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 Kodak EasyShare C340 isn’t intended for the manual control market. On the C340, users are able to control the preset white balance mode and ISO settings when the camera is set to AUTO mode, but in other preset or scene shooting modes the user will be unable to access these few controls. Although simple to navigate, the options available on the C340 are bound to disappoint anyone with an inclination towards manual controls. This camera is intended for an audience that is drawn to automatic assistance, ease of use and utter simplicity. 

 

The auto focus mode on the Kodak EasyShare C340 is the only focal mode provided with this camera. It will allow users to choose whether the camera is placed in center multi or center focal zone setup. The Kodak EasyShare C340 uses a through the lens (TTL-AF) Auto Focus system with a working range 23.6 inches to infinity in Standard mode, 32.8 feet to infinity in Landscape mode, 5-28 inches in Close-up Wide and 9-28 inches in Close-up Telephoto mode. To engage the auto focus system, the user must press the shutter button partially and wait until the frame is displayed on the LCD screen. There are five framing systems which may be engaged: center focus, center wide focus, side focus, center and side focus, and left/right focus. When the shutter has been pressed and the framing brackets onscreen turn to green, the focus has been set. If the frame is unable to lock in the auto focus frame will not turn green. For more AF modes, check out the Casio Exilim EX-Z110. It has an array of settings, including a pan focus option when shooting in movie mode.

 

There is no manual focus setting available on the C340, but it is not impossible to find manual focus at this price point in this type of camera. Manual focus point-and-shoot cameras priced below $300 include the Canon PowerShot A510 and the Nikon Coolpix 7600, though the included manual focus on those models is marginal at best.

 

Exposure compensation is available to users of the Kodak EasyShare C340. Exposure compensation ranges from +/-2 EV in 1/2-stop increments, which is less accurate than most cameras which enable adjustments in 1/3-stops. This control is located within the AUTO mode shooting menu, and like the other two manual control modes provided, it does not display live views of the alterations. The Exposure Compensation on the C340 is also not available in any of the preset scene or shooting modes on this camera.

 

There is no manual or preset metering option available when shooting with the Kodak EasyShare C340. While this might not seem like an issue, this camera’s reliance on a center weighted metering system means that complicated lighting situations such as backlit or strong directional lighting will most likely be poorly captured. Although there is a backlit preset, this mode, like all preset modes on this camera, will block access to the white balance, ISO, and exposure compensation settings. The Casio Exilim EX-Z110 provides users with multi, spot, and center-weighted metering control options; having metering options available on a camera for under $300 (USD) isn’t too uncommon in general.

 

White balance settings for the Kodak EasyShare C340 are found within the shooting menu when the camera is entered into AUTO mode. This mode allows the user to select among a limited number of preset white balance modes that include Auto, Daylight, Tungsten, and Fluorescent. There is no custom/manual white balance setting available with this camera, although that shouldn’t come as a surprise since this camera is appealing to the automatic market. Four white balance presets aren’t very many, but lower-end Kodaks tend to skimp on them anyway. Compared to other manufacturer’s offerings, this limited color balance set is quite restrictive and disappointing.

The only other manual control option available beyond white balance and auto exposure is the ISO setting. It can be controlled via the shooting menu of the Kodak EasyShare C340, and controlling this setting is only possible when the camera is set to its auto mode. The available ISO ratings are 80, 100, 200, and 400. This should provide users with an introduction to the effects of ISO ratings, although it would be great if a live feed were provided to allow to instantly recognize the effects of alterations on their images. Auto ISO speeds provide an ISO range from 80 to 160 ISO, which will really only be useful in well lit situations, such as outdoors on a sunny day.

The full shutter speed range on the Kodak EasyShare C340 is 4 seconds to 1/4000th of a second, including the camera’s Long Exposure Mode range. This option is found in the shooting menu of the camera’s AUTO mode. Once selected, the user can enter this menu and set the maximum shutter speed to times of none, 0.7 seconds, 1.0 seconds, 1.5 seconds, 2.0 seconds, 3.0 seconds, and 4.0 seconds. Unfortunately, none are available with a live view.

 

The aperture settings for the Kodak EasyShare C340 are entirely automatic, which shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise considering the minimal manual controls throughout the EasyShare camera series. The aperture range on the C340 runs from f/2.7-f/5.2 when shooting in wide angle to f/4.6 to f/8.7 in telephoto. While an aperture setting of f/2.7 should provide strong results in low light, the sizable jump to f/4.6 in telephoto means that the image quality of telephoto images will be greatly impaired in lower light situations.