Say Cheese !!! (HP Photosmart M407)

Member Name: cam3lot

Product:	HP Photosmart M407
Date:	23/10/06 (202 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Excellent pictures, 7 shooting modes, direct printing capability . . .

Disadvantages: A bit big . . .

HP Photosmart M407 I received it as a gift after I purchased my computer and some other accessories that I need it. This was happening in December 2005. Because it was a gift I didn't gave to much attention to it, and I throw it somewhere in the house.
Not long time ago I came with the idea of making my self a new photo album and I wanted to buy a new photo camera to do so, but my husband reminded me I already have one. This it was the first time - after 7 months - I used it and I could not believe how easy it was to use and how nice the pictures were…they still are.

The package contents:
1. HP Photosmart M407 digital camera with HP instant share
2. Two AA Photo lithium batteries
3. USB cable for connecting camera to PC
4. USB cable for connecting camera to printer
5. User's manual
6. User's manual on CD (contains PDF of user's manual in Arabic, Slovak, Croatian, Romanian, Slovenian, Estonian, Lithuanian, and Latvian)
7. CD with HP Image Zone software for Microsoft, Windows, and Macintosh.
8. Wrist strap

General
• Depth: 3.7 cm
• Height: 5.3 cm
• Weight: 0.1 kg
• Width: 10.9 cm
Camera parts:

This photo camera has lots of buttons (I think that is more gifted than my TV remote lol), these buttons are:
• On the Image Display side you can find:
1. Power light - this light is telling you the actual status of the battery power; normally when the batteries are full charged the color of the small light will be green, and of course when the batteries are discharged, the light is turning orange, starts to blink rapidly and the camera is shutting down.
2. ON/OFF switch button
3. On the right side up there is the Zoom Level Button ( allows you to zoom in and out before making a picture and the actual picture you made)
4. The memory light (if the memory light is off when the camera is on, means that the memory of the card or the internal one are full)
5. OK/Menu - here you can change the settings of the camera, delete pictures, etc.
6. Controller button is the one that makes the navigation thru menu possible and helps you to modify your settings with the up, down, right and left arrows.
7. HP instant share/Print button
8. Timer/Burst button - with this option you can make normal pictures or Self-timer pictures of your own or video clips when nobody is around to help you.
9. Mode button - here you select different shooting modes for taking still pictures
10. Flash button
11. View Finder
12. Live View
13. Playback

This camera also has: microphone, self-timer for the video, incorporated flash, power adapter connector, USB connector, tripod mount, camera dock connector. On the top of the camera you'll find Sutter button which records audio and takes picture and Video button which starts and stop recording a video.

The memory card I purchase it separately, but the camera contains internal memory - 16 Mb - which allows you to store images and video clips. ( The card I purchased is HP Photosmart 256 MB SD memory card-L18113A - not that I understand very much this technological name, as far as I know is that you can make 100 - 4 MP best - pictures or more and a 30 minutes video-good for me)

So if you have a memory card or not, you can use the camera from the first minute that comes after inserting the batteries on, thing that can be done by sliding the ►ON/OFF switch to the right and then releasing it. (The same thing if you want to turn it off) When it's turning on, the HP logo displays on the Image Display.

First time you use the camera, you have to make some settings, such as: choose your language, setting the date and time, and after installing the software from the CD on your PC for you to make the transfer of your pictures later on…
To make a picture you can use your Image Display to fit in the parts you want to shoot, but this comes with a disadvantage, the batteries are discharging quickly; what you can do is to turn off the Image Display from Live View Button which you can find on the top of the camera on the screen side and is displayed as a small red camera. If you want to turn it on again, you press the small red camera and you'll have the image that you want to capture on your display.

What I find very helpful on this camera is the Timer/Burst button, this option is very practical for me, I can make my own pictures without any help from a second person; This option has Self-timer and Self-timer 2 shots, which I think can be very helpful if you are going in the sea for a swim and you want to make your self some pictures. Ok is not only for this, it can be - as I did for example - when you are making some photos with your pet and nobody is home to help you, or who knows what kind of other shots. This Self-timer option can be used for videos too, you secure the camera on stable surface (or if you have tripod, is better), and press the Timer/Burst button until Self-timer is on the Image Display, frame the subject, and start making your own mini-movie.

When you make pictures with this camera, you have to set a shooting mode from the Mode Menu. You can find it by pressing Mode Button from the Image display side of the camera. Here you'll find 7 different settings, and the first one is Automatic; but not all the time is good to set automatic, I say this because my self I did the same at the beginning, I was using this option. So, besides the automatic option, they are: macro, fast shot, action, portrait, landscape, and beach & snow. The one I love the most is Action, this one made my work much easier. I have something to confess, I like very much to make photos to my cat, but whenever is seeing me with the camera on my hands he runs away, well here comes this Action options which allows me to capture my pet very clear in the most strange positions ever.

The beach & snow option as you can imagine balance out harsh lighting, so if you select this option, don't be afraid that your picture will not get out perfectly clear because the results will amaze you.

When you want to make pictures in the night, HP Photosmart M407 again is a good choice, by going on the Flash Menu (you are doing this by pressing the Flush Button which you can find on the top of the Mode Menu Button) and select Night option, then the camera will use the flash with red eye reduction.
The Flash can be set on auto, but then again you can set it On/Off, or Red-Eye. So the best solution is to set it always manual, before every capture session day/night.

HP Photosmart M407 has a 1.8 inch LCD screen that allows you to frame pictures and videos, with the option Live View. The image on the screen is very clear, the colors are defined very well, and with the help of the Zoom option, you can freeze every subject you want in your frame and after capture it in a perfect picture. But as I said, to use the screen will make the batteries life shorter. That's why if you started to know the camera pretty well, you can use the View Finder…at this point HP Photosmart will become a classic photo camera…but personally I find it more practical (as for example when you want to capture small things in your picture, this option is the best, or it should be as it is for me)

HP Instant Share:

With this feature you can select images from your camera to be sent automatically to all the destinations you desire, when you'll connect it to your computer. If you want, you can select images to be printed; by doing so, when the camera will be connected to your printer, automatically the images selected will be printed.
Instant sharing is the third option in the Menu of the camera, from where you can select:
- print 1 copy
- print 2 copies
- HP Instant Share setup (you can add an e-mail if you want, and when the camera is connected to a computer, will sent automatically the photos to that address)
- Exit (you will get out from the Instant Share menu)

All this options you'll set them with the camera connected to a computer, some screen boxes will appear, showing you step by step what you need to do next. At the end when the computer confirms that your settings has been saved to your camera, you can disconnect it and start to use it; for the next time when it will be connected again on the computer to be more easy for you to transfer the photos in your folders, send them by e-mail or print them straight from the storage card of the camera.

Managing Batteries:

As I wrote at the beginning, the camera has two Energizer Lithium AA batteries rechargeable. It is not indicated to use normal batteries as it can affects the camera functions. To recharge them you can buy the quick recharge kit for your HP M-series, is not so expensive just $49.9 on the official site, which is www.hp.com/eur/hpoptions (copy paste this port number L1815A and insert it on the search bar from the site, enter, and you'll see the charger)

For extended battery life, don't use to much the Image Display, the small little camera button which means Live View should be set on Off command, so when you press it, your screen will turn off (you can set this option On/Off Live View, by going Menu-Setup Menu-Live View Setup-Live View set off; the same steps for when you want to put it on), change the Display Brightness to low (you can do this by following the next steps Menu-Setup Menu-Display Brightness-Low), minimize the use of the flash, just when is necessary, and last but not the least use the zoom option only of need it. Ok this tips are only if you are going in a holiday and you forget the charger home or worse you are somewhere on the mountains for a weekend and you don't have where to charge your batteries for a few days. I said this just because, after a few times of recharging, these batteries, will get weaker...
Maybe you will change them buying another ones, but what's the point of being rechargeable batteries after all :- ) ( I have a set of six batteries, and still I'm using the ones that came in the box of the camera, they proved till now to be the best).

HP Photosmart M407 Warranty

This camera, after purchase comes with one year warranty; during this year if something happens to your items - camera and accessories - HP will either repair or replace these products which prove to be defective.
You can upgrade your warranty if you want. After you purchased this item, go on the official site register your product, and get 3 years HP Care Pack Service.

For more information see:

- www.hp.com/home/ownersevices (United States)
- www.hp.com/uk/warranty-extension (UK)
- www.hp.com/ie/warranty-extension (Ireland)
- www.hp.com/hps/index_support (Asia-Pacific)

Do I recommend it?

Well, let's see…Of course I do, is one of the best cameras I ever had and worked with, the only thing I can consider a disadvantage is that is a bit big and heavy. But if you are traveling you can not feel the difference; it's very practical and very easy to use; once you made all the settings needed and the settings you would like all you have to do is: frame, freeze and capture…doesn't matter if it is a picture or a video clip….
So if you are looking for a digital camera, this one can make your life easier, maybe it has only 4.1 MP, but I can assure you that the results will prove to be fantastic...

Summary: Great picture quality...

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