Unlike HP, Samsung, and others, Kodak is known for producing cameras - just look back through their history to the "Brownie". Their digital cameras are high quality at a good price. The C340 is my third Kodak digital camera, and if you are a casual photographer looking to capture memorable moments, the C340 won't disappoint. I am an everyday photographer, just like to record my children and family on 'film'. You won't read about all the specs in this review, but if interested, please see the Kodak spec sheet at: http://www.kodak.com/eknec/PageQuerier.jhtml?pq-path=9/19/32/6721&pq-locale=en_US
This review is for the ordinary "Joe", and reflects my personal, amateur experiences.
WHO NEEDS IT?
If you need something complicated with manually adjustable features, then this camera is NOT for you. The C340 is the perfect point and shoot for the everyday photographer. It has a dial to select various photo situations (portrait, scenes, macro, video, etc.), but also has an excellent AUTO mode. With a self-timer, burst mode, and manual flash settings, the C340 is versatile without being too complicated. The novice user can pick it up and successfully shoot away on the first try (trust me, if my mother can work this camera, anyone can - it's easier than programming the VCR, right mom?). I would rank ease of use as being this camera's #1 asset.
VALUE FOR THE MONEY
I paid $160.00 USD for this camera (was $190.00 at Black's in Canada), and you will be hard pressed to find another 5 MP camera with 3X optical and 5X digital zoom for this price. The C340 feels substantial in your hands, not just like cheap, lightweight plastic. The buttons and dials are in convenient places, as is the wide and telephoto zoom selector. I considered entry-level Canon and Nikon cameras as well, but the C340 beats them all for resolution, zoom ability and overall features at this price point.
Picture Quality
My previous camera was a Kodak CX4310, and I thought at 3.2 MP that it had great picture quality... but comparing the C340 to it is like night and day. Pictures are beautiful, crisp, and clean. The more you zoom with the digital zoom, the lower quality you receive, but that is to be expected (that said, the zoom quality is still good and not overly fuzzy or distorted). The optical zoom quality is excellent. I shoot with the C340 set at 5 MP, but you can easily adjust the resolution to a lower setting to suit your needs. I print both at home off an Epson CX3810 inkjet printer, and from cardreader kiosks at photography stores. The quality at the store is understandably excellent, but the home prints are surprisingly good as well.
BONUS VIDEO TOO!
As a busy mom with very active kids, I own a camcorder, but rarely have time amidst the chaos to capture anything that way. The C340 has video with sound, and if you're after capturing some short film-bites, then this is a great feature. There is no limit on length of clips that you can shoot - the capacity of your SD/MMC card will determine that. With a 256mb card, you can capture approximately 6 minutes total of video. Video quality is good. Smooth with decent sound attached, considering that it is coming from a digital still camera. Great feature that is making my camcorder use obselete.
All in All...
I am enjoying the C340 immensely. It feels good, it takes great pictures, simple to use, and the price was amazing. If I had to change anything, I would have spent the extra $40-50 and upgraded to the Kodak C360 as it has a larger LCD screen (2 inches compared to the 1.6" on the C340). The specs on the C360 are otherwise the same as the C340. I enjoy having a larger LCD to view on-camera pictures, and many other brands (even Kodak's newest higher level models) have moved to larger LCDs. This, however, is a personal preference.