Olympus D-425

Model Design / Appearance
This model looks affordable. It has a cheap plastic casing that is colored silver and made to look brushed. The Olympus D-425 is compact, but not considered a slim camera. The design is a little odd on the back; the buttons look like they are scattered around next to the small LCD. Perhaps the worst design flaw is the placement of the lens. It is located in the top right on the front - in great position to be covered by wandering left-hand fingers.

Size / Portability
The Olympus D-425 is not a slim-line model but still remains fairly compact. It measures 4 x 2 x 1.4 inches and weighs a mere 4.2 ounces without the battery and memory card. The camera has a wrist strap, making it an easily portable option.

Handling Ability
This camera is comfortable to hold and easy to control and shoot with. It is not small enough to feel crammed when shooting with two hands, yet can be controlled by just the single hand shooting grip if needed. Changing shooting settings with the buttons on the back of the camera can be a bit awkward because of their placement.

Control Button/ Dial Positioning/ Size
The buttons are adequate in size, but some are inadequate in placement. The back of the Olympus D-425 is a jumble of buttons, which aren't easy to find. The power switch is positioned on the front of the camera, but is large and clearly labeled.

Menu
The Olympus D-425 has two main menus, available when the Menu button is pressed. Depending on the mode the user is in, Menu options will vary. The two main menus are the Recording menu and the Playback menu. The following options are available in the Recording menu: Exposure Compensation, Image Size, Time, Language, Sleep Mode, Format, Pixel Mapping, and Panorama. Most of these options use icons, which can be a bit confusing. However, once the icon is selected, the name of the menu option appears with the sub-menu. The Playback menu has the following options: Print Order, Protect, Card Setup, Time, Language, Sleep, and Index (4 or 9 thumbnails). When modes are selected on the Mode Dial, a guide appears for about a second, which explains the option. For example, when the Program option is selected, a box appears on the screen: "Program: For auto shooting with adjustable control." This is a nice feature that explains the icons on the mode dial.

Ease of Use
Once users familiarize themselves with the odd placement of buttons on the back of the camera, the D-425 is easy to use. The shooting modes are easy to use; everything is based on the point-and-shoot concept. The menus are easy to find and easier to navigate. There is a built-in help guide that explains modes and options.