Fujifilm's FinePix A340 is
one of two cameras designed as an entry level model: the A340
is a 4 megapixel and the A330 is a 3 megapixel. Both cameras
have a 3X zoom and, aside from their resolution, are so similar
that they share the same user manual.
The top part of the
A340 only supports the shutter release, a standard 2-stage release
that has auto exposure lock (AE-L) and auto focus lock (AF-L)
when held at mid-course.
Immediately behind it in the upper right corner of the A340's back are
three buttons arranged in a row, and the centre button controls the zoom.
When pushed up the button moves the zoom to the telephoto end; when pushed
down, the button moves the zoom to the wide angle end.
As a group the three buttons also
serve to navigate the A340's menus, with the centre button providing
up and down movement. In addition, the buttons on either side
of the zoom control serve to:
turn on the Macro mode.
In Macro mode the A340 is able to focus on a subject 10 to
80 cm from the lens.
select the Flash mode:
Auto, Red-eye Reduction, Forced On, Forced Off, Slow Synchro,
Red-eye Reduction with Slow Synchro.
Three more buttons are aligned on the right edge of the 1.5 inch, 60,000 pixel
LCD monitor:
ON:
Starts the Playback mode, even if the camera's lens barrier
is closed and the power is Off. Pressing the button again
turns off the camera, or if the lens barrier is fully opened,
returns the A340 to the shooting mode.
MENU/OK: calls up the camera menu when pressed once;
confirms changes and clears the menu off the screen when
pressed a second time.
DISP/BACK: controls the appearance of the monitor
in recording and playback. In the recording mode, the monitor
displays camera settings overlaid on the monitor's image.
Pressing the DISP button once adds black hairlines
over the image to serve as framing guidelines. Pressed again,
all overlays are eliminated, leaving only the image. A third
press of the button turns off the LCD monitor to conserve
power when the optical viewfinder is in use.
When menus are displayed on the monitor, the button [BACK] serves
to cancel an action, or back out of a selection in the menu without
making a change.
The A340 has an optical viewfinder
with an 80% frame coverage. The viewfinder provides parallax markings,
and has an etched circle to indicate the camera's AF area. To
its right is an LED which indicates focus, and camera operations.
While not ultra compact, the design of the A340 still places it in a wide
group of cameras that can be carried in a pocket or a small pouch. The
camera has generally good ergonomics, and while some of the buttons are
a touch stiff to operate at first, they are well placed.
Compare Prices for Fuji FinePix A340 4MP Digital Camera
Introduction
ON:
Starts the Playback mode, even if the camera's lens barrier
is closed and the power is Off. Pressing the button again
turns off the camera, or if the lens barrier is fully opened,
returns the A340 to the shooting mode.
