Fujifilm's 2004 4MP budget compact — 3x 38-114mm zoom, 1.5in LCD, xD card storage, two-AA power.
The Fujifilm FinePix A340 was an entry-level digital compact announced on 5 February 2004 as the four-megapixel companion to the FinePix A330. It sat at the top of Fujifilm's budget A-series pairing that year, and period reviewers considered it the better buy of the two for its extra resolution and slightly cleaner colour.
It used a 1/2.7-inch square-pixel CCD with 4.0 million effective pixels and a Fujinon 3x optical zoom equivalent to 38-114mm. Framing was via an optical viewfinder or a 1.5-inch 60,000-pixel TFT LCD with ten brightness levels. It recorded 320x240 movie clips at 10fps for up to 60 seconds, stored images on xD-Picture Card (up to the then-maximum 512MB), and ran on two AA alkaline batteries rated for about 140 frames with the LCD on.
Like the A330, the A340 is a fully automatic point-and-shoot with scene modes rather than manual control, wrapped in a light plastic body with a sliding lens cover that acts as the power switch. It suits digicam collectors and anyone after the punchy, warm 2004-era Fujifilm CCD colour in a simple package; the 4MP files print acceptably to 8x10.
Used checks mirror the rest of the xD-era A-series: the discontinued xD-Picture Card is the main cost and a bundled card is worth having, while AA power is easy. Verify the sliding cover powers the camera reliably, since the switch mechanism wears, and check the lens retracts before the cover closes. Inspect the small LCD for bleed and the AA contacts for leakage.