1 Tried many...this one is still the best!
I bought my Olympus D-340R in late 1998 (I think) when it first came out, for around $300. The same money buys a lot more these days but this one has honestly been worth every penny.
It has been used (and seriously abused) pretty much daily for 5 years and is still going strong. I have NEVER had a single problem with it.
I've purchased 4 other digital cameras since this one, only to return them (a Canon, HP 320, HP 635, and Olympus D-390). Nothing beats the quality of the pics on my Olympus D-340R. I've never experienced photos with red-eyes like I did constantly with the others (I don't use the red-eye reduction - typically just point and shoot), and the color/sharpness are far superior to the others.
The drawbacks are that there is no optical zoom, and I do go through a lot of batteries (but we use the LCD alot). The megapixels could be higher, but it works ok for me. Although I use it primarily for web use, I've found the SHQ shots print out superbly (with my photo printer).
I recommend upgrading to a 128 MB memory card - I did this past year, and wowsa! I can take nearly 600 HQ pics or nearly 300 SHQ pics. I also recommend getting a memory card reader for super-fast downloading, because the serial cable is painfully slow. With a card reader you can also bypass the Camedia software, which leaves something to be desired.
I am amazed that this camera has served me so well for so long! And until I can afford a $500+ model....I'll happily keep on using it!
2 Muy buena c?mara digital!
La Olympus D-340R ha sido mi ?nica c?mara digital, la he tenido por m?s de 3 a?os y no tengo queja alguna excepto por dos cosas:
1. Si se utiliza la pantalla LCD para tomar fotograf?as panor?micas o con el zoom incorporado, las bater?as no van a durar casi nada.
2. El transferir las im?genes a la PC puede tardar una eternidad ?nicamente para ver el contenido de la tarjeta de memoria, luego viene el proceso de bajarlas al disco duro. Consejo: hay que comprar el adaptador AC de lo contrario las bater?as se consumir?n velozmente!
Respecto a la calidad de las fotos, no me puedo quejar de nada. Excelente calidad y si quieren tener m?s espacio para almacenar... compren la tarjeta SmartMedia de 16MB mientras duren existencias!
3 good for beginners
...P>Ok, bad points first:
No optical zoom, just digital zoom. Digital zoom is pointless though, just makes the pixels bigger. I really wish all digital camera manufacturers would stop with the digital zoom boasts. what's the point?
Batteries. Yup, eats batteries fairly quickly. 4 of them.
Serial port download is slow.
Bulky. Heavy and quite a size compared to some of the dinky dig-cams about now.
Good:
Contrary to noevilpeople, I've found this camera to be extremely durable. It has lasted 4 years with me. Including a drop onto a marble floor, numerous plane trips, a house fire and a touch of condensation. good going. Name a PC or printer that still goes as well after 4 years!
Seems to take quite a few pictures for its memory. 36 HQ on a 8MB card is good going. newer cameras seem to squeeze in less, even at the same res, and with no discernible increase in quality. It can take 16MB cards easily enough (I got one), but any bigger (32MB) and I recall you have to send it back to Olympus to get it retro-fitted or something!
Price. it's cheap now!
Small display on top of the camera gives you enough info without having to use the power-hungry lcd a lot. LCD only needs to be used for macro shots (<10 cm away) and panorama shots. Otherwise, just use the normal viewfinder.
All in all, this camera has done me well. the only real lack is the optical zoom, which is why after 4 years I'm after a new camera, but for the beginner this is a superb camera.
4 Great Vacation Camera!
The D-340R is a great camera for the time it was created and marketed. Granted, it uses a serial port, but that was the standard a few years ago. I bought a multi-card reader, no problem with downloads now!
It does use batteries, but only if you are foolish enough to try to run the LCD display window a lot.
I bought a quick charger and a couple of sets of rechargeables at Radio Shack, and have had no problem.
The controls are useable, although I've never been able to make the "Delete All" function work, it involves pressing two buttons at once.
To noevilpeople: it DOES have a telephoto function, if you want a zoom, spend the money.
It's rugged enough - I dropped it from a picnic table to the ground once with no ill effect.
Again, this is an older camera, newer digitals offer more features. I bought mine in 1999, that was dog's years ago in the electronic world!
I've used an Olympus camera for film, now this D-340R, when I upgrade to a newer digital, I'll get another Olympus digital camera.
5 This is the worst digital camera i have ever seen, EVER.
After a family member purchased this Olympus D-340R 1.3 MP camera, i will never again buy any product from olympus. The first problem about this camera is that it has no zoom. i cant stand a camera without zoom. that might be enough to throw it in the trash right off the bat.
But theres more! This camera eats batteries like crazy. That is to say you put batteries in, take pictures for 2 minutes, and then it says the batteries are dead and wont let you take any more pictures. If you take the batteries out, you can use them in another device for hours, but the camera says they are dead. This seems to happen with only non-rechargeable batteries though, but still, thats another 10, 20$ you have to spend on rechargeable batteries and a charger, plus it takes 4 AA's when it should only take 2.
The camera is also very cheap. The whole thing is made out of the lowest grade plastics i have ever seen. If i ever dropped it i am sure it would break. When you turn the camera on, the display on the back doesnt go on like it should. The shutter button is often reluctant to snap a photo. These features make it very hard for me to teach my not-too-savvy family how to use this camera. The flash also makes pictures come out terrible for some reason, and i always find myself shutting it off to save the photo. Not that the photos look anything better than terrible without it. This is a 1.3 MP camera, and a terrible one at that after all.
Now we come to the worst feature, the software. This is the most poorly designed software anybody could make. Only a monkey could design software that was any less quality. First off, IT USES A SERIAL PORT! That might have been the height of technology in 1985, but anything less than USB is INEXCUSIBLE! This software is very picky and choosy about when it wants to see that your camera is connected to the computer. And it takes about 30 seconds to detect if it is. Then it takes forever to download just a thumbnail of all the images on the camera. And if you try to transfer more than oh, say, 5 pictures at a time, you risk having the software close on you. Now this might happen before you wait the 10 hrs it takes to transfer the pictures over the rediculously slow serial port, or after. I have it happen to me often after the pictures have supposedly transfered, but then the pictures are nowhere to be found on the hard drive, and i have to spend the 30 min re-transferring them.
The people at olympus are obviously not your friends, because i wouldnt wish this digital camera on my enemies. NEVER BUY THIS CAMERA. But if you do, spend the extra 20$ to get a smartmedia USB card reader. It will save you the agony of using the Serial port and the Camedia software, which are both horrible. Also buy rechargeable batteries, as from what ive seen, all olympuses like to eat batteries like theres no tommorow.
I would just like to emphasize again, STAY AWAY FROM THIS CAMERA. DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES BUY IT, ACCEPT IT AS A GIFT, ANYTHING. If this camera was free i wouldnt take it. Well i might just to stomp on it 30 times and break it just to save anyone the agony of having to use it.
6 Excellent 1st timer
Excellent for 1st time users I have had my D-340R for 4 years, have found that you need to spend alittle more money and get a dig.card reader (if that's what you call it) It takes no time to up load pictures onto my PC with it. I do have a question and can't seem to get an answer Can I use the D340R as a web cam?
7 Outdated product
I was very happy with this product when I first received it, but now I am finding that Olympus not only does not have availability for on-line problems ,but you cannot talk to them even on the phone. I now have a camera that works great, but the connection to the computer is bad somehow-I have made no changes to anything concerning the camera , but cannot connect to my computer-it justs states reasons I don't understand as to what my problem might be. I cannot get any info from the on-line site or by calling-they are always giving you such a long waiting time. So now I have a camera that I cannot use in connection with my computer. No one seems to carry the serial cable that I may need to replace-if that is even the problem. Poor servicing with this company.
8 Great camera - especially for the price
I've had my D-340R for about a year and a half and I love it. It has alot of great features, is easy to use and makes great pictures. In my opinion, Olympus has the best digital cameras handsdown.
I've seen a couple of reviews saying the D-340R was slow in downloading to the computer - I think that must depend on your computer since I've had no problem with this. As far as draining batteries - it is a wise investment to purchase a battery charger and a couple of sets of rechargeable batteries. They last alot longer and can be purchased for about ... for the charger and ... per 4 pack of batteries (I got mine at Target). I think both the download speed and battery usage are universal with ALL digital cameras.
My next digital camera will definately be an Olympus.
9 Excellent camera, but the quality of the photo is lacking...
I have owned an Olympus 340 for two years and I've been very happy with it...but I recently upgrade to the Olympus 3040 because the 340 just couldn't give me the print-quality I was looking for! Frame a photo from the 340 and you can tell it is a digital photo. Frame a photo from the 3040 and you would never know it was digital! So, I love this camera and it was a great camera for me to learn about digital photography and to see if I liked a digital camera more than my old 35mm. But, two years later, I've found the need to upgrade. However, due to the significant price jump, the comparisons to the 3040 are not totally fair! So I still give the 340 a rating of 5 stars because for the price I think it is a great option!
10 Like the other guy said, Great for Beginners!
I'm new to all this digital camera stuff so I bought one of the cheaper cameras at $300 and came across this one. It works great! The only problem is that the screen on the back, drains your battey completely but if you dont use the screen or use it for a really short time, it'll be ok. I was testing out the camera when I first got it and left the screen on for a few minutes and it was already getting really low on battery so I had to replace the batteries in around 15 minutes! Other than that, a great camera. Its easy to use and the pictures come out good.
11 kinda mad in monterey
The technical data states that this camera is compatible with mac os 7.1 or later. My I mac uses the os 8.1 so, being the idiot that I am, I assumed that this camera would be compatible with my I mac. GUESS AGAIN! The only place in the entire world where you will find the phrase "this camera will not work with I mac" is inside of the installation manual that comes with the camera that you just shelled out 300 bucks for .
12 reliable, ok picture quality
After taking thousands of pictures with 340R in a long trip. 340R is reliable. But I found some faults:
1. only the high resolutions provide good quality picutures. Low and Medium resolutions pictures look ok on the monitor but not acceptable when print out using a printer
2. This camera has problem with red eyes reduction. Most of the night picutures result with red eyes.
3. taking pictures become so easy that 8 meg or 16 meg smart card isn't enough for a day long out door.
4. using rechargable battery.
13 High Quality for Beginners
If you're looking for a digital camera that can not only handle web photos, but also some non-web pictures, the Olympus 340R is a good bet.
I did a lot of research, including Amazon customer reviews. At $400 in early 2000 (everything electronic has is relative to date), it may represent the best value going.
The pictures are great (don't rely on the autoflash indoors...for indoor shots, set the camera for flash). The operating manual could be more user-friendly, but is tolerable. Once you get the hang of it, it's a very easy camera to operate. The built-in shutter cover, which doubles as the power shutoff is an example of simple engineering genius.
On the downside, you'll read that the 340R is a "battery hog," and it is. Rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride batteries (get 8 + a charger) are a must. I also recommend the FlashPath adapter. It's a great way to transfer your picture files to your computer and saves on battery usage.
Though I LOVE Amazon, the truth is that you'll be better served if you buy generic versions of these accessories, rather than the Olympus versions that Amazon sells.
Another battery saving technique is to avoid using the built-in mini-monitor to take pictures. You don't need it.
Net, for $400, you can't beat this one.
14 GREAT CAMERA FOR THE PRICE!
We bought the Olympus D-340R for Christmas. If this is your first digital camera purchase, as it was for us, you won't be disappointed. Ours came with an 8mb SmartMedia card which is plenty big enough for average picture taking. We also purchased the adapter to use at home to save on batteries. In retrospect, I wish we had purchased the rechargeable batteries instead and not had to deal with plugging in a cord, but the adapter works well. I can't tell the difference between the resolution on super high quality and high quality. They are both superb and as good as I've seen on more expensive cameras. Download time is reasonable and not a problem. We reviewed many other cameras before settling on this one and just couldn't find anything else that provided this kind of excellent quality for such a reasonable price.
15 Perfect For Beginners and Normal Users
There's a reason why this camera is the most popular one on the site - it is all you will ever need in a digital camera, at an unbeatable price! I understood ZERO about digital photography and had it up and running in no time. Make sure you get the following accessories:
(1) A floppy adaptor, because moving pictures to your computer by cable is too slow.
(2) A 16MB memory cartridge because you will not be able to stop taking pictures.
(3) Extra rechargeable NiMH batteries and a charger because the one minor drawback of this baby is the way it eats batteries for breakfast.
I cannot say enough good things about this camera. If you're just looking for a camera to record your friends, family, and life, this is the one.
16 Great dig. camera!
I bought this camera about 6 months ago. I wanted it for the flexibility of it. Great quality pictures, better than scanning them. The only problem is, with many dig. cameras is the battery life. i recommend getting special dig. camera rechargable batteries.
17 More then a camera.
Before I purchased a digital camera I reviewed many.My first choice was I beleive it was a HP 200 or something like that.The price was the same as the Olymbus D-300R.I went and looked at the 300R read the reviews which were all good.Now that I own one now for three days I can't say enough.This camera is amazing.Very clear in or outdoors.Easy to hook up to a pc and TV.The software is great.I am completely satisfied.One minor detail.I have to get to learn how to preserve the battery life.You can't use the LCD to much.But what's perfect?At this price I can put up with it. Anyone trying to decide on a camera for this price,stop here this is the one.
Pleased in NY Long Island AnthonyT4u@cs.com
18 Love at first Sight
Believe it or not, I ordered this camera on the Web by "accident", but now that I've used it, you couldn't pry it out of my fingers with a crow bar. I somehow clicked on "purchase" on a web sight that will go unnamed because three days later a federal express box arrived at my house. Although I was disturbed at first that I had somehow ordered something without intending to, I am not sending this camera back. No way! It is deceptively simple looking, but this masks a ton of features. The pictures are superb and very easy to upload to a PC and send as E-Mail. I haven't had it long enough to run into a battery problem,but the reviews here clearly see that as a problem. I suspect I will buy the battery recharger someday soon.
Join the digital age. Buy this camera. You will not be disappointed.
19 Great camera
I have had this camera for about 2 months. I bought a smart media card ( an extra one) and makes the camera great for traveling. I also bought the flashpath media card for easy downloading which is great. I bought them all from amazon hassle free shopping.
20 Absolutely Great
This is a great little camera. A real bargain at this price. Excellent color and quality pictures. Only drawback is slow serial interface to computer. Buy a Flashpath floppy adapter or a memory card reader to transfer pictures faster. A good card reader that won't crash your system is made by SIIG. They call it their USB DigiFilm-Combo Reader. About $79 street price. Also get the MAHA charger and NIMH batteries reviewed elsewhere on this page.
21 I like it and would not trade
I recieved an Olympus 340R for Christmas and am completly happy. It is better than I expected from some of the reviews and they for the most part were generaly positive. I am still on my first set of batteries and have taken well over 100 pictures. I rarely use anything other than the optical viewfinder and this must result in signifantly longer battery life. It is simple and fun to use. It is a blast to be able to take a marginal shot and not to suffer the cost of developing a throw-away. If it turns out to be good, GREAT. If it turns out bad, so what, you have not lost a thing. I am satisified with the resolution. It takes wonderful pictures. I am just an average user and clearly not a professional, however, I recognize a quality image when I see one, and have taken 1000's of pictures with our Canon AE-1. If I had it to do over, I would still want the Olympus 340R.
22 I like it and would not trade
I recieved an Olympus 340R for Christmas and am completly happy. It is better than I expected from some of the reviews and they for the most part were generaly positive. I am still on my first set of batteries and have taken well over 100 pictures. I rarely use anything other than the optical viewfinder and this must result in signifantly longer battery life. It is simple and fun to use. It is a blast to be able to take a marginal shot and not to suffer the cost of developing a throw-away. If it turns out to be good, GREAT. If it turns out bad, so what, you have not lost a thing. I am satisified with the resolution. It takes wonderful pictures. I am just an average user and clearly not a professional, however, I recognize a quality image when I see one, and have taken 1000's of pictures with our Canon AE-1. If I had it to do over, I would still want the Olympus 340R.
23 One of the best digital cameras under $400.00
This is a great camera for the price. It was very easy to use and the picture quality is excellent. It took me about 15 minutes to figure out most of the camera's functions. Only thing I have negative to say about this camera is that Olympus should have included a ac adapter.
24 Great Entry Level Digital Camera
I purchased the Olympus 340-R in the summer of '99 for around $350. So far it has proven to be nothing less than spectacular. The image quality is excellent. Most of my pictures are of friends and families indoors, at bars, or sometimes outside. Download time seems to be pretty quick. I purchased Ni-MH rechargable batteries and the battery life has been excellent. Perhaps the only feature I wished I had was a ZOOM. But for an entry level camera this one is hard to beat.
25 Excelente Camara
ComprŽ esta camara y estoy fascinado, me parece una excelente compra, obtuve la mejor relaci—n beneficio/precio, aunque definivamente le faltan mas funciones en su patalla LCD, la opci—n de panoramico me parecio excelente, ayudado obviamente por el software que viene con la camara. Una falla que presenta es la falta del estuche (toca comprarlo como accesorio) el cual es fundamental para proteger la camara. En lo personal la recomiendo al que quiera comprarla, estoy seguro que no se arrepentira.
26 Easy and affordable
Very easy to use, light and compact. Simple to download pictures to the PC, great resolution for the dollar. Too bad the D340R doesn't have an optical zoom lens, and the AC adapter is not included (battery drain is supposedly a problem during picture download, so it is odd that they do NOT include it--What's the deal Olympus?). Overall I think this camera is a good choice if you don't want to spend a fortune. Given the state of technology, an expensive digital camera will become obsolete in a few months anyway, so why pay top dollar? This camera will do the job for less.
27 A comment on Quality, Batteries and Memory
Without question....buy the camera. Do what I did and check the reviews. Amazon's is slightly off mark. Most rank the D340R at the top of the "Under $300.00" class. 1280X960 TRUE megapixel resolution is hard to beat at $250.00 (what I paid) and the quality is just what others have said....1st rate!
Unlike Amazon's review, it IS a battery miser, second only to the HP C30 (1000 photos). The full motion LCD screen is the only credible drain and not using it will give you well over 700 shots on a set of AA's.
My camera came with an 8mb card. Amazon is incorrect in stating 8megs give you only 60 standard quality photos. It's 122 640x480 pictures. If you plan on doing a lot of picture posting or emailing, 640x480 size pictures don't overwhelm the servers out there. You get 36 HQ pictures (1280x960)...4x the file size of a standard quality pic. 18 SHQ pictures (1280x960 but with superb crispness and detail) fit on the card. What am I saying? You won't need to buy a spare card if you can hook up to the computer every few days or weekly at the most. I'll buy a couple extra cards for any long road trip!
A final comment on downloading. Serial cable connections are inherently slower than USB hookups. However, the Olympus D-340R's download time through it's serial connection is remarkably fast...a lot faster than HP's and Fuji's....about 5-7 secs per 640x480 pic.
I hope this helps. This camera truly is fantastic and I've become both a website buff and amateur photographer as a result. Happy New Year!
28 Excellent Digital Camera!
Because of my satisfaction with Olympus 35MM cameras and the ratings of the D-340R on this site, I decided to buy an Olympus D-340R. I am so happy that I made the 340R purchase - the pictures are very good and the camera is small, light, and easy to operate. This is my first digital camera and I highly recommend it. All of the pictures on my home page were made with the D-340R.
29 You Wouldn't Believe This Camera!
I look on amazon frequently and my annual stop is at my D340 digital camera I got for Christmas. This camera is the best digital for the price. You just need to spend five minutes with it to fall in love like I, and alot of others did. It is compact and light. The LCD moniter is rather big for its competetor's. It's battery life is not a significant issue if you have a common battery charger. I've taken about 300 pictures since i got it yesterday and still taking them. This thing is the best for fun and leisure.
30 Completely satisfied
I first heard about this camera from my son-in-law (who had saw it at a local department store) in Nov. The next day I went to the store to check it out and was so impressed that I put two of them on hold for Christmas Gifts (one for him and one for me). An added special was a free 16MB smart media card was included. I took the instruction booklet from my camera box and have been reviewing it off and on up until Christmas.I also located this web site and have been reading/comparing the comments and the more I read the more convinced I was that I made a good choice. My son-in-law and I opened our camera on Christmas Eve. and began taking pictures immediately and it was awesome. I echo the comments of most of the other owners that give this OUTSTANDING camera a high rating. P.S. We both received a small four (4) battery recharger with 4 batteries in it plus the 4 none rechargeable batteries that came with the camera.
31 Buy this before they are all gone!
I have had this camera for 2 weeks and WOW! am I totally impressed. I read tons of reviews before I bought this and was hesitant about the menu not being displayed. After working with this for a short while my fears were put to rest. Easy to use. The battery issue is not even an issue. I have downloaded my pictures twice now ( 30 or so) and still am using the same batteries that came with the camera. I will be purchasing a Lexar SmartMedia card reader within the next week to help the downloads go faster because I can't wait to see my pictures and send them to family across the US. Don't hesitate to grab this one, if you can find one!
32 Beautiful pictures, easy to use!
I have been using the D-340R for 3 months now, and it has performed beautifully. The pictures are clear and sharp, and the camera menu is intuitive.
The only problem that I have with it is that it takes a while to download the pictures to my computer. Because it uses a serial connection, downloading the full 8MB from the camera takes up to 10 minutes. Some other cameras have parallel or USB connections, but none can stack up to the quality of the D-340R.
33 This one is the best!
After going through Sony, HP's, and Kodak cameras, this one is definately the best. People that have problems with battery life are obviously keeping the LCD screen on alot. If you turn it on to take a picture, review it, then shut it off till you get to the next picture, it will last for days on hi-capacity Ni-Hi rechargable batteries. In my opinion, DON'T buy the AC adapter. If you are using hi-capacity rechargables, you will not kill the battery life by downloading pics into your computer. Once they are downloaded, turn the camera off. People make the mistake of editing their pictures on their computer and the camera is still left on. Referring to only downloading one picture at a time - use the software available from the Olympus website. The software that comes with the camera is junk. Their new software gives you more simplicity and control over what you download into your computer. In my opinion, this is the best camera around for the price. You will not be dissapointed.
34 An excellant digital camera. Easy to use and economical.
I just want to say that this camera is the greatest buy. I've been trying to wear these rechargeable batteries that come with it down for 12 hours. I get 122 pics on Standard mode. It does 2x photos and 3x viewing. Really great buy. Totally satisfied. Between the software and the camera, Pictures are a breeze. And the price is right. Does everything and more than cameras I've experienced at three times the cost.
35 I'm upgrading my rating
I posted a review of this camera a few weeks ago, shortly after purchasing it. I gave it 4 stars, mainly because the manual wasn't well written. However, that still being the case, I must say that this camera deserves 5 stars! It takes amazingly clear, bright pictures. The video display LCD is bright. And it seemed to take forever for the rechargable batteries to run down! I highly recommend this camera! If it had an optical zoom, it would be perfect. However, with this camera, you get more than you pay for!
36 The D340R is a great camera!
So many people have written about the technical part of this wonderful camera. I agree with many of them. You won't feel bad about spending your $$$. I've shopped around and I've made my decison with confidence. (Yes, you can find this item for less at other e-stores, but I trust Amazon, they deliver promptly and their Customer Service is great!) Some customers have said that this camera eats batteries like crazy. It's only true when you use the LCD monitor to TAKE pictures. If you use it for reviewing (and deleting) the pictures you have taken, it lasts a long, long time. I have purchased my camera before Thanksgiving. It's December 12, and after taking hundreds of pictures (most using flash), I am STILL using the batteries it came with! Lemme tell ya a little secret, if you do take pictures using the LCD monitor, and you get the message that the battery is low, turn off the camera, let it rest for a little while and turn it back on again. The battery life will show full again! No need to change the batteries until it tells you it's dead and you have been taking pictures using the viewfinder. Now, it is not a bad idea to get yourself some rechargeable NiMH batteries. I've seen many good comments about the brand MAHA. Also, I have seen great reviews on MAHA's charger model MH-C204F. Some people have mentioned them here. But I didn't know where to purchase them from. So here you go. For more info on the MAHA products, go to Maha-comm website. And to purchase these two products, check out Thomas-distributing's website (sorry I can't include the exact web addresses according to the reviews guidelines, but it isn't hard to figure out). For around $50 I got the charger and 8 NiMH batteries. Now you can go on the road and not worry about your batteries dying or where to purchase them. It's a lot of fun to have a digital camera and take hundreds and hundreds of pictures knowing you don't have to pay for developement or wait to finally see your pictures. Just download them and enjoy or use the video cable to see your photos on your TV. Or just use the LCD monitor! :) -- From a happy Olympus/Amazon customer. :)
37 Best Product for the Price
Before I bought this camera, I never took pictures: the marginal cost of taking any given shot was too high, given the film purchase and developing. With a digital camera, this cost drops to ZERO - I can take all the pictures I want! In that respect, it's absolutely worth the $ that you'll spend on the camera, a case, NiMH batteries, and a charger. Contrary to many reviews, the camera DOES NOT eat batteries too quickly; I used it heavily for days before the meter showed any drain. The desirable missing feature is an optical zoom, but you can't expect one at this price. (Those of you not living on a college student's budget may want to post the extra $, though!) Pictures are amazingly clear and colorful, and download time is nothing to complain about. A great deal - GO BUY THIS CAMERA!
38 Not for an iMac
The camera itself works great,the product discription says ok for PC/MAC,but you have to wait until you read page 148 of the manual to find out that it's not setup for an iMac.Be prepared to spend a lot more money for attachments if your using the iMac.
39 A nifty little camera
This is my first digital camera, and I am quite impressed so far. It is reasonably easy to use, and the picture quality is more than adequate for my purposes. Standard quality mode is OK if you don't enlarge the photo too much, and if you aren't trying to capture fine details or textures. HQ and SHQ offer significant improvements in image quality. It is annoying that the AC adapter is not included and must be purchased separately. If you minimize your use of the LCD display and use a separate device to download pictures, you can probably get by without the AC adaptor. Overall, I am very satisfied with the camera so far and am looking forward to taking LOTS of pictures without having to pay and wait for film and processing.
40 Still improving a great product
I just bought this camera based on the reviews here. I cant add much to the reviews above (The image quality and features on this thing are top notch) but I did want to let prospective buyers know that Olympus is now offering the camera with 4 NiMH batteries and a quick charger included. Nice to know the company takes consumer feedback seriously!
41 good camera, but it costs more than you think...
This is my first digital camera and my very first camera forover $200. Overall, I'm happy with it - it's easy to carry andtakes great pictures. There's not a pause between pressing the button and the camera actually taking the picture, which is a problem with other digital cameras. Some things to keep in mind though:
1. Downloading from the camera to your computer is EXTREMELY slow through the Serial Cable. Buy the SMART DISK floppy. Basically, your memory card fits right into the floppy disk, and the floppy disk works just like any floppy. The only bad thing about the floppy is it takes two lithium batteries.
2. If you have a laptop, you probably want to buy the DDSMFLSAD Smart Media Adapter for PCMCIA slot. Does the same thing as the SMART DISK floppy, but obviously cheaper. Same downloading speed.
3. If you don't buy 1 or 2, then buy an AC adapter (which by the way, doesn't come with the camera). Your camera must be on to transfer the pictures to your computer. Again, extremely SLOW.
4. There isn't a protective covering for the LCD monitor, so buy a camera case. This case doesn't come with the camera. Costs around $20 at any store. Actually you can buy the Olympus 200-523 Accessory Kit which has the AC Adapter, 2 MB card, and camera case.
5. This camera comes with an 8 MB card which holds 36 HQ pictures or 18 SHQ pictures. I can't tell the difference between the two qualities. 8 MB is good enough. After taking about two days worth of pictures, I download them to my computer and erase the 8 MB card. I don't feel the need to have more or larger cards. But then again, if I traveled and didn't have access to my PC, then I would invest in a couple 32 MB card.
6. Camera doesn't have zoom. I took some pictures of my friends running a marathon, and it would've been great to have the zoom feature. I sometimes regret not buying the Olympus D-400 Zoom Digital Camera for $600. If you like taking close-up pictures without being near the object, then don't buy this camera.
So in summary, I actually spent an extra $200 bucks ($500 total) to make this purchase worthwhile.
42 Great features, great price
The D340R does a very nice job for the money. It would be nice if the camera had more of a zoom feature, but that's probably its only shortcoming.
Best results come with the HQ mode. You can save up to 36 pix on 8MB card in the HQ mode. The SHQ mode provides less JPG compression and a truer image, but the tradeoff is that you can only save 18 images on an 8 MB card. I haven't noticed any real improvement with the SHQ mode and -- in my opinion -- the pictures actually look more pixelated in the SHQ than in the HQ. The JPG compression of the HQ mode smooths the gradients a bit more, it seems. So HQ mode it is for me on almost every shot. The LQ mode is only 640x480, and the image quality deteriorates rapidly if you try to do any zooming or cropping on LQ pictures.
I print my photos on an Epson Stylus Photo 750 printer. In most cases, the output looks to the eye to be genuine photo quality. As mentioned above, if you try to do blow up pictures too much -- especially in LQ mode -- the image quality deteriorates visibly.
Battery life has not been a problem for me, but I use the LCD display as little as possible. I only use it to review pictures already taken, not to frame or compose shots. I use the viewfinder to compose. You get a little more in the picture than what you actually see in the viewfinder, so it's not likely that you'll cut someone's head off in the picture.
I download pictures using the serial cable (included). Download is rather slow, and it takes several minutes to dump an entire full camera's worth into the computer. I haven't figured out if there's a way to select just a few thumbnails off the camera and not download the whole set of thumbnails. Once you have the thumnails downloaded, though, you can select only those you want to download for real.
The manual is straightforward and easily understandible, and all the camera controls make sense once you're up on them. You probably would have a tough time figuring them out without consulting the manual, though.
I hope this is helpful. Overall, I'm very pleased with this little camera.
43 Top Notch Digital Photography for a Bargain Price
The Olympus D-340R is, in my opinion, the best value digital camera available right now.
The picture quality is impressive---I usually can't tell the difference between the pictures it takes and pictures taken with a $340 SLR that I have scanned in.
Also, the camera is fairly lightweight and compact and easy to use, like a good point and shoot camera should be.
Since I bought my Olympus, I have not taken 1 non-digital photograph. I enjoy the simplicity of the camera and the freedom from developing and film costs (some $10/roll).
Overall, the camera is worth the investment and it is an excellent camera for someone new to digital photography.
44 A definite winner- Buy this camera!
After reading every review we could find, we ventured for the first time into the digital photographic world purchasing the Olympus 340-R digital camera. We were definitely not disappointed.
After just a few days the camera accompanied us to Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia and Seoul, S. Korea, while we nervously left our Canon SLR at home. The camera performed marvelously. We found the optional 16MB flash memory card more than adequate for our needs, as we easily downloaded photos each day into our laptop.
We were amazed at the quality of photos even in low light settings. We took shots at our conference including a multimedia presentation where surprisingly the projected image on the screen was readable! While staying in the countryside in a traditional Mongolian "ger" (tent), we shot an incredible photo of the predawn sky-- even the morning stars are clearly distinguishable!
Arriving home we were completely satisfied with the photos shot at the low resolution setting when printed out on our HP Deskjet 895 using an Epson photographic paper. I doubt that most people would be able to tell the difference between the prints and a standard developed snapshot. The enclosed Olympus and Adobe software is easy to use and functional for most home use. You will absolutely love the Quickstitch utility that simply creates oversized and panorama shots!
One of the only weaknesses we found a little frustrating was the variance between the optical viewfinder and the digital one. If you frame... say, a head and shoulders shot in the optical viewfinder, you will discover that digitally the camera sees a much broader area. Olympus should do a little better job calibrating the two viewfinders.
Apart from that, you will want to invest in the NiMH charger and at least 8 batteries-- shop around for the best price. Also, picking up a 3.5 inch floppy adapter for the flash memory card will be a big time saver. You simply pull out the flash memory card, slip it into the adapter, and then slide the floppy into any computer. You'll save time and frustration over having cords laying all around your table, plus a significant download time.
One last item-- Do you think a 16MB memory card will be too small for your needs? Olympus, through their website, is offering an inexpensive upgrade through the end of December that will allow the camera to use the new 32MB memory cards.
45 Best buy at this price for everyone who wants a digital cam!
This camera takes outstanding photos-both up close and at a distance! Plus, it comes with its own programs(on CD) which means it saves you money...unlike some of the cameras out there which still require you to buy more of their items just to view the photos. I do recommend anyone who buys this camera to also buy the adapter package, as batteries do NOT last long if you plan to use the LCD monitor(which I love-because you can see the WHOLE picture without closing either eye). Either way, this camera is well worth the money, and the different ways you can shoot a photo is a must for the beginner! Easy to use and upload photos.
46 An excellent camera and an excellent company!
I've had my Olympus D340-R camera since April of 1999 and I just can't say enough good things about it. I love it. It is the BEST camera that I've ever owned or used. It has so many functions and the software that comes with it is fabulous. You just can't take a bad picture with this camera. The ONLY downside is that it does use up batteries quite a bit so I've got an AC adapter for mine for when I use it indoors. Also when the camera malfunctioned (my fault, water got spilled on it) Olympus fixed it for free under warranty and had it back to me within two weeks working perfectly again. I have not ever had such a positive experience in dealing with a company before. Their warranty service was excellent and their products are even better.
47 Great little point and shoot
Quite simply... The best bang for your buck. I also love the stitching and 3.0 Adobe Photo editor SW that comes with it. If you want great pictures without spending alot, this D 340-R does it. I've had it for a few months and use it often with no problems.
48 Excellent product, good value
I've owned the camera for one week and it has worked very good so far. I agree with the other customers about the manual... it would be a lot better if it had a section for each language, not three languages together in one page. But the camera is very easy to use, takes excellent pictures and has many nice features. With a tripod, you can take great pictures at night without the flash! The software is also very easy to use. Although it's not documented in the manual, the camera comes with a TWAIN driver, so you can choose to download the photos with the bundled application or with your favorite photo editing software.
49 Good Camera I have owned it for 2 days... So Far very happy.
This camera is worth the money.. I hate the manual with a passion.. Its clear but in different languages.. You have to look harder than you should have to... Great Pictures, eats batteries that is a true statement... Transfers easily to computer.. No problems.. Good feel to it and I am very happy overall....
50 Truly a great little camera, especially for the price
If it had an optical zoom lens, this camera would be perfect! But, it would also cost a lot more. The camera is nice and small, fits easily in a coat pocket so you can take it anywhere. Picture quality is great, a bit soft on landscapes but all digital cameras are, even the 2 megapixel ones don't really do landscapes that well. The macro shots from this camera look spectacular, and people shots are just great. They print out very nicely, too. The autofocus works very well, and the metering is excellent (you can adjust the exposure up and down 1 stop if you want, but so far I haven't found it necessary). Color saturation is great, and very accurate. You can't adjust the white balance manually, but fortunately the camera's automatic white balancing works extremely well. You have 4 options when taking pictures, SQ (standard quality), HQ (high quality), SHQ (super high quality) and SHQ uncompressed. SQ is 640x480, the rest are 1260x980, the only difference being the compression used. HQ uses the most compression, and SHQ uncompressed uses no compression at all (a nice feature that many cameras don't have -for those really detailed shots). I find HQ works just fine for most pictures, and I can get 73 of those on a 16MB card. The viewfinder is a bit small, but not hard to find, and it's quite clear. The LCD is good, even in the daylight. Controls are easy to learn and well laid out. It's easy to view your pictures on the LCD, and you can delete any one (or all of them) at the touch of a button. You can also protect any of them from being accidentally erased. There's a 3x feature that allows you to see a portion of the picture a 3 times the size, useful for determining how sharp it really is, or if you moved the cameral during the shot. The flash works very well for its size, and you can easily turn it off, set it for fill, or red-eye reduction. The panorama mode works great, even hand-held. I took some shots of a church with the steeple way, way up there, using the panorama feature, and when I assembled the shots later on the computer (it's an automatic process) the result was tremedous. You could not see the seams at all, even though I took the shots hand-held. Great stuff. The camera is pretty sturdy too. I dropped it from about 3 feet and (thankfully) it survived. The software is reasonably good, and I really like the little Camedia thumbnail viewer. Downloading from the camera is smooth, although a bit slow since it's serial. However, the FlashPath adapter works really nicely and is much, much faster. The camera uses batteries pretty quickly, but if you get some NIMH rechargeables you'll have no worries. Go to Thomas Distributors on the web, and buy the MAHA MHC-C204F charger and 8 NIMH batteries and you'll never run out. With the MAHA you can even recharge them in your car. Don't buy the Olympus NIMH charger, it only works with Olympus batteries (yes I tried it with some others and it got so hot it almost caught fire) and doesn't have the features of the MAHA (and it costs quite a bit more). By the way, the camera comes with a home version of PhotoDeluxe, which is an OK photo editor. Has the basics. But you'll probably want something else eventually. I recommend PhotoSuite II - really great for the price and very easy to use. Anyway, I guess I've rambled a bit, but bottom line I'm very happy with this camera. Going digital is so freeing - you can take as many shots as you want, no film costs, see exactly what you have before you walk away, and then put it all into your computer to play with.
51 Great pictures, but poor manual.
I have to say that I'm quite impressed with the quality of the images produced by this camera. It is easy to use (once you read the manual), and it's a snap to transfer images to your computer via the included serial cable and software. I am somewhat disappointed in the manual. It is difficult to read and it does't include all the information you might want. For example, I was disappointed that it apparently had no Twain driver. But when I browsed the included CD-ROM, I noticed it had a Twain directory. I clicked Setup, and voila! I now don't even use the included software; I use my old friend Paint Shop Pro and the Twain compatible feature that was not even mentioned in the manual! One other little glitch I noticed about my camera -- it does not erase all pictures at once except from the software. The manual explains how to erase all using the camera buttons, but it doesn't work for me. I have to erase them one at a time, or connect to the computer and use the software to erase them. All and all, it's a great camera for the money -- $300. Oh yea, and mine even came with the rechargeable batteries and a charger!
52 Stopped working after 1 day
My D-340R stopped working after one day. The "condition indicator LED" started blinking and never stopped (the camera won't work when it's blinking) (No, the problem wasn't with the battery or smartmedia card.) Olympus online tech help is worthless - automated response only. When I called their tech support, I was told to return it to the retailer. This is a COMMON problem and is a main reason the price of this camera is falling. Luckily Amazon.com was very helpful in getting my money back.
53 very good camera
I bought the D-340r for my daughters wedding.Used it at the rehersal. I got a picture of my father with his grandaughter. The picture was worth the 299. I thought the sony was a better camera until I compared picture for picture. So much for the sony name. I am getting the flash card adapter. I will enjoy.
54 Great camera, but here's some things you won't like
To find out what's good about this camera, read the other reviews. Here are some things that missed the mark. The manual is a human factors disaster. The print is tiny, the table of contents is on about page 30, if you can find it and they used that confounded "all four languages on each page" format instead of four separate sections with black blocks at the edge to make each section easy to find. The software had a few problems. There was a little utility that appears to be a general camera interface for Windows. When I tried to set it up, I found that it listed a wide variety of cameras but the D-340R wasn't among them! It also came with Adobe Photo Delux. I've heard a lot of raves about this and other Adobe products. They were all from people who'd never tried competing products. In other words, the software will do a lot, but as with the manual, the human factors are terrible. They don't even follow the "Save As" convention to output different file formats. With Adobe, you use the old "export" convention. I also found that some of the JPEG's output by Photo Deluxe could no longer be read by the other viewing software that comes with the camera. I recommend you find people who have other cameras and look at their photo processing software to find a more user friendly program. Finally, the manual frequently recommends using the AC adapter for some common operations. Well, if its the best way to go, why is does it not come with the camera? You may as well buy one when you order the camera. As for the camera, its fairly easy to use, but not before you've read the manual which isn't easy to use. Once you've done that, the pictographs make sense and the frequent user shouldn't have to consult the manual again. A little more effort at user friendliness here would obviate the need for a manual for most operations.
Does all this mean you shouldn't buy the D-340R? No. If the hardware turns out to be reliable, its price performance combination is hard to beat, and the difficulties are all surmountable. They just make it an target for the competition. If you need a good basic digital camera now. Buy it. If you can wait, keep your eyes open for improved products from all manufacturers.
55 THE BEST!
After TONS of research, I decided on this camera. After reading the reviews, I stocked up on batteries. But once I got this camera 4 weeks ago, I have not had to change the batteries at all!! I found that if you read the user guide that came with the camera, you can easiley maximize the battery life of your camera. I would recommend this camera to anyone. This is a great buy. Get it while it lasts!
Casey
56 Great buy for first timers!
Great high quality pics, low price but eats batterys up like crazy! Overall great buy :)
57 An excellent camera with tons of features for its price.
For only $300, this camera is an excellent choice for anyone who needs to take digital photographs. It has more features than I ever thought possible, including the ability to slice a picture into 9 sections and zoom in on each one (on the LCD screen), and hook it up easily to a TV and use the slide show function to display your photos on a larger screen.
Although the positives outway the negatives, there are still some aspects I could do without. I have had the camera for 2 days (and have been using it very much as well), and already the battery low warning has appeared. I read that you should really use the AC adapter for doing 'camera --> PC' transfers, as well as connecting it to your TV. I haven't done that, so I'm sure those are 2 main reasons the batteries are already low.
Also, it is suggested that you use the LCD screen for viewing pictures only, as not only does it eat up battery life but you can take more steady pictures when using the viewer rather than the LCD.
Camera --> PC transfers are slow and you can get quite impatient waiting for the included software to index/thumbnail all the pics on the cam before you can do anything such as download, etc.
But, for the price it's an excellent camera. You can save in .bmp, .jpg, and .tif using the included software. Using the lowest image quality mode, you can store about 120 on the included 8 megabyte SmartMedia card, and they come out exceptionally well, too. 4 flash features, zoom, and more make this camera a necessity for the novice photographer or just about anyone.
58 So far I'm very happy
I bought this from amazon and am very happy thus far. However, make sure that your computer has an extra serial port to fit this since it does not store photos on a floppy disc but feeds directly to your computer. I might have preferred a floppy disc since I had to install an adapter in my computer. Still, the price is great and so far the performance is too.
59 Great camera for the price!
This camera resolution is crisp and clear, very easy to use- point and click, light and compact to carry everywhere I go.
I use this inexpensive camera to post my photos for my auction. This is better than a scanner.
60 The best way to make digital photography at low cost
This camera is to me an excellent option to enter the digital photography universe. Their great quality images, the multiple options to review the pictures taken and the easy way to operate their multiple optiones, make this camera the best.
61 Cheap digital camera - Extra money for batteries
I've had the d-340R for a while and I think it is one great camera. The high resolution pictures come out great everytime. The LCD viewfinder means a perfect picture everytime. Battery life isn't great but who cares. Spend some extra money on batteries, it's worth it
62 I love this camera!
I have only had mine a day and so far I am very impressed with this camera for what it is. It is not an expensive, loaded camera with lots of bells and whistles. It is a user friendly camera with just enough features to make it advanced enough for anyone from a beginner to intermediate digital camera user completely happy! I wish that it had come with the AC adapter, that is my only negative comment. The software it comes with is easy to install and understand, transferring pictures from the camera to the PC is a snap. I would highly recommend this to anyone looking to buy a digital camera for general use.
63 Superb!!!
This is the best amateur digital camera you can get. It has features of more expensive cameras and the backup of the Olympus brand. 1280 x 960 HQ resolution gives you 36 photos in a 8MB smartmedia card.
Compare 299.99 to features in other brands: Fuji, HP, Agfa and Kodak ... the Olympus is a winner.
Hints: - Don't use the LCD to conserve battery life. - Buy the Flashpath adapter, it's better than using cables and the serial connection and it will be your best investment. - Buy here in Amazon (24 hr. shipment). It is backordered everywhere else.
64 Great camera for semi-professional users
Flexible and powerful: fits in a pocket, can provide high resolution high-quality images. Easy to connect to your PC, better with a SSFD adapter than with the cable. Buy rechargeable batteries or don't use the LCD viewer too much!
65 Great Camera for the price
Some of the reviews above refer to a short battery life. Using the LCD Display a lot will definitely cut down on battery life. For most pictures it is not really necessary to use the LCD display.
66 D-340R: Instructions concise;software fast; sharp pics.
My D340R is everything Consumer Reports said it would be. The instructions are complete and concise and the included software is very efficient and fast, giving a lot of control for picture size, sharpness,and contrast. The accompanying connectors permit easy connection to the computer and even include acord to patch into yourTV. The inexpensive AC adapter saves on batteries.It works well with rechargeable nickel hydride AA batteries. The macro feature permits use of the camera in place of a scanner. There are four flash modes but the flash is pretty "wimpy" after ten feet. The 2X "telephoto" works well but one wants more.
All in all the camera is a delight and well worth the bargain prices that one sees for it today.
67 simple, good color, fast
I read all of the reviews, and then bought the 340R. Works great. Before the 340R, I would scan photos, and then have to color correct, but with the 340R, the colors look natural right from the camera. The hi-res photos are fantastic -- now I need to buy a printer.
68 Great features, great price, terrible battery life.
I like this camera alot! The price is excellent for the features and quality. My only complaint (and it cost Olympus 1 whole star), is the battery life. This thing verily eats batteries! If you're using the flash, you get about 30 shots before the thing starts playing up. If you buy this camera, get the re-chargable batteries and the AC adapter.
69 Great camera! And battery life not as bad as I thought...
I agree with all the high praise offered in other reviews. This is a wonderful camera. I got it to take vacation pictures (in fact it didn't ship in time for my departure, so I simply redirected the shipment to catch up to me enroute; I *love* amazon.com!!!!) and as soon as I got it I started clicking away.
I was a little concerned about the statement in the product summary that said a set of 4 standard AA batteries would last only about 60 shots; fortunately this is not consistent with my experience. I took between 50-100 pictures a day and went through three sets of batteries in 12 days; that's about 200-300 shots per set of batteries, not the 60 listed in the product summary.
Obviously it would still be better (both economically and environmentally) to switch to rechargeable batteris and I've ordered a set, but if you have to use regular batteries don't be too alarmed by that statement in the product summary. Just be careful to follow the manual's recommendation and use the A/C adapter when downloading to the computer or other non-picture-taking activities.
I had a few problems with the pictures coming out too bright or too dim but I found that by following the hints in the manual (enable/force/disable the flash, or point and half-click to set the exposure before the actual shot, etc) I was able to get good results and for the ones that came out too bright or dim I was able to fix them by adjusting the brightness using the supplied 'CAMEDIA Master' software.
To reiterate: Great camera! I'm very glad I got it.
70 N.C. User loves camera
I have really found this to be on of the best digital cameras. A fter research CNET picked it to be on of the best and i could not agree more. I reccomend it to anyone!
71 it worked great, but a week later, i can't take pictures
when i first got this camera, it worked perfectly - every photo was processed quickly and the quality was wonderful. after one week of use however, things started to happen. whenever i turn on the camera now, the condition indicator led keeps blinking, and every function is disabled. this camera has become an expensive paper weight. i've contacted the olympus technical support staff, but they are of no help. does anyone know how i can fix this? oh yeah, when you take pictures outside, they come out much too bright.
72 An excellent camera for the price.
My first digital. I did a lot of searching and looked at alot of reviews before purchasing. CNET gives the D-340R its' editors choice award, I agree. Great pics, low price, megapixel technology and endlessly useful. I highly recommend it. I also recommend getting the 16 MB SmartMedia card, this will allow you to take 244 pics in the Standard Quality (SQ) mode.
73 Excellent 'Grandfather's' Camera
I'm a new grandparent (first time) June 8th and love the closeup option on the D-340R. It is an exceptional camera for low-light shots. Turn off the flash, turn on the closup option and 'see' the baby in the digital display on the back of the camera just like an SLR only better.
Then if the baby closes her eyes or moves the wrong way -- just two clicks and the boo-boo is gone and you're ready to re-use the memory.
74 Excellent Camera - but Amazon's review indicates 4 MB not 8
I liked the camera so much, I bought one for my Dad for Father's Day and he loves it! However Amazon's review states that the memory card is only 4 MB for 60 standard resolution shots. My D-340R contains an 8MB smartmedia card for 122 shots, standard res.
75 Beautiful pictures and easy to use
This camera pretty much has it all - it's small, easy to take pictures with, and the software was a snap to install and use. I've owned digital cameras in the past, but this is a completely different experience. I'm using it more often than my 35mm camera!
I've never even used the highest resolution - the 640x480 pictures are incredibly crisp, and I've received numerous compliments on them. For the money, this has got to be the best digital camera you can buy.
76 Good Solid DigCam for the $$$
I purchased this about 1yr ago and use it a ton. Have since purchased a lot of other Olympus products to go with it that are not as helpful (printer, etc.) so overspent in the wrong place. I strongly recommend getting the Olympus 200-547 16MB Smart Media for Digital Camera PCMCIA Card (Amazon's price on it is better than good - I paid over $100) because it makes the taking and viewing seemless with your computer - if you can accept PC Cards, most can. The Smart Media card allows you to instantly view images, send via email, post to image hosting sites for auctions, etc. without using Olympus' rather lousy, but usable, Camedia Software. All round its the best choice for the mid-market digcam - I'm happy and expect you will be too.
77 Functional and Affordable!
I originally chose the D-340R because it listed more features than others in its price class. Now that I've used it a bit, I'm glad that I chose this as my first digital.
Easy to set-up, easy to use and great resolution! Plenty of memory too! Great camera.
