Wet and wild with Olympus Mju Stylus 770SW

By Alex Villafania
INQUIRER.net

FEW digital camera companies make products that are resistant to shock. Fewer still make camera models that are waterproof. The rare breeds make digital cameras that are shock- and waterproof. Japanese firm Olympus already had a product that could be truly called a bring-anytime-anywhere digital camera, the Mju Stylus 720SW, launched a year ago.

However, Olympus took it a notch higher when it released the Mju Stylus 770SW a year later. This particular model retains much of the same form factor as its older brethren, the 720SW, but now it comes in three types of industrial type colors (titanium gray, bronze and royal blue). Likewise, the 770SW also has much of the same features as the 720SW with a lot of new add-ons, particularly its antifreeze feature that allows the 770SW to work in weather as cold as 10 degrees below zero without its internal electronic components ever freezing up or its lens and LCD cracking.

The first thing one would notice with the 770SW is its solid but surprisingly lightweight body. For such a small device (91.8 millimeters by 59.2 mm by 20.6 mm) it can withstand external forces most digital cameras its size and even bigger could not. Olympus makes several claims regarding the unit, particularly being shock-proof at a height of five feet, waterproof at 33 feet, freeze-proof at negative 10 degrees Celsius and crush-proof at 100 kilograms (that’s the weight of almost two men). Normally, no one would want to do extreme stress testing on any electronic device unless allowed by the manufacturer (in my case, distributor Axis Global) but I was tempted to do so — of course with a little control.

For the waterproof test, the 770SW was sunk in water for about 20 minutes in off mode, then turned on while still underwater, taking pictures and some videos. It worked as if it were still on dry land. In fact, the 770SW has one pre-set scene function that allows it to snap images underwater, which makes it extra-advantageous to use. Clear water and available sunlight, however, are necessary to get better images and usually the subject has to be at least six feet from the camera to get a decent shot. Nonetheless, the 770SW does a good job in an underwater setting.

Next was the shock- and crush-proof test: the camera, while turned on, was dropped from a height of five feet. Of course, it was wrapped in its cotton bag to prevent scratches, and, if disaster strikes, prevent debris from flying all over. So far, the unit was still intact and in good working condition. Then I stepped on it for a brief three seconds to test its crush resistance. Still working. Both tests were never done again. Why? I can’t risk intentionally destroying a P30, 000 digital camera in the name of proving Olympus claims. I give Olympus the benefit of the doubt.

For the freeze-proof claim, the best testing ground for that is none other than a refrigerator. My freezer goes below negative 5 degrees Celsius and can make ice in about 45 minutes. The 770SW was placed inside the freezer while it was powered down and left for about five minutes. Afterwards, the unit was switched on and left inside for another five minutes (take note that the LCD monitor turns off after one minute if not used to save battery). Fearing that I’ve frozen the unit, I took it out after five minutes and switched it on. If it had a mind of its own, it would have told me, “You’re pwnd.”

I was also tempted to do a heat resistance test out of curiosity. Of course, I couldn’t expose the 770SW to an open flame unless approved by the manufacturer or distributor. Nor did I let it be electrified to see its resistance to electric shock, but then I don’t have a way to do so without risking injury to myself.

Those tests, despite being somewhat controlled, do prove that the 770SW does an outstanding job in protecting itself from normally dangerous incidents that could be fatal for any electronic device, much less a digital camera.

Some digital camera users lose their units for several reasons, mostly due to fatal five-foot drops or electrical shock due to water seeping into the sensitive components. The 770SW’s body is made up of solid metal plates perfectly screwed together and blocked with rubber lining inside to prevent water seepage. Even potential entry points (the gaps between the buttons, the battery/memory card slot, video output, lens and speaker holes) are perfectly covered to keep water out. What still makes me curious is how the huge 2.5-inch LCD screen remains in perfect working condition despite all the stress tests. Normally, this would be the first to go during extreme temperature changes or sudden drops. Perhaps it’s the thick plastic glass that is appropriately screwed down. Nevertheless, the manufacturer did a pretty good job of protecting the entire unit.

But the 770SW as a digital camera also has brains apart from brawn. It has several key digital camera features that are mostly found in mid-level models.

Basically, the Mju Stylus 770SW has a resolution of up to 7.1 megapixels, a 3x optical zoom (mechanical parts are neatly stored inside the small frame), a 5x digital zoom; speedy shutter speed of 0.5-1/1000; 15 frames per second video recording with resolution of 640×480; ISO Auto from 80, 100, 200 and 400 and manual from 800 to 1600.

The 770SW also has pre-set 24 scene modes depending on the scenery and available light. This allows the user to just activate a mode appropriate to the scene. These include landscape, portrait, nigh scene, sunset, fireworks, behind glass, documents, underwater and snow, among others. The camera also has a redeye fix to remove those freaky red spots on the eyes of your subjects.

The main menu shows all the camera functions, from playback, slideshows, calendar, photo erasing/transfer and favorites. It does take a while to learn the interface — the learning curve is about one to two hours.

For a camera with so many internal features, the 770SW makes sure that everything is light and simple. It has no more than nine separate buttons (including the round multi-directional button). Normally, the rest of the buttons have only one function but the Menu, Function and Photo mode buttons have two and can be activated by either holding them down or pressing twice consecutively.

The Olympus Mju Stylus 770SW deserves the praise of digital users who want a simple yet ready-to-go unit. It has most of the high-end functions that would satisfy amateur photographers but is tough enough to survive being dropped on a hard surface, drowned in water or frozen for minutes on end. It is a bit expensive at around P30, 000, but being tough does come at a price.

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