does anyone know why the D450 has more features and costs less than the D400 zoom? Is it a good starter digital camera for a point and shoot, family photo type use? Any major drawbacks?

-- clark fish (fish@mcn.org), September 07, 1999

Answers

I recently purchased the 450 zoom and feel that it is superior to the 400 zoom. The 450 zoom is priced to compete against other megapixel zoom cameras. For under $500 this camera is a steal!!

-- Bill Kap (kap@funtech.com), September 10, 1999.

We just got our D-450Z to review, haven't even fired it up yet. The answer to it being cheaper is just the ever-advancing march of technology, combined with accounting practices and marketing. Oly has had a year or so to get their engineering investment out of the 400, now has made an upgraded unit with essentially the same guts. Cheaper guts (lower parts cost, thanks to advancing technology), lower engineering costs to amortize = much lower selling price. Although I haven't tested it yet, I fully expect the 450 to be a real "category killer" this holiday season!

-- Dave Etchells (detchells@imaging-resource.com), September 12, 1999.

D450 is a much better camera, but it does not come with the Flashpath floppy card adapter (get a card reader, much faster anyway). The 450 still has the annoying blue washout that the 400 was cursed with though. Use the comparometer to compare the simple oly 220 (worth less than 200 now) or any other camera with the 450 you will see what I mean.

-- Joshua Abell (nox@usa.net), September 25, 1999.

Got A Great Site For The Olympus D-450Z, It is updated frequently and has many sample pics and many more to come. Please e- mail  me with any comments, alexhuf@ix.netcom.com and click on the link for the website www.geocities. com/siliconalex/Camera.html

-- Alex Huf (alexhuf@ix.netcom.com), April 28, 2000.