Olympus D-540

-Glass lens with optical zoom, aspheric elements
-Impressive color performance
-Produced far less noise than many more expensive cameras
-light weight, comfortable to hold
-menus superimposed over the live feed background when in use
-potential shot count displayed on LCD screen

-poor design on zoom toggle and power switch
-Extremely slow start-up time
-few controls, awkward menu navigation and structure
-undersized viewfinder
-No audio recoding capability in movie mode

Conclusion
The Olympus D-540 suits point-and-shoot consumers perfectly. It has a large 1/3.7-inch 3.2 MP CCD and significant 1.8-inch LCD monitor. The built-in flash and automatic interface helps the camera appeal to any level user in most shooting situations, although there are glaring limitations in control. Control is granted over Exposure Compensation, Flash, Macro Mode, and White Balance. This camera is straightforward in its automatic control setup; however, the on-screen menu has a layout that is tiresome at many points when setting different options. It is also important to note that during testing, the number of batteries used was astronomical - and should factor into the price somewhere. However, the camera's lightweight frame, handling ease, and shooting competence should more than compensate for this to the right type of user.