I was looking for a digicam with ultra zoom that I could basically use for point and shoot purposes along with video. I went to the Steves-digicams.com website and found this in the category of "best of" under the super zoom cameras. Turned out this was the smallest size brand of zoom cams and was actually under $300 at another reputable online store. I decided to give it a try and figured that Olympus specializes in cameras so it shouldn't be too bad.

At first, I couldn't believe the camera was so small. When I started playing around with it, I was pleasantly surprised that the video function lasted more than the usual 3 minute limit that most other cameras have. I tested it up to 5 min then turned it off. I also was happpy with the zoom and the pop-up flash. Often, I take it to b-ball games and other events and don't want the flash accidentally going off. Picture quality outside is great but inside, its a bit suspect. But I'm not really anal about all my shots. The shot-taking speed is a bit slower than the Canon A75 I used and that is a bit annoying but its ok.

Overall, if you want a great zoom camera thats smaller than any other, is a good value, and is versatile then get this camera.

I really like this camera. The biggest bonus to the camera is how adaptable it is. If you are a novice, it can be used as a simple point-and-shoot camera, and it has several scene selections (portrait, landscape, sport, night, etc.). If you are a more advanced user, this camera is great too. It has several levels of customizability: choose one function and allow the camera to determine the rest, or you can select ALL the settings yourself.

The camera has threads on the lens, so it is essentially upgradeable, with more advanced telephoto (not that you need it with a 10X optical zoom built in), macro and other lens attachments available through Olympus. Or you could attach filters. It is as close as you can get to an SLR without paying an arm and a leg.

The C-765UZ has an electronic viewfinder. Many people don't like EVFs, but I love it. I have some visual difficulties, and sometimes can't really see through an optical viewfinder. The EVF is very bright and clear. It is even manageable in low light settings. It was the brightest EVF of any camera in its class that I tested.

Many people may say that the C-765UZ is a little pricey compared to other 10X zoom cameras. However, those other brands are usually 3MP instead of the 4MP of the C-765UZ. In addition, the optics on the Olympus C-Series is generally superior to those other camera. Remember you get what you pay for!! Plus the C-765 is the SMALLEST 10X optical zoom camera on the market today (Spring 2005).

The only complaints I have are with the packaged accessories. Olympus only provides a 16MB xD card, so you need to add a 256MB card to your initial purchase. Also, Olympus provides the Li-10B rechargeable battery, but the "replacement" 12B battery has a higher capacity. It would have been nice to get the better battery in the initial bundle. Oh, and speaking of batteries, the C-765UZ ONLY takes the rechargeable Li-10B/12B batteries, so if your battery is running low you can't just throw in a few AA's to get by until another charge. It keeps the size and weight down, but trades convenience.

We bought it before Christmas and while it took us some time to get used to it (as this is our first digital camera), we can now say that it is indeed a great camera. It's totally worth its price. It's not great for candid shots due to some lag time, but otherwise it captures beautiful pictures. I didn't think that we really needed the 10X zoom until we went to a graduation ceremony and was able to take great shots despite the distance from the podium. We found that the pictures are less blurry when you rely on the viewfinder rather than the monitor. (I would also recommend saving all of your pictures until you load them on the computer, as the actual detail/quality is not entirely evident when viewed on the camera monitor.) The video quality isn't great, but proved to be a bonus benefit when traveling and catching unique performances.

In terms of cons: as mentioned earlier, some lag time compared to a traditional point-and-click; incorrect settings (as the dial is easily turned when taken out of the camera bag - but that's probably just our problem); and short battery life (especially when you use the LCD monitor). I bought an extra battery via Amazon (one of the cheapo kinds) which worked out really well. Also, when you get a larger memory card, make sure to get SanDisk/Olympus instead of Fuji, as the latter does not support the panaromic setting.

Finally, as mentioned in a previous review, it is best to print out the manual (double paged) from the CD.

Good luck!

I reviewed tons of digital cameras before buying the C765. I'm glad I did. This camera is lightweight and small which is what I was looking for. The 10X zoom is great! I've gotten clear shots at full zoom w/o a tripod almost every time. The macro and super macros are awesome. The pic quality is absolutely incredible. The battery life is good, using the flash it's going to putter out sooner so I recommend getting a spare. Recharge on the battery is quick too. You will need a 256 card right away. I was worried about the electronic viewfinder, but it's not posed a problem at all. Most of the 10X zooms, at least all that I reviewed, have EVF's. I've only had a few problems focusing indoors. Like all digital cameras there's a minor lag and if your toddler moves as you're taking the pic, you'll get a blurry shot. This is such a minor problem considering how many great shots I have gotten in and outdoors. I've had this camera for 6 months now and just love it. I was able to use it right out of the box. I still have more to learn about it, but have been having great success w/ the auto settings, I've not needed to play w/ the manual ones yet. I will!

This is the first digi cam ive owned and its great. The picture have good color and clarity. It works good for nature or scenery pictures. I am very satisfied with it, seems worth the money. This is probably going to be your best bet if you are looking at a superzoom camera. It is the smallest superzoom out there. And really Id only consider gettin a Olympus or Canon. Despite what I say below Id highly recomend this camera. These are the only quirks that i see that may deter someone from gettin this camera
For low light pictures like dusk or dawn the pictures have some noise or graininess. I also recomend buying a back up battery, the battery that comes with the camera can last up to around 250 pictures, depending on whether you use the lcd. I have a 512 xd card which works great you can take around 230 pictures if you set the camera to 4 mega pixels. The size is considerably less than the c-750 and its lighter weight too. This is probably not the camera for some one who doesnt need high resolution pictures or 10x zoom. There is no image stabalizer so it can be hard to take pictures at 10x. Action shots can be tricky too and blurry. I usally use the custom settings for taking pictures of moving objects. I love this camera Ive alerady taken tons of pictures with it. A very good option for if you are looking for 10x optical lens

I shoot thousands of close up pictures per year of American Indian jewelry for my website (most at a distance of 8" to 24"). See Chacodog.com for real examples of close up photos from this camera. I'd been using an Olympus C3020 for the last three years and liked it very much, both for ease of use and the true color it produced. All such shots are taken outdoors and everything is taken on auto settings in macro mode. It was time to step up and I was favorably disposed to Olympus cameras (I have a Canon SD10 ELPH and, while it's okay, it's not as easy to use the menus as on an Olympus and it seems to yield colors that are a little more vivid than what you shoot). I chose this camera because there was no point going beyond 4 megapixels for web photos (most people reduce their photos in size to send them via e-mail, etc. and throw out half or more of the pixels, so anything beyond 4 megapixels is for the thin air crowd, i.e., pros). Cutting to the chase: I was stunned by shots I got effortlessly with this camera. Particularly, it was easier to shoot in several different light conditions with it and the C765 would adjust automatically for conditions and create a great shot whereas my old C3020 could produce a great shot on auto but the light had to be within much narrower perameters for success. This camera also has super macro, which I needed because I sometimes shoot objects that are too small for the C3020 to focus on properly at 8" and beyond (which is the closest it will work). The C765 will get you to within 1 1/2" on super macro. Okay, granted, this is very specialized as a need, but someone out there needs this for the same reason--shooting close ups for eBay, for example, if you're running in eBay's hamster wheel, on their treadmill, working in their salt mine. I found that this camera produced much less noise than the C3020 and I still prefer Olympus colors to those produced by my Canon ELPH. I may shoot thousands of photos per year, but it's wash and wear photography. It has to be true for color, but I don't have time to do much more than crop, re-size and re-name photos. I can't take hours touching up photos (which wouldn't necessarily yield a true photo, just a pretty one). I need a camera that does most of the work automatically and permits me to shoot up to 200 photos in a session with a high rate of success and produces honest shots which don't need tweaking. This has a vastly improved speed on focusing and just knocks out the photo right. I make a living with this camera and it carries its weight and more. My only regret? That I spent too long shooting with the C3020 before upgrading. I just figured that any problems with my pictures were my fault and eventually I got to where I had a 90+% rate of success with the C3020. Who cares if it was my fault--moron or not, I can shoot great pictures faster, more consistently and effortlessly with this machine.

I was also intrigued by the zoom power on this camera and hoped that getting all these features wouldn't bugger the most important one for me--close ups. Anyway, I've used the zoom at outdoor track meets and gotten great, clear shots from 50 or 60 feet. And I've used the high-speed sports setting coupled with sequential shooting at track meets to get crystal clear shots of track events with runners at full speed (100 meters finish, coverage of all eight lanes in the curve on the 4 x 100).

Had I paid a little more attention when buying this, I would have bought the C770 to get the MPEG video and the remote control (though I might never use either one). I find the battery life on a charge is wholly acceptable and I always have a spare battery charged. Likewise, I prefer having two xD cards of 256--it's plenty of pictures to shoot without uploading to the computer and a larger card just isn't necessary for me. Great deal on the 256's, so no sense in buying 128's. In short, buy an extra battery and two cards (the one they give you has zero capacity, it's just so they can say they gave you a card with the camera). I bought the bullet proof case for ten bucks or so and it will fit the camera and extra cards and batteries and is good enough while keeping the size small.

I don't see how you could go wrong with this camera.

My husband just bought us this camera, and we love it. We're both long-time photographers, and have run the gamut from high-end SLRs to PHDs (Push Here Dummy.) This camera is excellent for everything we do with it, from adding images to our website (see www.pathfindersfarm.com to compare some photos which were scanned in to those which came straight from the camera) to selling things on Ebay, to making prints to send to grandparents.

It is simple to use, easy to get started (no need to read the entire manual unless that's your thing), and painless to transfer files to computer or printer. I do agree that a larger memory card is a must-have from the get-go, and we also purchased the USB reader, although you can connect the camera directly to your computer with the provided cable if you wish.

The only downside I've found is that it can be hard to see the screen in bright daylight, but it's easy enough to switch to the viewfinder in those situations. The color is clear, the depth of field excellent, and the detail glorious. If you're thinking of buying this camera for home or light office work, don't hesitate, go for it!

I've had an SLR most of my life and several point and shoot models, plus an inexpensive digital. This is the best camera I've ever owned! It'll take me 6 months to figure out all the things it does do!

One GREAT thing about this camera...it is NOT HP! I had an HP digital and then bought and HP 3 in 1 printer thinking they'd compliment each other. WRONG! HP makes nice hardware but they have the BUGGIEST software going! The camera's software actually conflicted with the Printer's software and both were HP!

Now, no worries and no ugly "dock" to stick it in (that only works about half the time too). This camera just plugs directly into the computer and download away with NO conflicts! The Camedia software is nice, if rudimentry. I would advise a Print Shop Pro type program to REALLY work with your pictures, particularly if you do any web hosting/posting.

I took a picture of our black german shepherd at dusk, sitting in a shadow covered corner of the house and did NOT use the flash, just to see what would come out (the HP camera would have rendered a black screen). With no flash I got a GREAT picture of our dog without that possessed look that you get when your dog looks directly into the flash. Just amazing pictures. I took another one of the flowering bush outside out house THROUGH the window and there is no way you could tell! My daughter commented that the picture was nice enough to put on a calendar. And she's right.

For less than $300 this camera takes fantastic pictures. Of course you have to have an eye for your photo taking too. I have a friend who bought a $1200 camera and his pictures stink because he thought a more expensive camera would make him a better photographer....WRONG!!! hahahahaha!!

You can macro set this camera (ultra close ups) or shoot sports or shoot in just about no light at all. If you want one camera that'll last you for years to come, this is it!

Olympus is known for great lenses and the C765 is no exception. Outdoor shots are terrific, indoors the camera tends to hunt to focus (Olympus did not equip the camera with focus assist beam for indoor shots, hence the 4 stars). Menus are intuitive and customizable so you have your most used functions 1 button away. Overall, a great cam for the money. After cam purchase, be sure to go to olycap.com and buy the nifty little aftermarket product that protects the C765's lens. It looks cool too.

I just treated myself to this camera as an early birthday present and, I must admit, I am quite impressed. This is my first "quality" digital camera and I am very happy with it so far. After ordering it, I received the camera within four days and have been snapping at least 10-30 pictures a day for the past week to familiarize myself with the many different settings that it provides.

Before committing to this camera, I did quite a bit of research online; reading reviews and deciding on what type of camera would best fit my current and future needs. I am a novice photo snapper, and after buying this camera I must say that I can see myself getting into photography as a hobby. This camera offers a wide range of manual settings. It has a full manual mode that allows you to control the aperture, shutter speed, and ISO setting (64-400) along with manual focusing, for when the camera just can't seem to get a good lock on what you want it to. The 10x optical zoom was one of the selling points for me, as using digital zoom degrades your final photo quite a bit. It does have a digital zoom option, however I will never use it for that reason (which is one of the "lies" of digital camera marketing). As far as picture resolution goes, the C765 has 5 different quality modes (TIFF, SHQ, HQ, SQ1, SQ2), each of which has it's own resolution modes along with it. So, for the casual picture of friends and family that you might take, 1280x960 (SQ1, High) would be more than enough to print a quality 4x6 picture for the photo album. However, personally, I like having the option of using extremely high resolution (TIFF, 2288x1712) for those pictures where you would want more detail and may like to print a larger copy.

There are few things that I must recommend when buying this camera. You absolutely must buy a bigger memory card, as the included 16MB card is just not enough. This camera has a movie mode as well, and 16MB only gives you a 14 second movie before the card is full. I bought a 256MB card along with it and, at 1600x1200, you can fit 182 pictures on it (with approx. 13 minutes of video if you want to use it). Another accessory that I highly recommend is another battery (Li12B). I have found with my tinkering that the included battery (Li10B) will only last for 1 - 1 1/2 hours of continuous use (with the LCD on). It sounds like a long enough time but you definately should have at least one extra battery just in case. Lastly, I highly recommend a tripod. I have found it quite hard to keep my hands steady enough to take a sharp picture at full zoom... plus using the manual settings you can have the shutter open for up to 15 seconds (for night photos, extremely low light, and creative photos), and it's close to impossible to get a non-blurry picture at that setting.

So, to end my rather lengthy review of this camera, I highly recommend this camera to any user who wants complete control over his/her photos. It is definately a learning experience deciding when to use specific settings, but taking the time to go through the manual (full manual on the software cd) will give you a better understanding of the finer points of digital photography. I look forward to experimenting with all of the options that are available to me and hope that my review of this camera helps someone else decide upon this excellent camera for the relatively low price.

My 4-years-old Fuji digital camera was dead because I left it outside and get rained for two days. I spend quiet a lot time searching for a upgrade. Cannon A95 almost got my attention because its good review on Amazon. However, it am tired of small zoom. Then this Olympus C765 with 10X zoom got my attation. It has all the advanced functions I would like to have: movie, sequntial shoot, several preset shoot modes. This one has everything. Then I bought it finally. I just finished the first round of testing. The pics are great, the color is beautiful, the zoom is amazing. The sofeware and manul is very easy to use. I am glad that I have the perfect upgrade.

I bought this camera a couple of months ago. I chose it for its high optical zoom. The pictures that I took came out fine. After using it for 2-3 times I noticed there was a play lens assembly. When the camera is in ON mode and the lens mounts in extended position, the lens mount shakes laterally -up, down and sideways (parallel to the body of the camera). I sent it back to Olympus to be repaired. The camera was returned today and the only comment that the Olympus guys have, is that "the play in the lens is normal". And to my great agitation, now the lens mount shakes even in the closed position, ie. when it is mostly embedded in the body. So now I am stuck with a camera that I am almost afraid to use, because its lens feels like it could disassemble from the body any moment. And I am a good 300 bucks short!
Also, I bought it from Adorama Camera, a vendor on Amazon, so I cannot return it. I wish I had bought it from Amazon because they let you return products if you want to.

This product failed on me due to poor hardward within 6 months and Olympus would not stand behind the warranty. Olympus products are poorly made and the company has the worst customer service in the industry. Save your money and a lot of trouble by shopping around - I wish I had.

I bought this camera one year ago,after doing extensive research for 2 months reading other reviews online. I have never had a camera capture the true pure colors of what I was photographing like this little gem does!!! I love the 10 optical zoom and even took a few not too bad 40x digital zoom( alittle grainy though)of birds outside my dining room window. However, like life it does have it's little quirks. It is not the greatest camera for low light indoor pictures ie.in a restaurant. The camera needs a tripod for low light focusing. Also, Olympus really should include a better paperback manual instead of having it on a CD. I actually went to my office & downloaded the CD to paper and understand now why Olympus put the info onto a CD! I now have a 124 page BINDER! It took me a little while to get use to the tiny XD card & the lithium ion battery. Use to it now, no big deal! I had no problems when I went to Italy,using an adaptor convertor,some people on our trip did though with other camera models. I bought my adaptor at Radio Shack. To download pictures easily to my lap top I use a DAZZLE digital media adaptor. Works like a charm!! When traveling at least a 256 memory card is needed and an extra battery. Still LOVE the camera and get tons of compliments on my photos.

This camera takes great pictures. The detail it captures is amazing. It is easy to use and much smaller and lighter than I thought it would be.

The camedia software it comes with made my computer blue screen and I lost my pictures, so I don't recommend installing the software. Luckily, I hadn't erased the pictures from my camera, so nothing was lost.

The bottom line is that the camera is great and the software is terrible.

I guess it is my own fault but with such a powerful zoom the lens must be large. Other than a but bulky the camera takes great pictures, also you must remember to put the flash up, it is not automatic.

This camera takes great pictures. This is my first digital camera and I know how to do the basics. The manual didn't do a good job explaining how to use the more detailed features. The camera is very light and I like the fact, that it shuts off, after it is not being used for 3 minutes. I am very happy with this purchase.

I got this camera recently as a replacement for my 4 years old C-700 that broke when I dropped it to the ground by mistake. Although some reviewers said that this camera is bulky in comparison to other popular digital cameras, I find it more compact than my old camera and does not look silly even if you bring it to a party & etc. However, due to its protuded lens part, it won't fit into a small camera case so choose a medium camera case if you are looking for one. The camera is pretty fast (except for the night mode) and gives a clear photo. Tripod is a must for a dark room since a hand vibration could cause blurred photo like most digital cameras. It doesn't bring out big red spots like my old camera in the dark room, but taking photo with a night mode is slow. Taking video with this camera is pretty good in a lit area. The instruction booklet is hard to use (reduction of details in favor of having millions of translations) and playing with a camera might be a better learning technique. You can set the camera in Japanese, English, French, Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and Russian (prob) so the camera itself is user friendly for international people.

I have had this camera for over 1 year now and just bought 2 more for my office. It is a terrific super zoom, easy too use and has enough advanced features for the serious amateur photographer. It is not completely idiot proof but it is not meant to be. It is also very economical given what some of the other super zoom models cost these days. I highly recommend it.

I recently purchased this camera as an "upgrade" from the basic Pentax Optio50 camera I had lost earlier this summer. I am already noticing several flaws compared to the other, cheaper camera:

* It is far more difficult to use -- you have to change the settings manually each time you wish to use the additional digital zoom. A number of other settings, including the macro modes, require time-consuming manual changes. This is in stark contrast to the automatic style of the Pentax, with several modes to choose from on the wheel atop the camera. The zoom is also set up awkwardly, so that you can't do it with your finger still on the take button.

* I notice already that the picture quality is much worse, despite the mere 1MP difference. All of my photos come out with red-eye, no matter how I set the flash and camera.

* Shutter speed is extremely slow, as is on/off.

* Focus is terrible. The first couple of days I got this camera, I was excited to go out and experiment with different modes -- night mode, macro mode, portrait mode, action mode. Even while steadying my hand and taking care not to move at all, the photos always turned out blurry. The ONLY usable mode left on the camera is "auto," and even then the photos are often blurry.

I admit that I am no expert with cameras. However, in comparing this (more expensive) camera to my little Pentax, I find that the additional zoom is hardly useful. I don't even want the camera anymore, but I purchased it through a non-Amazon retailer (still at amazon.com) and the return process is proving more complicated than it would be had I paid the extra $20 to get it straight from Amazon.

I hope that reading the above issues with this camera will help you make your decision. I would strongly suggest buying directly from amazon.com in any case -- from what I understand, their return and service policy is worth it, no matter which camera you choose.

I love this camera! It has everything i need on it! It is easy to use and the pictures come out beautifully. The zoom is great and the sports setting takes great action shots!!!!!!!! I highly reccomend this camera!!!!!!!!

I recently purchased this camera and therefore haven't used it a lot. So far, I like it a very much. I read a review of it from DCRP Review: Olympus C-765 Ultra Zoom. The review was very good. I like the 10x zoom capability; my pictures are very clear. The camera has more bells and whistles than I'll be able to use now but I am glad to have them. I recently signed up for an online course on digital photography and I am very glad I purchased this camera. I think my creativity will be pleasantly challenged. In addition it is very light and easy to hold (or carry). I am looking forward to many pleasant photography experiences on my own and in connection with my course. One experience - I was watching a DVD calculus course. The instructor was tracing a graph with a cursor. My daughter's cat was fascinated, stood on his hind legs and batted at the TV. I was able to quickly set up the camera and take a terrific shot of CC the cat learning calculus. I would recommend this camera for novices and professionals alike.

Has everything you will ever need. Small size is compact and excellent for small hands of a 12 year old. Not loaded down with options that you will never need or use once in it's life time. If it doesn't have it, you probably don't need it.

The camera has been superb in taking detail photos of my architecture models. No details are forgotten when using the zoom. Everything u need to take quality photos are at your finger tips. Only set back was that the camera came with a 16MB storage card. Also the price was too high, even when buying at CompUSA. Other than that, the product is working just fine.

This Olympus C765 replaces a Nikon Coolpix 2100 (reviewed here two + years ago. Of course, the resolution is better, but it is almost as small and it is just as simple (or simpler) to use. I have been very pleased in the past month of so that I have owned this.

Among other features, the "C" series has exceptional optical zoom capabilities (the C765 is 10X). In my opinion, this is one of the most important features of a camera, as you can do the zooming up front without burning through pixels during a touchup. The lens quality is fine.

Both of my children have "C" series Olympus cameras, one as much as 4 years old (the camera, that is), and love them. I'm expecting a long life for this puppy.

Two small nits: The default setting is to use the LCD screen when going into photo mode - I prefer to use the viewfinder. You can toggle to this, but it's a minor hassle. If you prefer the LCD, you'll be fine. Secondly, the software that comes with the camera seems to demand that you store your work in their proprietary "albums" buried deep in the program. I will need to work with this more to make my photos more accessible.

As usual, you will want to buy a larger memory card. I also sprang for a case.

All in all, very satisfied.

I bought the 765 primarily for the 10x zoom and the sports mode.
It was priced right and the 3rd digital camera I own.
The automatic settings are great and in my spare time I try to work with the manual adjustments which are plentiful.
For sporting events the continuous mode works well for action, but must be reset if the camera is turned off. You should also have a monopod or tripod when using the zoom.
It's not an SLR, but the lag time and features are the next best thing. The C series is being replaced and on line is about the only place you can find this model. Got it in 3-4 days.

This is a fantastic camera loaded with options, including a selection dial on the top right corner, easily located by the blind finger. A motion setting allows you to capture subjects while moving, a very nice feature if you're taking sports photos. This camera takes superior photos and is super is to operate!

RECOMMENDED!