Hardworking Durable Entry Level Camera (HP Photosmart R742)

Member Name: CeltP

Product:	HP Photosmart R742
Date:	24/09/09 (12 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Robust, easy to use, great quality pictures

Disadvantages: Shutter speed is slow. Basic features only. Charge Life short

I bought this camera when it first came out a few years ago. I wanted a high quality easy to use digital camera.

Appearance:
The camera is small but not tiny. It fits easily in a handbag and just about in a gent's shirt or trouser pocket. It is more bulky than the new models. The outer casing is very similar to stainless steel. It's very durable and robust. My camera has been dropped several timeless and is none the worse for it. The screen is smaller than some of HP's newer models. But it's not a problem to use.

Easy of Use: Well this camera is pretty straight forward. Not a lot of frills here. The setup and display menus are accessible and easy to understand. My older children ranging in age from 8 - 13 have all used this camera successfully. I might add without anyone showing them how to or asking permission!

Features: The internal memory is small at 32MB so you do need a flash memory card. The camera will work with Multimedia Card, SD Memory Card and SDHC Memory Card.

This camera can also record video. Useful feature but quality wouldn't be anything like you would get with your average video recorder.

It has a built in flash and red eye reduction. We've never found the auto red eye reduction worked - in that we have a lot of red eyes in our photos! But there is an option to correct red eyes when viewing your pictures on the camera in display mode. We use this a lot. It saves the hassle of using a photo editor to do it.

This camera has a rechargeable Li-ion battery. It only comes with one battery but you really need a second one.

Uploading Photos:
This camera comes with the HP Photo smart software. This application is very easy to use and allows you edit and enhance your photos. You can upload your photos to your computer without this software using Windows Explorer.

Photo Quality:
For standard everyday photos with natural light the quality is excellent. I'm always surprised at the picture clarity and colour richness when we have the photos printed. The display window doesn't do the picture quality justice at all.
The quality using some of the adaptive lighting features is not so good. We've had very mixed results.

A good basic work horse camera. Would ge a great option for a first time digital camera user.

Summary: Easy to use robust camera, that you can just click and point and your there.

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