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Digital Product Reviews:
Olympus Camedia C-765 Ultra Zoom Digital Camera
Reviewed on September 15, 2005

Prior to the release of the Olympus Camedia C-765 Ultra Zoom, my camera of choice was the Camedia C-730 Ultra Zoom. I love my C-730, so I was anxious to see in what ways Olympus has moved forward and in what ways they’ve moved backwards.

Right off the bat, one of the best upgrades to the C-765 is that it is now a 4.0 megapixel camera instead of 3.2. And like with the C-730, the color reproduction in the C-765 is crisp and nice. But unfortunately, some new technology built into the C-765 tend to make pictures in low light not be as remarkable as they could.

Like with its predecessors, the C-765 still has a 10X optical zoom. It would be nice if this was an area they upgraded in the future, even though it’s still a massive step above other digital cameras and one of the main reasons I bought the Olympus Camedia Ultra Zoom in the first place.

One surprise to me was how much smaller the C-765 is compared to the C-730. But then I discovered why – the C-765 no longer allows you the option of using AA batteries. You now must use a Lithium battery. So it’s a give and take sacrifice as it’s a lot easier to pop into a 7-11 to get AA batteries than it is to wait for your Lithium battery to recharge. But still, this takes a lot of weight and bulkiness off of the camera, which makes it easier to use and carry.

The C-765 still uses an electronic viewfinder. Once you get used to this, it’s great. But getting used to it could take several picture trips.

One big improvement is the ability to see your LCD screen in bright sunlight. No more having to hold your hand over the screen or ask people to go indoors to see what you took – nice!

The flexibility of the C-765 (and all Olympus Camedia Ultra Zoom models) is one of its best benefits. Next to the shudder is a dial control that gives you manual control over the camera or optimal settings for night shots, actions shots, etc. I’ve found myself using these controls often for better control over my photos, although I must admit that more than once I’ve forgotten to change the setting back from the last time I used the camera.

To some, the camera may appear bulky (even though it is a lot lighter and smaller than it’s predecessors.) There’s a reason for this, though. It’s a trade off – in order to achieve a 10 X optical zoom, the camera has to be larger to accommodate the zoom functions of the lens.

Overall the C-765 is an excellent camera. I’m anxious for them to come out with a 5 megapixel, 12 X optical zoom camera. Now that would be sweet.

If you decide to buy the C-765 be sure to also buy a 256mb XD memory card. The Olympus C-765 comes with a 16mb card, which is just plain embarrassing on the part of Olympus.