This camera fell on concrete but still works! (HP Photosmart 720)

Member Name: K466

Product:	HP Photosmart 720
Date:	31/03/09 (125 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Very reliable, good quality

Disadvantages: Limited Features, only 3x zoom and 3.3 MP

HP PhotoSmart 720

My dad originally purchased this camera about 5 years ago for his job. Since then it has been taking pictures faithfully despite
age, drops on concrete, use by not-so-careful kids. I have used it a lot, though not as much now that I have my own camera.


LOOKS

The Camera looks well built, but not necessarily sleek and stylish. In fact, compared to the newest cameras it is somewhat bulky. For me, this is not a big deal, as I am more concerned that it functions well.


Features

The HP PhotoSmart 720 is 3.3 Megapixels. This produces a photo with a resolution of 2048 x 1536 at its maximum. It also takes pictures in two other smaller sizes.

There is a viewfinder on the back and a one inch LCD screen. By today's standards, these are not impressive. Color on the screen is somewhat dull.

There is a 3x optical zoom and a 4x digital zoom. The focus is slow, but otherwise works well.

Other features include a self-timer that lasts 10-seconds, and a burst mode which allows you to continuously take pictures until your memory runs out.

Flash is good on this camera. Of course there is an on and off button for the flash as well as a red-eye removal mode.

As for memory, there is some built in memory, about 16 MB, but I recommend getting an SD card. Since this camera does not take very large pictures, there is no need for a big SD card. We use a 128 MB card. It can take a maximum of around 1,745 640 x 480 pictures with that, or about 121 2048 x 1536 pictures. I am not sure how much bigger of an SD card it might accept, but I know that when I tried a 2 GB it did not work.


VIDEO

This camera can take AVI video clips as well. However, the quality is low, with resolution only 320 x 240 at 20 frames per second. The maximum length is 30 seconds.

Don't get this camera for taking video, it is simply not made for that. However, it is better than nothing.


BATTERIES

A very important point about any camera. It takes 4 AA batteries. As always, I recommend using NiMH rechargeable batteries.

The battery life is reasonable, it seems to last for a few hours. Better yet, the batteries do not loose their charge quickly if you leave them in the camera for awhile without use.


DURABILITY

This camera has been very reliable over 5 years of vigorous use. Recently it was bumped off a table in our garage and it fell and tumbled over two feet to the concrete floor. I know a fall like that would instantly kill many cameras, but this one still works as new.


Conclusion

This is a rather old digital camera but it still meets basic photography needs. For its fine quality and reliability, I definitely would recommend this camera.

Note: This review is posted on other reviews sites under the same user name.

Summary: An excellent choice for very basic photography

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