Even better than the last, May 14, 2004
Reviewer: "pikapppile" (NY, NY USA) -
My father has an HP Photosmart 935 camera that he's used since Christmas. He uses it constantly, and the prints look great even on 8x10 because of his Photosmart printer and the camera's high resolution. After months of hearing from him how I should have a digital camera, also, I finally relented and went to CompUSA to get a 935 of my own when my tax check came back (not bad for filing on April 15th!).

The store rep told me that if I liked the 935, I would love the R707. He's right! Instead of the one set of rechargeable's my dad got with his dock, I have two (one came with the camera, the other with the dock - which can charge them both at the same time), and they're LiIon instead of NiMH. I still haven't recharged the first after using it for around a hundred pictures during my company's golf outing.

I took a panoramic shot of one of the holes at the golf course, and the software that comes with the camera made it very simple to put together and print out. When I go on vacation this summer I'm going to get some great use out of that function. In the meantime, the two things I'm using the most are the In-Camera Red Eye Removal and the Image Advice.

With the Red Eye Removal, instead of having the obnoxious multiple-time flash that we've grown used to with film cameras, the red eyes are removed after the camera takes the picture. If you see some red-eye, you just select to remove it, and the camera finds the mistake, asks you if it's ok to change, and the redness disappears. If you don't notice it right away, the Image Advice will even alert you to it!

I'm not quite a novice, but not really a camera pro, either. The Image Advice you can select after the picture is taken really helps you get the perfect picture. If something looks too dark, or too bright, or the colors are just plain wrong (like when you set the White Balance to Tungsten or Sun instead of Auto, and then go somewhere else), the Image Advice tells you how to get a better shot by changing ISO speeds, turning on the awesome Digital Flash feature (no more need to Dodge & Burn in PhotoShop!), etc. The people in my office think I'm a pro after they downloaded my pictures from HP's photo site, but between you and me I just did what Image Advice told me to.

Combine these features with the smaller, metal cased housing that the R707 has compared to the 935, and I've got myself one hell of a camera, and a jealous dad to go along with it!






Wonderful little camera, June 19, 2004
Reviewer: Kristen (South Carolina, USA) -
This is my third digital camera. I have owned a Fuji FinePix and a Pentax Optio S4. This camera performs so much better than either one of those. The good points: Great video, crystal clear images, super easy to use, removes red eye after pic is taken, adaptive lighting really works, good battery life. The bad points: a little slower than some cameras when it comes to processing images(but it is worth it), no case or SD card (seems to be a trend with most digitals).

I researched this camera and the Canon Powershot S410 and S500. When comparing the two, the HP had 2 or 3 better features than the Canon. I was hesitant about buying the HP, because it was so new that there was not a lot of customer feedback. I guess the selling point that just made my decision easier was the red eye in camera removal, since I take lots of close ups of my children.

I am so happy with my purchase. I would recommend this camera to anyone. The auto features make picture taking a no-brainer, but if you do want to get creative, you can adjust almost anything, in the manual mode.

A+++





Almost perfect..., January 9, 2005
Reviewer: talibaarabia (Marina del Rey) -
I live in Southern California and spent December in England, Wales and Scotland. I wanted a camera that could handle my usual sunny weather as well as the grey and cloudy. HP707 did MUCH better than expected. I couldn't be any more satisified. It was more than I had wanted to pay, but I don't regret a cent.

What's good:

-ease of use. With all the cameras I looked at, I didn't really need the instructions until I was fine-tuning and looking for advice.

-the scene modes. In particular the sunset mode. It brings out reds, greens and blues, but the shots were great 93% of the time. Imagine taking pictures of the stonework of castles, the Roman wall and all the other touristy stuff. (My film camera didn't fare so well, the camera took a lot more time to set up, and I had to think a lot about the settings.)

-both optical and digital zoom are AWESOME!

-the camera picks up amazing detail. It's hard to explain, but things I didn't notice at the British museum in the hieroglyphics and Greek carvings, as well as the mummy exhibit were so obvious once I viewed them on the computer.

-downloading to the computer couldn't be any easier. (I use iPhoto)

-you can put a lot of thought into a shot or none at all. For action shots, the camera did fairly well. For general on the street shots, the camera did very well. And for the shots I wanted to play with and try different settings and aperatures, it was perfect. I could delete what really didn't work and play with things even a little more once I got them on the computer.

What didn't quite work:

- the camera has a hard time focusing in low light. Just for safety, I took two or thee shots of some things but even that didn't always work. (Still had a better average than the film camera)

- you will run the battery down before you fill the memory card up. Careful about turning the camera on and off. As per the maker's suggestions, it's also a good idea to not have the view screen on.

-when you turn the camera off it goes back to auto settings. It takes time to flip back to the settings you want and if you forget to reset, you don't get the photos you want.

-the cover for the computer and recharger port is really flimsy. Other reviews have said this but it wasn't until I got the camera that I understood.

I will still travel with my SLR but I carry my digital camera around with me every day now.

My only recomendation is don't forget your recharger. They do have an adaptor available in England that works with the HP707, but it's expensive and not easy to find. Trust me.





Great camera!, January 3, 2005
Reviewer: D. DUROSE -
I bought this camera a few months ago and I absolutely love it! It takes crystal clear pictures. I don't know much about photography and the great thing about this camera is that you don't have to. It's really quite easy to use. I just bought a memory card for it so that I can store more photos. The size of each photo generated by this camera is rather large. Overall, this is a great camera for a reasonable price.
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The compact, lightweight HP Photosmart R707 makes taking dazzling photos easy. It offers a 5-megapixel resolution, 3x optical zoom, and new digital image processing technologies that will make it quite difficult to snap a bad picture. It also features a large 32 MB internal memory, compatibility with SD and MMC memory cards, movie mode with audio, manual controls, and a stylish brushed stainless steel body with an ergonomic grip for steady, one-handed shots. Advanced digital image processing balances brightness and preserves gentle contrasts while suppressing harsh contrast.Optics and Resolution

The Photosmart R707 has a 1/1.8-inch CCD with a 5.1-megapixel resolution (effective) for 2612 x 1968 pixel images. It also has a 1296 x 976 pixel low-resolution mode. The 3x optical zoom lens has an 8-24mm focal length (equivalent to 39-117mm in 35mm photography). It also has an 8x digital zoom to help you get even closer to the action. Amazon.com Product Description

Video and Audio
In addition to still imagery, the Photosmart R707 can also capture high-quality MPEG1 video with audio. It has a high-resolution video setting of 320 x 240 pixels and 30 frames per second. Movie length is only limited by the amount of storage you have on hand (either internal memory or external memory card). You can also capture voice notes of up to 60 seconds in length.
More Features
With HP's Instant Share feature, printing and sharing photos with friends and family is quick and simple. You can select a destination--e-mail addresses, online albums, printers and more--on the back of the camera with a single push of a button. When connected to a PC (either via the included USB cable or via the optional dock), the selected images are automatically printed and/or e-mailed. E-mail recipients see thumbnails of the images right in the body of their e-mail message, as well as a link to the web page where they can view, print and save the photos.

R-Series Dock
The optional HP R-series camera dock (C8887A) makes it easy to connect the Photosmart R707 to your computer for transferring, printing, and sharing of photos and videos. It also enables in-camera battery recharging (AC adapter and rechargeable batteries included) as well as a second battery with the additional charging bay. Run photo slideshows on your TV using the included remote control and A/V cable.

Direct Printing
The Photosmart R707 offers PictBridge functionality, which enables you to transfer pictures from your digital camera to a compatible printer without a PC or image-editing software. Images can be viewed and selected for printing right on the camera's LCD, with menus for print quantity, date, and index print.

Storage and Transfer
Images can be stored in the built-in 32 MB memory, or on optional Secure Digital (SD) or MultiMedia (MMC) memory cards. The internal 32 MB memory will store 12 Fine and 23 Standard 5.1-megapixel images. The R707 transfers images to PCs and Macs via a speedy USB 2.0 connection (which is backward compatible with USB 1.1 ports).
Power and Size
The camera is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery (included). It measures 3.78 x 2.36 x 1.38 inches (W x D x H) and weighs 6.4 ounces without battery and 7.2 ounces with battery installed.

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