Value (7.5)
The Canon PowerShot A400 retails for US $179.99. It has a 3.2 MP CCD in a sleek package, providing comfortable handling and basic controls. This is a lot for the price and is an ideal option for the beginning user who wants a well performing introductory camera without spending buckets of cash.

Comparisons
Fujifilm FinePix A330 - The FinePix A330 retails for US $179.95, and is equipped with a 3.0x optical/1.6x digital zoom. The A330 is meant for the point-and-shoot consumer. Its design is less sleek and honed than the Canon PowerShot A400, and it is not capable of audio recording at all. Also, it only has three formats for still images, and two for video. It has center point AF only, is capable of manual exposure and white balance, and has controllable flash settings. It shoots in burst mode at a rate of 1.5 frames per second and records onto an x-D Picture Card. Still image capture levels and video lengths are both drastically diminished when compared with those of the Canon PowerShot A400. It does have direct printing options, however.

Vivitar ViviCam 3715 - This camera by Vivitar has a 3.3 MP CCD. It has 8MB of internal memory that can be complemented with optional SD memory cards. It retails for US $149.95. It has a 2x digital zoom, and a 1.5-inch LCD screen. Exposure is automatic, with slight manual compensation settings; there is no burst mode, White Balance is auto or preset, and there is only one video format setting available with this camera.

Pentax Optio30 - As for the Pentax Optio30, it comes equipped with a 3x optical/4x digital zoom and is also intended for the point-and-shoot market, retailing for around US $179.95. This camera has a 1/2.7-inch 3.2 MP CCD, and five-point auto focus. It has preset scene settings, along with white balance. Exposure, as with the Vivitar, is only capable of being controlled slightly through the compensation adjustment format. Four-in-one shooting for four shots in one frame is as close to burst mode as this camera comes, and it can record still images in four formats and video in two, although it does have 16MB of internal memory.

Olympus D-540- This camera by Olympus is a slightly more expensive model, retailing for US $199.00, and is described in an attempt to consider the features and attributes of the Canon PowerShot A400 against those of a higher priced model. This camera has a 3x optical/3.3x digital zoom, and a 1/3.7-inch 3.2 MP CCD. It has three still image formats and two video formats, although audio recording is not possible with this camera. This camera is meant for the point-and-shoot enthusiast, with most settings controlled by the camera except for such slight cases as exposure compensation. There are scene presets and image effects settings available. There is no internal memory, although when purchased, this camera does come with a 16MB xD-Picture card, and can engage in direct print.

Who It's For
Point-and-Shooters - This is an ideal camera for the point-and-shoot user, with standard options available and advanced automatic imagery this is designed for the point-and-shooter.

Budget Consumers - The Canon PowerShot A400 only costs US $179.99, making this an option for those seeking a reliable digital camera for bottom price.

Gadget Freaks - For the gadget freak, it looks good, coming in four pastel colors; however, it is pretty barren as far as features are concerned. If you're amused by colors this may do it for you, but if its true gadgets and functions your after, better seek other alternatives.

Manual Control Freaks - This camera lacks most essential manual controls and would last under a minute with the hard core manual control junkie before the boredom kicked in.

Pros/Serious Hobbyists - The pro/serious hobbyist wouldn’t find this camera to be necessary, unless they wanted a portable camera that looks good to complement their fashion oeuvre.