EASTMAN KODAK (1559103) EasyShare Digital Camera DX6340
Snap a picture with the Kodak EasyShare DX6340 and you'll be impressed at how easy it is to capture vivid imagery and memories that will last a lifetime. The EasyShare DX6340 features a 3.1-megapixel sensor, 4x optical zoom, large 1.8-inch LCD monitor, and Kodak's exclusive on-camera Share button. Transferring photos to your PC and sharing them is even easier with the optional EasyShare Dock 6000 and Printer Dock 6000.
Optics and Resolution
The EasyShare DX6340 delivers a fast click-to-capture performance and focuses easily in low-light conditions. It features a professional-quality Schneider-Kreuznach Variogon lens that offers a 4x optical zoom and 3.5x digital zoom (for a 14x total). With its 3.1-megapixel resolution (2,032 x 1,524 pixels), you'll be able to make print enlargements up to 11 by 14 inches.
Optional Docks
The Kodak EasyShare Dock 6000 includes a USB port for fast and easy transfer of pictures from camera to computer, and offers a two-position tilt feature for improved viewing of images from the camera's LCD. It also comes with a rechargeable battery pack, and the Kodak DX6340 can be stored in the dock any time so that it will always be charged and ready to go.
In addition to the transfer and battery charge features of the Dock 6000, the Printer Dock 6000 adds the ability to print 4-by-6-inch photos directly from your camera. You can also hook it up to your TV for a slide-show presentation.
Storage and Transfer
Images can be stored on either the 16 MB internal memory or on optional Secure Digital (SD) or MultiMediaCard (MMC) memory cards. Images can be downloaded to either a Mac or PC via USB connectivity, which means the camera can be connected to any USB-based Windows Me/2000/XP and Mac OS 8.6 or later computer without installing any software.
Movie Mode
In addition to taking still photos, the EasyShare DX6340 is capable of recording continuous video with audio.
More Features
Preview your shots with more brightness and clarity with the EasyShare DX6340's 1.8-inch indoor-outdoor display, which is viewable even in direct sunlight. The Share button on the back of the EasyShare DX6340 enables you to tag pictures right on the camera for automatic printing or e-mailing, after transferring to your PC. You can even store up to 32 e-mail addresses in the camera.
Other features include:
- Selectable aperture priority, shutter priority, and exposure compensation as well as options for ISO, color, and white balance.
- On-camera auto rotation of images so you'll never have to look at a picture sideways.
- Built-in flash with red-eye reduction, auto, fill, and off modes.
Power, Size, and Contents
The camera is powered by a CR-V3 lithium battery (included; rechargeable batteries are recommended). It measures 4.3 by 2.5 by 1.5 inches and weighs 7.8 ounces. This package includes the EasyShare DX6340 digital camera, battery and battery charger, USB and AV cables, wrist strap, and Kodak EasyShare CD-ROM and USB drivers for Windows and Mac.
1 Great - but only when it works
When I first bought the DX6340 last summer, I found the camera easy to use and I was pleased with the picture quality. But as time went by, I have found that actually taking pictures with this camera hasn't been easy. Its been in for repairs two times - and had two CPU's and circuit boards replaced. Its heading in for its third repair this week. Within days of it arriving home from the repair shop, it has stopped working again. Its incredibly infuriating because I've lost holiday and birthday photos which I can't replace. They look great on the LCD, but after they're downloaded its evident that the photos are horribly distorted. Alternatively, the camera stops allowing me to download pictures entirely. Its a shame since I've had great success with Kodak products in the past. Recommendation - avoid this camera like the plague.
2 Second worst purchase of my life
(The first worst was the Printer Dock 6000 to go with the unit)
Within a week of purchasing this camera a year ago, the shutter stopped opening and closing... So, since it was within 30 days the point of purchase exchanged it for a new one. They said, no problem, they've seen a lot of that with this unit.
Sooo it came as no surprise two weeks later when the shutter on the new unit stopped functioning.... And as the other reviewers say, Kodak warranty repairs are a joke.
So, *everytime* we go to take a picture, we have to *manually* open and close the shutter -- that's right, pry it open with our fingers... Each time dirtying and scratching the lense a little more. I wish to heck we had never purchased this camera or the (nonfunctional) printer dock. Such a shame, we had a great experience with a previous Kodak digital camera. After this experience, I will never purchase another Kodak product as long as I live...
3 Very Pleased!
I bought this particular camera, along with the printer dock, about a month ago. It is my first digital camera purchase. We are on a tight budget and only allowed ourselves a small amount, considering the price of digital cameras with 3+ MP and any kind of optical zoom. I found this one, new, at a great deal that couldn't be passed up, and after reading some very positive reviews, I grabbed it! And I'm so glad I did!
The camera is extremely user friendly. It's really hard to make a mistake or take bad pictures. The manual and software are very simple to use. The manual explains things in short steps so you can remember how to put each feature to use. No wondering if you're doing it right. And the software is pretty much self explainatory. I love that I only have to push one button to download my pictures. Pictures themselves are gorgeous and colors come through so clearly! I think the video quality is great considering it's coming from a little digital camera. And I'm very glad I went with a camera with audio. I have 2 very active subjects (my 2 young daughters) and I have loved sharing pictures and video with family (including 1 grandmother) out of state. We were actually suprised at how many pictures we could take with only the 16 MB of internal memory. We did buy a memory card, but it's nice to know we have a good bit of extra if needed. And we have yet to run low on battery life because we use the printer dock to recharge. We use the LCD screen often, and still, the battery life has been good.
The printer dock itself makes impressive prints. I was really worried about poor quality, but I haven't been disappointed with it yet. It's small and doesn't take up a lot of space. Very portable if we needed it to be. And, again, a very user friendly machine.
I am so very glad we found and purchased this camera. It's a great starter and I'm extremely pleased with it so far.
4 perfect for the eletronically non-inclined!
I bought this camera for my wife last Christmas. She'd been wanting a digital camera but had no desire to get one if it meant ever touching the computer. This camera combined with the printer dock was perfect for her. She basically uses it like a fancy point-and-shoot, then prints out pictures as she goes. I haven't even had to upgrade her memory card since she just deletes the pics when her card gets full. Better quality pictures may be available with other cameras but nothing beats the ease of use for her.
5 GREAT CAMRA
I HAVE HAD THE DX6340 FOR ABOUT A YEAR.I LOVE IT. PICTURES ARE AS GOOD AS 35M. EASY TO USE.UNLIKE SOME OTHERS I HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS WITH THE CAMERA DOOR OR SOFT WEAR OR BATTERIES.SOME PEOPLE HAVE LEAD FINGERS. IT IS A CAMERA NOT A BOWLING BALL. I USE RECHARGEABL BATTERIES AND GET 200 PICTURES PER CHARGE. YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW TO USE THE SOFTWEAR AS WITH ANY PROGRAM.MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS ARE AMAZED AT THE PICTURES. THE 4X OPTICAL ZOOM WORKS GREAT. ONLY CAMERAS COSTING A LOT MORE WILL HAVE THIS.I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO BUYING ANOTHER KODAK DIGITAL CAMERA.KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK KODAK.
6 Great but not perfect
Great camera, merely OK software. Easy to use and pictures are fantastic (and that's what important after all) but a couple things make it less than perfect.
I like the fact I can use standard AA batteries but am disappointed that the camera in cradle will not recharge standard NiMH cells, only the Kodak custom NiMH battery pack.
I like the fact I could buy additional telephoto and wide angle lenses (on top of the built in 4x optical zoom) but am very displeased the wide angle lens blocks the flash, making the additional lenses compatible with natural light only. This is probably my biggest gripe, but hey - most other cameras do not even offer the additional lenses. Still, Kodak should warn you about this in their product information.
The software is OK, but it's not smart enough to transfer only the new pictures - it wants to transfer all even if they were already transferred (unless youu choose what to transfer manually - an annoyance). It also lacks a panorama stitching capability and it can't output my photo album to HTML pages and linked images to upload to my ISP's web site. Thumbnailer (shareware) fills that gap for me.
Here's what says it all - would I buy another Kodak? Yep.
7 Very nice camera but non warranty service is a rip off
Very nice camera. Easy to use. Takes great pictures and the Kodak software is MUCH better than the HP software I'm using now. BUT if you need non warranty service, like drop the camera or get it wet, your in deep do-do. I spilled something on the front of the camera, barely got it wet. United Camera and Binocular Repair, Kodak's nonwarranty repair center, wanted $193 to repair it.. Of coarse I'm not going to pay that much since the camera didnt cost much more than that anyway. I'm using an HP now and even though I dont like it as much as I did the Kodak, I'll never buy a camera from Kodak again.
8 You CAN work with the photo files
I got one of these beauties for work recently and loved the picture quality. I initially also was frustrated that I couldn't seem to "drag and drop" the pictures anywhere outside the Kodak software album and I also could not copy and paste. It seemed I would have to e-mail the pictures to myself in order to capture them. (I don't have a CD burner) BUT...I soon found that the pictures do save on my computer simultaneously. I found them in my C drive in a folder (can you tell I'm not an IT person?) that all computers seem to have called "my documents." Inside that was "my pictures" and inside that was a Kodak folder and all the pictures I had saved from my camera. At that point they were mine to do with whatever I wanted. As soon as I saw that I was not locked into Kodak until eternity, I unequivocally loved the camera. Now I am looking into buying one for home use.
9 kodak 6340 - good pics but not rugged enough
The zoom button fell off after a couple of weeks - trying to find replacement or warranty (hoho! It's refurbished after all). Great pictures and easy to use - Love the onboard speaker for playback of mpg movies.
10 Works great - easy to use
This is the first digital camera my husband and I have used and it's super easy and takes wonderful pictures. I did quite a lot of research before we purchased it and agree with all of the good reviews it got - also agree that the battery door is flimsy - you have to be careful with that.
We were taking pictures and downloading them within 30 minutes of opening the box!
11 Decent little camera
I've fought getting a digital for years...I'm a scrapbooker who loves her Cannon Rebel 35mm. Anyway, the 35mm tends to be too bulky to put into your pocket on those little trips. My husband who is a "techie" thought I was insane to by a 3.1 when there are affordable 4.0-5.0's on the market. There'll always be cameras better and faster as long as technology progresses, but the prices will also reflect those progresses. Anyway, I took the plunge in April '04 and haven't regretted it. If you're looking for decent 4x6 pics, you won't be disappointed, especially for the price. This camera is extremely easy to use. I like the 4x zoom feature this camera offers. I couldn't find it at this price-point on any others. The only thing I see that they could improve on is the quality of the video when reviewing on my tv, therefore I deduct a star. (I've not tried it on my computer yet; the quality may be okay on it.) As far as battery life goes, I don't use my LCD screen but to review or record video with, and I've gone through about 300 pics without having to change my battery. If the other reviewers are having problems with batteries it sounds like they need to get the company they bought the camera from to give them a replacement, or they need to look through the viewfinder instead of the LCD screen . (There is an option on the camera to switch the LCD screen off.) I haven't purchased the docking station. I take my card to Wal-mart and use their machine to download, pick the # of prints and sizes, and they print them in an hour, .01 cent cheaper than traditional prints, thank you very much. (I don't waste my ink and I'm not out any paper if my printer jams.) Also, a cord is included that I plug right into my tv to have a slide show.
Overall this is an easy to use nice little camera for around $200 bucks.
12 What a Headache!
I originally purchased this camera because I liked its features, price and read good reviews on Amazon.com. Now that I've had this camera for almost a year, it's been nothing but a huge headache. It sucks batteries like anything else. The rechargeable Ni-MH batteries I got from Kodak barely work at all (camera only takes 2-3 pictures before flashing a low battery sign) even after repeated chargings. Alkaline batteries are also completely useless. Be prepared to buy a lot of expensive lithium batteries. Just yesterday, the lens cover stopped closing, even with a brand new lithium battery. I've had it sent back to Kodak for repair a couple of months ago, and am now sending it back for repair a second time. Wish I'd never bought this camera!
13 Bad Software Comes With This Camera
I love the Kodak EasyShare cameras but I'm very unhappy with the software that comes with it. Kodak forces you into using their software as it's the only way to get the pictures out of the camera unless you use a drive for your SD card. Once inside the software, you can't rename picture files or save them to another folder. Neither can you select a group of pictures and copy or drag and drop them to another program. You can't even see the name of the picture file unless go to properties and then parse it out of an unfriendly name. The software was made to lock you into using ofoto to share/print your pictures. This software is extremely basic and suitable only for the beginning digital photo user or someone who only wants to print with the Kodak Camera dock. If you want to do anything more complex, buy another brand that doesn't lock you into their software.
14 I love this camera!
This camera was highly rated by Consumer Reports, and that rating is well deserved. The camera is light weight and is easy to use. The quality of the pictures is terrific. The software makes it easy to set up albums, email photos, etc.
I considered buying the dock to simplify downloading of pictures, but found that it's very easy to do that without the dock. I just leave the cable attached to my USB port and connect it to the camera whenever I'm ready to download.
Since I live in Upstate NY, I'm also happy to support a local company working to rebuild its reputation and financial strength by selling such a well made product.
15 Okay pictures, but poor design and memory never worked
We bought this camera because we wanted a nice small digital to complement our large Sony Mavica with a 10x optical zoom. The camera takes okay pictures - I cannot really complain or boast - but there are two things that make this a camera to stay away from:
FIRST, the Secure Digital memory never worked. We bought a 64 Mb card when we purchased the camera, and the camera never recognized it. Retruned it to Amazon and got another - also didn't work. Returned it and bought a third brand at the local Staples - also didn't work. Kodak tech support said we needed to download new firmware for the camera (which was a big pain in the 'dupa' to do, but we did it), tried the SD card - same results. Basically, unless we ship it back we are stuck with a camera that can only take 15 pictures.
SECOND problem - the engineer who developed the battery door should be shot. It is extremely hard to close, and within a month ours had already broken after changing the battery only twice. We were patient and gentle with the battery changes - the design of this should never have gotten through their beta tests with this product.
Overall, we are pretty disappointed.
16 Quality not that good
I have had the dx 6340 camera and the dock 6000 for about 6months now.
I have had a few problems already:
1. The plastic cap that covers the lens sometimes does not open completely sometimes.
2. Rechargeable battery does not last long (with the 6000 dock) when using liveview (live lcd preview of picture being taken). I think this could be a firmware bug as a low battery indicator comes up when I use liveview even on fully charged battery.
3. Pictures in sunny day outside are not that sharp even when I use flash to take out shadows.
4. Night shots are blurred and require tripod to stabilize images.
5. Orbs (oval lighted spots) show up in pictures sometimes when using flash though it has been suggested that it is due to dust floating around the camera.
17 A warning to first-time camera buyers ...
Like many of the reviewers here, this was my first digital camera, and initially I was happy with it because of its simplicity, low price, and 4x zoom. However, I soon noticed that photos lacked detail if I tried to enlarge and crop them. Being a first-time digital camera owner, I thought this was normal. Later when I compared my camera other 3 megapixel cameras, I noticed the Kodak has much less detail than other comparable cameras. By then, it was too late to return or exchange the product. Most first-time camera buyers will not notice the lack of image detail right away, as the pictures have good color and contrast, and look great on an average 1 megapixel computer screen. Sadly, the low picture sharpness negates the benefits of the 4x zoom - I could have bought a lower zoom camera for less money, and simply cropped more. I have also had two minor problems with this camera:
1. Just after the warranty expired, the little audio speaker stopped working. The speaker generates the handy fake shutter "click", and also plays back the audio in movie mode.
2. The plastic lens panel is supposed to automatically slide over the lens when the camera is off. Sometimes it does not close when the camera is off, and sometimes it does not completely open when the camera is on.
18 Awesome camera
Sleek design, cool colors, different photo capture modes, video/sound capture, date imprint etc. This just encompasses all the features I need.
One glitch is that battery compartment cover is little too delicate for the CRV battery that comes with the camera.
I would strongly recommend this camera over fuji or sony
19 Don't waste your money
I bought this camera and printer dock only to find the software and other components are difficult to use. I ended up purchasing a new computer thinking maybe my computer was getting out dated and still with a brand new state of the art system it is still not working properly. Also the pictures are not clear when printed
20 Kodak DX6340
Just got mine at a great price form Amazon. I'd read all the reviews, most of which were excellent, but be assured that this is a super camera with all the bells and whistles you'd ever want. There was some concern in other reviews about software but I have experienced no problems and the camera and dock are communicating fine with my PC (450Mz 98se). The photos are fab and the video clips are great fun. I use Irfanview to resize, etc., and all is well. Fantastic product.. if you're in 2 minds just buy it! The battery cover is a bit weak but that's the only gripe so far. Go get yours!
21 great looking camera
I went to a store in mount laurel nj and it was on sale for $178.98 , but you are selling it for $249.99 why if on line it is cheaper?
22 Everything I've tried with it works like a charm.
I haven't used this camera much yet but the image quality is quite good and I have yet to get a bad result. I've noticed the pictures come out fairly dark, but I need to mess with the settings a bit before I make any judgements on that.
As far as software problems and problems with XP that I've heard people talk about, I've never experienced them. For one I don't use the software that came with it and second I have no issues getting it set up in XP. just plug it in and it sets up fine with no external help. XP does it all in a few minutes. As for transfering files, I just go to My Computer and to the camera listing and I can copy and paste just like any other folder. Either that or plug the SD card into the port on my Epson R300. The software is totally unnecessary.
23 Great Pictures, Great Value!
After a month of research and reading a lot of customer reviews, I narrowed my choices to Nikon Coolpix 3100, Fujifilm A210, Canon A70, and the Kodak DX6340. I ruled out the fujifilm A210 because of it's limited features, and the fact that it requires Fuji xD memory cards...xD cards are expensive, and are not as common as compact flash or secure digital cards! The Nikon 3100 had plenty of features, however it was too small for my hands and lightweight. I felt I hard to curl my fingers to avoid covering the lens hence I could not get a comfortable grip on the camera. The Nikon is made of 100% plastic and I wasn't about to spend $245 on a toy-like camera!
The choice was tough between this kodak camera and the Canon A70, but I finally decided on the kodak. Both cameras have similar features, both take and process shots at similar speed. The Canon has an AF assist lamp, the Kodak has a similar low-light AF mechanism. Unlike the canon A70, the kodak DX6340 does not include a memory card, however, it's 16MB internal memory allows you to practice and familiarize yourself with the camera right out of the box. Both cameras have a solid, heavy feel to them and are made of metal and plastic.
In comparing pictures taken with both the canon A70 and the kodak DX6340, the kodak produced sharper images, and the color in the kodak prints was right-on! Indoor shots with the kodak are great! The sport mode on the kodak Dx6340 does a good job in capturing objects in motion without any blurriness. The kodak also has an image orientation sensor that's really cool! The Easy Share software that comes with the DX6340 is easy to use, and the pictures transfer quickly with no problems to the computer. By default, the software runs automatically when starting windows which can slow down start up, but you can turn this feature off through Windows.
I would recommend a larger capacity memory card, and rechargable batteries with this camera.
Some things to keep in mind when shopping for a digital camera:
1.) Size matters! Those small, lightweight, mint box cameras are nice, but if you have shaky hands be prepared for blurry images!
2.) If you plan on printing pictures at home, make sure your printer supports a higher resolution...you can spend $1,000 on a camera, but it won't do you much good if you'll be printing low res images.
3.) Don't fall into the 'Mega Pixel Trap.' I have enlarged my pictures up to 11" x 14" and still get high quality print outs with this camera!
You can't go wrong with the kodak DX6340! Easy to use, great pictures both indoors and outdoors, and user-friendly software.
24 Awesome camera, easy to use, all the features you need
I previously had an Epson 850Z digital camera, but was constantly missing those key photo moments on our 2 yr old daugter. I read the reviews and narrowed my selection to this Kodak and the Canon 300. I tested them at Best Buy and found this camera to be quicker--quicker from the time you pressed the buttom till the photo snapped--key with a 2 yr old that won't sit still. I have been 100% satisfied with this camera in all settings and environments. The movie function is a nice addition, thought beware, the file size gets large quickly. Highly recommend this camera for both beginners and intermediate users--can't beat the features for the price. I've had the camera for 3 months now and don't regret my decision one bit. Great camera.
25 Wow...I am not surprised, but I *am* impressed
What an incredible camera this is. My first digicam was a 1.2mp Olympus, which i loved and still use sometimes. Then last summer i "upgraded" to a nikon coolpix 3100. I hated that camera. Took great outdoor shots, but my indoor ones were dark and blue-tinted. I just bought this Kodak yesterday as a replacement..and i am amazed. I have a kodak film camera that takes the most incredible pictures, and so i was looking to kodak for the digital camera in the hopes that it would have the same vivid colors of my film camera, and it most certainly does.
What I love about this camera:
SOOOO easy to use! The menu items have descriptions so you immediately know what is what without looking it up.
The joystick is an incredible tool
The dial is tough to turn, but that's a plus because it won't be turning on accidentally in your bag, which was a problem with my previous cameras.
The EasyShare software is awesome, and so versatile and easy to use.
the picture quality! true color, vivid, crisp. Plus, the write speed is really minimal so you can take pictures quickly one after the other.
I think the software is my favorite thing about this camera. You can email pictures straight from the software, and send copies to yourself...you can edit the pictures quickly and easily, and the images are the size of the screen so you dont' have to zoom in to get a good look.
My indoor pictures were initially dark, but I've been playing around with the flash and some of the manual options, and it's been taking great pictures. Quick fix; i set the flash to "fill flash" and even though the flash was still going off with the "auto" setting, the fill flash pictures were ten times brighter and more true color.
The shutter speed is great. That was my second biggest gripe about the nikon; i have a baby and a toddler, and capturing the moment was impossible with the Nikon. The best buy rep said it would be a little slower with the Kodak, but i have not found that to be the case at all; I've yet to lose a smile and i've taken more than fifty pictures in the last 24 hours.
Also, the zoom is very effective on this camera, whereas on others i've tried, you don't really see a difference and if you do it's usually sacrificing quality.
I only gave the camera four stars because i agree that you should always leave some room for improvement. In the case of the DX6340, it's heavy! Heavier than my Nikon, at least. Also, you really need two hands to turn it on. That was one nice thing about both my Olympus and my Nikon; onehanded turn-on. But really it's a small thing, and at least this way it's not turning on accidentally and wasting battery power.
I would really recommend this camera to anyone, novice or not. I thought i'd be "offended" by the ease of the software, but it's so great. Most of the time, you pay for features that you'll probably never use. This is such an efficient little package. There are a few extras that you will definitely toy with, and the software is useful without being overwhelming. Everything you need is very easy to find, and the picture quality and shutter speed are amazing. Also, I like that it has internal memory so you don't even need a card if you're just going to take a few pictures at a time.
26 Pretty Nice Camera
I really like the 4x optical zoom compared to my old 1.5 zoom camera which was a Kodak also. It is one of the smaller sized camera with some weight, but I like the weight. I like the fact that you do not have to worry about a lens cap and that it is built right into the lens. The dail feature is a little annoying, but normally you just would click once clock wise or counter clock wise.
Pictures come out great and so do the movies. I have no complaints yet. I hope it last long.
Good Luck
27 Glamour Shots !!
This Kodak Digital Camera is Awesome ! The only problem with this camera is that it can't take a bad picture. Do you remember Glamour Shots in the mall? They could take a picture of a plain jane and make her look like a million dollar princess -- this camera does the same thing ! I swear I took a picture of a pile of trash and after Kodak adds it's little Color Science - it was the most prettiest trash pile I've seen in my life !
This camera just ads a little sunshine to every picture through it's Color Science technology - no other camera on the market has that. I bought a 2nd Digital Camera .. a Pentax Optio S and returned it back to the store because the pictures didn't even compare to Kodak's.
I don't think I will ever find a Digital Camera that can take pictures like the Kodak. Oh and one more thing, this camera is smart enough to automatically adjust itself to achieve perfect lighting, balance, etc.
Why somebody would want to "fiddle" with settings is beyond me. By the time you did all that wouldn't you miss your Kodak moment? Good Luck with your purchase - but you won't go wrong if you pick this one.
28 Easy is an understatement!
The Kodak DX6340 is a winner! Here's the story. Went out to find a replacement digital camera for an older Pentax SLR and Nikon point and shoot that the whole family could use. Well after seraching high and low and just about every website, I came down to the fact that: 3.1MP is about enough for anyone to make good big pictures; 3x optical zoom is a bare minimum; video and audio are nice features; but most imporatantly if the family is going to use this camera, then it's got to be intuitive and stay under $300. The choice basically boiled down to the Canon A70 and this Kodak. Well the Kodak won! It's less expensive by $30 and it's a camera that even complete neophytes can use right out of the box. The Kodak uses real english language and not just miniscule, almost indescernable, icons to get to various functions. The down side, although only as small as the Canon icons, is that the Kodak does not do VGA movies nor does it allow for attaching a voice file to a picture. The Canon to it's credit does have a bit more manual controls (if you can remember what those tiny, indescernable icons actually mean). By the time you figure it out - you miss the shot. The Kodak, to it's credit, is built well and has a nice convienent size. It also has a nice size display, continuous movie mode with sound, intuitive controls, and EXCELLENT 4X optical zoom which just about blows away anything in the 3MP and less than $300 price group. So... if you want a digital camera that is really very and I mean VERY good, go for the Kodak. BTW, the printer dock works well (a bit slow) and limited in terms of the size of the prints it makes but for prints that it can do, it's good. You certainly don't need it if you have a good computer/printer. The printer dock is fun to use and watch just like Polaroid prints used to be fun to watch develop. Also, the software used by Kodak is very easy to use. Bottom line - this Kodak camera is a winner!
29 Easy to use and great quality pictures!
I received this camera as a graduation present and have been completely pleased with it! It has a multitude of features and setting options, and yet it is incredibly easy to use. I was able to figure most of the camera operation out on my own, but also found the instruction manual very explicit and easy to understand on the few occasions where I needed to reference it. Special picture settings allow you to take motion, portrait, nighttime, landscape, and closeup shots.
The picture quality is WONDERFUL! One of the first places I used this camera was at the zoo, and I came away with some of the best animal pictures I have ever taken - you could literally count the hairs and feather fibers, the images were so clear! It even takes great pictures through glass. I have also been extremely pleased with the closeup setting. One of my hobbies is re-painting tiny horse figurines, approximately three inches in height, and this camera allows me to take very nice, clear closeups of my work. There are also several flash settings, that allow you to turn the flash on and off, use red-eye correction, etc. One feature that came as a pleasant surprise to me was the video function. This camera allows you to take short video clips, WITH sound!
I would highly suggest that anyone purchasing this camera also buy an additional memory card with 128 MB (or higher) storage capacity. This will allow you to store well over 100 pictures at a time.
The only disappointment I found with this camera was that the software would not install properly on my computer. However, that may be a problem with the computer itself, as mine is more than a little temperamental. I was easily able to circumvent this problem, as Windows XP has a built in function for downloading data from digital cameras, so I just use this method instead. I would HIGHLY recommend this model to anyone looking for a quality digital camera!
30 Batteries for digital cameras
We have had very good luck using Energizer AA Lithium and Energizer rechargeables in our camera. Friends also found these batteries to work very well.
31 Good digital camera
This camera exceeded my expectations in relation to ease of use. The joystick is a great idea and works well. The display looks great and the interface easy to move around in. Zooming is a breeze with this camera and it is the smallest available with a 4x zoom. It has no problems reading/writing my SD cards from Sandisk, a 32 MB and a 256 MB. My NiMH AA rechargables work great with it. Just be sure to turn off the LCD to save your batteries.
One thing I disliked was the software. On my WindowsXP and Windows2k computers it would not recognize the camera. So I just used my memory card reader which I would prefer anyway.
I only gave this a 4 because it doesn't quite match the detail that a 35 mm would give you. Digital has come far but still needs to become cheaper in relation to a 35 mm camera. At the time I ordered, Amazon shipped it for free :-) Arrived on time and in perfect shape.
I definitely recommend this camera. I hope they make a smaller version as a previous reviewer suggested.
32 Buy Something Else
I have done quite a bit of research on a variety of digital cameras in all price ranges. After reading the reviews, I thought that this would be the one for me. This was going to be the camera to capture those precious moments of my daughters wedding. Well I was wrong. It seemed like a easy camera to use. Even when you reviewed the pictures on the camera, they seemed fine. After that it went down hill. The pictures turned out to be blurry. Terrible camera to take any inside picture, and yes for all you supposed experts all the settings on the camera were tried. It just didn't matter. The only good inside of night time pictures were those taken about two feet away from the object you were taking the picture of. Trouble with the quality of the pictures was just the beginning. Numerous times the lenses aperture would not open or close on its own. If you are trying to save your batteries, you will not realize this until your picture comes up for review. Next was the fun time trying to download the pictures to our computer. First the share dock would not work. Then tried to hook the camera up directly to the computer, it didn't work either. Once again for all you experts it was not the computer. The next step was to call tech support. After over an hour of troubleshooting, no luck. The best they could tell me then was to try it on another computer, which I am sure that every household has 3 or 4 of. Well we do have two and that didn't work either. So there wasn't nothing easy about the easy share dock. The next day I went out and purchased a multi-slot card reader. It hooked right up and I was finally able to download all 180 of the pictures. Out of that 180 maybe 30 are worth keeping (and 20 of them were taken during the daytime). I just wanted to make sure that someone told the ugly side of the story about this camera. No more Kodak camera's for me.
33 Easy to use but BEWARE of using ordinary batteries!
Here are my observations with this camera after using it for over 4 months now.
1) It is easy to use. Almost anyone could use this camera instinctively.
2) The pictures it takes are sharp enough but don't expect to get Hasselblad clarity and depth with this camera. Like most digital cameras, you will enjoy the point and shoot convenience that filmless photography offers. Remember, if you don't like a photo just delete it and take another shot if you want to.
3) The DX6340 will suck the life out of ordinary Duracells or Energizers after about 6 shots (with flash). Maybe Kodak can design an high capacity external battery pack which can be slung on one's shoulder and wired to the camera with a simple cable. This battery pack would then make this a good choice to carry for weddings or parties (or other photo-demanding occasions) where one can take 60 to 80 pictures without losing battery juice.
4) If Kodak decides to redesign this camera as a smaller unit, that would be good, too!
Overall, you can't go wrong buying this digital tool. Good work, Kodak!
34 Great pictures but night time shots need improvement
I got this camera as a gift. It takes pictures with very rich colors and sharpness if you do the focus right. I am not happy with the night time shots but some have said they will come out good if a tripod is used or the camera remains steady for sometime after taking pictures. Also the well known issue is the battery case cover which is flimsy.
I purchased a 256 mb card to store the pictures. Also am pleased with the video mode which comes out fine.
All in all a good camera for a first time digital camera buyer.
35 Kodak 6340 Digital Camera that Rocks!
This was my very first purchase of a digital camera. After weeks of driving to store after store, checking out several digital cameras, Kodak was my first and last choice. The software is easy to load and with the docking station and printer dock I was in business quickly. Our older daughter came home for Thanksgiving which gave the camera its first test. Easy, easy, easy (share) is the only words that come to mind. We then took off to Savannah, GA for a week visiting her and took over 150 pictures storing them onto the 256 MB card I bought. We also used the video option numerous times. The pictures, videos and memories will last a lifetime. Amazon is the best place to buy this camera as I bought it on-line on Saturday and it arrived on Wednesday using the "free shipping" option. (I did buy another desktop printer for the 5 x 7 and 8 x 10 pictures).
I highly recommend this camera and love Amazon. com.
36 Also takes lenses
I have owned this camera for 6 months now and am quite pleased with it. It is extremely easy to use and you can purchase a 17X close up lens, 2x telephoto, and a wide angle lens. I do a lot of close-up work so the close up lens works great. You can find links to the lenses at Kodak.com.
37 A breeze to operate for anyone over 8
I did a lot of research on cameras and spent a large amount of time at Best Buy and Circuit City looking at this model up close and personal.
I have to say that this camera is fantastic! It works well in a variety of light settings and is easy to switch from one setting to another by a simple turn of a knob. I've uploaded all my photos to ofoto.com and have loved the resulsts so much that I've ordered well over 75 pritns including some blown up to 11 x 17, WITH NO PIXELATION! My wife can't believe the framed work was taken with a digital camera.
They also print out great on my printer and I only have an hp 880c to work with on a day to day basis. You don't even need to go through the camera manual to be up and running with this little jewel. I started right out of the box and have been working with it ever since for all types of shots.
I have no problem with the software and the pictures can be downloaded with ofoto.com free software as well. In fact I use that more so than the Kodak software included.
So far, the battery life of the camera is excellent! I use flash and no flash with the screen on quite a bit, and I did ivest in some newere NiMh batteries from kodak. They hold a large charge and work well with this camera. I invested in a 128MB memory card for this camera for only $40.00 bucks from Circuit City. It's well worth it and much better than the any of the smaller cards.
I did not buy the Dock due to the ease of downloading with the card reader that came with the 128 mg card.
To sum things up, I realy like its ease, and clarity of detail in my pictures. Also, it bounced off the concrete from three feet when I tried to catch my 13 month old son, completely forgeting about my camera. It is still working fine with only a few minor scratches.
Enjoy!
38 Camera Dock 6000 makes the Kodak DX6340 much easier to use
My daughter wanted a digital camera for Christmas. She has been using inexpensive film cameras for years. A senior in high school, she is still prone to breaking the camera's battery compartment door after about six months of use a camera and I have to buy her another film camera. The Kodak DX series cameras all have the same type of flimsy battery compartment door. The USB cable to hook the camera to the computer is very tiny and delicate. If you are not gentle with the connector, you could cause damage, rendering the Kodak camera useless. I bought the $280.00 Kodak DX-6340 digital camera for her to use. Since the digital camera is so expensive, I don't want to replace it in six months due to a broken USB connector or a battery compartment door. The Kodak EasyShare Camera Dock 6000 solves both of these problems. There are already a lot of good comments regarding the DX6340 in this forum. I won't repeat what everyone already said. I would say that the best thing about the Kodak DX6340 is its ease of use, but the Kodak Camera Dock 6000 makes the Kodak DX6340 a great camera. It is true you have to buy special rechargeable NIMH batteries to use the Camera Dock 6000. Generic AA sized rechargeable NIMH batteries with a generic battery charger costs less than the Kodak EasyShare Camera Dock 6000, but AA sized rechargeable NIMH batteries cannot be charge inside the DX6340 camera, therefore you would lose the ease of use with that option. There is a brand of NIMH rechargeable battery pack made for the Kodak camera made by DigiPower available for $15.00 (quite reasonable, when you compare that to the cost of proprietary batteries for cell phones and other digital cameras) from Circuit City and other fine photo retailers. Since the Camera Dock 6000 conveniently recharges the battery pack in 3 to 4 hours every time the camera sits in the dock, you never have to open the battery compartment; it would be like charging a cell phone battery. The battery pack should last one or two years before you need to replace the battery. If you want to transfer your picture to the computer, you never have to open another compartment door and connect up a flimsy USB cable to the camera. You connect the same USB cable to the Camera Dock 6000 permanently and forget it. If you want your camera to last a few years, this camera dock goes a long way to extending the life and reliability of any DX series camera. I bought the Kodak Printer Dock 6000 with the DX6340 initially and returned it un-opened after I found the cost of printing at the local Sam's Club a lot cheaper. The Printer Dock 6000 provides the same convenience and provides printing capability at a very steep price. The paper/ink cartridge refill kit costs $25.00 each time and comes with only 40 sheets of single size 4x6 photo paper with exactly enough ink to print 40 photos. That works out to be a costly 63 cents per print. I could get Sam's Club 1 Hour Photo department to print the digital prints for 17 cents a print. Even the local drug store can provide digital prints for half that cost of the Kodak refill kit. So I decided that the Kodak printer supplies are too expensive. The Kodak Camera Dock 6000 on the other hand allows me the same convenience at home to print through a generic photo printer made by Epson, Canon, HP and others at a lower cost using my home computer. However, I'm very lazy when it comes to photo printing and at 17 cents a print from Sam's Club 1 Hour Photo, I don't have to even do the work. Just spend five minutes to put the pictures on a CD and take it over to Sam's Club 1 Hour Photo department. If I want any size other than the single 4x6 size, Sam's Club 1 Hour Photo can do it. Not possible with the Kodak Printer Dock 6000. So, I say the Kodak EasyShare Camera Dock 6000 is definitely a must have option. $80.00 is not a lot to pay for the Camera Dock 6000 to get this level of convenience for the DX series cameras, especially when it makes using the DX6340 similar in ease to using a cell phone. Isn't convenience, the reason for all the cell phones in use today?
39 Great Camera
This camera is so easy to use. Takes great pictures. I didnt give it 5 stars because I believe there is always room for improvment on everything. Kodak provides great customer service for those who can't properly read instructions (like me) and they dont make you feel like a dummy. We compared the pictures from the DX6340 to the Sony mavica(pictures had alot of yellow) and although close Kodak won (true in colors). Kodak DX6340 has so many great features and the software is easy to use. I highly recommend the Kodak Dx6340.
40 Excellent camera!
I got this camera for Christmas, and I am very pleased! At first I didn't think 3.1 MP would be enough, but I printed a few pictures and was amazed at the film-like quality. The different modes, such as portrait, landscape, and close-up, allow for versitility. This camera is extremely easy to use, and I still haven't had to read the manual. Another feature I like is that you can turn the LCD screen on by pushing a button, so it's not on all the time to kill the battery (though that is an option). The video is also impressive; not video-camera quality, but then again it's incredible for a camera! I used it for 4 hours and the battery is still going strong, but I plan on buying a rechargable battery since only a regular one is included. I would definitely encourage you to purchase this digital camera!
41 Puts the "Easy" in EasyShare
I have to say that I love this camera. It has the easiest and most intuitive controls of any digital I've used. The image quality is very good in all modes and with all quality settings (there are four of them), with the auto mode usually doing a great job for normal point-and-shoot stuff. The PAS mode gives you more or less manual controls -- nothing like what you'll find on a real SLR, but very handy nonetheless. If there's one problem with the picture quality, it's that the auto mode tends to darken the foreground or subject ground of a picture based on small amounts of backlight -- the flash against a white wall alone is enough to skew the brightness. Overall, though, it's a rather minor complaint for a camera that works so well -- two seconds in Photoshop or any other editing program will correct any problems.
As I said before, the controls are extremely easy. Anyone can use this camera within minutes of picking it up, even the uninitiated or technologically disinclined. It's too bad that this ease and simplicity of use didn't extend to the software, however. Don't get me wrong -- it's certainly easy to use. The problem is that it turns your computer into a Kodak digicam station. I had to remove three Kodak entries from my startup menu, and the next time I rebooted my computer, I still got a Flash tutorial for the software. It would have been very useful if I had been expecting it. Needless to say, the software isn't exactly my sort of thing, though it does make it very quick and easy to transfer and share pictures from your camera.
Overall, the DX6340 is a great piece of work. Its high point is its ease of use -- it really cannot be overstated how smooth this camera is to use. Once I get my 256 MB memory card, I'll be in heaven -- imagine, 263 "Best" quality photos or 23 minutes of video, with sound. Oh, I didn't mention it had a full video mode? Great stuff.
42 After a year of research.
I had researched digital cameras for a year now through the internet,stores,and friends. I finally read about this Kodak camera on the Target website. Christmas was nearing and I wanted to get one for the holidays. I finally bought this camera and was very surprised when I also received a free DVD player. Even if the free gift offer isn't still in effect this camera is worth every penny. Very easy to use out of the box. I am very pleased with the picture quality and the software makes emailing the pictures to loved ones very simple. I plan on checking out the printer dock for this camera. If you are a beginner and want a easy fun camera this is the one for you!
43 Annoying switches
Having to click past SIX modes to FINALLY reach the manual (PAS) mode really sucks.
Why don't they use USB 2 instead of the extremely slow USB 1 mode to upload the pictures??
Almost every time we go to use the camera in the automatic mode the flash activates!! I wish there was a way to shut the flash off and have it stay off (even when you turn the camera off and back on) until you want to use it.
The digital zoom mode is really pathetic as far as photo quality goes. Our Sony Mavica FD-85 (1.2 MP)(2 years old and outdated) takes much cleaner and clearer pictures using the digital zoom.
Battery life sucks - We like to keep "Live view" and "Quick View" turned "on" but this will empty the batteries in less than 50 pictures. Sure we could buy the "optional" L Ion re-chargable batteries but the above mentioned Sony came with them at no extra cost.
We plan on returning ours to the Mart of Walls for a refund and purchase a Minolta Dimage Z1 instead.
44 Great Camera!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My BF had this camera on a trip and it worked awesome, so awesome i had to buy it for myself!!!! This is an awesome camera!!!!!!!!!!! :)
45 Great Camera
I think this camera is great. I had never used a digital camera before and found this camera exactly what I needed to get started. It is very easy to use and takes great pictures. I just ordered the printer dock 6000 and can't wait to start using that. I've previously uploaded and had pictures developed from Target, but wanted the convience of developing pictures of my newborn baby instantly. This is a great camera and I highly recommend it for even the new user like myself.
46 Excellent Camera
Excellent camera that takes amazing photos. It's easy to use. I also purchased the printer dock which is great if you want to print 4 x 6 pictures without having to use your printer. Be careful with the memory card. I originally bought the Viking memory card and it didn't work. Stick with Kodak brand. I'm not sure about the Simple Tech memory cards.
47 Love at first Digital Image
I never thought I would ever part with my SLR camera outfit, but I am hooked on digital photography already.
I enjoy the crisp and bright digital images on my computer the same day I take them. Having family in another state, this camera allows me to e-mail pictures and share the moments.
I use a 256 MB scan disk, so I can take pictures without abandon and just delete what I don't like. Love to be able to view what I've taken immediately on the screen. The scan disk is also compatible with my MP3 player and my palm pilot, which makes this convenient to share between all my toys.
Shutter is not as fast as I had hoped and I would probably revert back to my SLR for more control on fast action photos.
Alkaline batteries don't cut it! The camera shows a low battery almost immediately upon putting in new ones. I now have the printer dock with the built in charger, which works well for me.
My family enjoys the TV plug-in feature that allows me to show the pictures right on the TV like a slide show.
The EasyShare printer dock allows you to print 4X6's at home. I purchased this accessory very quickly after getting the camera. This is a fun accessory for the standard "snap shots." I took the dock to my parents house and printed pictures that I had just taken. It reminded them of the old polaroid convenience and the pictures are waterproof, so sticky kids' hands are no problem. See my review on the print dock.
I wasn't interested in capturing movies initially, but have now tried a few short film shots. It too is fun for quick captures when just a photo won't do. It captures sound well! Movies will have to be just a minute or two and you would definitely need an extra scandisk for more room. These "movies" can also be e-mailed in a quicktime format.
I only give 4 stars as sometimes I feel I am waiting for the camera to catch up with me, but this is a minimal trade off for the fun I am having.
48 Lens Fails to Retract
When I first started using this camera, it was wonderful, however, after about two weeks of use, the lens failed to retract, renduring the camera nonfunctional. I called Kodak Customer Service, was treated horribly, and they told me that the problem was the battery, that I needed to recharge it, which I had just got finished doing. Needless to say, I must return the camera now, losing with it, the pictures that I had stored on the internal memory. This is a great camera if you don't happen to get a defective one.
49 Great Camera, in theory
This camera has some really nice features. Takes great pictures and is relatively easy to use. Have had some serious problems, though.. I recorded a clip using the internal memory. Instead of stopping it while it was recording, I let it go until it ran out of memory. When I tried to transfer the video clip, the camera read "No images to transfer" and would not acknowledge the video I had recorded. Before customer service figured out the problem, they insisted the problem was with the Easyshare software that comes with the camera that was not allowing me to download the video clip so... they had me configure and reconfigure my computer, install and uninstall programs. Finally, they determined that the problem was not with the software or the computer. Turns out that not stopping the camera before it ran out of memory "corrupted the file", (as per customer service) and ultimately I had to erase the recording without transferring it to my computer.
Then, I bought a SD memory card. After about 25 pictures, the camera began to freeze up. I couldn't even turn it off, I had to take the battery out. According to customer service, when my battery runs low, the pictures I take become "corrupted." They are sending me a reconditioned rechargeable battery to try. I'm considering returning this to the store and getting another one. Maybe its just that the one I got is defective.
50 4.5 stars! Good camera for its class.
I compared this camera to a Canon A70, and though I liked the physical design of the Canon more, the Kodak had the better image quality. I think this is due to the 4x optical zoom Schneider lens. Supposedly, Schneider is one of the best lens makers in the world. The features are pretty nice too, and the camera is easy to use. I didn't give it the full five stars because it is still only 3MP (but it's a very good 3MP camera), and because it does not feel as good in your hands as some other cameras. It's also not that small, which may or may not be important to you. But if you are looking for good images for under $300, this is probably one of your best choices.
51 Excellent camera, great value!
My husband and I have been heckled by our respective families for not supplying nearly enough photos of our 2-year-old daughter. We're actually pretty good about taking pictures of her. It's taking the film to the store to get it developed that we have a problem with. For example, we still have somewhere around the house a roll of film from our honeymoon 5-1/2 years ago that still hasn't been developed. So for us the convenience of a digital camera was a must. We put off purchasing a digital camera for a long time, waiting for the price to come down and the features to improve. When we discovered this little beauty and its companion, the printer dock, we knew we had our latest purchase in sight. The quality of the photos that this camera takes is more than sufficient for our purposes, and the convenience of being able to use the supplementary printer dock and instantly print photos from the camera is wonderful.
The first main event we used this camera for was our daughter's second birthday a few months back. We took pictures of the celebrations at the restaurant, and of the cake and the present opening at our house. Then, after we put our daughter to bed for the night, we hooked the camera and printer dock to the TV with the included wires, and did a high-tech slide show for my parents. As they chose the photos they wanted, we selected them, and then printed them right off.
Even without the printer dock this is an excellent camera. I have a Mac, so my computer instructions may be different than those for PC users, but I just hook the camera up to the computer with the included USB cable, and iPhoto automatically loads up. For PC users, as well as for Mac users without iPhoto, the 6340 comes with a CD with EasyShare software. Hook the camera up to the computer, and the EasyShare software automatically loads. Then import the photos, view and/or edit them, and then save them, email them, or print them on a computer printer using either standard or photo paper.
Also, in this price range, the 3.1 megapixels that the EasyShare is capable of is great as well. Most of the other cameras I looked at in this price range either did not have such a high megapixel capability, or did not have as many features. And at the time that we bought this camera there were no other cameras on the market that had such a well-integrated printing system like the EasyShare printer dock. Perhaps that situation has changed in the past few months, but I haven't shopped around lately.
Another feature that I like about the EasyShare is the fact that you can choose different resolutions, affecting how many photos can be stored on the memory card at one time. On the highest resolution, a 256MB card (not included) would store around 256 photos; on the lowest, it will store upwards of 700 photos. This is great for day-to-day photos, or vacation photos where you don't want to cart around (and risk losing because they're so dang tiny) several memory cards.
Also, this camera has a video mode. Although many other still digital cameras include a video mode, this is the only one in this price range that includes a microphone, so you can record sound as well as motion. This is especially helpful during those moments (as we often have with our two-year-old) when there is a fleeting moment to capture and a regular digital camera is far easier to operate than a DV camcorder. Then simply plug in the camera to the computer, and (on a Mac) iMovie loads up and imports the film. Emailing the video as an mpeg file is as simple as emailing a still photo.
About the only gripe I have with this camera is the high price of the memory cards. Of course, once the photos have been stored in our computer, we can erase the contents of the memory card, but I'd like to be able to export the photos from iPhoto back to the camera and I haven't quite figured out how to do that. Since our computer's printer doesn't seem to have photo-printing capabilities, I don't want to delete the memory cards' contents until I have either figured out this issue or printed off the photos I really wanted to print.
But all in all, this is a wonderful camera for the price, and would still be a value at an even higher price. Kudos to Kodak for offering such a well-loaded camera at a fair price.
52 Loaded with quality features at a great price
I have been eyeing digital cameras for at least one year. Two things drew me to the Kodak DX6340: 1.) The 4X OPTICAL zoom, which for some reason breaks the 3X optical zoom standand, 2.) The review by Consumer Reports.
Regardless of the Consumer Reports rating I am extremely happy with the camera, but a few things CR pointed out confirmed my decision:
1.) Longest battery life. CR claims 900 photos, but that is without using the LCD. With heavy use of the LCD I get about 200 photos. Either way it is about 2-4 times comparable cameras.
2.) Shortest delay between shots at 2 sec. Next best was 3 sec according to CR which is a 50% increase in delay.
3.) LCD size. This camera has 1.8" and many comparables have 1.5". Translated, this camera has 20% more viewing area.
4.) Price. Of the top 4-5 comparible cameras reviewed in CR, this was the cheapest.
Also, software was very easy to install, and is better than all the software that came with either my printer or scanner.
53 Lens problem & non-reponsive customer service
After a week of use, the lens stopped retracting, rendering the camera nonfunctional. Kodak customer service insists that I must have dropped it (I didn't) and refuses to fix the camera.
54 Great photos, bad lenscap/customer service
This is my second Kodak digital camera. I loved the first so much I recommended it to everyone. This one I have to give mixed reviews for. First off, the photo quality and features are excellent. It takes great pics, the videos are a great feature, and I love the dial. Night-time pics never seem to turn out, eve with the Night option though. Just on photo issues I would give it a 4.5 stars.
But, a small drop on carpet when it was still brand-new resulted in it no longer working. I sent it to Kodak, they couldnt fix it and it wasnt covered under warranty (of course) so I had to pay $150 for a refurbished one. What was wrong with it? The thin plastic lenscap was jarred. I've had the replacement camera a few months now and have babied it, it's never seen a drop or jar and the lenscap has started to not retract completely. Either its a standard problem or they fixed my original and sent it back. (the refurbished has the same serial number, they said they switched it but now I'm starting to wonder).
So, in summary, this camera is great but if you aren't going to baby it completely, get something else. The camera can't seem to handle real-life use.
55 Great camera, small defect.
I love this camera to death, and I have only had it for a week! I purchased a 256mb memory card, a must-have. I can take about 270 pictures at 3.1 Megapixels! I only have one problem. I had to exchange the camera for a new one when the battery door broke. The INCLUDED CRV3 battery pack seems to be too big for the battery compartment. It is much harder to close than it is when using Ni-MH batteries. Thankfully Target exchanged it for me. So just be aware of using the included CRV3 battery pack. I suggest going to Radioshack and getting a Ni-MH rechargeable battery kit. It comes with 4 Ni-MH batteries and a fast charging unit. Otherwise, I love the camera. Definitely a great buy for the features and simplicity.
56 Great First Camera (or second or third)
I personally have had several digital cameras over the years and my perents wanted to start to go digital. So I decided that in order to make my life easier (a.k.a. less phone calls), I would buy the most simple camera without a bunch of bells and whistles. Well it was reading and playing around with different cameras and found this little gem.
This camera is EASY TO USE.
It has a small wheel on the back to select special photo modes.
It has the sound of a shudder so you don't take pictures of feet (there is a delay from pushing the button and picture with all digital cameras).
It docks on the optional Printer Dock (I bought as well) which prints incredible dye sublimated photos (Translation.. Won't run in the rain). The optional dock comes with a rechargable battery.
It can connect right up to a laptop or desktop with ease throught the USB port.
It compresses prictures well so you can take as many as you want at highest resolution (but pruchase a 128 MB or 256 MB SD Memory chip for lots and lots of photos).
The photo quality challanges some of the real film cameras in the marketplace.
It has a real photo lense not cheap plastic.
It feels good in a large or small hand. It feels like a camera (not a plastic lightweight toy).
It has movie capabilities.
I am actually looking at the next step up from this camera DX6440 with is 4 megapixel. But This camera is awesome.
Oh yeah. Did I say it was EASY TO USE.
Enjoy
57 Got lucky first time...
I have been following the DX6340 on the Kodak web site since March 2003 with great expectation. In the store we compared 3 comparable models Canon, Nikon and Kodak and found the Kodak held it's own ground in features. I purchased it in September 2003 as my first digital still camera. I must say that I am very impressed with the user friendlyness of the whole Kodak system. The instructions that come on a disc are very easy to follow and I was able to use the camera immediately. I am happy to see that I was not disappointed in purchasing the 3.1 Mega Pixel as it exceeds my requirements. The auto focus and flash in the 6340 works extreemly well and I have no problem getting well over 100 flashes and pictures out of my (2) AA Nickel Metal Hydride 2100ma batteries which I felt were a must to purchase seperately. The only change I would like to see to the camera is that presently the auto focus is accomplished by holding down the shutter button half way. If you release the button before you fully depress it to take the picture, you loose the focus. That quirk is obviously my own personnal issue but I would definitely buy it again and I would not hesitate recommending this Kodak Pleasure Device to my own mother.
Edmonton, Alberta Canada
58 Awesome, Easy, and Fun
This camera is my first digital, but the feature set is all you need and the 4x zoom lets you take some fanastic shots with less sacrifice on quality then using an digital zoom. The various settings including a setting where exposure and f-stop can be set make this camera as versitile as you will ever need.
With the 256 MB chip, you can take high quality pictures all day and still have storage to burn.
The software is easy to use. The picture quality is fantastic.
Overall, the only thing that would make this camera better would be to make it waterproof so you could take it anywhere anytime.
59 Perfect digital camera.......
I bought this camera after much deliberation and searching through endless catalogues and department stores. It was between this Kodak and the previous model (the DX6330). We decided to go with this camera though and we certainly haven't been disappointed. The picture quality is amazing. There are so many different modes of actually taking the picture (i.e. close up, landscape, night shot) that no matter what your conditions are, there is an option for taking a brilliant picture.
The menus are easy to navigate through and downloading the pictures couldn't be easier. Some people have said that the battery life doesn't last long but i've been using my camera for weeks now, taking maybe 200 pictures and I haven't changed the batteries once.
The camera also does movies up to the limit of the memory - not any set time as other cameras do, meaning as long as you have free memory you can film, which is a nice feature.
The only think I would recommend is additional memory, but I think thats the same with every camera. Finally, we chose the 6340 above the 6330 as it was an additional $50 for a slightly better zoom and two more options to choose when taking a picture (moving and landscape or something like that).
I'm no digital camera expert, i only wanted to take some pictures when I went out and about and this is the perfect camera for capturing those perfect moments!
60 Great Camera
The 6340 is one great camera! I've had it for one month now use it frequently and have been very pleased with picture quality and functions. The 4X optical zoom is by far better for this price than any other camera out there. Battery life is excellent I'm still on the original CRV3 that came with the camera, unheard of for other brand cameras. LCD is bright and viewable in all lighting conditions. Kodak Easy Share software is user friendly and works. Kodak web sites provide you with all the info you need to get the most out of this camera. After several months of internet research and reading reviews like this one I believe I made the right decision.
61 Utterly Amazed!
I did my homework and researched this camera before I bought it, and I am so glad I did! What I found is that this camera can work wonders! I took about 50 pictures today in varying light of the Atlanta scene. I printed one out on my printer just to see what it looks like, and I was just amazed at the quality of the pictures! There is absolutely no need to get anything higher than a 3.1 MP. I took a picture of my grandmother close up on the Portrait mode and I can see every little pore and hair! (Perhaps it's a bit too good?)
This camera is for my 63yo grandmother who has trouble operating a mouse. She already, after only one day, knows how to use this camera. It's extremely easy to use. Neither my grandmother nor I needed to touch the manual to work it.
The sole reason I remove a star from its rating is due to the software. Mine was corrupt, so I had to Download it from Kodak.com The software is also a very poor tool for editing your pictures. If you plan on editing them much, I suggest getting a program like Adobe photoshop or Microsoft Photo Editor. The software does make it slightly easier to Download pictures from the camera, but if you have a program like Adobe or Ulead Photo Explorer, the software is not necessary at all.
Ofoto, the website Kodak recommends to upload your pictures to, is great! I like the way they show the pictures online in not only clickable thumbs but also slide shows.
So far, the battery life of the camera is fine! I used it all day today, on and off constantly and there is still no flashing battery light.
Just a word of advise: I would definately invest in at least a 128MB memory card for this camera. 16 is simply not enough, especially once you realize how much you love this camera, and trust me, you will! I'd also recommend rechargeable batteries as Kodak gives you a pair that are not rechargeable.
Oh, and the Dock is a waste of money and a collector of dust. Don't bother with it. First of all it's useless, unless you got the one with the printer attatched, but even if you did get the dock with its own printer, you'd still be spending more on the dock than professional photo developing.
I hope this helps. Enjoy your camera, whichever one you choose.
62 If you like easy, this is the camera for you.
I have to laugh at comments that I hear about this camera not having enough controls and bells and whistles. To delete, press the delete button. For flash, press the flash button. Every function is clearly marked on the buttons, and the more complicated functions are clearly written on the menu. You don't even need the manual for most of the cameras functions. I find it hard to understand people who complain at the ease of this camera. I believe it to be a virtue. I believe that I will take pictures with this camera that I would have missed with more expensive digitals. As a matter of fact, I gave my 'better' sony to my son. I kept the Kodak. Did I mention that it takes great pictures? Best wishes, Jon
63 great little camera!!!
i just got the dx6340 and i love it. it is my fisrt digital cmaera. i only got it to weeks ago and i already have over 100 pictures on the computer. It is awesome. it has so many different modes. sport for moving stuff. landsape. within 24 inches. normal and some others. you can even make videos like a camcorder.it has auto focus and the 4 times optical zoom is awesome but the digital zoom distorts the picture.worthless. after you tkae the picture zoomed in though you can zoom in 4 more times by cliching th joystick thing. some people don't like the delay from whan you push the button and when it takes the picture but i don't think they know that you have to push the button half way down and then pressthe button down all the way for instant pictures.there is different modes of flash too.there is a ten second timer and a burst mode. you will want a better memorycard though. a 128 mb or 256. at least a 64MB. all together a great little camera and it is easy to use.
don't likes:
I don't like how the flash is always atomaticaly on till you turn it off.
the battery life is pretty short
64 A camera of value and excellence
I bought this camera a month ago and I _love_ it. It is very easy to use, with well-designed buttons and menu. Its 4x Schneider len is impressive considering the price of the camera. Its 1.8 inch LCD not only is larger than many other cameras, but also has higher resolution. The camera does not have an option to change image compression level. But Kodak probably has chosen the optimal level for general use and you probably will choose the same level if you are given the option. The EasyShare software is easy to use. And the trasfer of photos/videos from camera to PC is extremely easy. But without care, the software can make duplicate entries. The camera came with a scratch on the body, which is the reason I remove a star.
65 comment on 'annoyances'
I have the similar dx6440 camera (it has a 4 megapixel sensor) and also had a previous fuji.
This camera is excellent in all aspects, but my thoughts here relate to another reviewer's comments on the annoyances.
1. Yes, reviewing photos will necessitate turning the camera on which makes the lens come out. On my old Fuji, (finexpix 2600), the review mode could be used without exposing the lens.
2. Yes, the 'auto' mode and the 'manual' mode are 6 or 7 clicks removed on the rotary dial. In between those 2 are modes like 'sport', 'landscape', 'portrait' 'night' etc. To me, it's not a major deal, as the dial can be rotated quickly, and having the manual mode with your individualized options at the very end saves trying to figure out which stop you are at (you just rotate the dial to the end).
3. No. Getting the intended picture frame in the LCD screen simply requires pushing in on the joystick button that's at the center of the dial. The LCD then lights up and you can frame the picture using that and not the 'peep-hole'. Another push, and it's off. (You CAN set the LCD screen to be permanently on in the menu, but for an individual picture, you only have to just push in the joystick button as I described.)
4. No. Pictures can be reviewed without accessing the menu by pushing in the 'review' button. This brings up all your pictures, and you can move through them by using the joystick.
Overall, I think the user interface with this model is very much simpler than my Fuji's was. The rotary dial selects the modes, there is a review button to show pictures, a delete button for the obvious, a flash button to cycle through the flash modes, and a menu button to pick other settings (white balance etc.)The joystick in the center of the rotary dial makes it very easy to click through any of the options. If I hadn't used my Fuji in a while, I'd have to check the manual for how to change settings. On the Kodak, the controls are much more intuitive.
66 Best value and performance
This camera is packed with features and goodies. No other camera in its class has used Schneider Lens with 4X zoom. Easiest canera to use, but it also includes manual mode for amateur photographer to go beyond any point-shot mode. The pixel on the other hand, is not as good as those found in Canon or Sony, however it is still good enough for the money. The internal memory comes handy in case you forget to take the SD meory with you. Ohh...the burst mode is also featured for those trying to take moving pictures....4 pics per shot!! Very useful for snowboarding capture or any other sports mode....
67 so far, so good BUT it's huge
I've only had my camera a short time but it seems reliable and easy to use. The 4x zoom is awesome and so much better than you get on most 3mp cameras BUT you should know the camera is very big... I bought it online and it's much bigger and bulkier than I expected. It's like the size of a normal 35mm camera. It's not one you'll throw in your pocket or purse and forget about. Just something to consider. I was deciding between this and the Canon SD100 and had I seen them side by side, I probably would have chosen the Canon just based on size and portability.
68 Excellent value, some annoyances
My Fuji Finepix4700 took a dirtnap right before we went on a weekend vacation. I loved that camera. Had it for 3 years and abused it. We stopped at a retailer at 9 PM Friday night to grab something for the trip. When I found a 4x optical w/ 3megapixels for $300 I grabbed it. Overall it seems like a good value. The screen is large, and I like the look and feel of the interactive menu. I like that it detects when you hold the camera sideways and rotates the thumbnail in review mode. Not sure on battery life yet, but I like that you can use AA-NiMH rechargables (which I am stocked with due to the Fuji) as well as disposable lithiums. NOTE: SEVERAL MAJOR IRRITATIONS coming from what I am used to with the Fuji. 1. If you want to review your pictures stored in memory, you first have to turn the camera on into one of the photography modes - which opens and extends the lens (exposing it unnecessarily, potentially into the palm of the viewers hand, and wasting battery life running the motor.) 2. The "OFF" function is one of the positions on the photo mode dial. So if you want to take a picture in a mode way down the dial, turn it off, and take a another picture in a mode way down the dial - say if you like manual (PAS) mode which is last on the dial - you have to click the dial through 7 or so clicks each time. This can delay response to a quick photo opportunity and put unnecessary wear on the mode/on/off dial. 3. If you want to shoot a picture using the 1.8" display instead of the peep-hole, you have to go two-levels deep into the menu to turn it on, and then two-levels deep again to turn it off. I typically shoot using the peep hole to save battery life, but sometimes I need to use the display to frame my picture (say if I have to hold the camera in an awkward position). Similarly the option for a quick preview is two levels deep on the menu. --- The Fuji had separate controls for on/off, mode selection, review/photograph mode, and display on/off all within easy reach. So my complaints may be somewhat biased based on my familiarity with my old camera. I haven't decided whether the specs of this Kodak for the price outweigh some if it's functional design deficiencies yet.
69 More than Expected
When my wife's camera was stolen in Rome in July, I started looking for another film camera; she was specific about that.
But when I saw the Kodak 6340 with a 4x optical lens, automatic rotation of images, and a 3MP CCD, I looked at it more closely. Buying it and setting it up for her was easy; getting her to consider it took more skill. She has used it and loves it.
It works like her stolen Olympus 140, but more so. After taking the photo, she can look at it immediately and take another if needed. Later she can crop or brighten the photo, as needed.
The icons on the rotary dial are explained on the LCD display in an understandable way. She is anxious to try the settings way beyond those available on her former film camera.
It's a winner. I recommend it for clarity of picture and ease of use, especially for casual photo taking.
70 Top notch !!
With every feature the amateur photographer would ever want & more.
What this camera can do is mind boggeling.
Supurb shots in any light, fantastic movies & very user friendly.
You can't go wrong with this one !!
71 Great Camera For Anyone
I bought this camera after extensive searching online for the right one for me. This camera is extremely easy to use. More memory is a must for it, 128 is plenty, and also rechargeable batteries because it goes through alkalines in about 10 pictures. Overall this is a great camera for the money and I recommend it to anyone.
72 I found this easy to download to a laptop running XP!
I simply plugged the cable into a USB port in the back of the comptuer and the firewire into the camera and XP automatically installed the driver and I was downloading the pictures inside of 5 seconds. I'm not sure what problem the other reviewer had, but I think it was not Kodak problem!
73 Great little camera
I love the picture quality, the options and the size! I also use a SLR camera and missed the ability to choose my own setting when using my old digial camera. I am so excited that I am able to do this on the DX6340. Also, I have a year old daughter who always smiles AFTER she sees the flash. Having the ability to take a cluster of pictures (4 in a row) is great for capturing her best smiles! I also trust Kodak. My old digital was a DC290 (also a Kodak) and lasted several years.
74 Very good buy
I don't have anything to compare this to, but I love it. I did a great deal of research before making this purchase and I know it paid off. It is light weight, easy to use and so far the battery life is great.
Highly recommend this camera.
75 Camera works great, and is a snap to connec to a PC
I don't understand how anyone could say this doesn't work when trying to connect to a pc, especially XP. It connects with 1 cable, and your pc sees it as a hard drive. What could be easier than that. So, for the people that are blaming the camera for their problems, please recheck to see that you don't have anything running that is conflicting with your USB port. The camera works fine, and connects to a pc with ease. It would be a shame for someone to pass on this camera because of an inaccurate review.
76 Easy to use.
I am a complete novice to digital cameras, so cosider that when reading this review.
I decided on digital because I could print the pictures at home and the images would last forever in my pc or on a disk. Plus the added bonus of never having to buy film again.
When the camera arrived I just simple put the battery in and the 128 meg SD card I had ordered seperately (camera comes with internal 16 megs rated at 17 pictures in best picture quality)and started taking pictures. After I installed the software. I transfered the pictures to my PC and they looked amazing. When I printed some pictures they looked quit good as well but the colors did seem to change a little but I attribute that to my printer.
The camera has seven picture modes, one mode you can use to manually set shutter speed and other factors ( Stuff I don't know anything about ) and a video mode. The video mode can store almost twelve minutes of video with my 128 meg sd card. According to the user manual. I haven't tried it yet.
The camera uses CRV3 lithium, AA lithium or rechargeable AA Ni-MH batteries. Approximately 450, 320, or 180(per charge) pictures respectively. According to the user manual.
I am very pleased with this camera and as long as it keeps working I doubt I'll ever get another.
I hope this has been helpful for you.
77 Great family camera
My first digital camera and it suits my needs for family photos, vacations, etc. I purchased both the Kodak LS440 with 4mp and DX6340 and instantly knew I liked the DX6340 better. But I was concerned about the quality of prints of the 4mp over the newer features of the 6340. While I was at Best Buy I was able to talk to a Kodak rep. For features the DX6340 has much more and the flash is good to 19ft compared to 10ft. for the LS440. A major selling point for me. Overall quality of print was minor, he showed me 8 x 10's from the DX and LS. Battery life for the LS is better but I haven't had any issues with the DX. You could wait until the fall when kodak releases the upgrade to the 6340 with 4mp then you'd really have a good camera.
78 NEVER USED A DIGITAL CAMERA BEFORE
We bought this camera on Saturday 6/21/03, the day before my daughter and I left to go to Washington DC on a Safety Patrol field trip for a week. My husband gave me the book and said read it on your way there. I did and took over 250 (kept 200) shots. My daughter also took photos of me and her friends. We looked at them, laughed and deleted the ones that weren't any good. Came home and download in a few minutes. We picked our favorites, edited and created some new shots; put them onto a CD one evening, took them to Sams and got them developed in a couple of hours. This weekend I have been sharing the photos on the internet with family and friends all around the country. It has been alot of fun playing with it. My husband and I ARE NOT computer whizzes! It sounds to me like a personal problem for the person from Chicago who had problems.
79 Easiest user interface of all digital cameras!
Let's face it, I couldn't find a camera that didn't take decent pictures. I looked at the Olympus, the Sony, and briefly at several other models. The thing that sold me on the Kodak was the user interface and menu system. It is ten times easier to use than the Olympus that I was somewhat used to. If you want to take a close-up or you want to go into movie mode, you don't have to pull up the menu system, drill down through several options and switch into another mode, you just turn the camera on dial to a different setting.
As far as downloading into your PC, I don't know how you could make it any easier? USB cable goes into USB ports and camera appears as a hard drive. With EasyDock system you can even eliminate the cable and recharge the batteries as well.
Kodak named it well, this is by far the EASYiest camera to use.
80 Wonderful Camera
For the price, this camera is a great investment. The camera focuses well and provides as clear an image as possible with 3.1 resolution. The only blurry pictures I encountered were the results of incorrect camera handling. This camera does require some reading. The camera has a number of scene modes and features that affect its performance. For example, if you use the night mode, you must remember to hold the camera still longer than normal, as the aperture remains open longer. If you do so, the pictures you will take will be top notch. What impressed me most about this camera was the sport mode. My friend asked me to take a picture of her legs while she was running. I did so, and the picture came out PERFECT, as if she were standing completely still in a very awkward position. I don't really know what other people are complaining about with reference to the software. I have Windows XP Home on my laptop, and the camera setup was easy and quick. Personally, you may not even need the camera dock. I was handling fine with just a USB cord. Only one problem; rechargeable batteries are a MUST. This camera eats alkaline batteries like nothing else, and low batteries often lead to poor performance on the part of the camera. Buy a pair of good rechargeable NIMH batteries, and you should be fine.
81 To all Windows XP laptop users
I just bought this camera on June 28th and had no problem using it right out of the box. I installed the software prior to connecting the camera to the computer via the USB cable (included). The pictures downloaded with no problem. Based on reviews of this product I have read on other sites, XP users seem to have better success by installing the Easy Share software prior to connecting the camera to the PC. Hope this helpful and happy picture taking! :-)
82 Takes good pictures, but you can't download to PC
As far as digital cameras go, this is a nice one from the picture taking perspective. However, given that it's very difficult to configure this camera for use with a Windows XP laptop computer, this camera should be avoided by the shopping public. The instructions are not clear, there is no support person to speak with (Kodak tells you it's a problem with Microsoft and thus not their issue), and now I've got a camera with 200+ pictures on it that I can't get transferred to a PC of any kind (what a waste!). OVERALL RATING: DON'T BUY THIS! Get some other vendor's camera (Fuji, Panasonic, Sony, anybody)!
83 Good all-around Point-And-Shoot
One of the DX6340's best assets is its ease of use. The dial on the left changes the shooting modes, described by well-understood symbols. The joystick in the center of the dial is kind of small, easy to mix up. Not for the big-handed. Shooting is very easy, and storage time is fast. Internal 16MB is too small, so get a 128 or 256 Secure Digital card. The LCD is nice, good size for monitor shots. Works well in both indoor and outdoor situations, even in direct sunlight.
Very well designed, fits very well in medium sized hands, controls are at your finger tips, except for timed-delay and flash options. Pretty stylish two-tone silver has nice accents. Lens retracts, there is no lens cap. Share button is a nice touch, a jeweled amber. Combined with dock, has very Apple-like designs, jeweled buttons, etc
Has a video feature, no time limit, except for storage capacities. Can also do timed videos, 5sec, 15sec, etc. Microphone is fairy sensitive, but is no substitute for a digital camcorder, or even higher-end cameras with the same feature. Frame rate is good, video is a nice extra.
Shutter sound can be disabled, Menus are a little cumbersome, more important features are buried under such options as "storage selection," "shutter sound" etc.
OVERALL: Good design, very stylish, not for the manual-minded, despite manual mode. Good point-and-shoot for amateurs. (Dont forget the charging-transfer Dock)
84 DX6340
I'm very new to digital photography and was, in all honesty, a bit skeptical about the Kodak brand.
However, the price and features were attractive - especially the 4x optical zoom.
I'd definitely recommend purchasing a memory card and a set of rechargable batteries (the lithium battery included with mine was not rechargable). The internal memory and the provided lithium batteries are just enough to get you started - but that's about it.
If you can see your way clear, get the Easyshare Dock, too. Makes uploading to your computer a breeze.
My only real complaint at this point is the included software. It's a bit flakey and tends to take over things like trying to play audio CD's and/or DVD's.
All-in-all this is a very good first choice.
85 This camera takes pictures that make you look good!
I say phooey to all those 4 and 5MP cameras that are coming out - what, are you going to make a wall-sized poster of your picnic at the park?
This camera takes such nice pictures! The colors are never muted, indoors or out, the resolution seems perfect to the layman's eye, the controls are easy, the parts sturdy, and the battery lasts for ages! I've taken at least 150 pictures with the 2 regular AA batteries that came with the camera.
The quality of this camera seems 1000 times better than my 2.2MP. Even the preview screen is better than the rest - it a special screen that can be seen from more angles than the usual digital camera screens which can only be viewed straight on.
For the more technically advanced, if you're searching for an alternative to a 35mm, this has so many easy to use (and effective) settings that mimic the effects of a 35mm you can play with it for ages. Read the specs, and I will testify for it's quality.
If you are really bent on photo print outs, you can buy the easy share printer - you can just stick the camera on it, press a button, and it will print your pictures. The prints are quite convincing versions of actual 35mm prints. The camera dock can also be purchased seperately , which recharges batteries and sends the photos to your computer when you press the button. Otherwise, you will have to settle for a media card reader or a USB cable, which works fine for me.
For the price (even if it were more!) this is an excellent camera.
