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.
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.
Test Photos
