Kodak EasyShare C340 Digital Camera Review

by James Murray
Published on October 07, 2005

Navigation
Intro	Testing / Performance
Physical Tour	Components
Design / Layout	Modes
Control Options	Image Parameters
Connectivity / Extras	Overall Impressions
Conclusion	Specs / Ratings

 

The included software for the Kodak EasyShare C340 allows the user to import images from their camera onto their computer via the USB connection, also included with the camera. The EasyShare Software camera will run on either Windows OS or Mac OS X. Images are imported into a viewer where users can scan through thumbnails, and assign individual images to specific albums, and otherwise sort their images. It is also possible to edit images through rotation and cropping in this first screen. If the user opens the slide show viewer and scans through images, they will be able to edit individual images further by simply double clicking the “Edit Pictures” button. Once in this screen it is possible to edit red-eye, crop, enhance brightness/contrast, change exposure, apply fun effects, and zoom. The Fun Effects mode allows users to manipulate images with a number of “creative” settings which include sepia, black and white, cartoon, coloring book, and fish eye. These settings aren’t anything to write home about. For ambitious image manipulation beyond simple cropping and distorting, the user would be wise to look elsewhere to programs like Photoshop by Adobe.

 

There are only a few ports and plugs on the Kodak EasyShare C340; two ports are found on the bottom. The Dock Connector is positioned in the center of the camera base and provides a direct connection between the camera and printer when transferring images from the camera's memory. To the right of the dock connector is a door which can be slid forward before opening from a hinge on the back edge of the camera frame. This door covers the battery compartment, which holds 2 AA cells. On the right side of the camera there is a door, which when flipped open will reveal the memory card slot as well as the USB / A/V out port. On the left side of the camera body there is one exposed port which allows the user to plug an optional DC in 3V adapter into the camera.

 

With a print/share button predominantly displayed on the back of the camera, the Kodak EasyShare C340 has the ability to both transfer images to personal computers and to print images directly from the camera. The EasyShare C340 is compatible not only with PictBridge printers but also EasyShare printers through the use of the EasyShare printer dock. For an additional $100 (USD) the C340 is available with a pre-packaged printer through the Kodak website. This camera is also compatible with the ImageLink Print System, which prints not only photographs by Kodak by also by a number of other manufacturers.

 

The battery slot for the Kodak EasyShare C340 is found underneath a cover on the bottom face of the camera. The Kodak EasyShare C340 runs on two AA batteries and has a number of auto power off options spanning 1 to 10 minutes. This feature will save considerable battery life. Unfortunately, the user must turn the camera off and then back on to start it up after it shuts off automatically—this is not a “sleep” mode that the camera can wake up from.

The Kodak EasyShare C340 includes a 16MB memory card, although there is no built-in memory. While 16 MB is a nice start for the beginning photographer’s first forays into the world of digital imaging, it will hardly suffice when the camera is taken on an extended trip, a day hike, or even to a child’s soccer match. 16 MB of memory will hold only a handful of images captured in the highest quality resolution, and don’t think you’ll get more than 15 seconds of stuttering video when the resolution is set to 640 x 480 in movie mode. In the long run, users will need additional memory cards in the 256MB to 512MB range.

 

Favorites mode - The favorites mode allows users to save images to “Favorites” which can be found on the mode dial. To set pictures and clips to the favorites mode, the user will have to press the Share button and press the left and right arrows on the four-way controller. The up and down arrows must then be pressed to highlight the Favorite option, and the OK button must be pressed to confirm the selection. When tired of sifting through memory cards to locate that one picture from your last night out, the Favorites mode can sidestep this process and provide quick access key photos.

 

In-Camera Cropping - The in-camera cropping option provides the opportunity to alter images prior to exporting them to a personal computer or printer. It is activated through the review menu when viewing saved images. The cropping mode allows users to crop images that are above 2.1 MP, and the original image is kept along with the new version—a nice touch. Once the picture is selected, the user chooses crop and a crop box will appear. The crop box can be resized through the use of the zoom controls and the position of the crop zone can be controlled through the four-way controller. Pressing the OK button brings up a save dialog. This action will save the image onto the memory card.