The EasyShare C340 was announced in February 2005 as part of Kodak's entry-level C-series of digital compacts, slotting above the fixed-lens C300 by adding an optical zoom. Like the rest of the EasyShare system it was built around one-button transfer, on-camera cropping and compatibility with Kodak's printer docks.
A 5MP 1/2.5-inch CCD sits behind a 3x Retinar zoom covering 34-102mm equivalent at f/2.7-f/4.6, backed by a real-image optical viewfinder alongside the small 1.6-inch LCD. ISO runs 80-400, shutter speeds span 4s to 1/1400, and VGA QuickTime video with audio is available. Storage is 16MB internal memory plus SD/MMC cards, and it runs on two AA batteries.
Aimed squarely at beginners, with sixteen scene and colour modes and Kodak's Color Science processing doing the thinking. The optical viewfinder is genuinely useful in bright light where the tiny LCD struggles, but the low-resolution screen and modest video date it firmly to the mid-2000s.
One of the easier mid-2000s digicams to run used: AA cells and SD/MMC cards remain readily available. Check the zoom extends without grinding, the LCD is unmarked and the sensor shows no hot lines or streaking; some buyers seek out these early CCD Kodaks specifically for their colour rendering.