Digital photography in 60 seconds

Kodak’s new line of digital cameras and digital photography solutions has made it even easier for a novice to capture and print near professional quality printouts with or without a PC.

Belonging to its EasyShare system of cameras, the DX 6340 offers one of the few 4X optical zoom capabilities in a small, 3.1-megapixel camera. Kodak has also outfitted this camera with a German-engineered Scheneider-Kreuznach Variogon lens plus an aperture or shutter priority function that is usually the domain of profession SLR (Single Lens Reflex) cameras.

Ease of use

The DX 6340 is easy to use out of the box. The controls are satisfyingly simple and intuitive, the built-in joystick provides users a quick means of navigation through the well-thought-of menu system. Coupled with the 6000 series dock, a clever device that serves as PC connector, battery charger and a standalone printer, one can easily print directly from the camera in about a minute.

Using the camera is a straightforward process; it boots quickly and offers numerous options for specific types of photography, including sports, macro photography, portraits, evening shoots and landscapes. The professional features such as shutter priority and aperture priority mode also allow traditional photographers to exercise some creativity.

Like most digital cameras in the market, the DX 6340 also offer video and audio capture which can take videos whose length would depend on the amount of storage space available. The zoom function and the camera’s quick auto-focus feature make it possible to quickly zone in on specific points.

Users who don’t want to use the dock will find that the DX 6340 will work well with both PCs and Macs. Kodak’s EasyShare software isn’t only simple to use, it also gives users so many options for editing and preparing their photos as e-mail attachments or as prints. Without the dock solution, one can simply connect the camera via USB and use their favorite digital photo software to copy and manipulate their images.

Some of the other touches provided by Kodak are an internal 16MB memory, which is expandable with 64MB or 128MB via MMC (MultiMedia Card) and SD (SecureDigital) cards. The camera’s indoor/outdoor display ensures consistent glare-free brightness when reviewing photos taken earlier.

Kodak has also applied its Color Science technology that ensures consistency and built-in control for Auto White balance, auto exposure and color enhancement features.

Dock-full of simplicity

The 6000 series docks are perfect for people who wish to dabble in digital photography but who don’t want to use a PC plus a printer for the process. There are users who simply wish to take their photos, choose which ones to print and have copies made instantaneously without the need for extensive editing (cropping and rotation controls are possible via the camera).

The docks provide an all-in-one solution by serving as recharger and printer in one. The printing process is quick and simple. One button is pressed and the chosen photo is printed in about one minute. Ink and paper refills are designed to expire at about the same time so it makes it convenient for users when they need to replace both.

While it may be convenient and easy to use, the dock adds about P15,000 to the DX 6340’s P26,000 price tag. It is also prone to fumbling as setting the camera on the dock isn’t very easy and could cause some scratching on the base of the camera if one is careless. Otherwise, the dock solution is a convenient way to shoot and print instantaneously.