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Casio EX-S770

Reviewed January 2007

Test Photos

Introduction
Ergonomics
Characteristics
Image Quality
Interface & Software
Camera Views
Test Photos
Specifications
Our Opinion
PLEASE NOTE:

Here are a few images that accurately reflect the abilities of any given camera model. The images are altered only in terms of size and sharpness after reduction and by the JPEG compression used. Unless otherwise mentioned, assume that any marbling or artifacts visible in the images are due to the compression required to display them here. We feel however, that they still faithfully represent the results we experienced.

STILL LIFE PHOTO

This subject is photographed in a room that has a mix of fluorescent and incandescent light, but which is not brightly lit. The camera's flash is used to add fill light. The backdrop is 1.95 m (6.5 ft) from the camera.

At the wide angle end of the zoom, the EX-S770 has an aperture of f2.7, large enough to allow for a bright image without having to adjust any of the camera settings.

But, while the image the S770 yields is bright, some noise is detectable as graininess, and the overall sharpness of the image appears to have been lowered by the compression.

Photo Information
Format: JPEG Aperture: f2.7
Exposure: Auto Shutter Speed: 1/60 sec.
Res.: 3072 x 2304 Flash: On
Quality: Fine ISO: 50
File Size: 3.63 MB Focal Length: 38 mm (35 mm Eq.)

ZOOM PHOTO

Now we zoom in on a specific area. The intent is to test the sharpness of the image at the zoom's maximum setting. The camera remains at the same distance as with the preceding photo.

At the telephoto setting, the brightest aperture available to the camera becomes f5.2, and the image is noticeably darker as the flash runs out of power. To overcome this, Casio has equipped the S770 with a special function called Flash Assist that processes the image to increase its brightness as soon as it is captured, and then saves the processed image.

Photo Information
Format: JPEG Aperture: f6.6
Exposure: Auto Shutter Speed: 1/40 sec.
Res.: 3072 x 2304 Flash: On
Quality: Fine ISO: 50
File Size: 3.95 MB Focal Length: 114 mm (35 mm Eq.)
Although the EX-S770 offers a menu option to control the output of the flash (Flash Intensity), with the sensitivity set to a specific value — in this case 50 ISO — boosting the Flash Intensity to +2 showed no noticeable increase in the images' brightness.
Aperture: f4.3, shutter speed 1/2000 sec., 50 ISO, Macro mode.

MACRO PHOTO

With the Macro mode, the EX-S770 is able to focus on a subject between 15 to 50 cm (5.9 to 19.7 inches) from the front element of the lens at the wide angle end. This allows the camera to capture a field of view measuring approximately 12.5 cm (4.87 inches) horizontally.

That large a field of view is more in line with what is commonly described as a "close-up" than a macro shot. By the same token, the fact that the lens is not too close to the subject means that barrel distortion is minimal.

BUILDING PHOTO

This image is our outdoor test. The architecture of the building, in particular the angled girders, immediately show the presence of jaggies. The shadowed entrance can also often reveal the quality of the exposure.

Regrettably, while the Casio Exilim EX-S770 was here for review, the weather was consistently awful. These shots of our standard building are typical. Fog, mist and rain make photography with any camera very challenging, and invariably augment noise that would be invisible had the shot been captured with reasonably good ambient light.

Photo Information
Format: JPEG Aperture: f2.7
Exposure: Auto Shutter Speed: 1/80 sec.
Resolution: 3072 x 2304 Flash: Off
Quality: Fine ISO: 50
File Size: 3.52 MB Focal Length: 38 mm (35 mm Eq.)

Still, the EX-S770 yields an acceptable image, albeit with an increase in noise, that when printed at a 5 x 7 inch size is quite good.

ZOOM PHOTO

Zooming in on the entrance of the building, the shadowed entrance takes on a greater importance for the metering and can cause an overexposure of sections that are directly lit.

At the maximum telephoto setting, the lens has an even smaller maximum aperture and the camera's CCD receives even less light. The only solution is to allow the camera to increase the sensitivity of the CCD by setting it to Auto ISO, and accept that noise will become more visible.

Nevertheless, under these difficult conditions the EX-S770 managed as well as other cameras would have, especially as the shot is hand held.

Photo Information
Format: JPEG Aperture: f5.2
Exposure: Auto Shutter Speed: 1/20 sec.
Resolution: 3072 x 2304 Flash: Off
Quality: Fine ISO: 100
File Size: 3.6 MB Focal Length: 114 mm (35 mm Eq.)


NIGHT PHOTO

This camera is capable of long exposures, and an image captured late at night is presented to give an idea of its capabilities.

Aperture: f2.7; shutter speed: 2 sec., 50 ISO, Night Scene mode.

The Casio EX-S770 can capture its longest exposure when set to the Night Scene mode. By default, the mode sets the camera to Daylight white balance, sensitivity to 50 ISO, and the focus to infinity, but is limited to a maximum exposure of 4 seconds. To capture a night shot with these limits, the subject must be quite well lit.

As noted above, the weather over the review period for this camera was inclement, and nights shrouded in thick fog, forced the use of a relatively nearby and bright subject: a tug berthing area.

Left to its defaults, when confronted with this subject the EX-S770 elected to capture the subject at the widest aperture, f2.7, but with an exposure time of only 1 second. While a 1 second exposure is indeed sufficient to capture an image with a brightness comparable to what the human eye perceives, it is also a relatively dark and uninteresting image. To fool the metering into increasing the exposure time, partially obscuring the lens while pressing the shutter release halfway made it possible to get the camera to capture images at 2 or 4 seconds — depending on how much the lens is obscured — without affecting the sharpness since the focus is automatically set to infinity.

While a 4-second exposure of this subject yields an image that is overexposed, a 2-second exposure results in an interesting image. In the section cropped from the full size image shown below, the quality of the image the EX-S770 yields can be evaluated. Some noise can be detected — although the blurriness of one boat is caused by wave action from a departing tug on the other side of the jetty — but the overall result is quite good. Most notably, the Auto white balance handles the mixed outdoor lighting quite well, and even though captured through a fog that can be cut with a knife, a lot of detail remains visible.

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Introduction
Ergonomics
Characteristics
Image Quality
Interface & Software
Camera Views
Test Photos
Specifications
Our Opinion





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