Kodak EasyShare DX6340

Have to laugh at the folks that say the build quality is no good on the Kodak EasyShare DX6340 camera, the idea is to take pictures not knock nails into wood with the camera, try treating your equipment with respect then it wont break.

I wish I had read other reviews before I bought mine! Battery cover fell off after one month. Uses huge amounts of batteries - about four photos per set. Mine has now just died. I cannot get access to my photos in the internal memory and repair will cost me £90. I still won't get my photos.

As my Konica was in for repair, I borrowed the Kodak EasyShare DX6340 for use whilst on holiday. Although it did the job well enough and picture quality was OK, they were nowhere near as sharp as I achieved when using an old Finepix 2 mega-pixel and a very old 2 mega-pixel Kodak D280, so even making allowances for the fact this camera is now old technology, I'd not want to own one, as there are many better ones available for the same price.

The build quality of the Kodak EasyShare DX6340 digital camera is garbage - very flimsy construction. The software is useless, and it is rigged by Kodak and Apple Quick Time. They give you the basic software and then pressure you to upgrade to the premium software. This racket is supported by the firmware being set to only take movies in MOV format, and the files after full conversion in to AVI (RADTOOLS) and then WMV, with almost no discernible loss of video or sound quality, compress down to 1/7th their size.

Online registration is terrible, as "registering for warranty" also means that not only do you have to fill out a 72 question market research survey where you have to answer all the questions; then your details DO get shared amongst all of the Kodak branches and their affiliates - so Kodak and their affiliates then start spamming. The opt out is a JOKE, meaning that you have to then opt out of every separate affiliate and department.

The customer service under warranty is absolutely appalling.

In a technical sense, the camera is very good. The build quality is junk, the software is sleazy and inadequate, and Kodak should be ashamed of themselves!

I bought the Kodak EasyShare DX6340 in February 2004 after seeing that it was the best camera for the price (I paid £150) and even though you can now get it for around £90 (from ebuyer.com), I still feel as if I got my money's worth.

The picture quality is excellent - the images are all colourful and crisp. The range of settings on it are excellent - it has 6 preset photo modes for different conditions, as well as a PAS function and a movie mode.

The PAS function is what made the camera stand out to me - it enables you to pick a shutter speed from 1/2000 of a second to 4 seconds, and also to choose the aperture width. This is extremely useful if your aim is to take 'arty' photos, but the camera also takes snapshots excellently as well.

The camera's layout is well thought out - all the buttons are in the places you'd expect, and also there's the perfect amount of buttons for ultimate ease of use. The onscreen menus are easy to use. Also, unlike other electronic devices, the joystick for menu navigation is very accurate and easy to use - it is rubber tipped for grip.

I use only 2300mAh rechargeables and these only last about 5 minutes with the screen on, but the screen turns off and this way the batteries obviously last longer.

However, with the camera you get a lithium ion battery pack, and this lasted for a total of about an hour and a half altogether with the screen on with my camera, so the battery life which I stated above may be only with my rechargeables.

I have had many digital cameras, but none have had such excellent quality pictures as the Kodak DX6340. The zoom is fantastic, and the video recordings are pretty good too. There is not much room on the internal memory so I highly recomend buying a card. It is very well worth it. The sound quality isnt excellent, but its adequate. There are lots of modes, to suit your every move, and the flash is good. I also suggest not using the screen to take pictures, and just using the viewfinder, as this will preserve the battery life much longer. There are lots of functions you can use on the pictures you have already taken such as lock, which protects the picture form being deleted.

I am very happy with this Kodak DX6340 Digital camera. It has almost totally replaced the use of my 35mm SLR cameras due to its ease of use, high shot capacity, low operating cost, and general handiness. It certainly does not produce better pictures than a 35mm SLR in its price range but what digital does at this point in time. The 3.2 megapixel capacity is more than adequate. I find the resulting prints to be satisfactory. It takes good pictures in lighting conditions that would challenge my 35mm SLR and does so in automatic mode. The ability to take moving pictures with sound is a bonus and great in those situations that arise on the spur of the moment, such as when your idiot uncle decides to make a fool of himself at dinner and the VCR camera is packed away.

I am looking forward to continued improvements in digital photography technology.

On first impression, this Kodak DX6340 digital camera seems like excellent value for money. In its price range of around US$330, it is the only camera that offers 4x optical zoom and a 1.8" LCD. The bright bottom end of the lens (F2.2 at 1x zoom) also seemed like a good thing. Also, the PAS mode allows for Aperture Priority or Shutter Priority, something few cameras at this price range has (others: Canon A70, Samsung V3).

The 16MB internal memory is also a good way to backup whatever SD/MMC card you might buy for this camera, as most single-slot cameras provide 16MB or 32MB media which you have to carry around seperately. The use of AA batteries is good because rechargables are easily available at high capacities, and alkalines are found everywhere.

Turning on the camera, the startup time takes too long for my liking as the lens extends itself at a leisurely pace, albeit silently. The metal camera body is well built, except for the flimsy plastic doors and mode dial.

Focusing was acceptably fast with the passive AF sensors in place, but the preview display after you take the picture is annoyingly long. You can turn off the preview altogether, but I think most digital camera users would want to check their pictures right after taking. A timer setting for preview will be a welcomed addition. I do like the ability to delete a shot as it's shown to you in the preview.

The user interface is exceptionally easy to learn and use, something I think even my father would have no problems with (technophobe daddy). I really don't like the stiff click-action of the mode dial, which I use have to turn from one end (Off) to another (PAS mode), which brings me to another point. The Auto-Exposure computer doesn't seem to realize that it has a F2.2 lens to work with, as it will only use up to F2.8, which forces me to use Aperture priority whenever I need to do flashless dim-light photography.

Despite all the pros and cons discussed above, one very important issue remains: Image Quality. To me, this is the deal-breaker because the lens is reputable, but the Kodak sensor/processor seems to have spoilt the output quality. Almost every image taken with this camera is fuzzy and looks cartoony due to lack of details. I did a still-life comparison shot against a Nikon 3700 (selling for exactly the same price, and comes with a camera pouch), and the Nikon wins hands down in every single aspect. The only aspect where I observe the Kodak matching the Nikon is white balance and colour balance. Interested to see the shots? Drop me a comment and I'll look into it.

Very easy to use, average battery life, good features, reasonable value for money, but poor picture quality gives this camera below-average overall rating. I'd recommend the Samsung Digimax V3 if you're looking for a good lens with full manual controls. Currently using an Olympus 5060 and a Nikon 3700.

I've just bought the Kodak DX6340 and...what a digital camera it is. Stylish, easy to use, great value for money, what more can you ask for. I initially set my budget at £100 for a camera but then looked and looked and looked and couldnt find anything that would cover my needs (and brand snobbery!!!!) so i kept putting off buying one. Then the other day whilst looking through the argos catalogue saw the DX6340 for £199. I did a bit more research into the camera and it looked promising.Although its more expensive than i planned it definately met my requirements and with the interest free for 6 months it didnt seem so bad! The decision was made...lets buy! You can get this camera about £30 cheaper if you pay up front but for me interest free was the only way.The only thing ive got to say against the camera is I would definately recomend you invest in some rechargable batteries though as it is relatively hungry with regular use. The main thing i can really say is BUY this camera i'm sure you to will love it.