Customer Reviews

Kodak DC3400 2MP Digital Camera with 2x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(48)
4 star:		(27)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I bought this camera for my wife. She is a technophobe... To my amazement, she has taken to this camera as if she had been using it for years.

Being keen on doing my research, I found this camera to be rated number one EVERYWHERE I looked. If you're looking for an easy to use camera that takes exceptional pictures (both on-sceen and in print), look no further - this is the one to get. It works and looks just like a 35 millimeter camera, so anyone should have an easy time having fun with it.

On of the greatest things about this camera is its picture quality. For a 2 Megapixel camera it is superb and has tested to be better than some 3 Megapixel cameras. One reservation my wife had was that she couldn't get photo quality prints with a digital camera (she loves to keep scrap books). We tried Kodak's print@kodak service and were blown away!! The service allows you to upload your DC 280's digital pictures to Kodak's web site and they print and mail them to you.

Nobody that we showed the pictures to could tell that they were not from a 35 mm camera - crisp, clear and bright. Pictures at print@kodak are $.49 for a 5x7 print. About $.09 more than regular 35 mm film at the neighborhood photo lab. Think about it though - when you go to the lab with 35 mm film, you might get 4-5 "good" pictures in a role of 24 and discard the rest... The cost for those "good" 35 mm pictures is actually a lot more than you might think! With a digital camera, you know what you're getting when you pay for the prints.

Believe me when I say that you'll love everything about this camera.

I just purchased a Kodak 3400 Digital Camera (same one as the DC280, casing, etc. slightly redesigned) and I was completely knocked out of my chair. It all started when I obtained the camera and had to go in a rush. Being the impatient geek that I am, I put the box in trunk and took it with me. Once I was at my in-laws, I started taking some snap shots. I was up and going in less than 5 minutes thanks to the quick start guide. At that time I saw the picture come up on the LCD. I have seen many LCD screens on many different brands and this one was by far the cleanest, and sharpest. I have seen Olympus, Sony, Epson, etc. and this one knocked my socks off. I hated the fact that I had to wait until I got home to load them on my computer so I just pulled out the video cable. It's a standard 1/8th inch end/RCA jack on the other end. I plugged it into the camera and the RCA jack on the television and I had a gorgeous slide show going on. I saw so much detail and clarity that I couldn't believe what I was seeing. The smallest red spots and drool spots showed up on my 11 month old's face, the color was beautiful. Here's the real beauty of it. The room I took all of these pictures in was almost completely dark, just a small light that is barely stronger than an average night light, stood in the corner. With all that, here I am watching these slides go by looking wonderful on that low resolution TV. That alone impressed me. I felt like this thing put the crisp display of my DVD movies, other digital cameras, all to shame. The real result happened when I got home. I attached the USB cable to the computer and camera, installed the software, and was up and going. I then wondering how to transfer the pictures. I looked at the manual and low and behold, there was a camera icon in my drive list. I opened windows explorer, went to the camera drive, and had a virtual drive (which is really the flash storage on the camera itself). It was as easy as copying files from one directory to another, deleting is just as easy. I then opened up a photo program and saw these pictures. I almost fell out of my chair when I saw how crisp and clean this pictures looked. I thought the TV looked good but when you get them on a nice high resolution monitor, nothing compares. There was no pixelization, NOTHING at all was wrong. The curves, color, EVERYTHING on the pictures was clean. Even the backgrounds looked clear and sharp. Anyway, that was quite a bit of rambling. However, the point is that there is a reason Kodak has more awards than anyone else when it comes to picture quality. Other vendors can offer you really good pictures and more features for your money, but if you pay a little more, you can have the best and sharpest pictures with all the same features. If you get this camera, you will not be disappointed. NOTE: I haven't even tried the B&W features, the Sepia, or the effects yet at all! Have fun if you go with this camera.

I have been holding off on buying a digital camera for a while now, since I've always been scared off by the price. Well, I finally "caved", and I can't believe how happy I am that I did. I had narrowed my choices down to Kodak brand cameras, and was going to purchase the DC280 when I saw this one. Apparently it's based off of that design, and even though it cost a few dollars more, it seems well worth it. The USB interface is a breeze, and the camera has just enough cool/custom features that I feel I can take some interesting shots without feeling overwhelmed. The picture quality is excellent, and I haven't noticed any serious battery drain. If you're thinking about buying a camera, I say wait no longer! If you're not sure which one to get, this one may be worth the extra money, and should at least be a finalist in your decision. Enjoy!

Above average camera. Overall, a good starter digital camera. The pictures are great, with color reproduction being its greatest strength. In addition, as many reviewers attest to, this camera is easy to set-up and use right out of the box. No problems with the software installation, although I quickly uninstalled the included Arcsoft PhotoImpression. Quirky interface and useability issues. The LCD is more than adequate, and unlike some reviewers, I actually had no issues with battery life. I got 40+ pics from the included alkalines and have been using rechargeables since then with well over 100 pics before recharge. Pretty much what I expected from a digital camera. The menu system is easy to navigate, but some settings that I use more often, such as resolution and compression, should have quick buttons on the camera to make switching back and forth easier.

My biggest complaint is with the zoom. I knew what I was getting with the 2x zoom, and it has been a limitation at times. Wish it was a true 3x or greater mechanical zoom. In addition, the zoom settings are not variable like a true SLR. Also, as I get more used to the camera, I wish I had greater control over more manual settings.

Thus my overall conclusion is that this is a good "starter" digital camera, although one could argue that $399 is a little pricey for your first digitial camera. What makes the price more justifiable to me was the quality of the highest resolution pictures. They are great, leaving only some camera features as limitations.

Pros: Great color reproduction. High resolution pictures are excellent. Easy to set-up and use out of the box.

Cons: Limited mechanical zoom (2x). Limited manual adjustments.

After researching cameras for the past couple of months, this was the camera we settled upon. And what a great choice it turned out to be! The pictures come out with unbelievable quality, and the color is literally "true to life". It comes with an 8Mb flash card which can only hold about 50 standard size pictures (and believe me, standard size is all you'll want unless you want to examine something in microscopic detail later -- in which case best quality will fit 12 pictures). I took out a 32Mb card from my PocketPC and plopped it into the camera -- providing room for 220 pictures. I then spent the next couple of days taking pictures of literally everything indoors and out. Shot after shot, often with only 2 seconds gap between (an earlier reviewer mentions a 10 second gap between shots -- there's no such gap). I was absolutely AMAZED at the quality of the pictures I had taken. I soon learnt that the thing that eats up the batteries is the LCD viewfinder, so I used it sparingly, making the most of the standard eye-glass viewfinder (which is just fine!). I love this camera -- you really cannot go wrong with it!

I just purchased the dc3400, and right out of the box it was a joy to use. I've seen other cameras, the more expensive Cannon Digital elf 2.1mp, for instance, and none comes close to the ease of use of the 3400's graphical user interface. Taking pictures was easy, and getting them on the computer was even easier. The software mounts the camera like it does a floppy drive, you just go into the drive and drag and drop them onto wherever you want. The pictures, well, they were stunning to be modest. It brought the highest detail and best color out of pictures that would of been horrible on any 35mm camera. With the included card it can hold 35 of the standard size pics, which look beautiful on the 4x6 glossy photo sheets i purchased. And the large setting holds about 12, which is great for printing at the huge 8x10. I am very pleased with this camera, it does everything I could ever want a camera to do.

After working my way through a Kodak DC50 and then purchasing a DC215 Millennium, I've found another great camera in the Kodak Lineup!

The camera is easy to use and great on batteries. The USB connection works like a charm and allows you to be up and running in a matter of minutes.

The color saturation is picture perfect, and the camera settings allow for beautiful 8" x 10" prints. I print quite frequently on an older Hp 880c but the pictures are outstanding. The only negatives are the placement of the viewfinder and corrections to the manual. Sometimes your nose smudges the screen when you're looking through the viewfinder. As for the manual, they mistakenly printed it to include a "beep" setting. There is no such setting and Kodak assured me that they were printing new manuals to correct their oversight.

All in all this is an awesome camera, that sets up in minutes and is a snap to use. Go out and get one!

I don't think that you will find a better 2 megapixel camera for the price. The picture quality is tops and the menu system is easy to navigate and understand. I have had other digital cameras and, for my money, you can't beat the Kodak. I have taken very good pictures on the standard-good setting(lowest). It is a very attractive camera also and it fits your hand better than some others that I have tried. I also like the fact that the self-timer button is on top within easy reach.On some digicams, the timer is accessed through the menu system(time-consuming). Uploads are fast and easy with the USB. Also, battery life is very good, especially with NiMH rechargeables. The other comparatively priced 2 MP digicams can't compare to the 3400

The 3400 is a very solid 2 megapixel camera, but so too is the 280. So
why spend at least 25% more on the 3400? In terms of features, it
offers almost nothing to recommend it. The fact is a camera in this
quality range should not cost this much. If you want an all-around 2
meg digital, check out the 280; if you want a more limited (but still
very functional) digital camera for mostly internet apps, look at the
3200 (1/2 the price). If you want 35mm quality, controls and feel,
look at the 4800 (twice the price).

I bought this camera 3 weeks ago. I just love it. I highly recommend it. It is very user friendly. It doesn't eat batteries like the DC280. I just can't seem to put it down.