Olympus Stylus 400 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

by Olympus

Product Details

Product Manual [9.52mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 1.3 x 3.8 x 2.2 inches ; 7.7 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000087KYH
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #15,124 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 8, 2003

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Carrying on the heritage of its film predecessor, the Olympus Stylus 400 is an ultracompact, all weather, and easy-to-use camera designed for the digital photography enthusiast looking for high performance in a stylish and portable body. It features a 4.0-megapixel resolution, 12x total zoom, and a movie mode for short video clips.

Optics and Resolution
Featuring a 4.0-megapixel CCD sensor, the Stylus 400 delivers images up to 2,272 x 1,704 pixels and prints up to 11 by 14 inches. A high-quality Olympus 3x optical zoom (and 4x digital zoom for a seamless 12x total) gives you the ability to fill your pictures with sharp detail and vibrant color. It features an Olympus aspherical glass lens with a focal range of 5.8-17.4mm (35-105mm equivalent in 35mm photography).

Storage and Transfer
Images are stored on xD Picture Card memory cards. The card's small size, about the same as a postage stamp, helps to keep the camera size down. The included 16 MB card will store approximately 16 images at 2,272 x 1,704 pixels (at HQ, JPEG setting). Images can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via USB storage-class connectivity, which means the camera can be connected to any USB-based Windows 98 Rev2Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software.

Movie Mode
In addition to taking still photos, the Stylus 400 can also record movie clips of up to 40 seconds without audio. The QuickTime Motion JPEG format offers limited resolution, which is great for capturing a short movie that can be e-mailed to friends and family, but is no replacement for a true camcorder.

More Features
The Stylus 400 offers basic point-and-shoot simplicity for flawless picture taking. For photographers who want optimum results in a wide variety of settings, the easy-to-use scene modes provide fully automatic exposure adjustments for portrait, self-portrait, and landscape portrait.

Other controls include digital ESP multipattern and spot metering, auto white balance, multiple flash settings, and exposure compensation. The camera comes with a built-in flash that offers four settings to provide the widest range of options.

The lightweight and ergonomic metal body of the Stylus 400 provides all-weather protection from the elements and can even endure a downpour.

Power, Size, and Contents
The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. It measures 3.8 by 2.2 by 1.3 inches and weighs 5.8 ounces. This package includes the Stylus 400 digital camera, 16 MB xD Picture Card, rechargeable lithium-ion battery and charger (LI-10B), self-timer remote control (RM-2), USB and AV cables, wrist strap, and CD-ROM with Camedia Master software and USB drivers for Windows and Mac.

Manufacturer Product Description

The Stylus 400 Digital is like nothing you've ever seen, but everything you've always wanted. An incredibly compact and attractive design provides outstanding point-and-shoot ease. Superb lens technology and 4-megapixels worth of resolution result in fantastic image quality. All-weather protection. Durable metal body construction. All the creative amenities you expect from the Stylus name. All the innovative features you count on from an Olympus camera. And all in one exciting digital package you won't be able to take your hands - or eyes - off of.

Experience the world of digital imaging like never before using these included package contents: Stylus 400 Digital Camera; 16MB xD-Picture Card; LI-10B Li-Ion battery and charger; RM-2 self-timer remote control; digital camera Win/Mac USB cable; video cable; wrist strap; quick start guide; printed instruction manual; warranty card; CD-ROM: Camedia master software, Adobe Acrobat Reader and Camera reference manual.

• All-weather performance lets you shoot digital images under almost any weather condition
• Compact to fit easily in a pocket and be available wherever and whenever you want
• 4.0 megapixel CCD so you can print beautiful 8x10's
• 3x optical/4x digital zoom lens
• QuickTime Movie Mode (up to 40 sec. at 15 fps in SQ mode)
• Auto-Connect USB for quick and easy transferring of images from camera to computer
• TruePic technology results in smoother, truer color images
• Panorama available with supplied xD-Picture Card
• DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) makes it easy for photo specialty shops to print your images
• 5 Scene Programs provide best results for various shooting situations

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

80 of 81 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very Pleased with the Stylus 400, September 27, 2003

By 

D. MCINNIS "nmmi9100" (Edgewood, NM USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Olympus Stylus 400 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

I purchased this camera new from Ebay for $350 with a 64MB card. I have been very pleased with the camera. It is exceptionally compact and takes very good pictures. The camera is easy to operate for someone who isn't big on reading manuals. If you have Windows XP, the camera requires no software to transfer pictures to your PC. In fact, I have used the camera to act as a removable drive and used it to transport MS Word files between computers (I copied the files to the camera using Windows Explorer). So far I have printed out photo quality pictures up to 8.5 x 11 inches using the second highest 4megapixel setting (about 1 mb per pic). One criticism I have is regarding the included memory card. 16MB is really too small to do much with. The highest resolution consumes about 2 megabytes per shot and the second highest takes 1 mb per shot. You really need at least a 64MB card and preferably a 128 or 256MB card or you will be forced to use the lower resolution. Overall, I have been very happy with the camera and it is small enough that we have it with us most the time. And when our new 256MB Card arrives, I can take 250 pictures between downloads!

30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Primary virtue is it's weather resistance, July 13, 2003

By 

J. Peterson "jwpete" (NJ USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Olympus Stylus 400 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

Good Point's:
1.)Weather resistance (note- it is not waterproof, but does have a nice rubber seal under the access port for it's I/O and card slot).
2.)Small Size - easily fits in front pants pocket
3.)Metal,relatively tough outer body - also more scratch "resistant" owing to anodized or matt texture to the metal surface making scratches less apparrent.
4.)integral, tough lens cap - you'll never loose it.
5.)XD memory cards - expensive but very fast, hence compensating somewhat for the minimal integral frame buffer to improve shooting speed.
6.)Rechargable Lithium battery - bucks up front (get a spare), saves big in the long term.
Bad Point's:
1.)Cost - cheaper cameras for the price - though none that are weather resistant.
2.)XD memory cards - Costly and "yet another USB dongle" to buy for your PC if you transfer your px by removing the card and plugging it into a card reader. At least Windows XP will recognize the camera (when connected by USB cable to PC) as a simple card reader without the installation of any additional drivers on WinXP
3.)Images - 4 megapixels are nice, but the lens is clearly a little "soft" compared to more serious cameras like the Olympus E20, Nikon 7000 etc. Abberation less apparent beyond short focus distance to my eye, consistant with others reports of better outdoor pictures. The Camera appears to try to add contrast and unsharp mask internally before saving the images.
4.)Lack of manual controls, plus the fact that everytime you turn it on it defaults to a relatively lower quality JPEG save mode, which wastes a few seconds while you change it to save in Best quality (Which I would recomend- get the 256MB XD card if you can)
Summary: If you like the outdoors (camping, boating, other water sports), then this really is the camera to buy while waiting for the Digital Nikonos (which will likely cost big bucks). Otherwise, look seriously at the new Cannon Elph for a small form factor.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Camera!!!, June 24, 2003

By 

Brian Dq (Los Angeles, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Olympus Stylus 400 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom (Electronics)

This Camera is great!!! I bought this camera right before a trip to Las Vegas and have no regrets. In fact I can't imagine my trip without it. I took over 120 pictures on High Quality resolution and still had 140 shots left with my 256 card. The Camera is so small that I went clubbing with it in my pocket and was still able to bust moves on the dance floor. The display screen is a good size and the buttons are easy to access.The features are easy to access and take about 5 minutes to learn. The different shooting modes come in handy depending on your shooting conditions. Panaramic mode is awesome! I took a great shot of the Las Vegas Strip using the panoramic mode and stitched it using the software included. You have to have an OLYMPUS BRAND MEMORY CARD to use panorama mode. Some people complain about the new Xd card, but there are so many good things about it. It is so small; about the size of a stamp. The size helps consume less battery life. I never had a problem with my battery running low; I just charged it whenever I went to bed. Also, you can get an adapter for the card to make it compatable with compact flash or smart media formats. The quality of the pictures look incredible and you can notice the most minor details when zooming in. In movie mode the movies are crisp and smooth. Length of the movies depend on the picture quality that is set. Some people complain that there is no sound in movie mode. If you want a DV camcorder that can record audio and video, then buy a DV camcorder. Otherwise movie mode is great when you want to capture those little memorable moments. When you are ready to print the photos you can set options on your camera to decide the quantity of each photo you want printed. You can also decide whether or not you want the date or time printed on the pictures. The information is saved on your memory card. When you want your pictures printed out just take your card to the photo lab and the printer will automatically know how many pics you want and if you want the date printed. I just took my card to Costco and was set to go. This camera is a little costly but definitely worth the price. If you want a nice camera that will last for at least 5 years then get the stylus 400. If you want to save money then get a 2 megapixel camera that is bulky and will be obsolete in 2 months. Again awesome camera! Did I mention that it is all weather and can take water sprayed in any direction. You don't have to worry about taking this camera to the beach and getting messed up with sand and water. The Stylus 400 is Stylin'!