It is 2026, and yet, weirdly, everyone is obsessed with CCD sensors from twenty years ago. You’ve seen the look—that slightly soft, glowing, "filmic" aesthetic that your $1,200 smartphone just can't replicate because its software is too busy over-sharpening your pores. That is exactly why people are scouring eBay for the Kodak EasyShare M340. It isn't a powerhouse. It isn't professional. Honestly, it was a budget "point-and-shoot" when it dropped in 2009. But there is a specific kind of magic in how this 10.2-megapixel slab of plastic handles light.
Most modern tech reviews obsess over specs. They want to talk about 8K video or AI autofocus that can track a bird’s eyeball from a mile away. The M340 doesn’t do any of that. It has a tiny 1/2.3-inch CCD sensor. It takes "okay" video at best. But it has the Kodak Color Science. That’s the secret sauce.
What the Kodak EasyShare M340 Actually Feels Like to Shoot
If you grew up in the era of early digital, the M340 feels like home. It’s thin. Like, "slip it into your jeans pocket and forget it's there" thin. Kodak built this thing during their "M-Series" peak, focusing on lifestyle users who just wanted to take photos at a house party or a graduation without carrying a brick.
The build is mostly plastic, but it has a metallic sheen that makes it look slightly more expensive than it was. When you power it on, the lens extends with a mechanical whir that feels wonderfully tactile. You’ve got a 3x optical zoom, which sounds pathetic by today’s standards, but for street photography or candid shots of friends across a table? It’s perfect. It forces you to move your body.
The Famous "Share" Button
Let’s talk about that big red button. The "Share" button was Kodak’s big marketing play. Back in 2009, the idea was that you’d tag photos on the camera, plug it into your computer via a proprietary USB cable, and the Kodak EasyShare software would automatically blast them to YouTube, Facebook, or Flickr.
Today? The software is basically abandonware. You don’t use the button for sharing anymore. But it serves as a nostalgic reminder of a time when "sharing" wasn't instantaneous and constant. It required intent. Using the Kodak EasyShare M340 today is an exercise in delayed gratification. You take the shots, you wait until you get home, you pop the SDHC card into a reader, and you see what you got.
The Technical Reality (Without the Fluff)
Specs matter, but only in context. The M340 features a 10.2 MP sensor. In the world of 2026, that sounds low. But unless you’re printing a billboard, 10 megapixels is plenty. The real story is the ISO range. It goes from 80 up to 1600.
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Don't use 1600.
Just don't. At 1600, the noise looks like digital ants crawling over your image. This camera thrives in the lower ISOs—80, 100, and 200. When you have decent sunlight, the M340 produces colors that feel warm and saturated. It’s that classic Kodak look. Blues are deep. Skin tones have a slight reddish-orange warmth that makes everyone look a little more "alive" than the clinical, cold look of a modern Sony or iPhone sensor.
The lens is a Kodak AF 3x Optical Aspheric Lens, 35–105 mm (35 mm equivalent). It’s not exceptionally wide. If you’re trying to shoot a tiny bathroom or a massive landscape, you’ll feel cramped. But for portraits? The 105mm end of that zoom gives you a nice, flat perspective that is incredibly flattering.
Face Detection and Smart Scene
Kodak included "Smart Capture" on this model. It basically tries to analyze the scene and choose the settings for you. It’s surprisingly decent at recognizing faces. In 2009, this was high-end stuff. Today, it’s a quirky bit of tech that helps you keep the focus on your friends while the background stays just a little bit soft.
The 2.7-inch LCD on the back is... fine. It's not high resolution. You won't know if your shot is truly sharp until you see it on a bigger screen. That’s part of the fun. It’s a gamble. Every shutter click is a little mystery you solve later.
Why Everyone Is Buying These on Second-Hand Markets
If you go on TikTok or Instagram right now, you'll see "digicam" hauls. People are tired of the perfection of AI-processed photos. The Kodak EasyShare M340 represents a rebellion against the algorithm.
- Imperfection is the point. The lens flare on an M340 isn't a digital artifact added by an app; it’s actual light bouncing off actual glass.
- The Flash. The built-in flash on these old Kodaks is harsh. It’s direct. It creates that "nightlife" look where the subject is bright and the background falls into total darkness. You can’t fake that look with a "vintage filter" and get the same results.
- Affordability (mostly). While prices are creeping up because of the trend, you can still find an M340 for a fraction of what a Fujifilm X100VI costs.
Dealing with the Quirks and Annoyances
Look, I’m not going to lie to you and say this camera is perfect. It’s old.
The battery life is mediocre. The M340 uses the KLIC-7001 lithium-ion battery. If you buy a used one today, that original battery is probably bloated or holds a charge for about twelve minutes. You’ll need to buy a third-party replacement from a site like Amazon or Wasabi Power.
Then there’s the shutter lag. If you’re used to an iPhone 15 or 16, the delay between pressing the button and the photo actually being taken will drive you insane. You have to anticipate the moment. You can't just "spray and pray." You wait. You hold still. You click. You keep holding still for a half-second.
Also, it uses SDHC cards. It usually caps out at 32GB. Don't try to shove a 128GB UHS-II card in there; the camera's brain will melt. Stick to older, slower cards. They're cheaper anyway.
Comparing the M340 to the M341 and M320
Kodak released a dizzying number of these cameras. The M341 is almost identical but usually features a slightly higher megapixel count (12 MP). In reality, you won't notice the difference. The M320 is the "little brother" with lower specs and often a cheaper plastic feel.
The M340 sits in the "Goldilocks" zone. It has enough resolution to look sharp but enough "old tech" charm to keep that vintage vibe. It’s also more common than some of the high-end Z-series Kodaks, making it easier to find parts or replacements.
How to Get the Best Results Today
If you just picked up a Kodak EasyShare M340, don't just leave it in Auto mode.
First, dive into the menu and find the "Color Mode" settings. Kodak usually has a "Vibrant" or "High Color" setting. Turn that on. It pushes those reds and yellows that make the EasyShare line famous.
Second, use the flash during the day. This sounds counterintuitive, but if you’re taking a portrait in bright sunlight, the "fill flash" helps even out the shadows under the eyes and gives you that high-fashion, overexposed 90s look that is so popular right now.
Third, embrace the macro mode. The M340 has a surprisingly close focusing distance for a budget camera. You can get some incredible shots of textures—flowers, old tech, fabric—that show off the CCD sensor's ability to capture micro-contrast without the "smoothing" that modern AI does to small details.
Is it Worth Buying in 2026?
Honestly, it depends on what you want. If you want a camera for your kid’s soccer game where you need to zoom in from the bleachers, no. Your phone is better. If you want to shoot professional weddings, absolutely not.
But if you want a "party camera"? If you want something to take to a concert where you don't want to worry about your $1,000 phone getting stolen or broken? If you want photos that look like memories rather than digital files? Then yes. The M340 is a vibe. It’s a specific tool for a specific aesthetic.
There's a reason Kodak’s stock in the vintage world is rising. They knew color. Even in their cheapest cameras, they prioritized how a photo "felt" over how many pixels they could cram onto a chip.
Practical Steps for New Owners
- Check the Battery Door: These are notorious for the little plastic tab breaking. If yours is loose, a small piece of gaffer tape works wonders and actually adds to the "lo-fi" aesthetic.
- Format the Card: Always format your SD card inside the camera menu, not on your computer. It prevents file system errors that lead to the dreaded "Memory Full" or "Card Error" messages.
- Clean the Lens: Since there’s no lens cap (just the built-in sliding blades), these get dusty. Use a microfiber cloth. A smudge on the lens of an M340 doesn't look "vintage"—it just looks blurry.
- Transfer Often: Don't leave your photos on the card for months. These old cards can fail. Move them to a cloud drive or a physical hard drive as soon as you get home.
The Kodak EasyShare M340 isn't going to win any technical awards this year. It won't beat a DSLR. But it might just make you enjoy photography again. It takes the pressure off. You stop worrying about "the best" settings and start looking for the best light. And really, isn't that what photography was supposed to be about anyway?
Find one on a thrift store shelf or a local listing. Pop in a fresh battery. Go outside. Shoot everything until the card is full. You'll be surprised at how much you prefer the "worse" camera over the one in your pocket.
Next Steps for Your M340 Journey:
- Search eBay or Poshmark for "Tested Kodak M340" to ensure you aren't buying a "for parts" unit.
- Purchase a KLIC-7001 replacement battery and a dedicated external charger so you don't have to rely on the old USB internal charging.
- Look for an SDHC card (Class 4 or 10) with a capacity of 16GB or 32GB for maximum compatibility.