There's a lot to like about the Kodak EasyShare DX4900 ($399 list). This 4-megapixel digital camera is one of the easiest-to-use models we've tested. It's also a fast shooter with image quality that is just shy of spectacular, and you can upload images to your computer or the Web with a mere touch of a button. Although the DX4900 lacks some features available on many other 4-megapixel models, it is the perfect choice for recreational users who want point-and-shoot simplicity.

The compact case, with its gently rounded battery compartment that doubles as a hand grip, makes the camera comfortable to hold and shoot with, even one-handed. Its 2X optical zoom lens is protected by a metal disk that slides out of the way when the camera is turned on, allowing the lens to motor automatically into position. The lens can macro down as close as 2.8 inches without having the built-in electronic flash blow out images.

The 1.5-inch LCD viewfinder is 97 percent accurate and instantly adjusts to changing lighting conditions. The optical viewfinder is not as robust as those on other models: It displays no information, is only 88 percent accurate, and lacks the focusable diopter that people who wear eyeglasses often need. The unit ships with 2 AA lithium batteries and a 16MB CompactFlash card.

With only a handful of buttons, all well-marked and conveniently placed, the DX4900 is easy to use. An attached rubber flap protects the dual-purpose USB and video-out ports. A sliding door on the bottom of the camera allows the unit to interface with Kodak's optional $79 EasyShare Camera Dock.

The DX4900's 4-megapixel CCD offers resolutions of 2,448-by-1,632 (with either standard or high compression), 2,136-by-1,440, 1,800-by-1,200, and 1,224-by-816 (either as single-shot or in burst mode). Users don't select by the numbers, however; the menu lists quality settings in megapixels only.

For more advanced shooters, there are exposure compensation and sharpness settings, manual and auto white balance, ISO equivalency options, and multipattern, center-weighted, and center-spot metering modes. You can shoot in color, black and white, or sepia. The DX4900 doesn't offer video or audio capture, and you won't find manual f-stop or shutter–speed settings (except slow shutter speeds—0.7 to 16 seconds—for low light shots).

According to DigitalBenchmarks tests, the camera boots in a mere 3.5 seconds, there's no perceptible shutter delay, and the time between shots with the flash and LCD off is only half a second, and just under a second with both on. The DX4900 is an exceptionally fast shooter—almost as fast as a film camera without a motorized advance. In burst mode, the DX4900 can capture 12 frames in 10 seconds.

Playback mode is simple, intuitive, and uses thumbnails to pace rapidly through images. With the one-touch EasyShare Camera Dock and the included Picture Transfer software, downloading images is faster and simpler than ever. Zooming and panning of individual images is a little slow and jerky, though.

Image quality is uniformly excellent. Other than a slight underexposure in default mode (easily correctable with exposure compensation), both our daylight and flash test images exhibited excellent dynamic range, good clean colors, and superb detail.

Great pictures, an attractive price, and no-brainer simplicity all help the Kodak EasyShare DX4900 set the bar on 4-megapixel simplicity and value.

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