Name:
Location: Mandan, ND United States
Date: 2003-10-09
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Amazing value, Amazing quality
Comment: I was in need of a better digital camera from my old one. After searching for some time, I decided to get this model because of the optical zoom and easy to use features.Initial setup with this camera is extremely easy, and you'll be taking pictures within minutes when you first open the box. Image quality is very good at the 2.1 MP this camera is capible of. The on-screen menu system for the camera is very easy to use and to change settings. The movie mode for the camera is also fun and easy to use, and movie record time is limited only to the amount of memory in the camera. The camera automatically adjusts to lighting levels, and you also have the ability to change color controls and can even change to macro focus modes with the camera menu system.
The HP software is VERY easy to use, and the camera even has buttons right on it if you want to email a picture of print a picture right to your printer (all of this an more can be setup with the included HP software). Battery time isn't the greatest, but I've found I can take around around 50-60 images at higher quality, and you can probably take even more if the LCD screen is kept turned off. I recommend you buy some NiMH rechargebles if you are going to get the camera, as they are the most economical. I would also recommend getting a SD memory card for the camera, as the built-in 16MB fills up quickly.
Overall this camera is a great value, with easy to use features and image quality that is very well.
Name: Todd M. Sullivan
Location: USA
Date: 2003-11-12
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Nice Camera
Comment: I bought this camera 2 weeks ago, and I am very impressed. I was worried that a $180 camera would not take such great pictures, but I decided to give it a try. I was not disappointed. The picture quality it GREAT,I printed some 4X6s of my images at a photo lab, and they looked almost perfect, VERY close to regular 35mm. I also printed an 8X10, and although it was a tiny bit blurry it was more than acceptable. It has plenty of features for the beginner, to advanced user. The 3X Optical zoom is great, but don't use digital zoom it makes the pictures look pixely. All of the settings such as Image Quality, Exposure Mode, White Balance, ISO Speed, Saturation and Sharpness, are easy to set using the intuitive menu system, or you can let the camera automatically select the best settings. It has a 1.6" LCD screen for reviewing your images. It also has a video mode with sound that works surprisingly well. I recommend buying a Multimedia, or Secure Digital Card to save your images, since the internal 16MB only holds about 12 Pictures. I have a 128MB card which can store about 112 pictures. The main problem I have with this camera is that it eats batteries fast. Using standard alkalines it lasted about 15-25 pictures, depending on how much you zoom, use the LCD screen etc... I just bought the brand new Rayovac IC-3 15 Min Charger, and would recommend it to anyone considering this camera. So far I am up to 60 Pictures and the battery is still full! Much better than alkaline. Over all this is a GREAT camera for the price, which is now only $150. I would recommend this camera to anyone.
Name:
Location: Edina, Minnesota United States
Date: 2003-12-01
Customer Rating: -
Summary: A fantastic camera for a great price!
Comment: I'll admit it, I basically bought this camera because it was affordable (I got it for $149.99 at Target), and it had all the features I wanted in a digital camera. It's incredibly easy to use! I took it out of the box and started shooting photos about ten minutes later. There are so many nice features, too. It has a built-in flash (which can be modified to a red-eye reduction setting, a night setting, and other settings depending on what lighting you're using), optical and digital zoom, an LCD screen, and much more. I thought 2.1 megapixels wouldn't work well for me, but I've found that they are perfect for me. Most of the photos I take are just for fun, for my website, for selling items on eBay, or just everyday use, so I don't need to print out photos any larger than 8 x 10.
I would suggest buying a larger memory card for the camera if you want to take lots of pictures at one time. Mine came with a 32MB card, and that takes about 35 pictures (if you use the highest quality setting -- more if you use a lesser quality setting). Also, purchasing rechargable batteries is a very good idea, seeing as the camera goes through batteries fairly quickly.
Basically, if you're looking for a camera that's easy to use, takes fantastic photos and is affordable...this is the camera to buy. It's great for first-time digital camera buyers (like me).
Name:
Location: NYC
Date: 2003-12-30
Customer Rating: -
Summary: I Luuuv this camera...I love it! I love it! I love it!
Comment: Why do I love it so much? Because in spite of the fast battery consumption, it delivers what it promises:
- Optical AND Digital zoom in 1 camera with auto focus
- True plug n play (with my WinXP OS/Suite)
- Beautiful hi-resolution pics (lower resolutions available)
- Extremely easy to use (for those familiar with digicams)
- Movie clips w/audio (only camera w/sound in 2.1MP for $150)
- a strong feature rich software program that's very easy to use
- lots more options than I anticipated and have yet to exploreI'm a heavy (almost everyday) digicam user and I don't have time to fix pics post-download, so I have to get the picture right almost every time. This is my 3rd digital camera, my first camera was one of the first cameras out there (...) When I started to do research (via amazon, cdnet, zdnet, pcmagazine, etc.) I wanted a camera that was good, solid and an exceptional value. This camera came in the top ten of 4 out 6 editor surveys I reviewed for the 2.1MP digital camera class. I carefully studied all the minuses and pluses of all the 2.1 cameras in my price range ($130 - $150), and for the price, this camera has more features and is a better quality than any other I looked at.
After listening to all the warnings, I bought rechargeable batteries and a 128Mb memory card with the camera. It was the best thing I ever did. On a single set of batteries, with the high resolution view finder on and using the optical zoom in lens (which I love), I was able to take over 50 pictures and a 3.5 sec movie clip of a 16 month old and a 4 year old scurrying about, while using only 2/3 of the battery power. Even when I took action photos the pictures came out crisp and clear, no blurryness, what a relief. The only thing, I have to anticipate the action by a quarter of a second in order to capture the shot I want.
After taking all those photos, I forgot the camera at my mom's for a few days and wondered if I would have enough power to download the pics onto my PC. Not only did I still have enough battery power to download I was able to take some more pics, even with the "Battery Low" warning coming on the view finder(something my 2 previous cameras didn't feature). 2 weeks and over 250 pictures later (I'm on my 3rd set of batteries) and I'm still very happy with this camera. The picture resolution, combined with my ability to make adjustments post-download in a solid camera that was at a sensible price, make this an unbeatable value (as what was indicated by most of the editorial reviews I read).
So, if you know what you want in a camera and you do your homework/research before hand, you'll probably enjoy what you buy. (...)
Name:
Location:
Date: 2004-01-15
Customer Rating: -
Summary: Great camera
Comment: This camera takes very good pictures and is very easy to use. It has alot of features that anyone can master in a short time.HP has done a good job with this device and I would recommend it to anyone now getting into the digital photography hobby.
As the other reviewers mentioned, it is a must to use rechargeable batteries and get more memory.
For the price and features, try it and you will be impressed.
Larger image or other views
