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Kodak DC3400 Kodak updates the popular DC280 with a new sensor, lower power consumption, and a new color scheme... Select a topic Reference: Datasheet DC3400 Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments on DC3400 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Operation & User Interface :(Previous) | (Next): Image Storage & Interface>> Page 9:Camera Modes & Menus Review First Posted: 10/5/2000

Capture Mode
With the Mode Dial on the rear of the camera set to Capture, pressing the Menu Button provides the following options for capturing your images:

• Exposure Compensation: Adjust the exposure set by the camera's automatic metering from +2 EV to -2 EV, in 0.5 EV steps.
• Border: Allows you to add borders or logos to your pictures. Using the Kodak DC3400 Border Transfer utility, you can save image border templates onto your picture card. You can then use the DC3400's Border feature to add these borders to your image as they're captured. When in Border mode, the LCD automatically turns on and displays the chosen border so that you can see if the border matches well with your subject. Note that formatting the picture card erases all the borders you've loaded: If you reformat, you'll need to reload.
• Effects: Lets you capture images in Black & White, Sepia (for an antique look), or Document (adds contrast when capturing images containing text) mode. Whenever an effects-mode option is selected, the LCD automatically turns on and displays the image with the chosen effect. Use the LCD display to see if the image works well with the effect. If so, capture it. If not, choose another effect and see how it looks.
  
  
• Picture Quality: Select one of three settings: Good, Better, and Best. As you move from Good to Best, more space is needed on the picture card to store the image. The Good setting is more than adequate to capture images for online sharing, while Best would be the appropriate choice for images you want to make high-quality prints from. In high resolution mode (see below), the picture quality settings correspond to the following file sizes:
  • Best: 625K, or about 10:1 compression.
  • Better: 420K, or about 15:1 compression.
  • Good: 230K, or about 30:1 compression.
• Resolution: Choose from one of two settings: High or Standard.
  • High: Use this setting for images that you intend to print. The resolution of the image at this setting is 1760 x 1168 pixels.
  • Standard: Use this setting when capturing images for online sharing. The resolution of the image at this setting is 896 x 592 pixels.
• Date/Time Stamp: Lets you record the date and time of capture on the image itself.
  
  
• QuickView: Displays the image you just captured in the LCD for several seconds after capture. This handy feature lets you review the image before it's saved to the memory card, and decide whether you want to keep it or not. A Delete icon (trash can) appears on the LCD above the left scroll button. If you don't like the image, press the left scroll button to delete it. If you like it, do nothing and it will be stored automatically.
• White Balance: Select one of four white balance settings based on the lighting conditions you're shooting under:
  • Auto: Automatically adjusts the white balance setting to the scene content.
  • Daylight: Adjusts the white balance for natural, neutral daylight lighting.
  • Fluorescent: Adjusts the white balance for images captured under fluorescent lighting to remove the greenish tint that sometimes occurs.
  • Tungsten: Adjusts the white balance for images captured under tungsten lighting to remove the reddish-orange tint that sometimes occurs.
• Metering: Use this option to obtain the best exposure for your images, based on the lighting and subject type. Two metering modes are available:
  • Multi-Pattern: Examines the entire image area to determine the best exposure. This setting will generally be the best choice for everyday pictures.
  • Center-Weighted: Bases the exposure decision primarily on the central portion of the frame, de-emphasizing the surroundings. The Center-Weighted mode will be most useful for shooting portraits shots, or for dealing with backlit subjects.
    
    
• Exposure Lock: After this option is selected, the camera exposure and white-balance settings will be "locked" as soon as the first shot is taken. The locked settings will remain in effect until the "lock" is released by revisiting this menu option. Use this feature to ensure consistent exposure for multiple shots to be used in panoramas, or other applications requiring consistent exposure across multiple photos.
• Sharpness: Provides three options for sharpening or softening a picture:
  • Sharp: Emphasizes the edges of objects in your images so they stand out more.
  • Standard: The default setting, a "neutral" sharpening effect.
  • Soft: Blurs fine details so that they become "softer" and edges of objects blend into the image.
• Auto ISO: Lets the camera automatically increase its light sensitivity (at some cost in image noise) to increase shutter speed in low-light conditions:
  • Off: (Default) Camera ISO is fixed at an equivalent value of 70.
  • On: Effective ISO increases at low light levels, apparently to as much as ~140, although the absolute low-light limit is not changed. (In other words, this mode will give you higher shutter speeds in relatively dim conditions, but won't improve the camera's ultimate low-light capability.)

Review Mode
Use Review mode to examine already-captured images. When you change from Capture to Review Mode, the LCD activates and the most recently captured image. Use the left/right scroll buttons to scroll through and view all the images stored on the picture card.

Pressing the menu button changes what is displayed on the LCD. At the bottom of the LCD you'll see smaller versions of the images that you have captured (assuming there's more than 1, of course). You can use the left/right scroll buttons to quickly scroll through the image thumbnails to find a particular image. Once you find it, a larger version of that image appears in the LCD. To the left of the LCD, a series of icons appears. Each of these icons represents an operation you can perform on the selected image. Whenever one of these operations is selected, Delete, for example, the Trash Can icon appears over the image in the LCD.

• Magnify: Lets you magnify and zoom in on a particular portion of a picture for closer examination. The image expands to twice the normal playback size, and the LCD becomes a "window" into the larger image. You can use the up/down and left/right scroll buttons to view different parts of the picture at the magnified level. (We liked the smooth scrolling the direction buttons provide in this mode: Many digicams jump between quadrants of the enlarged image, rather than scrolling smoothly. Smooth scrolling makes it much easier to examine exactly what you're interested in within the image.)
• Delete: Lets you delete the current image or all the images stored on the picture card.
• Print Order: Lets you select the current picture or all pictures for printing by a DPOF (Digital Print Order Format) compatible printer. Also lets you choose how many copies of the image to print. This information is stored to the picture card along with the image in a special file format. This format can be read by some photo printers or by Kodak Picture Maker kiosks. When you insert the picture card into a reader on the Picture Maker, for example, the Picture Maker will fulfill your order, printing as many copies of each image as you have requested.
  
  
• Protect: Prevents an image from being accidentally erased from the picture card. When you protect an image, the Protect icon appears over the image on the LCD. NOTE though, that "protected" pictures will still be deleted if the memory card is formatted.
• Slideshow: Lets you choose the time interval for viewing your images in a slideshow on the LCD or on your television. For television display, you first need to connect the camera to your TV with the video cable supplied. You can set the time interval between successive images from one to 99 seconds.
• Information: Displays the Picture Info screen, displaying detailed information about the image being viewed. The information includes capture date and time, flash setting, and aperture and shutter speed used to capture the image.

Connect Mode
When you want to connect the camera to a PC for downloading of images, you first need to place the camera in Connect mode. Connect mode enables the different ports on the side of the camera for image transfer. The ports include a standard RS-232 connection for Windows-based computers, and a Universal Serial Bus (USB) connection for Windows '98 based computers, as well as USB-equipped Apple Macintosh computers.

Camera Setup Mode
Camera Setup Mode provides several options you can use to customize the camera for your own picture-taking needs:

• Set Date and Time: Lets you set the month, date, and year.
• Video Out: Supports NTSC video timing for US and Canadian usage, and PAL for European usage.
• Power Save: When enabled, reduces the length of time the camera stays on when not in use.
  
  
• Flash Default: Lets you choose a flash setting as the default each time the camera is turned on. If you consistently capture images in a way that requires only one of the available flash options, you can change the default to the option you need. The available options are Auto (normal default), Fill, Redeye, and Off.
• White Balance Default: Lets you choose a white balance setting to be in effect every time you turn on the camera. If you capture images in a way that consistently requires one of the manual white balance options, you can change the default to the option you need. The available options are Auto (normal default), Daylight, Tungsten, and Fluorescent.
• Exposure Compensation Default: Lets you set a default value for exposure compensation. If you capture images in a way that requires a specific exposure value, you can change the default value to the exposure you need. Ambient settings range from +2 EV to -2 EV, in 0.5 EV steps.
  
  
• Auto ISO Default: Sets the Auto-ISO option that will be selected when the camera is powered-up:
  • Off: (Default) Camera ISO is fixed at an equivalent value of 70.
  • On: Effective ISO increases at low light levels, apparently to as much as ~140, although the absolute low-light limit is not changed.
• Border Default: If you have borders loaded on your picture card, you can select a default border to use every time you choose the border option.
• Effects Default: Lets you choose a special effect for your pictures whenever you turn on your camera and begin shooting pictures. The available options are No Effect (normal default), Black & White, Sepia, and Document.
  
  
• Language Default: Choose from one of seven languages: English (normal default for US cameras), Japanese, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish, or Italian.
• About the Camera: Provides information about the camera including the number of pictures captured and the number of flashes fired.
• Format: Lets you format picture cards for use with the DC3400 if they have a different format or have become corrupted in some way. Remember that formatting removes all information on the card including any borders or graphics you may have stored, and will erase even "protected" images.