HP 215
Written: May 14 '01 (Updated May 14 '01)
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Pros: Inexpensive, good quality, easy to use
Cons: No rechargeable power source, slight delay when shooting.
The Bottom Line: This camera is a great place to start.
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| voices220's Full Review: Hewlett Packard PhotoSmart C200 Digital Camera |
When I went looking for a digital camera, I wanted something that would be fairly inexpensive, but with good (if not great) picture quality. I was lucky enough to find both standards in the HP 215. The HP 215 was one of the cheaper digital cameras at $188.96, competing with a Kodak camera of lesser quality at $158.96, and a Polaroid camera of equal quality at $219.96 (these prices are according to my trip to Wal-Mart).
The camera itself is very light weight and easy to use. It has a decent range of functions, including various flash settings, auto to digital zoom, and a self-timer. For picture quality, this camera has three settings; Ultra Fine (high), Fine (medium), and basic (low). With the 4 megabyte memory card included, you can get 5 pictures at high quality, 10 at medium, and 36 at low. You can also purchase extra memory cards separately.
Now, there really isn’t much of a difference in quality between the high and medium quality settings. You almost can’t even tell between a picture taken with high quality, and a picture taken with medium quality. This is actually a good thing, however, because this means that you can keep the setting at medium and get double the amount of pictures as opposed to high, and you really won’t loose anything.
The quality of the medium setting is very clear. Granted, I have seen better, but I have also seen much, much worse. The pictures I have taken so far have been perfect for adding to my web site, emailing to my friends, and printing out on photo paper.
The camera comes with very user friendly software for downloading to the computer. There are two programs available for this. One that is just a basic photo viewer, and another that is capable of “tricking out” your photos for some unusual effects. Unfortunately, none of these programs do much for cropping or “fine tuning” your photos to your personal taste.
There are also extra peripherals that you can buy for downloading you pictures to your computer. One is a card that will fit into a PCMCIA slot, such as in a laptop. The other is a device that will hoop up to your computer that will read your memory card without needing your camera. These are really not necessary however, as the camera hooks up to your computer through a USB port, making downloading time very quick.
Now, as good as this camera is, there are some unfortunate flaws I feel I should mention. First, when you are ready to take a picture, you first have to press the button half way down. This tells the camera that you are ready. The camera then will take in the light in your current surroundings to determine if a flash is necessary, and if so, what kind of flash. Then, when the camera has finished sensing, a green light will come on. Once that happens, you press the button all the way down, and it will take the picture. There is a second delay between the time you press it down all the way, and when the picture is actually taken. This whole process can cause you to miss a shot when timing plays a factor.
Second, there is not rechargeable power source. The HP 215 takes 4 AA batteries, and drains them fairly quickly. You can buy an AC adapter, but this is only useful for when you are going to be near an electrical outlet, like when you are downloading to your computer (which is what I recommend to you).
Over all, this is a very nice camera, and is defiantly a good buy. I highly recommend this camera to anyone who is like me, and looking for reliable, yet inexpensive, digital camera. However, if you are looking for a “top of the line” digital camera, then I’d keep looking.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 188.96
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Epinions.com ID:
voices220
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Member: Robert Lauer
Location: Sacramento, California
Reviews written: 62
Trusted by: 10 members
About Me:
I am 26 years old. I am a husband, a father, and a reliable friend.
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