Digital Camera Review

Digital Camera Review

Mar 08, 2005 - By Emily Raymond
The Kodak EasyShare C340 joins the crowd of simplistic digital cameras aimed at first-time users or consumers who don’t want to bother with manual modes. With 5.36 total and 5 effective megapixels, the C340 has plenty of resolution on its 1/2.5-inch CCD. The sensor is complemented by a Kodak Color Science Chip, ensuring quality images. The C340 caters to consumers who value strong, instantaneous pictures without the fuss of intricate manual modes or complicated image transfer. While the Kodak C340 eliminates the manual mode from its selectable options, users still have the option to manually choose the ISO, exposure metering, and focus zones. The compact EasyShare C340 aims for simplicity, stocking 12 scene modes, in-camera cropping, 16 MB of internal memory, and a one-touch printing Share button. Rounding out the features are a Kodak Retinar 3x optical zoom lens, a 1.6-inch LCD screen, and a movie mode that records with audio. The EasyShare C340 will be available in May 2005 for an estimated $249.95 (USD).
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Picture Quality / Size Options
The Kodak EasyShare C340 offers four image quality/size options, tagged: “Best, Best 3:2, Better, and Good.” The Best pictures can be printed up to 2576 x 1932 pixels, utilizing the full five megapixel CCD. The Best 3:2 setting optimizes 4.4 megapixels, while the Better uses 2.1 megapixels. The Good setting produces images with 1.1 megapixels. There seems to be a lack in the 3-megapixel range to bridge the gap and provide some middle ground between the Better and Best 3:2.

Picture Effects Mode
Three color modes are available for altering photos after they’ve been taken. Users can choose between Color, Black & White, and Sepia toning effects. Since these effects are applied to pre-recorded images, I would suggest users utilize external software to render color adjustments. Since the image is written to the card under normal color parameters, the only benefit of using the in-camera effects is immediacy. However, for those users intent on quality with time to spare, external postproduction editing is the only way to go. Control Options Page 7 of 11 Connectivity / Extras Kodak EasyShare C340 First Impressions Review Navigation

 
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