Home > Consumer Reviews > Olympus FE-340 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom (Silver)

I recently bought this camera after testing it in several different stores. I was drawn to the many different options avaiable to choose from, including the one that automatically takes the photo as soon as the subject smiles. The colours on the large LCD screen were beautiful and extremely close to the items I took pictures of. So I bought the camera, thinking I would be very happy with it.

That night, I took quite a few photos indoors and, the next day, took some shots outside. I also experimented with the macro and supermacro modes and finally uploaded all the pictures to the computer. I thought there was some sort of error in uploading when I saw how most of the pictures looked. I deleted them from the computer and reloaded them, hoping that that there had been some sort of error the first time. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

The photos were very washed out once on the computer as well as when they were printed, though they had appeared beautifully on the screen. After checking around, I found that this seems to be a major plague of this camera. Also, though the macro mode produced some good photos (despite the colouration), the supermacro mode produced photos of very poor quality.

I give this camera 3 stars mainly because of how easy it is to use and the many different settings available, as well as the decent speed of taking photos. However, the fact that the actual pictures are not of very decent quality knocks off a star and the other lost star is due to the fact that many of the available settings don't really add much to the camera overall. For instance, the mode that takes a photo instantly once the subject smiles does not operate that well. The subject must stay still for a few seconds and, if they move even slightly, the camera will have to reposition and reset itself before it takes the picture, wasting quite a bit of time in the process. However, since the actual picture quality is more important than the bells and whistles, I returned this camera shortly after purchasing it.

This a great compact digital camera. The pictures are clear and crisp. Images are not blurred and are vry good quality. Took it with me to the opening day of baseball season and I have had numerous folks comment on the quality of pictures this camera took and these comments were from folks that could care less about the game but were more amazed at the quality of the picture. There many different modes you can use to enhance your picture or correct red eye.
I did a lot of research on the camera I wanted. Even bought another camera and took it back after having it for one day. I'm glad I went with the Olympus because it is our second Olympus after about 8 years and
our prior Olympus is still a very good camera.
I did find it less expensive at Office Depot($149.99) and bought it there.

I love this camera. My husband and I replaced an old Kodak and did a lot of research to find something decent for our money. I really like the different features to choose from. Other customers have mentioned their pictures were washed out. I did not encounter that problem unless I chose the wrong setting to shoot the picture. I found that indoor pictures taken on the automatic setting look yellowed (depending on the lighting), however if the shot is taken on the indoor setting the pictures come out fine.

I also love the action shot setting. I took some great photos of my husband and son jumping through a wave in the Atlantic Ocean. You can see the individual water droplets around them! I like that the pictures come out clear and are not pixilated, even when taken from a distance and zoomed in.

The video option is nice if you don't want to lug around a lot of equipment. I was amazed at how many video snipets we took while vacationing and we still had a lot of memory left over. You can also choose to capture sound with each photo taken. For someone who wants to remember names, dates, or specific places this can be a great feature. We have captured our son saying some of the funniest things after the shot was taken!

We purchased this camera to take on a cruise to document my parents' 50th wedding anniversary. I would trust this product for any of your precious memories.

A note of caution, if you do not pick up the memory card M+, you will find that the camera speed is slow. I talked with a sales manager at Circuit City and he said it was the memory card that slows down the camera reset time, not the camera itself. So if you want it to be ready to take another picture fast, spend the extra money and get the better card.

Olympus FE-340 has a good sized LCD, 5X zoom, and is very user-friendly specially for people who are simply point-and-shoot photographers.

PROS:
-- Camera has 5x zoom, looks solidly built, comes in great colors and
the control buttons are very intuitive.
-- Has a Guide option which describes possible shooting scenarios
(like shooting something behind a glass, shooting with bright
backlight) and you only need to select which scenario applies and
the camera provides you with the optimal settings. You just select it,
then point and shoot.
-- LCD screen is good sized and clear.
-- Provides 4 different preview shots at once (splits LCD display in 4)
and gives you the option to select which shot looks best to you.
-- Image quality is good. Nothing spectacular, just good.

CONS:
-- Only takes xD picture cards.
-- No burst mode (this is the continuous shooting mode).
-- Write speed and flash recycle time is very slow.

If you like fast burst mode, faster write speed, and SD card compatible,
try either Canon SD1000 or Casio EX-Z80.

Olympus FE-340 8MP Digital Camera with 5x Optical Zoom (Silver)
This is my third Olympus camera. I love them all. The previous camera, a Stylus 600, is a good camera. However,in sunlight, the LCD monitor was not easy to see. The FE-340's monitor is much improved. Also, this camera has many new features, like the 5X optical zoom that the other cameras do not have. This is the best camera I ever had.
Alfred Voytek, Lake Worth, Florida.