The P330 I tested only briefly and superficially. I will explain at the end, because of improvements which I have chosen for the P340, although the P330 would have been available for a bargain. First, some general comments on both cameras, partly based on recommendations and criticisms of other reviewers (the P330) Regulations.
The P340 - like the P330 - makes a very valued and solid impression. Since I'm used to a decent SLR with comparatively powerful lenses, calls this chic, small and lightweight Fotoapparatchen with me yet apparent protective instincts. This is perhaps just as well, because a decent rum would not like the Objektivchen determined.
To keep it gentle yet safe, the right hand space has been left. For added stability when shooting I will probably look at the opportunity for a matching wrist strap and replace the supplied wrist strap thereby. (An apparatus therefor there on both sides.) Then the stability of face foam a viewfinder camera can achieve at least partially, when the belt is tightened around his neck.
The camera is really nice and compact for my taste and by the automatic "lens cap" ready for use very quickly. Please What do you mean in this context, "pocket-friendly"? Who so a camera unprotected inserted into the pocket, has to be a lot of money, a built-in pocket-dust extractor and / or truly powerful pants. Since nothing like that applies to me, I put the camera behaved in a proper case, as the Lowepro Apex 30 AW. Up there remains some air, which can easily be seen a good piece without much fumbling and wrangling. In separate front area is good place for a second memory card, and up to two spare batteries. The latter are quite reasonable, especially if you like to set a little longer, or waiting for the right moment. Display snapping simply have a large energy-hungry. Some reviewers recommend the bag Lowepro Dashpoint 10, which I can not confirm. Because it fits with press and push just so. No wonder if this solves the battery compartment lock.
Anyone with power has a problem should just stay a little longer on the power switch. Then it runs always. When you turn off always make a quick print.
The speed (switching, menu navigation, auto-focus, shutter lag, Save) safely reached no peaks, but is at a good level of current technology. Since I'm going to do rather less standard and sports shots so that goes for me perfectly fine. A few years ago you could only dream of such values in such a case to such a price.
There are a number of reviews on both cameras, which do not turn out the reviews vary. But tests are always relative. What really matters depends far more on the intended use and personal preferences. Anyway, I'm mostly excited about these two small, fine "snapping", which make with their good image quality, the brilliant macro range and an excellent image stabilizer fun.
The "Noise Reduction Filter" I put on "weak", so that the JPEGs are less vermatscht. I prefer a little more film grain-like noise and for more details. When "White Balance" I prefer the slightly warmer setting "AUTO2". Shooting in RAW (NRW) format files obtained with slightly more image information. In it you can adjust without much loss of quality and improve after admission. As the noise are automatically corrected the slight distortion in JPEGs. In the RAW files both are visible. Annoyingly, you can not adjust in the free and otherwise quite good Nikon software ViewNX2. Many recordings are but for me even without such adjustments in order. If it does not depend on speed, one can for all cases as "image quality" "NRW + FINE" adjust.
What bothers me on both models (and no one has complained), is the fact that the exposure is always stored (except in manual focus) with auto focus together. If you like only focuses and then select the correct image section, at its should be aware. You should also know that the area of the focus measuring field is fairly heavily weighted with exposure. On the monitor, you can watch the well and intervene if necessary with exposure compensation. I know Matrix Metering actually so that the exposure is determined until the final picture, ie immediately before the shutter releases. In practice, the measurement system is doing pretty well anyway, with Nikon typical tendency to overexposure. (-0.3 Correction I find most useful. In landscape, it may often be more underexposure.)
I would like to mention that the movie recording function of both models is much praised and also seems to me very neat. In the field I'm newbie.
[Supplement for holiday use August 2014: use degraded due to the inability to autofocus regardless of the exposure. Snapshots z. B. in landscape with sky are unpredictable heavily overexposed because sharpness and therefore necessarily also often set exposure in dark areas. Even the manual underexposure by 2 f-stops was enough sometimes not. Here Nikon should urgently make improvements and create a menu option to only set the exposure by the trip and not even at half-pressed shutter button!]
Now about the differences of both models:
Performance and image processing software-probably a lot has been screwed, which include the high-ISO capability and the autofocus speed will be improved. Image series is now wegspeichern much faster, but still quite comfortable the P340. Overall, only nuances have changed since probably because the hardware is hardly budged. The P340 has for a slightly longer ON time, which is quite noticeable in direct comparison. In practice, I do not mind that.
While in the P330 a battery 4 1/2 hours required to charge, is the done in the P340 also thanks to a different adapter in less than 2 hours. This difference, of course, is of no consequence if one meaningful way for from 10 EUR an external charger anschafft. But even then, it's nice also to times 2 batteries quite fast parallel load.
The movable lens-ring there is new to the P340. This can be assigned with various functions but mostly to better control by other means. So when the little exposure histogram is not displayed and manual focus the contour filter is not changed. In "Zoom" does the lens ring just like the zoom lever P / S / A / M. Only fully automatic, it is possible there to select small-screen zoom levels, while can be durchgezoomt finely rasterized with the zoom lever. I have now set the ISO setting on. A significant improvement is that so in my view not.
[Supplement for holiday use August 2014: Since the ISO setting with me usually remains on car 80-400, I have now placed for quick access to frequently used on exposure. That this lack of small histogram is to use in practice anyway hardly.]
The P340 has more digital zoom, which is completely irrelevant to me. What does the increase in the internal memory of 15 MB to 56 in practice, I do not know. The condensed minimum distance in macro shots from 3 to 2 cm should already be more of an improvement, because the already good maximum magnification ratio further increased thereby. The monitor information I personally find much better cleaned at the edge and arranged partly meaningful in the P340.
The autofocus is now offering a more versatile point selection in terms of size and position. The decisive improvement I see, however, the manual focus. This can now also set to 4x magnification and is quickly reversible if necessary to 2-fold. When P330 only 2-fold is possible. In addition, now you can let this highlight strong contrasts with "contour filter". A manual focusing is possible quickly and safely in this way. When P330 is probably more a matter of luck in most situations. It would be nice yet a depth display. Unfortunately, the switchable in MF mode autofocus works in a much larger area. A visible measurement field in the center of the screen would be as meaningful. The repeatedly criticized ease the rear multifunction control wheel I find absolutely advantageous here. But I'll also usually handle it.
Also very good, I like the new built-in Wifi function, for which the probably quite slow and power-hungry GPS the P330 had to give way. Sometimes fast transfer an image onto the tablet or take a simple self-portrait functions without problems with the Nikon app. To obtain this feature in the P330, you have currently about 45 EUR for a small adapter output, the one must not lose and every time has to be consuming fumbled into the port. GPS data from the tablet / smartphone should be on the Nikon app in photos may include, but what I have not yet tried. Unfortunately wifi shots only work in the camera's fully automatic mode, in which at least for subsequent corrections and RAW can be selected as the image quality here.
The P340 now has a micro-USB connector instead of the standard Nikon special socket. There no longer exists the possibility of a simple audio / video connection via a cable provided there. A TV set can thus be controlled only through a non-building under supplied HDMI cable. There are just always light and shadow. In this sense, a lot of fun while shooting.
