The Kodak EasyShare C340 displays a strong boxy design that lacks ornamentation and visual interest. The left side of the front face is textured with a tight horizontal line pattern embossed onto a shiny metallic surface. Besides a small textured strip similar to that found on the left face of the camera, the rest of the Kodak EasyShare C340 has a matte sliver exterior. The buttons on this camera are limited to the bare essentials and are large enough for anyone. The body isn’t sleek or sexy; it lacks any hint of appeal in the design but does offer competent functionality and simplicity.

 

The right side of the front face does feature a scalloped grip which crests on the front face of the camera after sloping from the right side. This right-hand side isn’t quite a full grip, and it isn’t subtle enough to just be an aesthetic feature. This visual confusion is echoed in the awkward handling. In general, the C340’s odd design and build mean that comfort, style, and functionality can’t quite meet eye to eye.

 

The Kodak EasyShare C340 is a portable camera, albeit not pocket sized. But the sizable frame of the camera belies its light weight; the C340 measures 3.6 x 2.6 x 1.4 inches and weighs only 5.1 ounces without memory card or batteries. The camera can be easily held in one hand during short periods of time and the prominent and well placed wrist strap eyelet will mean added security. Though carrying it is easy, be wary of placing it in a bag; the port door on the right side of the camera doesn’t seems to have a locking mechanism. Throwing this camera into a backpack could potentially open and break this feature.

 

The C340 has a larger than average point-and-shoot body size compared to the ever shrinking cameras offered by manufacturers like Casio, Pentax, and Sony. Even so, it should still have textured grip somewhere for added security in slippery situations. The scallop on the front right edge of the camera is nice, but not enough.

 

The microphone is placed far enough away from gripping hands so that users won’t need to worry about accidentally covering this feature. The lens barrel extends far enough out from the camera to avoid meandering fingers as well, and all of the controls are large enough to be activated without needing to constantly re-check finger positions. The camera body is a glorified, smooth rectangle, which needs some improvements for better handling. Textured pads for the right hand would help considerably.

 

 

The controls on the Kodak EasyShare C340 are for the most part well sized and placed; most are raised slightly from the camera for quick access. The only button which may be a little confusing is the On/Off/Status button next to the LCD, which is not represented with a full text description. However, all the other buttons are amply sized and intuitive to activate. The stripped down and basic nature of the EasyShare controls will appeal to consumers who are hoping to avoid complicated navigation or multi-function features. If more complicated controls, manual controls settings, or external navigation is needed, this camera (not surprisingly) will fall short.

 

The Kodak EasyShare C340 comes with an exceptionally basic and simple menu structure that will neither confuse nor lose a single user. Accessing the menu when in auto shooting mode will be possible through the Menu button located on the back of the camera. Once the Menu button is pressed, an opaque gold and blue menu will appear. Each menu option has a large font and a smaller full text description in the upper right-hand corner of the LCD screen. There are only eleven submenu options and only three options are displayed on the LCD at one time. Options when scanning through the regular shooting menu are: Exposure Compensation, Picture Size, White Balance, ISO Speed, Focus Zone, Color Mode, Long Time Exposure, Set Album, Image Storage, and Setup Menu.

The Setup Menu features options that include Return, Live View On/Off, Sound Themes, Sound Volume, Auto Power Off, Date and Time, Video Out, Orientation Sensor Off/On, Date Stamp, Video Date Display, Language, Format, and About.

Both of these menus are navigated vertically through the up and down arrows on the four-way controller. Once a submenu control is selected with the OK button, it is possible to scan further menus in the same manner. These menus, as mentioned above, are intensely basic: don’t expect to manipulate degrees Kelvin. However, if don’t want any more control, this could be a good point-and-shoot camera. Also, if you generally find camera menus troublesome and intimidating, the user-friendly structure of the Kodak EasyShare C340 system will be sure to please.

 

When the camera is switched into Scene mode the user is able to switch among modes through the left and right arrows on the four-way controller. These options include settings such as Children, Party, Night Portrait, Beach, Snow, Fireworks, Self-Portrait, and Backlight. Full text descriptions of each mode are presented in the center of the LCD screen along with examples of when each mode could be used.

 

In playback mode the user can navigate the playback menu while still having captured photos in the background. In fact, it is possible to navigate and keep the menu open while scanning through pictures with the left and right arrows on the four-way controller. The Playback menu includes options for control over: Album, Crop, Slide Show, Multi-up, Copy, Protect, Image Storage, and Setup Menu. These controls have both full text descriptions and symbols. The symbols are positioned on the left side of the LCD screen and are placed on an opaque gold background. A drawback of the playback mode is the inclusion of the multi-up feature within the playback menu, a decision which forces the user to enter and exit the playback menu each time multi or single image switching is required during review.

 

The Kodak EasyShare C340 is intended for consumers with a strong emphasis on ease of use and simplicity. From turning the camera on to navigating the menus, the C340 is structured to keep users from needing to think about the camera layout and design. The menu structure is basic and colorful, with full text descriptions and a limited number of standard options. The buttons are large and easy to engage and navigation on the LCD is simple thanks to the oversized four-way controller. Scene modes are easy to recognize due to the full text descriptions shown on the LCD when switching between preset scene modes.

 

Although this camera is easy to use and uncomplicated throughout the entire process from shooting to printing, this also means that most users of the Kodak EasyShare series will be unable to actually recognize what really happens in the camera each time a picture is taken. And while that may not matter to the user who dislikes manual controls, anyone seeking a camera that they can grow and evolve with will find the C340 to be a bit of a disappointment after ISO settings and Exposure Compensation are mastered during the first week. If more user-based control is desired, cameras like the Canon PowerShot A510 or the Nikon Coolpix 5900, which also has far better video performance with frame rates of 30 fps, are recommended.