Thursday, April 10, 2003 
 olympusamerica.com
Suggested Price: $400
By Wilson Rothman
The first digital camera I ever fell for was an Olympus. It was the 1.3-megapixel Brio D-100. The $150 camera didn't have a zoom lens, and it didn't have a rechargeable battery, but it was rugged and reliable. Moving up the Brio line was disappointing, however. You spent more money for the same clunky plastic design, and the picture quality never seemed to improve much. Thankfully, the Stylus line offers a sleeker, sturdier, user-friendlier design — and the photos are looking better, too.
Like Pinocchio becoming a real boy, the Stylus was a popular "all-weather" film camera that has been granted a digital life. The 3.2-megapixel 300 model is the first digital in the series; the 400, at 4 megapixels, will be out soon. Straight out of the box, you feel good about this camera. It's small for having a 3x optical zoom lens, and its metal case has a reassuringly solid feel. With just six buttons, navigation is simple to learn, and the Stylus can power up and take a picture in about five seconds — other cameras take much longer.
The pictures I took were a mixed bag. There were a few gems, but there were a surprising number of out-of-focus shots both indoors and out. Even under relaxed conditions I took a blurred shot or two, although the Stylus does perform at its best when you have time to set up a shot. About 20 high-quality pictures fit on the 16MB memory card. (There's also a super-high quality, and 16-second silent video clips too, so it would be wise to invest in a bigger memory card.)
Also see: Digital cameras recommended in our Tech Buyer's Guide
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