can also transport parts of files (as long as they are box-shaped and fit in the screen’s window). After this is figured out, though, it’s very easy. Once documents are in the S770, they can be viewed via the Data button and protected and rotated with the Menu button. Mac users beware: This feature only works on Windows platforms.

Voice Recording – There is a voice recording mode in the Best Shot menu. It disables picture-taking abilities and records only monaural audio. The screen shows how much time is left on the memory card and how long the current clip is recording. Users must push the shutter release button to start and stop recording. The S770 isn’t meant to replace a real digital recorder for class lectures or important meetings. It is meant to record a child’s first solo of "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" and the like. The Exilim digital camera records well when subjects are within about 6 ft of the camera; beyond that, they are hard to hear.

Audio Snap – This feature can be turned on and off in the recording menu. When activated, it allows users to push the shutter a second time (after snapping the picture) to begin recording an audio clip. It can record up to 30 seconds of audio.

Overall Impressions

Value*(5.0)*

The Casio Exilim EX-S770 was announced in August 2006 with a retail price of $379. As of February 2007, however, the Casio web site lists the camera’s estimated retail price as $299. The latter price tag sounds more accurate. The S770 is a point-and-shoot with basic shooting modes and features and a few frills like the Data Transport function and widescreen movies. Similar modes and photographic capabilities can be found on other point-and-shoot models through other manufacturers for cheaper prices. But not many other models have a data transport function, so if that’s something you will use then the $299 price may be worth it. 

Comparisons
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Casio Exilim EX-S600* – The predecessor of the S770 isn’t all that different. Its body is slightly thinner at 0.63 inches, but it has a smaller 2-inch LCD screen. The resolution on that screen is only 86,000 pixels, so the view doesn’t look nearly as good. The Exilim S600 has 6 megapixels and the same 3x optical zoom lens that’s on the S770. Both cameras share plenty of features: 34 Best Shot scene modes, white balance and ISO options, and trendy styling. The stainless steel S600 comes in silver, orange, and blue and sells for about $225 online. It reproduced decent colors, but it had trouble controlling noise when the ISO was automatically set and couldn’t seem to focus at all in low light. The Casio S600 has a movie mode that shoots 640 x 480-pixel video at 30 fps, but it doesn’t have the widescreen capabilities of the newer model. It also does not have the data transport function. Besides that, though, it is very similar to the S770 in terms of its ability to snap still images.

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Kodak EasyShare V803* – This digital camera has 8 megapixels and is packaged in a more rectangular-shaped body with softer edges. It comes in eight different colors and appeals to point-and-shooters with its 22 scene modes and limited controls. The EasyShare V803 has a 3x optical zoom lens that telescopes outward and looks quite similar to the one on the Casio. It can focus closer at 2 inches though, compared to the S770’s 5.9 inches. The Kodak V803 has a 2.5-inch LCD screen, but it has only 150,000 pixels on it. The body is an inch thick and weighs about the same as the Casio. Some of the V803’s specs are impressive, such as the manual ISO options from 80-1600, but others are lacking such as the 4 white balance presets. The Kodak EasyShare V803 doesn’t have any frills like the data transport function or dual recording buttons or anything, but it has similar shooting modes and costs much less with a retail price of $199.

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Nikon Coolpix S7c* – This digital camera was announced within a month of the Casio S770, and it falls into the same category of ultra-slim digital cameras. It also has 7.1 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom lens, although its lens stays inside the camera body at all times. The Nikon Coolpix S7c has a similarly large 3-inch LCD with 230,000 pixels and a wide viewing angle of 170 degrees. The two cameras are very similar in size, with the Nikon measuring 3.9 x 2.4 x 0.8 inches. The S7c’s body has a slightly wavy contour that allows for better handling. It has 15 scene modes, an auto mode, and a movie mode that has standard recording capabilities and doesn’t record in widescreen format. The Nikon Coolpix S7c does have a tempting feature that the Casio does not have: wireless functionality. The S7c can hold up to 30 email addresses and send photos without a camera dock or wires. Another cool feature is the Pictmotion mode that creates slide shows with music and transitions that is much more appealing than the S770’s standard silent slide show. The Nikon S7c retails for $349, but it can be found online for about $270.

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Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T50* – This digital camera is thicker at 0.9 inches, but it feels more solid too. It has a sliding metal lens cover on the front that provides much more protection than the S770’s wimpy lens cover. The Sony T50’s lens is built-in too, making it able to withstand a little more wear and tear and a little less susceptible to breakage. The T50 has a lot going for it: 7.2 megapixels, an internal optically stabilized 3x Carl Zeiss lens, and a 3-inch touch-screen LCD with 230,000 pixels and a stylus for operating and "painting" on pictures. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T50 comes in silver and black colors and even in a special edition James Bond kit complete with "007" labeling. The T50 doesn’t have many shooting modes with its limited 9 scenes, but the aforementioned advantages coupled with 56 MB of internal memory, 1 cm macro shooting, 400-shot rechargeable battery, and ISO to 1000 make it a tempting choice. Unfortunately, the price isn’t as lucrative. The Sony T50 retails for $449.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters – This is the camera’s target audience because of its ease of use, few manual controls, and ability to be stashed in a pocket for spontaneous photo moments.

Budget Consumers – The estimated retail price of $299 is on the steep side, although this isn’t as expensive as similar Sony cameras. Still, there are cheaper cameras out there that will captures just about the same pictures.

Gadget Freaks – The only feature on this camera of interest to this group is probably the Data Transport feature that has a designated button and uses a USB connection and the included software to load documents and images to be stored.

Manual Control Freaks – This group may be disappointed because of the lack of manual control over shutter speed and aperture, among other things.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists – The Casio EX-S770 won’t even cross the minds of these people.

Conclusion

Conclusion

The Casio Exilim EX-S770 shares many characteristics with its predecessor, the S600. It has an ultra-slim body that comes in trendy colors and has tiny buttons. It is as cuddly as a box – in other words, it’s not that comfortable to hold and handle. It definitely isn’t made for lengthy photo shoots on the beach. Rather, the S770 is designed to fit in a pocket and take a few pictures at the restaurant before heading into the sunset. The camera has a Best Shot mode for sunsets, in fact, as well as 33 other situations. The 7.2-megapixel Casio S770 has some advantages over its predecessor: a bigger 2.8-inch LCD, dual recording buttons to shoot movies anytime, widescreen movies, and an interesting "data transport" function that allows users to view documents, maps, pictures, and web pages from the camera’s big screen. Basically, the S770 is a typical ultra-compact digital camera with its standard resolution and 3x optical zoom lens, but it adds a few frills. If you’re going to use those frills, then the $299 price tag isn’t all that bad. If all you want is a camera and you won’t ever transfer documents (or you have a Mac and can’t transfer data), then there are other digital cameras that can fulfill your needs for a cheaper price.

Specs / Ratings

Specs Table
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