Olympus puts the basics in your pocket
Olympus D-425
The product: With this compact, 4-megapixel model, Olympus joins the crowd of manufacturers trying to make the simplest possible snapshot camera. Made to appeal to people whose blood runs cold when they hear the word digital, it offers eight automatic scene modes, 30fps QVGA video capture, and very straightforward controls. There's no optical viewfinder, so you use the 1.5-inch LCD both to preview shots and to navigate the extremely simple LCD menu. Other features and key specs include:

• 36.7mm (35mm-camera equivalent) autofocus lens
• PictBridge support for direct printing without a PC
• Macro mode
• Red-eye reduction and fill flash
• 14MB of internal memory; xD-Picture Card slot

The price: The Olympus D-425 will be available in February for an estimated street price of $150.

The prospects: If simplicity and a low price are your priorities, this camera will meet your needs, but anyone who wants even minimal photo fine-tuning controls will have to look elsewhere. The lack of a zoom lens is also a drawback but not out of line with the D-425's price.

By Aimee Baldridge, senior editor, CNET Reviews