Kodak Easyshare C340 Digital Camera Review

The days of film cameras are long gone and the digital revolution is here. Everything from music to video has been digitized, and cameras are no exception. Your typical 35 mm camera is a bit cheaper, but so lacking compared to a digital. In fact, it's pretty difficult to even find 35 mm camera's if you type 'camera' into a search engine. Those days are almost behind us, much like VHS and cassette tapes.

Ever since I found out I was with my child, I told myself: "I need a digital camera". Yes, they cost more, but the sophistication and elegance of them is irrestible. You can see what the picture looks like before getting it developed. I held off for awhile on getting a digital camer after my child was born and finally took the plunge after getting back my pictures from the 1-hour photo. I was horrified. Here, I had thought I had immortalized a certain expression my daughter had, a smile just for me. My disappointment over the 24 exposures of "magic moments" turned wereinto savage blurs spurned me to frugally put aside some money and invest in a camera that would preserve these fast-moving memories.

Now, I don't like to part with money, so when I know I'm going to, I'm the type of person that researches a product over and over until I find the best price for the best possible deal. Now, I skipped right over certain brands, knowing full well that they didn't fit my budget. Many members of my family already had Kodak Easyshare camera, and so I checked out the product specs on their website. I didn't know what 5.0 MP was at first, but with a little investigating, I learned that it stood for 'megapixels' - the more megapixels, the sharper and better the picture is and the more it can withstand to be blown up to a larger size without looking stretched.

After reviewing many different digital cameras of the Easyshare line, I found the Kodak Easyshare C340 Zoom Digital Camera the best bet for the quality and for my budget. It retails for about $180 and features 5.0 MegaPixels, 3x digital zoom, scene and color modes, video capture capabilities, and simple buttons that even a child could navigate. The design of the camera is so simplistic compared to others, which is a good thing. It's simply point and shoot. Weighly a mere 5 ounces, this camera is light but not too small. In addition to all that, it comes with Easyshare software, so it is easy to categorize your photos and edit them.

Fifteen months later, I am still very happy with the C340. I have literally hundreds of photos of my daughter, all crisp and sharp that really capture the moment, and I share them with my family by emailing them and also through her web album. With a regular camera, you would have to scan the pictures or make copies of the negative. Digital eliminates all this and makes showing off your pictures a snap.

While there are definitely digital cameras out there with better specs, you can't go wrong with the features you get on the C340 for $180. Five megapixels turn out good pictures, and while 7 megapixels would stand up even better, it would cost you a hundred or more extra dollars, depending on brand.

Overall, I feel I made a very wise decision and I have no regrets in buying the Kodak C340.