Olympus Stylus 770SW Digital Camera Review

After a year of HARD use I can safely say that the Olympus Stylus 770SW is a tank of a camera. I've dropped it on the ground, stepped on it, submerged it in the sea, and dragged it through the sand (with the lens closed though). After a quick hose-off under the sink shes ready for more. If youre looking for an affordable digital camera thats tough as nails and will be with you all the time for those unexpected photo moments, the Olympus Stylus 770SW would be a good choice. Normally I wear out a piece of gear before buying a replacement. With the 770SW I have a feeling its going to be a LONG time before that happens:)

NOTE:
The newer Olympus 1030SW answers some of the gripes that I have about the 770SW and would be a great buy if you are willing to spend a little bit of extra cash. There is also the newest version, the Olympus Tough 8000, but Ive read a lot of complaints about the water resistance failing on this model (it got 3.5 stars on Amazon.com and I dont consider anything with less than 4).

Features:
• 7.1-megapixel CCD captures enough detail for photo-quality 15 x 20-inch prints
• 2.5-inch HyperCrystal LCD screen minimizes glare
• 3x optical zoom with Digital Image Stabilization mode
• 27 Shooting modes including Movie with Sound
• Shockproof up to 5ft drops (1.5 meters)
• Waterproof down to depths of 33 feet (10m)
• Crushproof Stainless Steel Body able to withstand up to 220 lbs. of pressure
• Freezeproof winterized to perform at below-freezing temps (-10 degrees C/14 degrees F)
• Built-in manometer that measures air/water pressure to calculate the altitude/depth of your photos.
• Built-in LED illuminates your subjects when you cant use a flash
• Alarm Clock, thats right, this thing has an alarm clock!
• Dimensions - Width 3.6 x Height 2.3 x Depth 0.8 (91.8mm x 59.2mm x 20.6mm)
• Weight - 5.5 ounces (155 grams)
• Retail: Originally $380 but can now be found online for less than $200.



Things I dont like:
• Uses Olympus proprietary xD card. A pity seeing as most computers and laptops have SD cards slots. Also, current xD cards max out at 2 GB of storage. This is unacceptable considering that SD cards go up to 16 GB now. Olympus either needs to pump up their xD storage capacity or make their cameras SD compatible.
• In order to change between shooting modes I have to keep hitting the mode button. A click wheel would be much more convenient (found on the 1030SW).
• Movies can only be shot at 15 fps so it is not quick enough to pick up fast moving things (e.g. lightning). Its usable and makes the vids kinda cool-retro looking like from an old 8mm camera but a higher shooting option would be appreciated. Newer models like the 1030SW are able to shoot at a regular 30 fps for better clarity.









This video was shot with a Canon G9 on loan.