Kodak EasyShare M340 10MP Digital Camera with 3x

great camera!
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
i love everything about this camera… the picture quality, user friendly, small + compact! the reason it didn’t get 5 stars is b/c the quality of picture when you use the zoom feature, is not quite clear. instead of zooming now, i use the ‘crop’ feature on the camera + that makes it more clear. other than that, we are very happy w/ our purchase!!!

Excellent inexpensive camera that delivers excellent photos
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Don’t let the Kodak EasyShare M340′s price fool you. It delivers stunning photos with amazing color in an incredibly small package. While it doesn’t have a lot of the controls of more expensive models, it performs well in most lighting conditions. However, do note that this camera will not perform very well in dim lighting — it does not have an autofocus assist light. Personally, the lack of this feature doesn’t bother me as I wanted a simple snapshot camera to carry around and take pictures mindlessly.

The best feature of this camera is the Smart Capture mode. I’m able to take photos knowing that I’ll get a photo that’s been optimized for that “Kodak” look – bright photos with great saturation and contrast, all without the need of Photoshop. It color corrects photos (where possible), and changes contrast in dark areas to reveal details that might otherwise be hidden.

I highly recommend this camera for people who want a simple snapshot camera who simply want to take pictures good/bright lighting who simply don’t care to tweak their photos in a photo editing program.

If you’re wondering about video — it’s okay, but then again, it’s digital camera, not a digital video camera, so don’t expect too much. They’re good enough for posting on the web, but otherwise that’s really about it. With low cost, dedicated video cameras capable of HD like the Kodak Zi6, Flip and Sony cameras, you’ll be happier with a better tool designed to deliver video.

Love Camera, want more instructions
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I would appreciate a manual with more instructions – would be willing to purchase one! Haven’t figured out how to delete yet. ETC.

Never write reviews but had to for this!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is just a short review explaining my thoughts on the camera. I took a 4 hour trip to bear valley and while my friend was driving I was snapping like crazy out the window. At 80 mph I got crazy clear shots. Some of the best I have ever taken. For being so cheap $$ wise this camera packs a punch. The Image stabilization is great. Passing signs on the road I would time the shot and get clear details. I’m not here to write some lengthy review of the specs, but this camera has changed my life. I’m 22 and if I had never bought this camera and seen my potential I would have never gotten into Photography, astro-photography, webdesign etc. Bottom line is this picture is for taking pictures. It makes clicking noises which doesn’t bother me. It is so cheap you don’t have to worry about scratching it. It is so portable. It starts up quick which allows me to catch those once in a lifetime shots. Excellent detail without zoom. With zoom pictures can be blurry. Dont buy this camera for crazy crystal clear zoom shots. I have gotten great detail with the zoom but it may take a few shots. Battery is awesome. Menu is simple. Basic set of modes. Good sized screen. The key is having a large memory card. I have 8 gigabytes so thats around 4000 pictures. I literally point and click 20 pictures. Moving at 80mph 14 out of 20 will be crisp. On that bear valley trip I took 2000 pictures. Buy this camera if your thinking of starting photography but don’t want to invest lots of money and find out its not for you. I think of this camera as a good old friend.

Excellent Camera – Excellent Price
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just purchased this Kodak M340 and am completely impressed by the quality. Yesterday I purchased a Nikon S203 and returned it immediately and purchased this instead. I’ve never owned a Kodak before and assumed that because of the price it was going to be lower quality but I was VERY wrong.

This camera is so easy to use, I opened the box, inserted my SD card and started snapping perfect pictures. It is fun to use, easy to hold and comfortable. I love the color also, it isn’t as teal or sea green looking as this picture looks, it has a metallic shine and is very pretty.

We shot a few pictures indoors with the lights out to see how the flash worked and I am telling you, we skipped past the pictures when viewing because we thought they were taken in light. PERFECT flash – I am so impressed.

The shutter button can be a little sensitive but I’m not used to the type of button it is so it could just be me. I highly recommend this camera to everyone – even first time digi-cam users. Way to go Kodak!

Great Camera..
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Good Picture quality in both bright and low light conditions. Great Video recording.

I bought one for myself. Used it for 5 months. Now buying another one for my parents. I have Sony HD Digital Camcoder as well but this one is handy when you want to travel light. Good quality pictures.

Perfect for Price
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I received this camera just a few days ago for Christmas. I love it. Had I come to Amazon.com sooner I would have saved myself a trip to BestBuy to return the one previous. I returned it due to the clicking noise that everyone else is complaining about during the video. I am now aware as most of us are thanks to Marlene that this was a small problem fixable by simply going through the video options. I did try the settings but didn’t realize that I needed to be in video for video settings :-/ it still has a click every now and again but it is nowhere near as much or annoying as it was before when the setting was on continuous….I’d prefer there be NO noise but hey for the great price he paid this camera is well worth it minus that one flaw.

The pictures so far have all come out perfect, not one bad photo yet. And the quality is GREAT! I printed a few on my mini dock and I am in love. Kodak makes an excellent product so if this is your price range and you like what you see …. Buy Buy Buy!!

Perfect for teenagers
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My son loves this camera, which is a big step up from his camera phone he was always using. his favorite part is the adding text to the photo part. Great gift for Christmas.

bad video sound quality
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
The photos came out pretty well on this camera. Once in a while they were grainy and blurry but otherwise they were fine. The problem I had with this camera, and the reason I returned it, was the sound quality on the video option. The picture on the video is very clear but the sound is ruined by a constant clicking and whirring noise. Sometimes the noise completely blocked out people’s voices. I returned my camera hoping it was a defect on my model only, but I tried the video as soon as I purchased the new camera and had the same problem. I returned it immediately. The salesclerks did not know what was causing the noise.

I really liked the shortcut buttons on the back of the camera. I looked for those options on other cameras and was unable to find them. The panoramic option worked well too. I took some photos of family gatherings using the panoramic shot and the family was really impressed.

If you don’t care about the video, this camera is fine.

Good camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I just got it and it looks great. Clicked 5-6 pics and they look good. I am happy with my new camera.

Chirping on video
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
I also returned my first M340, hoping that annoying chirping was a manufacturing defect. My second one has the same problem. I will be returning this one, also.

Great Camera!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
After much research and reading other people’s reviews I decided to purchase this camera. I ran into some people who already have this camera and they love this camera. It is easy to use and takes great pictures. I have compared the quality of photos with cameras that cost much more and the kodak was superior to the cannon and the nikon compact cameras. It is so easy to use and takes great pictures. It is also small enough to fit in my purse or pocket. The only drawback is that it does not have a viewfinder, but I prefer to use the screen anyway. I love the panoramic feature. I know that I made a good choice.

Excellent deal
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
For such a little camera it sure does take great photo, and video. It can take fast moving pictures without blur. It is exactly what I needed, and I highly reccomend this camera for all your photo needs.

Excelente Imagen
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Tenemos la Kodak Easyshare desde hace unas dos semanas. Nos ha encantado en todos los sentidos. Las imagenes se visualizan vastante bien, la funcion de video igual. La camara es facil de usar y tiene varias funciones inteligentes, por ejemplo, se pueden tomar fotografias buenas aun cuando las condiciones del medio te obliguen a mover las manos, como cuando vas en un vehiculo. Uno de los aspectos mas interesantes es lo de la bateria. La mayor parte de las camaras que hay en el mercado utilizan pilas desechables AA o AAA. Esta camara viene con una bateria que recargable incluso por el puerto USB. Es decir, mientras descargas tus fotos, ya se va cargando. La recomendamos. Ha sido una de nuestras mejores compras en Amazon.

love it!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
My husband got this for a birthday gift for me and I love. Just have to hold the camara very still to get best results!!

Not bad for a Compact
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
This 10-megapixel compact camera is fitted with a 3x zoom lens (35-105-millimetre film equivalent). It has what Kodak calls “blur reduction”. Its 16MB of internal memory is supplemented by an SD card memory. The body has an unusual enamelled-metal look that is attractive in a range of colours – I liked the red, personally. Controls are small and reasonably comprehensive for a point-and-shoot camera. There is a P (Program) setting for extra control over shooting parameters. There is face detection and various scene modes. The LCD screen is large (6.9 centimetres) and of good brightness, contrast and fidelity. Various aspect ratios can be chosen including a dedicated setting for high-definition television display. Movie mode is acceptable.

Like

The image quality is typically Kodak: bright, slightly oversaturated, well exposed and with sharp focus. This box camera simplicity is what Kodak does so well. When everything in the photo-taking situation is just right, the results are excellent.

Dislike

As with most compacts, it is not advisable to use ISO settings above 200. Picture noise (grain) is noticeable at 400 and intolerable above that point. For this reason, I would never recommend leaving the camera on the Smart Capture setting and letting it choose the ISO speed. With the Mode selector on P and the ISO setting fixed at 200 or less the camera works well.

Verdict

I took some pretty good pictures with this camera but also took a few duds. But that’s typical of compacts – they are much more difficult to use than DSLRs. Overall, Compacts are fiddly, difficult and cranky and DSLRs are simple and forgiving. But you can’t put a DSLR in your pocket.

I really wanted to like this camera…
Rating:2 out of 5 stars
This camera was rated as a “Best Buy” in a well-respected consumer magazine.

After just a few hours of use, I returned it and purchased a different brand camera.

My three major complaints:

- Picture “barreling” distortion

- Software

- USB connector

Pictures showed excessive “barrel” distortion in the image. That is to say, straight lines appear curved. This was most apparent in the image periphery. I’m really disappointed that the consumer reporting magazine did not acknowledge this characteristic.

Per the directions, I loaded the included Easy share software on my PC. Apparently this is necessary for transferring pics from the camera to the computer. I never could get it to work right. (Granted, this was not a camera issue, per se.) My previous camera (Olympus) was a “plug & play” affair which acted pretty much like another hard drive on my computer with no additional software required.

The USB cable connector was a very tight fit into the camera socket. When removing the cable, I would have to wiggle and pull to disconnect the cable. Maybe it just needed to be “broken-in” but I’m certain that after a few connects and disconnects, it would just be “broken.”

I probably could have lived with any one of these quirks but the combination of all three, added up to a disappointing purchase. I returned the camera for a refund.

Only one flaw and the others had to be worked out
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I’m normally not a kodak person but I loves the design of this camera and the price was great,

When I first got the camera while filming a video, it would make a weird noise that was being captured on the actual film recording. After playing around with it I found that it was the sensor (orientation sensor) that was in “on” mode and its sorta like the camera is blinking making noise trying to adjust…..this was annoying so I turned off the sensor, (in settings) and there is no more noise…problem fixed

The one thing i didn’t like was the low voice and video playback??? you cant hear at all almost, its fine when you upload it, but when your playing it back on the camera, its extremely low, even with the sound cranked to high…not a complete deal breaker but dag, I like to play back on the devise sometimes as well.

Takes great pictures, video is great, just lousy playback sound, very low

Its Pretty
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I was attracted to this camera cuz it was so good looking, really thin and the big LCD, also the 10 MP and all the features I was in digital camera heaven, that is untill I transferred my photos to the PC and had a look. Unfortunately my 5 MP 5 yr old Vivitar takes better quality photos. Try using the zoom and the photos are bad, also indoors it really sucks. I really wanted that camera but I decided to find a good one for the same price. I now own a Samsung SL420, its not as pretty, but the photo quality blows the Kodak out of the water, really stunning outdoor photos, and takes beautiful video also, no need to buy a flip. The Samsung has 5X optical zoom and tons of features. But, the Kodak sure was pretty.

Screen view disappears outdoors UPDATE
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
The Kodak M340 is a lightweight, easy-to-use and intuitive camera and has a nice, large viewing screen. The single downside discovered so far is the difficulty framing a picture outdoors in bright light, even with the screen brightness set to high power. The view all but disappears on the screen, and there is no alternative viewfinder so aiming the shot is pure guesswork. I’ve had this camera only a few days, so I might be missing something although I’ve looked through all the menu settings. Other than that one limitation, the camera produces great pictures and I love how easy it is to take along on bike rides.

UPDATE: Now that I’ve used the Kodak M340 extensively the past months, I must raise my rating. I’ve fallen in love with this camera despite its screen-view problem outdoors in bright light!

Kodak EasyShare M340
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I bought this camera from Best Buy about 3 weeks ago, and I like it so far.

What I like:

–The menus! They are very well organized and so easy to navigate. It’s actually why I bought this camera.

–The panoramic option is fabulous. You can stitch up to 3 snapshots together for one beautiful picture.

–Camera body is slim and smooth, not bulky or bumpy.

–It’s powered with a Li-on battery that you can charge through a wall outlet or your computer. So no more popping oodles of batteries, and no more worrying if you’ve over-charged the thing. The battery life is pretty decent, too.

What I don’t like:

–The shutter speed is a tad slow. For still/portrait shots it’s fantastic, but for action shots you’ll need a little foresight.

–It makes this weird, soft clicking noise while it’s on. But that’s more of a minor nuisance than an actual problem. The noise does not affect the camera’s performance at all.

–When recording video, the picture is very clear, but the volume is a little low.

Overall:

If you want a decent, bright, easy-to-use, basic camera, buy this one. I got it in silver, but it comes in other colors, too. If you want more zoom, you can check out the M380.

Good Deal
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
This is a nice camera and the picture quality is very good. I purchased it for my son for Christmas and he loves it! The only drawback I can see is that when you download and save the pictures, you don’t have an option to automatically put them in folders by the date the picture was taken. If anyone has a fix for that , please let me know. Otherwise …. it is a very nice camera and worth the $$$….

Horrible Software
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
This is a great camera for the price. HOWEVER, the software itself is horrendous. It crashes, freezes, ignores the camera when you’re trying to download the photos. Both my daughter and I have this camera and I’ve loaded the software on both our regular PC and laptop, and done the upgrades online, and it still doesn’t help. Sometimes you have to restart the camera five or six times before the software will recognize it. The camera itself is nice, but Kodak REALLY bombed on the software with it!

Great camera!!!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
We’ve had this camera for a couple of months now and LOVE it. I’m SO glad that I didn’t let the salesman talk me into the much higher priced Nikon.

Do not buy this camera
Rating:1 out of 5 stars
I won this camera. It does not come with a memory disk. It worked great for about two months after I bought a chip. I took many pictures and the picture quality was excellent. What is wrong with this camera? It is now a paper weight as it will no longer turn on. I did nothing to cause it to malfunction. It is just cheaply made in China. You hit the on-off button and the lens comes out and immediately goes back in, and the mode dial begs to be broken off, and doesn’t want to stay in the mode selected. I am on Amazon today to buy a Canon. My wife has had a Canon for 5 years that has worked flawlessly. I compared it to this camera, and the difference in construction quality glares at you. The Kodak is cheaply made and is not built to last. It is no more than an expensive throw-away camera.

Kodak made a great entry level camera
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I will be honest, this is not the best point and shoot out there, but for the price you can’t beat it and would recommend it to anyone looking for a great camera under $150. I have 12 digital cameras ranging from a Nikon D300/D40 to this…

What I like:

- Image quality

- Size

- Self timer has option to let you take two photos (in case one is bad)

- Long lasting battery

- Smart Capture make it easy to take photos

What I am not crazy about:

- LCD can scratch easily

- Would like a 4X zoom but 3x is standard for this class of camera

- LCD can be hard to see in direct sunlight

Easy Solution to Clicking Problem
Rating:4 out of 5 stars
I haven’t had this camera long enough to say too much about it, but I do have a solution to the clicking noise everyone is complaining about. Go to the menu and then go down to AF Control. Click on Single AF. No more sound.

I will give kudos to the online help chat person at Kodak. She was very respectful and helpful, and she solved the issue quickly.

Overall, OK
Rating:3 out of 5 stars
I bought the M340 to replace my older Canon digital several weeks ago. The more compact design and larger view screen of the Kodac was very appealing. Compared to the Canon however, their were some disappointments. (1) the setting dial on top of the camera can easily be changed when in your pocket; check before shooting. (2) Their is not a cable connection from the camera to view on a TV (AV cable). (3) The focus feature is rather slow. (4) The “Easy Share” software doesn’t work well on my Windows Vista computer.

Perhaps more time and experience with this camera will resolve some of these issues but I didn’t expect these difficulties.

Great gift
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Bought this camera as a gift and it is fantastic! The recipient is a novice, but other members of her family have had years of experience with digital cameras. She has had absolutely no problems with learning to take pictures and has taken some beautiful ones! The other members of her family have tried to “borrow” this camera. The pictures are crystal clear. No one has used the video on the camera. Other members of her family who have used this camera and printed pictures are now in the process of buying this same camera for themselves.

I Love this Camera…
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
OK, I’ve only had it for about a week, but so far it’s been great. I’m heading to France in a couple weeks and I wanted an affordable camera that takes great pics in the $100 price range. I researched cameras quite a bit and found this model to have the overall best user satisfaction ratings. I will also write a follow-up review once I get back from my trip to report any possible problems, if any, I come across.

I went to Target to find this model but they were all out and in desperation, I bought the pretty Olympus FE-4000 – one camera that I did not actually research. Once I got home, I snapped a few pics with it and they were all blurry. I read a few reviews and they were pretty awful so I exchanged the camera the very next morning and found that Target did get a few deliveries of the M340 so I snatched one up.

The camera’s great. It’s so easy to use right out of the box. The LCD screen is big considering the size of the camera. There’s a button dedicated to flash settings so that you can turn it on and off on-the-fly. Again, the camera is very user-friendly. If you apply just enough pressure to the shutter switch, the camera automatically focuses and you can press it down fully to take a snapshot. It’s also pretty quick from the time you press the switch to the time it takes to snap a photo. The battery-life is also very long. I will address this in my follow-up as well.

One thing I did notice was the constant motor noise when the camera is on. It’s a subtle noise, but it can get a bit annoying. I noticed a couple people here have addressed this, but I would also like to clarify further. If you turn AF (Auto Focus) to “Single AF” in Video Mode, the noise will cease. You have to do this in each setting you are able to on the small round click wheel in order to stop this in each mode. I do like using Smart Capture mode and I realized that this noise cannot be stopped entirely in that mode. Although switching the setting in Video Mode does minimize the noise in Auto Mode, it does not stop it entirely. You can turn it off in Program Mode as well by setting Auto Focus to “Single AF” in the settings. The reason why this noise occurs is because the motor in the camera is constantly trying to focus as the camera moves or lighting changes. If it is set to “Constant AF,” it will repeatedly make this noise as the camera is always trying to focus.

So, I love this camera so far. It is small enough to fit in your pocket without any noticeable bulkiness. The design is sleek and it’s just a pretty little camera. It’s easy to use right out of the box and navigation in any menu is never tedious or hard to decipher. There is also a “i” button that allows you to display information about any menu setting highlighted just in case you are not sure what you’re looking at.

The one thing that would have been nice was an “old-school” viewfinder since the only way you can view the pics you’re taking is through the LCD screen. This is just a minor gripe, but it can be a hassle if you’re taking pics while outside and the sun is beaming causing a lot of glare on the screen making it hard to see what you’re taking a picture of. Other than that, this is an awesome camera!!!

Love it!
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
I love this camera. I had previously used a Kodak Z1257 and wanted to continue with a Kodak, but in a mini version. It takes absolutely great pictures–even close-ups–with little effort on my part, and I have priced it at Sam’s and other stores and I saved at least $10 purchasing from Amazon. For the money, it can’t be beat and ease of use, it can’t be beat.

Addition to the clicking problem solution offered by Marlene
Rating:5 out of 5 stars
Marlene offered an effective solution to the clicking problem with this camera, but I couldn’t figure out how to find the “AF” part of the menu. I just wanted to point out that you need to be in video mode for that part of the menu to show up. (change it from “continuous AF” to “single AF”). Hope this helps! I just bought it, but am VERY happy with this camera so far now that the clicking problem is fixed! Thanks to Marlene for figuring this out!