This big brother of the Olympus D-340L might, at first glance, appear quite similar, but its extra features will impress any photographer looking for a serious point-and-shoot digital camera. The D-400 Zoom has a 3x optical zoom and a 2x digital telephoto mode that together produce a 6x enlargement capability. It has two quick-focus settings at 8 feet and infinity. The burst mode allows up to 10 images at half- second intervals, and the panorama-stitching mode locks the exposure and allows panorama shots either horizontally or vertically. Like the D-340L, the D-400 stores 60 images at standard resolution, and its super-high-quality resolution is 1280 x 960, but it's also capable of storing two images as uncompressed TIFF files--a feature that will win the hearts of digital graphics geeks. Image inspection and editing via the LCD monitor is enhanced by the 3x image inspection mode--great for checking out detail--and by the ability to review images in groups of 1, 4, 9, or 16. The sharp autofocus, excellent automatic white balancing, and four-mode, pop-up flash mean you won't have many "mistake" shots--the clarity and editing features ensure that you save only the best. So whether you're already a great photographer, or just want to become one, the Olympus D- 400 Zoom is a camera you'll love.
--Barrie Trinkle
1 Beware of the Bloodhound Virus!
The Olympus D-400 is an excellent Digi-cam for the money. But beware of the Bloodhound Virus which came with the included FlashPath Floppy Adapter. Luckily, Norton's Anti-Virus took care of it. All in all, the package is a good deal,but just run a scan on the FlashPath before you load anything with it.
2 A very comfortable way to get into digital photography
Compact, flexible, easy to use and dependable, this is an unbeatable camera for the price. Image quality is very good, especially if you use the included software to enhance it. Comes with a bunch of cables, including one that lets it output to a TV, and best of all, a floppy adapter. This device (which normally sells for around $) lets a standard floppy drive read the camera's SmartMedia card, and is by far the most convenient way to upload images to your PC.
3 Ease of use
I received the Olympus 400 for an anniversary gift and I find it to be alot of fun printing your own pictures and editing them to suit your own taste.
4 excellent except it needs and ac adapter.
I started using this camera two months back and have found it to be good in all aspects of the camaera world. I use it for a hobby and am thoroughly pleased with all of the scenes i have taken some 800. The only flaw is the need for and ac adapter. Other than that it is and excellent camera.
5 Super, fun camera
This is a wonderful camera, it does more than I can totally learn in one setting. The instruction manual is easy to read and follow. My first pics were a snap and I'm sure will only get better. My only criticism is that it doesn't come with the requisite software to use the floppydisk adaptor. Thank goodness Olympus has a great website that not only can you get your questions answered, but you can down load instructions and software to make the connection between camera to floppy disk adaptor to computer relatively easy.
6 Good, but a few draw backs
I have one of these and love in, except that a) it uses Smart Media memory cards, not Compact Flash memory cards, so it isn't easily upgradable to a bigger memory card, b) the software that comes with is is kinda clunkly, (have to use the special program to download images, can't use a TWAIN plug in), and finally, the camera doesn't get very many high resolution pictures on a single card.
Other than that, I think it is a great camera.
7 Absolute Best Digital Camera for the Money!
I have had several Digital Cameras, And this one is the most trick! Great quality shots, Realatively easy to learn & use, And the quality of the optics and camera is super, "just be careful with the little doors for the memory & connectors".
8 Best Digital Camera for the price
Having owned and seen many digital cameras, this is probably one of the best out there for the price. While the feature set isn't as rich as the Nikon 950 and the largest images are a bit smaller in pixel size, the CCD responds excellently. The low-light response is the BEST I have seen in a digital camera.
9 The best camera in its class
Olympus quality lens. Excellent flash photos. Excellent sunlight photos. Fair low light photos. If there's a way to get an extended warranty on this camera, get it. The cover will not hold up if you use this camera heavily. (I take 400-500 pictures a day with it, and open the lens cover 20-30 times a day) I use the camera commercially, and it was the best choice after weeks of research. The LCD display is very expensive to repair, so if you don't have an extended warranty, be careful with the display. With a tripod and the supplied cables, you can set up some creative photo ideas. Use your imagination and you will become an Olympus fan.
10 Great Camera
This camera is relatively easy to learn and it has many features that make it attractive, such as the flash memory unit, on-camera erase, on-camera view, and other features that make this an excellent purchase. I have printed some of the photos that I have taken from my home computer and the people who received them thought they were better than any they had gotten from a professional in the past and I'm not that good.
11 Great Camera to ENCOURAGE you to take pictures
My wife and I have always been a bit lazy about taking pictures until we bought this camera. Now it is easy to take the pics, view the pics on the LCD, and amazingly easy to download them onto our home computer to send to our families. This camera is a winner as it makes you take more pictures because it is fun and best of all you end up saving money because it is digital and therefore nothing needs to be developed.
12 A GREAT PRODUCT - GREAT VALUE
I have owned several, but NONE have beat this camera for total value. Don't hold back. Buy it. It is easy to use. Gives good battery life with rechargable batteries, does excellent close-ups.
13 Great for creating pictures to frame and hang on your wall
I upgraded from the 320L Olympus to the 400Z and what a difference! I can now create beautiful 8 X 10 photos printed by my Epson 800 at 14400. People cannot believe that these photos were printed on paper or were taken with a digital camera. Also, the 400 will take a 32 meg Smart Media chip. This means one can take 72 Super High Quality pictures with one chip. Then, after transferring them to your computer, a button will delete these and you can start anew. Having a camera whose cover closes over the lens is also great protection. This camera is the best!
14 A great choice
I am very happy with this camera. I took the D-340R back to the store and bought this D-400Z instead. It takes way better pictures! They are so much brighter and vivid. Everyone I showed was very impressed. One friend was so impressed that he is going to buy one! I wanted it mostly for putting images on Ebay but I like to use it as a replacement for my Canon EOS camera. No film, no developing. I highly recommend this camera. I think it is a wise choice!
15 Love this camera!
This is a terrific camera, and not having to buy film lets you take pictures where you wouldn't have before (like whiteboard sessions at work). I would recommend getting the Olympus NiMH batteries which last a very long time. They're expensive, but remove the battery hassle. Also a 16mb Smartcard is a good investment. Lastly, a good tripod, since you will be tempted to take low light pictures and it is hard to do without blurring. Have fun!
16 Help with the battery problem!
You can extend the life of the batteries by avoiding the ever present temptation to review every picture you take through the LCD screen. Also, leave the screen off when you take pictures and use the traditional view finder, the batteries seem to last as long as a regular 35MM. A side note, I remember paying $799.99 at a well know merchandise center in April '99. Great price here. Additionally, I believe the Flashpath Smart Media Adapter is a must! Loading full images through the camera cables is like connecting at 14,400 baud vs. ISDN T-3!
17 Great camera with professional results
I purchased this camera being I'm going to be a new grand-father this year and figured what a great advantage it would be to view my pictures on a TV right after taking them. One cable from the camera to the TV and your viewing your photo's on the big screen. This camera was easy to learn to use. The pictures are of professional quality. To pull up your pictures on your PC could not be easier. Just put the film or smart card as it is called into the floppy disc adapter which comes with this model and your ready to go. The soft wear that comes with the camera is also easy to use. For a printer I use a HP 2000C. With this camera and the printer I am able to produce photo quality pictures. I would strongly recommend the D-400 Zoom to any one who is in the market for a digital camera.
18 Best camera I ever had, great value for the price!!
Many great options, clear, crisp pix's!!!!! Like the incased zoom. Also the option for different quality pix's I can take. I have rechargable batteries (two sets to interchange) and they last fairly long.
19 Great camera with one quirk
This is a very compact camera with a high quality zoom lens and all the features you could want. It is no more battery hungry than other digicams. Its image quality is the best I have seen for its 1280x960 resolution with one caveat - many shots taken in "auto" (the default) or "sunlight" white balance mode have a bluish cast, presumably put there by overcompensating white balance circuitry. This cast unfortunatley mutes reds, greens and yellows. However, I have found that if you take all pictures in "cloudy" white balance mode, the cast is removed and the camera produces excellent color. Before you buy any digital camera, I recommend that you visit one or more of the digicam review sites on the web in order to examine sample images from the camera and read the reviews and especially the user comments.
20 great camera
my kids gave me this for x-mas. took it to europe and loved how it worked.regular batteries work well but i can see the advantage of rechargables.
