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The Imaging Resource Quick Review Fuji FinePix A340 Digital Camera
Introduction
Updating the popular point-and-shoot options of Fuji's FinePix line of digicams, the FinePix A340 is an affordable entry-level digicam that offers good quality and value. Small, compact, and very lightweight, the A340 offers a larger, 4.0-megapixel CCD than its predecessors, along with a Fujinon 3x optical zoom lens. Exposure control remains automatic, with the convenience of point-and-shoot control. However, the Fuji A340 does offer four preset scene shooting modes, for capturing good images in common, yet tricky, shooting conditions. The A340's CCD captures high enough resolution for printing images with nice detail as large as 11x14 inches, or as large as 8x10 inches with some cropping. Lower-resolution settings are available for email attachments. The Fuji A340 sports a 3x optical zoom lens that increases the camera's flexibility. The camera's dimensions are just a little too large for most shirt pockets at 4.09 x 2.42 x 1.23 inches (104 x 62 x 31 millimeters), although you could feasibly stow the camera in a larger coat pocket or an average-sized purse. Despite its size, the all-plastic body is extremely lightweight at just 6.9 ounces (198 grams), including batteries and memory card. A sliding, built-in lens cover keeps the Fuji A340's front panel nearly flat when closed, allowing the camera to easily slip into a pocket or purse without snagging. The Fuji FinePix A340 is equipped with a 3x, Fujinon lens equivalent to a 38-114mm lens on a 35mm camera. Aperture is automatically controlled from f/2.8 to f/9.5, with actual values depending on the zoom position of the lens. Focus also remains under automatic control, ranging from 2.0 feet (60 centimeters) to infinity in normal mode, with a Macro setting ranging from 3.9 inches to 2.6 feet (10 centimeters to 80 centimeters). The camera also offers up to 1.7x digital zoom when in 2 or 1 megapixel mode, but keep in mind that digital zoom decreases the overall image quality, since it only enlarges the center pixels of the CCD image. For framing shots, the Fuji A340 offers both a real-image optical viewfinder and a 1.5-inch color, amorphous, silicon TFT LCD monitor. The LCD monitor reports some camera settings, and can overlay an alignment grid. The grid divides the image area into thirds, both horizontally and vertically, making it easier to line up tricky subjects. Exposure is automatically controlled at all times, despite the Fuji FinePix A340's selection of Auto and Manual exposure modes. (The "Manual" setting simply expands the Record menu to include Exposure Compensation and White Balance options.) Four preset Scene modes optimize the camera for common, yet special, shooting situations, and include Portrait, Night, Sports, and Landscape settings. Shutter speeds range from 1/2,000 to two seconds (extending the camera's low-light shooting capabilities slightly), but the LCD display doesn't report it or the lens aperture setting. To determine the best exposure, the A340 employs a TTL (through-the-lens), 64-zone metering system, which averages readings taken throughout the frame for the best overall exposure. The camera's Exposure Compensation setting lets you increase or decrease the overall exposure from -2 to +2 in one-third-step increments. White balance options include an Auto setting, as well as Outdoors, Shade, Daylight Fluorescent, Warm White Fluorescent, Cool White Fluorescent, and Incandescent presets, to match most common light sources. Although it's not adjustable, the Fuji A340's sensitivity is equivalent to ISO 100, good for most average shooting conditions. The Fuji FinePix A340's built-in flash is effective from 2.0 to 11.5 feet (0.6 to 3.5 meters) depending on the zoom setting, and operates in Auto, Red-Eye Reduction, Forced, Suppressed, or Slow-Synchro. In Manual mode, the flash also offers a Red-Eye Reduction with Slow-Synchro combination mode. A Self-Timer mode provides a 10-second delay between a full press of the Shutter button and the time that the shutter actually opens, helpful in self-portraits or group photos. The A340 also features a Movie mode, which captures movies without sound at either 320 x 240- or 160 x 120-pixel resolutions. Maximum recording times vary depending on the size of the card, but recording can commence until the card is full. The Fuji A340 stores image files on xD-Picture Cards, and comes with a 16MB starter card. You'll want to purchase a larger size fairly soon, given the A340's maximum 2,272 x 1,704-pixel resolution. (The xD-Picture Card itself is very tiny, rivaling the popular SD memory cards in size.) The Fuji A340 uses two AA-type batteries for power, either alkaline or NiMH, and an optional AC adapter is available. A set of single-use AA alkaline batteries comes with the camera, but I strongly recommend purchasing a couple of sets of high-capacity NiMH batteries and a good charger, and keeping a spare set of batteries charged at all times. Click here See my "NiMH battery shootout" page to see which batteries currently on the market are best, or read my review of the Maha C-204F NiMH battery charger, my long-time favorite. The A340 is compatible with Fuji's separate accessory PictureCradle, which allows quick image downloading when connected to a computer. (The camera actually fits into the cradle sideways, lining up the USB/Digital jack with the cradle's jack.) Basic Features
Special Features
Recommendation
The Fuji A340's front panel curves gently from top to bottom without any large protrusions to snag on pockets. A sliding lens cover protects the lens when not in use, and keeps the front panel fairly smooth when the camera is off. When powered on, the lens extends about three-quarters of an inch from the front panel, and likewise retracts when the camera is turned off. Also on the front panel are the flash, flash sensor, self-timer lamp, and the optical viewfinder window. The sculpted surface of the lens cover provides a very slight finger grip, reinforced by a series of raised bumps on the rear panel which serve as a thumb grip. Unlike other sliding door designs, the door of the FinePix A340 can hit the lens before the lens retracts, so caution is advised. Otherwise, I prefer sliding lens door designs like this, because they make accidental activation of the camera while in a bag or pocket less likely.
The right side of the camera (as viewed from the rear) holds only the eyelet for the wrist strap. At the very bottom of the right panel, the edge of the memory card and battery compartment door is visible.
The opposite side of the camera features the USB, DC In, and Video Out connector terminals, all uncovered.
On the Fuji A340's top panel is simple, with only the Shutter button.
The few remaining camera controls are on the rear panel, sharing space with the optical viewfinder and LCD monitor. Fuji did away with the mode dial previously offered on the A210 and A205 models, opting for less external control and a sleeker body style. The three main control buttons line the right side of the LCD monitor, and include the Playback / On, Menu / OK, and Display / Back buttons. The Zoom rocker button in the top right corner controls optical and digital zoom and navigates up and down through the LCD menu. On either side of the Zoom rocker button are two arrow keys, which also navigate menu options. The left arrow toggles Macro mode on or off while the right arrow steps through the flash modes.
The Fuji FinePix A340's bottom panel is nice and flat, with the plastic, threaded tripod mount right about center. The shared xD-Picture Card and battery compartment is adjacent, with a hinged door that slides out before opening. Although I typically prefer to have access to the battery and memory card compartments while a camera is mounted to a tripod, I doubt this issue will come into play much on the A340, given its portable nature and point-and-shoot design.
Camera Operation With full automatic exposure control and only a couple of manual adjustments
available, the Fuji FinePix A340's user interface is very straightforward and
quick to grasp. The Mode dial control used on some earlier models has been replaced
with a very simple menu driven system viewed in the LCD monitor. With the camera
turned on, a single push of the Menu/Ok button brings up the four-option menu,
which is fairly limited and quick to navigate using the combination of arrow
and zoom rocker buttons. In Manual shooting mode, the settings menu expands
slightly to include additional basic exposure settings, though you still don't
have access to aperture or shutter speed. All camera controls other than basic
Flash and Macro mode selections are accessed through the LCD menu system, so
you should be able to start shooting with the camera right out of the box.
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Measuring
4.09 x 2.42 x 1.23 inches (104 x 62 x 31 millimeters),
the Fuji FinePix A340 is better-suited for average coat pockets than most shirt
pockets, but fits easily into most average purses and comes with a wrist strap
for a little extra security. Loaded with batteries and memory card, the A340
weighs a mere 6.9 ounces (198 grams), thanks in part
to the all-plastic camera body. Because of the A340's straightforward design,
external controls are limited and the LCD menu system is short and quick to
navigate.
Record
Mode Display: The LCD monitor reports very basic information in Record
mode, including the shooting mode, resolution setting, number of available images,
and a central autofocus target. It also reports the flash mode, and macro and
self-timer settings when activated. Pressing the Display button enables an alignment
grid, which divides the image area into thirds vertically and horizontally,
for better framing of linear subjects. A third press disables the LCD monitor
entirely.
Playback Mode Display: In Playback mode, the main LCD display shows
the file number and capture date for a few seconds. Pressing the Display button
pulls up the nine-image index display. Using the Zoom rocker button, you can
enlarge captured images as much as 14x, depending on the resolution they were
shot at.
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External Controls
Right and Left Arrow Keys: Flanking the Zoom rocker button in the top right corner of the rear panel, these arrow keys navigate through captured images in Playback mode, as well as through menu selections in any settings menu. When an image has been enlarged, these keys also move around within the view. In Record mode, the left arrow accesses the Macro shooting mode, and the right arrow key cycles through the available flash modes.
Camera Modes and Menus
 Set-Up
Menu: Accessible from either the record or playback menus, the Setup menu
offers the following options:
In the Box In the box are the following items:
Recommended Software: Rescue your images!
See the specifications sheet here.
Information on shooting speed, battery life, etc. can be found here.
See our sample pictures and detailed analysis on the Fuji A340 sample pictures page. The thumbnails below show a subset of our test images. Click on a thumbnail to see the full-size photo.
Test Results In keeping with my standard test policy, the comments given here summarize only my key findings. For a full commentary on each of the test images, see the Fuji FinePix A340's sample pictures page. Not sure which camera to buy? Let your eyes be the ultimate judge! Visit our Comparometer(tm) to compare images from the Fuji A340 with those from other cameras you may be considering. The proof is in the pictures, so let your own eyes decide which you like best! As with all Imaging Resource product tests, I encourage you to let your own eyes be the judge of how well the camera performed. Explore the images on the pictures page, to see how the A340 Zoom's images compare to other cameras you may be considering.
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Reader Comments! --> Visit our discussion forum for the Fujifilm FinePix A340! This document copyright © 2004, The Imaging Resource, all rights reserved. Visitors to this site may download this document for local, private, non-commercial use. Individuals who have themselves downloaded this page may print a copy on their personal printers for convenience of reading and reference. Other than this explicit usage, it may not be published, reproduced, or distributed in print or electronic and/or digital media without the express written consent of .Search | About
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Still
Image Record Mode: This mode allows the camera to capture still images.
Exposure is automatically controlled, although a "Manual" option
in the settings menu increases the menu selections to include Exposure Compensation
and White Balance. Pressing the Menu button displays the following options:
Playback
Mode: The traditional green playback symbol is located with the "ON"
button located with the LCD panel, which accesses Playback mode at any time
with a one second press (even if the camera is powered off). Here, you can review
captured images and movies, as well as manage files and set up images for printing.
Pressing the Menu button displays the following options:
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