Nikon Coolpix L340 Bridge Camera - Black (20 MP, 28x Optical Zoom) 3-Inch LCD

I bought this to replace an identical model (which was old and broken). Although sold as 'used', the camera is in very good condition and works perfectly. I have been out and about using it over the last couple of weeks and I am very pleased with the purchase.

I bought this to replace a much more expensive Canon which didn't survive exposure to salt water. I've now carried it around the Caribbean on a two week holiday and I'm pretty please with the results.I found myself using the adjustable settings a lot, rather than just leaving it in Auto as I did with it's predecessor: I found this much easier to do as the controls fall under the thumb and are pretty intuitive, I soon learned to make the most common adjustments without really thinking about them. Low light pictures are pretty good so I rarely used the flash, when I did use it, it worked as well as you'd expect for a camera at this price point. I love the fact that it runs on AA batteries, rather than a bespoke battery which leaves you stranded if you have a problem in the field, and this was one of the reasons I chose this camera.Other features I like -The huge 28x zoom rangeChoice of time-stamping pictures with "Home" time or an easily adjusted local "travel destination" timeUses a readily available full size SD cardI'm still trying to get my head round panorama assist, and like most cameras of this type the Auto Focus LED seems to be placed in the worst spot for accidentally getting your fingers in front of it, but this is an excellent camera for the price and I am very pleased with my purchase.

I'm jotting down this initial review and I will return to add or delete comments after I have had the chance to use this camera for a while.Bridge cameras have been game changing in the photographic world, and have given photo consumers a third way to enjoy the hobby.Before bridge cameras your choice was either a very simple, 'point and shoot' camera or an expensive SLR or rangefinder camera.For most people the 'point and shoot' was a great introduction, but the jump from that to a full blown system SLR for equally expensive rangefinder camera was a bit too much. Both in terms of cost and also in terms of additional facilities they were never likely to actually use.The bridge camera sits nicely between these two options. This camera, like most bridge cameras, does not have a removable lens that can be interchanged for a variety of longer or shorter lenses. Instead, the fixed lens does the job of a wide angle to zoom lens all by itself by virtue of some clever optical machinery.This model, one of the least expensive cameras of this type, is made by a well known manufacturer, Nikon. They have been making cameras for a long time and, back in 1971 when I started Art School, I used a Nikon SLR camera for my photography module.So, with at least 45 years of my lifetime to perfect a camera, have they got out right?Well, yes, for the most part I think they have.The camera is delightfully small and lightweight. It is easy to operate, with the on/off switch on the top alongside the shutter release button and the 'zoom to wide' lever.On the back panel there is a good, large bright viewing screen, the movie start/stop record button, scene selector, gallery button, trash button, menu button and an OK button. There are separate controls for the flash, close up, self timer and exposure compensation.There are plenty of 'scene' modes, including portrait, fireworks, night scene and a panorama assist.The images at 20 megapixels are more then enough to print to a good quality at A4 size (*providing you keep the camera steady). It does have a vibration control mechanism, but pressing yourself against a wall or a seat is going to help get the best results as well.The zoom is pretty colossal, and I have attached a couple of shots of my garden to show you how far you can go. The first picture is the whole garden at fully wide open. The second is a close up of the cracked flower pot and the parasol base shown inside the red circle on the first image.You do need to be even steadier when using the zoom as, just as a zoom lens magnifies the image, it also magnifies your shakiness!Overall, at this stage I am pleased with the camera. There is no real 'manual' control, but I'll see what I can do to gain some manual intervention through the exposure control and scenes. It comes with a lens cap and retaining string and a set of batteries and a shoulder strap.There is no case and no memory card, but it tales a standard size card there seem to be plenty of neat soft cases on the market that would fit.It takes ordinary batteries, which I personally like a lot and it means I don't have yet another charger and plug to forget when I go on holiday, and AA batteries are available pretty much anywhere on the globe.I am normal a Canon camera user, so it will be interesting to see how I get along with this camera and I will certainly update this review as I discover new things.So far, I like it, so 4 stars.Edit - We had a leak in the roof yesterday, so I had the opportunity to test out the zoom again. Picture of the roof from the street outside the house. Very impressive!

Fantastic camera for the price(£100 when I bought it). I have no special photography experience/knowledge but have wanted a camera that can give me those professional looking photos. Of course this does not match up to a more expensive camera but I wouldn't know how to use those! This let's me point and shoot and gives great results. I got some excellent close up photos of birds and people, with high detail focus on the subject and the background blurred, exactly what I wanted. This also has a extraordinary zoom with good stabilisation. I'm really impressed

This camera is fantatsic! My 14 year old daughter chose it with her birthday money as she is a budding photographer and wanted to practice on something better than an IPhone! She loves it and has taken beautiful pictures with it. It came with everything we needed to set her up, great quality batteries which is nice as you often get cheap ones that don't last. The wrist and neck straps are great and fit her perfectly - really would recommend this camera for someone who wants to take more than the usual photos - I will try and get her to upload some of her excellent pics! Thank you!!

Simple to use, good value for money camera that I would be absolutely pleased with if it wasn't for the discovery of a loose fitting micro usb connector in the body of the camera. I've had this item for just over 3 months, used it carefully mainly during a one week holiday in August and maybe 3 or 4 shots per week since. The loose usb connector makes it difficult to transfer pictures from the camera to my PC for editing, either the PC doesn't register the camera as being connected or the connection is lost and the camera closes down. Nice camera but not much use if I can't transfer the pictures after the event.

Exactly as ordered and very well packaged.

The camera froze and destroyed everything on my sd card and I am absolutely heartbroken I had once in a lifetime photos on there I had to wait years for. Such a waste of money. :(