Olympus FE-340

Low Price: $199.99

The Olympus FE-340 is the current mid-range model of the entry-level FE line of digital cameras from Olympus. The FE-340 is an 8 megapixel camera, with a 5x optical zoom, 2.7-inch LCD, and a sturdy, slim metal body.

With a 5x zoom in a slim body at a budget price, the FE-340 has been building interest among buyers looking for something that breaks the “3x zoom” mold without breaking the bank.

FEATURES OVERVIEW

The Olympus FE line has traditionally been the realm of easy to use, entry-level cameras and the FE-340 is no different. It is an auto-exposure only camera, with full automatic, program auto, and a set of preset scene modes.

Shooting modes are selected via a traditional mode dial. Your options are:

• Auto: Fully automatic mode with limited user adjustments
• Program: User adjustments for white balance and ISO
• Digital Image Stabilization: Boosts ISO for higher shutter speeds and sharper images
• Scene: User selects from among 15 presets (Landscape and Portrait presets are accessible via the mode dial), including a Smile Shot mode where the camera won’t fire the shutter until the subject is smiling
• Movie: Several size and frame rate options are available, and the FE-340 allows use of the optical zoom during movie shooting with some limitations

Access to the built-in guide, which can help you make the right settings changes for a particular scenario, is available via the mode dial.

There is also a Panorama Assist mode that allows you to stitch photos together if you are using an Olympus-branded xD-Picture Card.

The FE-340 has a 1/2.35″ CCD sensor that can capture a total of 8 megapixels of resolution. Full-resolution images measure 3264×2448 pixels and file sizes of images taken in SHQ mode average just under 3MB a piece. Images can also be captured at 2560×1920, 2048×1536, 1600×1200, 1280×960, 640×480, and 1920×1080.
Movies can be captured in 640×480 at 30 fps or 15 fps, and 320×240 at 30 fps or 15 fps. Monaural audio can also be captured. Optical zoom is available during movie capture, but only if you disable audio capture.
A wrist strap, the lithium-ion battery, battery charger, USB cable, AV cable, and CD-ROM with the Olympus Master 2 software are included in the box.