Casio Exilim EX-S770

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)
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.