Olympus Stylus 770SW 7.1MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom
Many compact and sub-compact cameras are deemed ready to “go anywhere” because of their size, but the Olympus Stylus 770 SW takes that descriptor to a whole other level. This camera can go where others cannot; in fact, the 770SW may be more resistant to the elements than the person using it. Outdoor enthusiasts, scuba divers and snorkelers, beachgoers, boaters, skiers, and anyone whose shooting habits expose their digital camera to conditions that could easily damage other models will feel at ease when using the 770SW. And with its basic feature set, outdoor enthusiasts — regardless of whether they’re on the slopes or under the sea — can spend their time enjoying their activities rather than fussing with camera settings. Even those who are less than enthusiastic about the great outdoors will appreciate not having to worry about dropping the camera, and can rest easy if they accidentally sit down while the Olympus 770 SW is stowed in a back pocket. And if there are kids in the house, mom and dad can rest easy that even the most mischievous child will have a hard time damaging this tough little camera.

Some users may find the lack of manual controls frustrating, but considering that the Olympus 770 SW is designed to be used under challenging conditions, such as underwater or at the beach, the on-board editing features to adjust brightness and saturation will come in handy for minor adjustments. Not surprisingly, there’s also a post-processing redeye fix. Those who want to be a little more creative can quickly convert color to black and white or sepia, choose from a small assortment of decorative frames and add a text message (Congratulations, Happy Birthday, etc.), all without a computer. With these onboard features, direct Olympus 770 SW’s PictBridge printing is more appealing, since you can tweak images in-camera prior to outputting the photo.

Design.
The 770SW’s body is attractively designed. Our test model featured a duotone stainless steel body with black accents; but the camera is also available in bronze or royal blue for photographers who want to add a little more style to their picture-taking. The Olympus 770 SW is a little heavier than others of its size but its stainless steel body is incredibly sturdy and is sealed against the elements with special gaskets and O-rings. Yet, the Olympus 770SW is small enough to be extremely portable.

Scuba divers and snorkelers will appreciate the Olympus Stylus 770 SW’s negative buoyancy, which means that it won’t float up and hit your mask while you’re underwater. On the other hand, the camera will sink if you let go of it, important to know if you’re using the camera on a boat and it falls overboard. If you plan to use the camera underwater, you may want to purchase an adjustable wrist strap to help prevent it slipping off your wrist when you’re swimming. Alternatively, you can use a lanyard or attach it to your BCD (buoyancy control device or vest) when diving.

The Olympus 770 SW’s 2.5-inch LCD is large enough to easily see the menus, but the controls are very small and can be difficult to use. With gloves — which you’ll surely need to test out its ability to withstand temperatures as cold as 14 degrees — the buttons are even harder to use. Divers who wear gloves will also find it difficult to operate the camera. The power button is tiny and lies mostly recessed into to the top edge of the camera. The elongated shutter button is easy to identify by feel, resting as it does in a wide, sculpted notch. A half-dozen small square buttons reside on the rear of the camera and may present a challenge to photographers with large hands. I had a few problems locating and pressing the Zoom, Mode, Playback, Menu, and Print/share controls because each button is identified only by a small, white painted word or icon. Until I memorized the function of each button, I had to tilt the camera to read the subtle white-on-silver markings.

A surprisingly large speaker sits above the Olympus 770SW’s Four-way controller and to the right of the Mode and Playback buttons and provides a thumb rest for the otherwise gripless camera. Unfortunately, the lens is positioned high and to the left, making it easy to inadvertently place a finger (or two) in front of it. Generally I noticed the misplaced digit in time to avoid ruining the picture.

Of all the controls, the most annoying — besides the power button — was the Four-way controller. Although not as tiny as some I’ve used on small cameras, it’s not very responsive to the touch, and with the large extension of metal that holds the wrist strap, it’s sometimes awkward to press the right side of the controller to change the flash mode. It’s also too easy to mistakenly press the Olympus 770 SW’s Function button that sits in the center of the controller. However, the Function button’s size and slight rise above the controller’s inner ring makes this the easiest control to access.

The camera’s virtual menu is attractive, but because it’s different from the more standard tabbed menu systems, it may take a little while to get used to. And since you have to exit one menu system to access another, it’s far less convenient than the more traditional tabbed navigation.

Display/Viewfinder.
The Stylus 770 SW, like most cameras in its class, does not have an optical viewfinder. Its 2.5-inch LCD is sufficiently bright to use comfortably under almost all conditions, but it was often too reflective to use effectively in direct sunlight. Although the monitor brightens under low light conditions, the monitor sometimes lagged when gaining up so it appeared to blink from dark to light and back again.

In unusually dark conditions, I used the bright white LED Illuminator on the Olympus 770 SW to light up the scene, which made it easier to compose the shot, helped autofocus lock in and seemed to eliminate the “blinking.” This lamp can also be used as a lamp for macro shooting, or just as a flashlight.

The refresh rate on the Olympus 770 SW’s display was a little slow and the visual blurred for a split second when I moved the camera to re-compose. But the monitor exhibited very little grain under low light.

Unfortunately, the LCD’s information display did not show the shutter speed or aperture, so there were times I was concerned about whether or not I could handhold the camera in low light. In Playback, full image data — including shutter speed and aperture — was available on-screen so I used that to gather shutter speed information and assume that a similar shutter speed would be used under the same conditions. But not seeing the shutter speed prior to depressing the shutter fully is one of my pet peeves and I was disappointed that this information was missing from the LCD in Record mode.

Performance.
The Olympus 770 SW certainly won’t break any speed records when it comes to performance. Powering on the camera was a little slower than average and operation slowed every time the camera accessed the xD card to read or write image data. Shot-to-shot time was sluggish, and was noticeably slower when the flash was engaged. While shutter lag increased under low light conditions thanks to a somewhat pokey autofocus, both AF and shutter lag performance were improved under bright light. Scrolling through images in Playback mode was sufficiently speedy.

As mentioned earlier, operating the controls can be frustrating because of their diminutive size and the unresponsiveness of the Four-way controller. Having to cycle through the mode button to switch from standard Record to Digital image stabilization mode, and then having to push the button again to reach the Scene mode menu is something most people can get used to, but the multiple button pushes, as well as the separate menus, added a little extra frustration to camera navigation. There’s no dedicated button for the Olympus 770 SW’s Movie mode; rather, you have to first get into the Scene mode menu, then scroll down to Movie mode to shoot video clips.

Though the Olympus 770 SW is powered by a small rechargeable lithium-ion battery, battery life is below average for a camera of its class, particularly if you spend a lot of time editing or reviewing images in Playback. For extended outings, such as camping trips or long vacation days, you might want to buy an extra battery.

But the Olympus 770 SW’s small built-in flash has a decent reach of 12.5 feet at wide angle, which is slightly above average for cameras in its class. With and without flash, the camera’s auto white balance did a good job of producing accurate colors under a variety of lighting conditions. Still, image quality was definitely a mixed bag. Colors were generally accurate, although less than vibrant, and the 770SW did a good job making well-balanced exposures. On the other hand, images were slightly soft and we noticed purple and green aberrations along high-contrast edges. Image noise was also a problem at higher ISOs, further exacerbating the images’ soft quality. When shooting in the available light scene mode, the camera reached ISOs of 2000-2500, resulting in high image noise and color artifacts. However, I was surprised that the results weren’t worse. Bottom line, though, is that image quality is not this camera’s strong suit; the Olympus 770 SW’s rugged build is where it shines. Nevertheless, images shot at lower ISOs will be fine for smaller sized prints where the lack of sharpness and fine detail won’t be as visible as they might be with larger output. Given the right shooting conditions (bright light, with good contrast) and perhaps a little sharpening in Adobe Photoshop or Elements, 8 x 10 inch prints hung on the wall should be okay, too.

Shooting.
Although there were some constraints, I tried to test the Olympus 770 SW under a variety of conditions to see whether it lived up to its rough-and-tumble claims. I dropped it several times on a variety of surfaces. I took it out in sub-freezing temperatures (although they were just-barely below freezing). Weighing far less than the camera’s crushproof threshold of 220 pounds, I even stood on the camera with one foot for a few minutes. This might not be the ideal test, but the camera was no worse for the wear after I completed my circus-like balancing act. Perhaps more telling was the 45 minutes the camera spent sitting outside in a late spring snowfall with the video mode engaged. Again, the Olympus 770 SW was fine afterward, there was no fogging of the lens when I brought the camera into the house, and aside from some low grade hissing, the video looked pretty good.

Because of its small size, I was able to carry the Olympus 770 SW around easily, whether on a long walk or just around the neighborhood. It was a little too big to slip into a small shirt pocket but it tucked away nicely into a daypack and was fairly comfortable around the neck hanging from a lanyard. High noon isn’t the best time to take pictures, but an early afternoon walk meant that I had to deal with the bright light, which made it difficult to see the LCD unless I was careful about how I positioned myself and the camera when shooting. To review images, I tried to step into the shade to avoid the reflection of the sun on the monitor.

Most of my test shots were landscapes, and I was pleasantly surprised that the 770 SW’s auto white balance managed to provide even, natural lighting when shooting a lake, its shores covered in snow. The exposure was accurate as well. Late afternoon/early evening shots were a little more difficult, however. I had no way of knowing the shutter speed, since there’s no manual shutter speed (or aperture) control, nor does the shutter speed appear on the LCD when the shutter button is depressed halfway. At wide angle, minimum aperture is a relatively slow f/3.5, and I didn’t want to risk high image noise using digital image stabilization, so a few blurry landscape shots told me it was time to head home and put the camera away. I did feel comfortable knowing that I didn’t have to treat the Olympus 770 SW with kid gloves when I was outdoors.

Summary.
This point-and-shoot camera’s rugged body, which is sealed against the elements and capable of withstanding rough handling, is otherwise fairly standard for its class. But the fact that the Olympus 770 SW is water/freeze/crush/shock-proof makes it stand out from the rest. Outdoor enthusiasts may well be able to overlook some of its performance and image quality shortcomings, as well as its basic feature set, knowing that the Olympus Stylus 770 SW can handle whatever physical challenges are thrown its way. Caution when using Digital Image Stabilization, the Available Light Scene mode, and high ISOs should help prevent most image noise, giving snapshooters a way to capture decent — albeit not great — images of their outdoor adventures.

Basic Features

• 7.1-megapixel CCD
• 3x optical zoom lens (equivalent to a 38-114mm lens on a 35mm camera)
• 5x digital zoom.
• 2.5-inch color LCD monitor
• Automatic exposure
• Built-in flash with red-eye reduction
• xD Picture Card up to 2GB
• 18MB internal memory
• USB full speed connection
• Rechargeable Lithium battery and charger included
• Software for Mac and PC; Windows Vista compatible

Special Features

• Shockproof, waterproof, freezeproof, and crushproof (to a limit)
• ISO from 80-1600
• Digital image stabilization
• Twenty-four scene modes, including movie mode, with text descriptions
• Black and White, Sepia effects in playback
• Post-capture on-board editing for redeye, brightness, saturation
• Decorative frames and text greetings
• Organizational tools (favorites, calendar)
• Image resize
• Built-in alarm clock
• Panorama stitch assist
• Shutter speed from 1/2 sec. - 1/1000 sec; up to 4 sec. in Night Scene Mode
• Multi-metering and Spot metering modes
• White balance (color) adjustment: automatic and six presets
• DPOF (Digital Print Order Format), PictBridge printing compatibility
• Movie recording with sound

In the Box

The retail package contains the following items:

• Olympus 770 SW camera
• Wrist strap
• Rechargeable Lithium battery and charger
• USB cable
• AV cable
• Printed manual; “Maintaining Water Resistance” instruction guide; software installation guide
• Software CD Olympus Master 2; User Registration; muvee theaterPack (trial version; Windows only)

Recommended Accessories

• Large capacity xD card (These days, 512MB is a good tradeoff between cost and capacity but you’ll need a larger card, preferably high speed, for shooting long video clips.)
• Extra battery pack for extended outings
• Adjustable wrist strap for underwater shooting so you can snug it down around your wrist

Conclusion

Pro:

• Compact, sleek design
• Rugged build, sealed against elements
• Shockproof
• Waterproof
• Freezeproof
• Crushproof
• Submersible to 33 feet with no time limits
• Special underwater scene modes
• On-demand LED Illuminator Lamp
• On-board editing functions
• Large LCD
• ISO up to 1600
• Minimal shutter lag when prefocused
• High ISO images are relatively usable even at ISO 800 and 1600 when printed at 4×6
• Excellent close-up shooting, especially in Super Macro mode

Cons:

• Full autofocus shutter response is sluggish by current standards
• No manual aperture and shutter-speed controls
• Control sequences can be confusing to operate
• Digital image stabilization (automatic increase of ISO)
• Even low ISO images exhibit mushy color
• Indoor images shot with Auto White Balance are warm to the point of appearing sepia
• Chromatic aberration is high at wide angle
• Subdued color gives images a washed out, or faded look
• Contrast is a little high, tends to lose highlight and shadow detail under harsh lighting (does better than most in its class though)
• Flash is weak
• Close spacing between flash tube and lens may lead to red-eye problems
• No optical viewfinder
• Mode button is easily activated accidentally

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I am sure you heard backpacking before. Backpacking is a great way to see the world on a budget. However, I sometimes feel that people have the wrong impression as to what backpacking is all about. Therefore, I’d like to provide my thoughts and advice on what backpacking IS and IS NOT.

Backpacking IS:

1. A budget travel strategy that stresses blending in, and living like the people to develop a better understanding of the culture.
2. A mobile and flexible way to travel, where the traveler is free to change plans as much as they like.
3. An activity that requires you to pack light and live on the essentials. A few changes of clothes, and whatever gadgets or daily essentials you have is enough. Like point 2 says, you have to be mobile, don’t weigh yourself down with a bunch of crap.
4. By definition an economic way to travel. The idea is that you travel on a budget so that you can extend your travels as far as your budget can take you.
5. Moving slow, and getting off the beaten track. You are one (or maybe two) people with no deadlines, responsibilities, etc. Take advantage of that.
6. Sometimes a stationary activity. If you find a place you really enjoy, stay there for a couple of weeks, months, years! Learn more about it, and have fun. Why not?
7. A learning experience. You can learn so much about yourself, others, the world, what’s really important, and a lot more. It’s very important to remain open and allow yourself this growth.
8. Whatever you want to make it.

Backpacking IS NOT:

1. An activity exclusively undertaken by hippies, hobos, or other people that don’t understand the importance of personal hygiene. You are free to bathe as much as you like.
2. An activity for large groups of friends. I would say it is best to either travel independently or with one friend. This allows you greater mobility, and a much better opportunity to blend in.
3. An activity that even requires a backpack. I know the word “backpacking” kind of implies that you have something strapped to your back, but personally I think those 100 gallon backpacks that you see people toting around the world kind of defeat the purpose. In my opinion, you don’t need all that stuff, it doesn’t all need to be carried on your back, it makes moving around extremely cumbersome, and it makes you stick out like a sore thumb.
4. All fun. It’s an adventure. It’s not uncommon to get robbed, lost, stuck out in the rain, pissed off, homesick, etc.
5. Just hitting all the major sites, then going home. DO NOT simply hop from site to site, it is an unnecessarily expensive and exhausting way to travel, that prevents you from being able to experience and enjoy each individual area.
6. Spending all day in the internet cafe.
7. A waste of time or a hole in your resume. I personally feel that traveling has helped me to learn about myself as a person, understand my strengths and weaknesses, develop a better understanding of the world and how it works, and even develop many applicable skills like fluency in foreign languages, ability to operate under adverse conditions, creative thinking, etc. In my experience most employers feel the same way.

Professional Backpacking

For some people, backpacking is a necessary and integral part of their job.
In the military a framed backpack is referred to as a “rucksack” or simply a “ruck”. Soldiers who serve in the militaries of most nation-states usually receive at least some rudimentary backpacking training while infantrymen are often trained to a more advanced backpacking skill level.

They share many common attributes with amateur backpackers: being self-contained, use of land-navigation skills and actively minimizing their environmental foot-print. Although there are also a few differences such as the need to carry an assault rifle, other weapons, ammunition and communication equipment as well as at times maintaining “noise and light discipline”, which means remaining silent and in darkness to avoid detection.

Other professional backpackers may be scientific and academic researchers, professional guides, photographers, park-rangers and “search & rescue” personnel.

Winter Backpacking

Although backpacking in the winter is rewarding, it can be dangerous and generally requires more gear. Backpackers may need skis or snowshoes to traverse deep snow, or crampons to cross ice. Cotton clothing, which absorbs moisture and chills the body, is particularly dangerous in cold weather, so backpackers stick to synthetic materials or materials that won’t hold moisture.

Special low-temperature sleeping bags and tents can be expensive, but will be more comfortable than many layers of warm clothing. However when hiking in cold weather it is always better to hike with varying layers of clothing so that as the body heats up layers can be taken off without causing the wearer to sweat or become very chilled.

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