Casio Exilim EX-S770

Value (5.0)
The Casio Exilim EX-S770 was announced in August 2006 with a retail price of $379. As of February 2007, however, the Casio web site lists the camera’s estimated retail price as $299. The latter price tag sounds more accurate. The S770 is a point-and-shoot with basic shooting modes and features and a few frills like the Data Transport function and widescreen movies. Similar modes and photographic capabilities can be found on other point-and-shoot models through other manufacturers for cheaper prices. But not many other models have a data transport function, so if that’s something you will use then the $299 price may be worth it. 

Comparisons
Casio Exilim EX-S600 – The predecessor of the S770 isn’t all that different. Its body is slightly thinner at 0.63 inches, but it has a smaller 2-inch LCD screen. The resolution on that screen is only 86,000 pixels, so the view doesn’t look nearly as good. The Exilim S600 has 6 megapixels and the same 3x optical zoom lens that’s on the S770. Both cameras share plenty of features: 34 Best Shot scene modes, white balance and ISO options, and trendy styling. The stainless steel S600 comes in silver, orange, and blue and sells for about $225 online. It reproduced decent colors, but it had trouble controlling noise when the ISO was automatically set and couldn’t seem to focus at all in low light. The Casio S600 has a movie mode that shoots 640 x 480-pixel video at 30 fps, but it doesn’t have the widescreen capabilities of the newer model. It also does not have the data transport function. Besides that, though, it is very similar to the S770 in terms of its ability to snap still images.

Kodak EasyShare V803 – This digital camera has 8 megapixels and is packaged in a more rectangular-shaped body with softer edges. It comes in eight different colors and appeals to point-and-shooters with its 22 scene modes and limited controls. The EasyShare V803 has a 3x optical zoom lens that telescopes outward and looks quite similar to the one on the Casio. It can focus closer at 2 inches though, compared to the S770’s 5.9 inches. The Kodak V803 has a 2.5-inch LCD screen, but it has only 150,000 pixels on it. The body is an inch thick and weighs about the same as the Casio. Some of the V803’s specs are impressive, such as the manual ISO options from 80-1600, but others are lacking such as the 4 white balance presets. The Kodak EasyShare V803 doesn’t have any frills like the data transport function or dual recording buttons or anything, but it has similar shooting modes and costs much less with a retail price of $199.

Nikon Coolpix S7c – This digital camera was announced within a month of the Casio S770, and it falls into the same category of ultra-slim digital cameras. It also has 7.1 megapixels and a 3x optical zoom lens, although its lens stays inside the camera body at all times. The Nikon Coolpix S7c has a similarly large 3-inch LCD with 230,000 pixels and a wide viewing angle of 170 degrees. The two cameras are very similar in size, with the Nikon measuring 3.9 x 2.4 x 0.8 inches. The S7c’s body has a slightly wavy contour that allows for better handling. It has 15 scene modes, an auto mode, and a movie mode that has standard recording capabilities and doesn’t record in widescreen format. The Nikon Coolpix S7c does have a tempting feature that the Casio does not have: wireless functionality. The S7c can hold up to 30 email addresses and send photos without a camera dock or wires. Another cool feature is the Pictmotion mode that creates slide shows with music and transitions that is much more appealing than the S770’s standard silent slide show. The Nikon S7c retails for $349, but it can be found online for about $270.

Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T50 – This digital camera is thicker at 0.9 inches, but it feels more solid too. It has a sliding metal lens cover on the front that provides much more protection than the S770’s wimpy lens cover. The Sony T50’s lens is built-in too, making it able to withstand a little more wear and tear and a little less susceptible to breakage. The T50 has a lot going for it: 7.2 megapixels, an internal optically stabilized 3x Carl Zeiss lens, and a 3-inch touch-screen LCD with 230,000 pixels and a stylus for operating and "painting" on pictures. The Sony Cyber-shot DSC-T50 comes in silver and black colors and even in a special edition James Bond kit complete with "007" labeling. The T50 doesn’t have many shooting modes with its limited 9 scenes, but the aforementioned advantages coupled with 56 MB of internal memory, 1 cm macro shooting, 400-shot rechargeable battery, and ISO to 1000 make it a tempting choice. Unfortunately, the price isn’t as lucrative. The Sony T50 retails for $449.

Who It’s For
Point-and-Shooters – This is the camera’s target audience because of its ease of use, few manual controls, and ability to be stashed in a pocket for spontaneous photo moments.

Budget Consumers – The estimated retail price of $299 is on the steep side, although this isn’t as expensive as similar Sony cameras. Still, there are cheaper cameras out there that will captures just about the same pictures.

Gadget Freaks – The only feature on this camera of interest to this group is probably the Data Transport feature that has a designated button and uses a USB connection and the included software to load documents and images to be stored.

Manual Control Freaks – This group may be disappointed because of the lack of manual control over shutter speed and aperture, among other things.

Pros / Serious Hobbyists – The Casio EX-S770 won’t even cross the minds of these people.