WHAT'S HOT: A 1-megapixel upgrade of the 3.2-megapixel Stylus 300 Digital camera that we reviewed in March, the Stylus 400 is functionally identical to its predecessor. Like the 300, the Stylus 400 is light, slim, handsome, and very durable looking. Olympus labels the camera as "Weatherproof." Seals on the camera's case should give it far more protection from dust and spray than most digital cameras, but don't take it snorkeling. A sliding cover gives the camera's lens more protection than we typically see in point-and-shoot digital cameras.

WHAT'S NOT: Pricing is our primary knock on the Stylus 400. At $499, it costs $100 more than the Stylus 300; that's above average for the 4-megapixel cameras we've reviewed so far, and especially high for a camera with the Stylus's relatively limited number of user-settable exposure controls. The camera's small rechargeable battery delivered 290 shots, or 1 hour and 40 minutes of life--not terrible, but about 20 percent below the current average.

WHAT ELSE: In our image quality tests, the Stylus 400 scores were substantially higher than those its 3.2-megapixel sibling earned, but still slightly below the average score for all sub-$500 cameras we've tested recently. As you'd expect, the Stylus 400 produced slightly sharper photos, and earned relatively high scores for image sharpness. Color fidelity was generally good with both cameras, though the 400 did a better job at reproducing a white surface in our test target. The Stylus 300's whites had a slightly greenish cast. Both cameras underexposed our outdoor cityscape, taken on a bright, sunny day, but the 400's image was a bit closer to the mark. Overall, we'd judge its photos as suitable for snapshots, but disappointing in comparison to other Olympus cameras we've reviewed.

With few advanced controls, the Stylus 400 is designed for simple point-and-shoot photography. It boots up quickly when you slide the lens cover back. Olympus limited the camera's control buttons and menus to a relative few. Four navigation buttons let you jump quickly to menu-based settings for the flash, macro, self-timer, and scene mode settings. Pressing the combination menu/OK button calls up more menu settings, such as resolution, exposure value, and the panorama mode. Changing this camera's settings isn't an especially fast operation, but at least it's straightforward.

Like the Stylus 300, the 400 comes with a separate battery charger that has a built-in voltage converter. If you want to plug power from an outlet directly into the camera, you have to buy a separate AC adapter.

UPSHOT: A rugged, nicely crafted camera, the Stylus 400 is an attractive choice for simple point-and-shoot photography, indoors or out.

SUMMARY

Olympus Stylus 400 Digital 4.1 megapixels, 2272 by 1704 maximum resolution, 35mm-to-105mm focal range (35mm equivalent), f3.1 to f5.2 aperture range, shutter speeds from 1/2 second to 1/1000 second, optical and LCD viewfinders, USB and video connections, 16MB XD-Picture Card media, one rechargeable lithium ion battery, 6.9 ounces with battery, Camedia Master software. One-year parts and labor warranty, toll-call support for 13 hours on weekdays. $499 800/622-6372 www.olympus.com