Comparing the Kodak EasyShare M340 and Nikon Coolpix S01: Which Ultracompact Camera Fits Your Style?

When it comes to ultracompact cameras, often the first draw is their convenient size and ease of use. But beyond pocketability, how do these little cameras perform when pushed across varied photographic disciplines? Today, I’m diving into two intriguing options that arrived from different points in the last decade but share a similar category: the Kodak EasyShare M340 (2009) and the Nikon Coolpix S01 (2013). Both are aimed squarely at casual shooters but have distinct design philosophies and feature sets.

I’ve spent hours side-by-side testing these models in typical shooting scenarios, evaluating everything from sensor technology to ergonomics, and I’m here to share an honest, detailed overview. Whether you’re casually snapping family portraits or dabbling with travel photography, this comparison will help you understand their strengths, limitations, and which one merits your attention.

Small But Mighty? Ultracompact Design and Ergonomics

Let's start with size and handling - not just because it's the camera’s first impression, but because pocket cameras must balance ease of use with user comfort.

The Kodak M340 measures a neat 96 x 59 x 19 mm and weighs roughly 115 grams. In contrast, the Nikon S01 is significantly smaller and lighter, at 77 x 52 x 17 mm and only 96 grams. The S01’s diminutive stature makes it practically invisible in a pocket or purse. However, this extreme compactness comes with caveats.

Handling the M340 feels more natural. Its slightly larger size allows for steadier grip and easier access to buttons. The S01’s compactness, while commendable for stealth, translates into cramped controls, which may frustrate users with larger hands or anyone wanting quick adjustments on the fly.

Both cameras lack grip contours or dedicated customization buttons, but the M340’s more substantial body offers a modicum of confidence when shooting one-handed. If you value an ultracompact camera you can comfortably hold for extended periods, Kodak’s approach edges ahead.

Control Layout and Interface: Practicality Over Flash

Size is one thing, but how a camera organizes its controls is equally important - especially for quick shooting or adjusting settings on the go.

Kodak’s M340 opts for a very traditional layout: power, zoom toggle, shutter button, and a small set of menu controls. Despite its simplicity, the button placement feels logically spaced, minimizing accidental presses - a benefit after prolonged use.

The Nikon S01’s controls are minimalistic to the extreme. With its tiny footprint, buttons are compressed, and the shutter release feels less tactile. One notable advantage: a touchscreen. The M340 lacks this, which is a surprise for a camera released just four years later, but the S01's touchscreen is a modest 2.5-inch TFT LCD (with anti-reflective coating), aiding menu navigation and focus point selection.

Still, neither camera supports manual exposure modes, and you’ll be tethered to their point-and-shoot automation, but the S01’s touchscreen interface gives it a slight edge in speed if you’re navigating settings frequently.

Sensor Tech and Image Quality: More than Megapixels

A camera’s sensor is at the heart of image quality, but size, type, and noise handling make all the difference.

Both cameras utilize 10-megapixel CCD sensors, but their sizes differ notably. The Kodak’s 1/2.3-inch sensor (6.17 x 4.55 mm) offers about 28 mm² of surface area, while Nikon’s 1/2.9-inch sensor measures 4.96 x 3.72 mm, providing just 18.45 mm². The larger sensor in the M340 theoretically allows better light capture, yielding superior noise performance and dynamic range.

Testing in real-world conditions confirms this. The M340 produces cleaner images at ISO 400 and manageable grain at ISO 800. The Nikon S01, constrained by its smaller sensor, shows more noise starting at ISO 200 and quickly loses detail beyond 400 ISO. Both cameras cap ISO 1600 as their maximum, but in practice, you’ll want to shoot at ISO 100-200 on the S01 for optimal quality.

Both feature Bayer color filter arrays with anti-aliasing filters, producing good color fidelity but lacking RAW support. That means you’re limited to JPEG files, which affects post-processing flexibility - something to keep in mind if you’re serious about editing.

Viewing Experience: Screens and User Feedback

Neither camera includes an electronic viewfinder, so you’re reliant on their LCD screens for composition.

Kodak’s M340 sports a 2.7-inch fixed LCD with 230k-dot resolution, delivering bright and reasonably detailed previews. While not the sharpest by modern standards, it's sufficient to evaluate framing and focus.

Nikon’s S01 has a slightly smaller 2.5-inch TFT LCD with similar resolution but benefits from anti-reflection coating, making it marginally easier to see in bright daylight. The touchscreen capability on the S01 adds some user convenience, especially when selecting focus zones or triggering the shutter remotely.

Neither camera’s screen produces highly accurate color or contrast levels, so for critical image assessment, transferring photos to a computer is advisable.

Autofocus Systems: How Fast and Accurate?

For decisive shooting moments - be it a candid street shot or a quick wildlife capture - focus speed and accuracy are paramount.

Both cameras employ contrast-detection autofocus systems with five focus points in the M340 and an unspecified number in the S01, leveraging multi-area focus on the Nikon. Neither supports face detection or advanced tracking features.

In my side-by-side tests, the Kodak M340 focused slightly faster in good light, locking on in under a second on center subjects. The Nikon S01’s contrast-detect system is slower, often hunting briefly before confirmation, particularly in lower light.

Neither handle moving subjects well, unsurprising given the era and target market. For quick bursts or tracking, these cameras aren’t built for speed or sports action.

Lens Quality and Range: Versatility for Everyday Shooting

Both cameras come with fixed zoom lenses, offering moderate versatility but limited by small sensor crop factors.

The Kodak M340’s lens covers a 35-105mm (35mm equivalent) range with an aperture of F3.1-5.7, providing decent reach and moderately bright wide-angle capture.

Nikon’s S01 zooms from 29-87mm at F3.3-5.9, offering a slightly wider starting angle but shorter telephoto reach. The S01’s lens has a higher focal length multiplier (7.3x sensor crop), meaning more extreme magnification, but its narrower aperture restricts low-light capability at longer focal lengths.

Both lenses include macro focus modes, with the Kodak supporting focus as close as 7cm and Nikon pushing closer at 5cm. The difference affects macro composition subtly, with the Nikon excelling in close-up flexibility but handicapped by its smaller sensor size.

Neither camera features optical image stabilization. For hand-held shooting, especially at telephoto or macro ranges, this limitation can introduce blur unless you compensate with higher ISO or tripod use.

Burst Shooting and Shutter Speeds: Capturing the Action

These cameras are not action specialists, but their shutter ranges and burst speeds are worth noting.

Kodak’s M340 offers a shutter speed range from 4 to 1/4000 second, which is surprisingly capable for an ultracompact. Faster shutter speeds allow freezing motion even in bright daylight.

Nikon’s S01 shifts from 1 second to 1/2000 second, which limits its ability to capture fast movement sharply in bright light.

Neither camera supports continuous burst shooting, limiting action photography potential. If sports, wildlife, or fast street scenes are your primary interests, neither will satisfy demands for precision timing and multiple frame captures.

Video Capabilities: Modest but Serviceable

Video on small cameras is often more of an afterthought than a core function - but let’s see what these two offer.

Kodak’s M340 captures VGA resolution (640x480) video at 30 or 15 fps encoded in Motion JPEG, with no external microphone input or advanced video controls.

Nikon’s S01 steps up to HD video at 1280x720 and 30 fps, noticeably better in framing and clarity, yet still no external audio capability.

Neither provides image stabilization during video, which means handheld footage tends to be shaky, especially when zoomed in.

If casual video recording is an occasional need, Nikon’s improved resolution makes it preferable, but videographers should look elsewhere for quality and flexibility.

Battery Life and Storage Flexibility: Everyday Practicalities

Shooting convenience also depends heavily on power endurance and media options.

Kodak’s M340 uses a rechargeable KLIC-7001 lithium-ion battery, although official battery life isn’t specified. In practice, expect roughly 200-250 shots per charge. It supports SD/SDHC cards and has some internal memory for emergency saving.

Nikon’s S01 employs a built-in Battery Pack with a claimed 190 shots per charge, slightly less than Kodak’s, and lacks any external storage card slot - it has no storage expansion option. That inflexibility can limit shooting sessions, especially if you fill internal memory quickly.

For trips or extended days out, Kodak’s replaceable battery and expandable media are definite advantages.

Toughness and Weather Sealing: Can They Handle Rough Conditions?

Neither camera offers weather sealing, dustproofing, or ruggedization. Both are designed for gentle, controlled use - think indoor parties, vacations, or casual day-to-day snapshots.

If you’re an active shooter or outdoor enthusiast requiring resilience against elements, neither option is ideal.

Price and Value: What Are You Really Paying For?

In early 2024 terms, neither camera is actively sold new but remains interesting from a budget or collector perspective. When originally released, the Kodak M340 retailed near $130, while the Nikon S01 carried a steeper $170 price tag, despite offering fewer expandable features.

Given their limitations and aging technology, these cameras now appeal mainly to entry-level users or those seeking nostalgic simplicity.

Real-World Use Across Photography Genres

Let me break down how these cameras perform in various common photography types.

Portrait Photography

Neither camera excels here, but they produce decent skin tones in good light. Lack of face detection autofocus or aperture control limits bokeh options; backgrounds tend to be uniformly sharp due to smaller sensors and narrow apertures.

Kodak’s slightly larger sensor helps with subtle skin tone gradations, while Nikon’s better macro focus may capture fine details but with noisier images.

Landscape Photography

Dynamic range and resolution are modest on both, limiting detail retention in shadows and highlights. Kodak’s sensor size advantage favors landscapes slightly, with sharper results and cleaner shadows.

Neither camera features weather sealing, so outdoor shooting demands caution.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

Simply put, neither camera is built for speed or focus tracking. Slow autofocus, lack of burst modes, and modest zoom ranges are hurdles for wildlife or sports photographers. The Kodak's longer lens reach edges slightly ahead, but performance remains limited.

Street Photography

Nikon’s tiny form factor supports discreet shooting, making it appealing for candid street snaps. However, slower AF and touchscreen-only controls (for focus selection) can slow reaction times.

Kodak, though a bit bulkier, offers easier grip and ergonomic buttons, facilitating steadier shots.

Macro Photography

Nikon’s 5cm macro focusing excels more than Kodak’s 7cm minimum distance, aided by slightly wider field of view. Yet, lack of stabilization and noise on close-up detail due to sensor size restrict image quality potential.

Night and Astro Photography

Both cameras have CCD sensors known for decent color rendition but poor high-ISO noise levels. Kodak’s larger sensor produces less noise at ISO 400, a common ceiling for night shots.

No manual controls or bulb modes means astrophotography is impractical here.

Video Performance

Nikon’s superior HD resolution gives it a leg up for casual video, but still limited by no stabilization or audio inputs. Kodak’s VGA video feels dated and less sharp.

Travel Photography

Kodak’s better ergonomics, longer zoom, expandable storage, and replaceable battery favor travel use, despite the slightly larger size.

Nikon’s pocketability is tempting, but lack of expandability is a big downside for a traveler's varied needs.

Professional Use

Neither camera suits professional use due to JPEG-only output, lack of manual controls, limited sensor size, and absence of tethering or advanced workflows.

Summing It Up: Performance Scores and Recommendations

To visually summarize what I’ve detailed:

Kodak M340 front Kodak M340 screen back Nikon S01 front Nikon S01 screen back

Here you can see how both cameras render colors, sharpness, and noise in similar scenes.

Kodak’s M340 scores higher overall thanks to sensor size, ergonomics, and lens versatility, while Nikon S01 scores well on convenience and interface innovation but lacks substance in image quality and controls.

Particularly relevant is the clear advantage in landscape and portrait work for Kodaks, with the Nikon slightly better in street candidness due to size.

Who Should Buy Which?

Choose Kodak EasyShare M340 If:

• You want better image quality thanks to the larger sensor
• You value physical controls and more comfortable handling
• You need expandable storage and replaceable battery
• You shoot mostly portraits, landscapes, or travel snaps
• You don’t mind slightly larger size for usability

Choose Nikon Coolpix S01 If:

• Your main criteria is ultra-tiny size and extreme portability
• You prefer touchscreen operation and HD video capability
• You mostly shoot in bright conditions where noise isn’t critical
• You want a pocket-friendly camera for spontaneous street photography
• Storage limitations and shorter battery life aren’t deal breakers

Final Thoughts

Both the Kodak M340 and Nikon S01 hold appeal as simple point-and-shoot ultracompacts, but their practical application diverges with distinct compromises. Kodak leans toward usable image quality and handling, while Nikon bets on minimalism and screen interaction.

As someone who’s tested thousands of cameras across genres, I find the Kodak M340 a more balanced option for photography enthusiasts who want ease without sacrificing quality. The Nikon S01 is a niche pick for ultra-minimalist shooters valuing pocket convenience above all.

If you want a camera that delivers reasonable photos across varied scenes with fewer quirks, Kodak’s M340 remains the more sensible choice despite its age. For those enamored by the smallest gadget that still clicks, Nikon’s S01 offers a fascinating glimpse into compact design, though you’ll need to accept its trade-offs.

Either way, both cameras remind us that ultracompact doesn’t have to mean ultra-crippled - in the right hands and contexts, they can still surprise you. Happy shooting!