Olympus Camedia C-770 Digital Camera

Although this model is a couple of years old now it is by no means a slouch even by today's rapidly improving camera technologies. It is manufactured by one of the most renowned brand names in the business and this model has received many value and quality awards since it's introduction. It was one, if not THE first compact digital camera to include a staggering 10x optical zoom which means that you can get in close on the subject without loss of picture quality. The problem with digital zoom is that it actually just crops the picture rather than making it bigger - completely pointless.

The C-770UZ features a multitude of shooting modes which allow creative experimentation but if you just want a no-fuss point and shoot then then simply select AUTO or P modes. It is very difficult to take a bad picture with this camera, and believe me, I've tried. It has all the features you will ever need without too many unnecessary gimmicks. It is a good size although due to the 10x optical zoom you can't just slip it in you back pocket. Still, it's definitely discrete enough and you won't look like a tourist everywhere you go.

Colours, clarity and image quality are all excellent and the photos I've taken have on the whole required very little tweaking in Photoshop despite me being extremely picky. All but the most discerning would be more than happy with the original images. Check the weblink below for some sample photos of mine including one shot using the PANORAMIC feature.

www.micksmix.co.uk/photosamples.htm

The only real downside to this camera is the custom rechargeable battery pack. It would make good sense to make sure you have at least one spare as you can't just call into a shop and pick up a couple of double A's when your battery runs low. That said, the Li-ion packs have plenty of life and unless you're using the flash constantly a single battery should last a day of heavy usage. I recently took well over 100 shots at my friends wedding, some with flash too and the battery was still good enough to review the shots on the screen at the end of the day.

I've just upgraded to the new Olympus SP-550 with a gargantuan 18x optical zoom and 7.2 mega pixels. Unfortuantely, the trade off is a much bigger and bulkier camera. As much as I'd love to hold on to my beloved C-770, having two cameras is a luxury I can't afford. Maybe I should take my new one back to the shop... After all, do I really need an 18x zoom and 7.2 MP...?