Olympus Camedia C-770 Zoom4.0 megapixels, a sharp 10x zoom lens, a unique flash head, and loads more features!<<Image Storage & Interface :(Previous) | (Next): Test Results & Conclusion>> Page 11:Video, Power, SoftwareReview First Posted: 07/06/2004 |
Video Out
The C-770 has an A/V Out port for reviewing previously captured images and movies, or running slide shows from the camera. It also shows all of the LCD menu screens, as well as the preview display from the LCD viewfinder. (This last means that you could use a TV monitor as a "remote viewfinder" if you wanted to.) Through the Setup menu, you can set the Video Out signal to NTSC or PAL.
Power
The C-770 is powered by a rechargeable LI-10B battery pack or an optional AC adapter that can significantly extend battery life if you're doing a lot of downloads on the computer or working in a studio environment. The table below shows the power drain I measured in various operating modes for the C-770...
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(@4.8 volts on the external power terminal) |
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| Capture Mode, w/LCD |
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| Capture Mode, no LCD |
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| Half-pressed shutter w/LCD |
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| Half-pressed w/o LCD |
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| Memory Write (transient) |
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| Flash Recharge (transient) |
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| Image Playback |
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Overall, the C-770's battery life is low, even for an EVF-equipped camera, a fair bit worse than that of the C-765, and far below the level of the earlier C-750 model. Generally, the issue with EVFs is that you can't turn them off, so they continue to draw power whether you need them or not. (You can often save significant battery power on cameras with optical viewfinders, simply by leaving the LCD display turned off.) In its worst-case power-drain mode (capture mode, with the rear panel LCD display active), the C-770's projected run time is only 79 minutes, very much on the short side. The C-770's more powerful processor and bigger buffer memory evidently exact a high price relative to the lower-powered C-765 model. (Why on earth Olympus didn't choose to include their LI-12B battery with the C-770 is a mystery to me. The roughly 19% higher capacity would have been very welcome, given the C-770's higher power drain.) As always, I strongly recommend that you purchase an extra battery and keep it charged, advice that applies doubly for cameras like the C-770, with shorter than average battery life.
Included Software
The C-770 comes with a nice complement of software on the supplied CD. Direct camera control and image downloading are provided by Olympus' Camedia Master software package (version 4.2) for both Mac and Windows platforms (Macintosh OS 8.6-9.2/OS X, Windows 98/98SE/Me/2000 Pro/XP). USB drivers for both platforms and an Apple QuickTime reader are also included.
Camedia Master lets you download and organize images, as well as perform minor image correction and enhancement functions (such as adjusting contrast, sharpness, and color balance). For panoramic images, Camedia Master supplies a "stitching" utility to piece together shots vertically or horizontally. A complete printing utility works with the DPOF settings and allows you to print images directly to Olympus or other DPOF-compliant photo printers.
In the Box
In the US, the C-770 ship with the following items in the box::
- C-770 Ultra Zoom digital camera.
- 16MB xD-Picture Card.
- LI-10B battery pack and charger.
- USB cable.
- Video cable.
- Camedia Master software CD-ROM.
- Neck strap.
- Lens cap with strap.
- User manuals and registration card.
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