HP PhotoSmart 618HP's capable mid-level model offers 2.1 megapixels, an optical zoom lens, and ease-of-use.<<Image Storage & Interface :(Previous) | (Next): Test Results & Conclusion>> Page 11:Video, Power, SoftwareReview First Posted: 03/19/2001 |
Video OutThe 618 is equipped with an A/V Out jack in its connector compartment, and US and Japanese models of the camera are packaged with an NTSC video cable. European models come with the appropriate PAL cable, with an NTSC or PAL video option selectable in the Playback menu. Once connected, the television acts as a larger version of the 618's LCD monitor, with all the functions available in Playback and Review modes.
PowerFour AA batteries power the PhotoSmart 618, and a full set of alkaline batteries accompanies the camera. You can also use lithium or NiMH AA batteries. Hewlett-Packard offers an accessory set of NiMH rechargeable batteries and a battery charger, as well as an optional AC adapter through its website. As always, we highly recommend picking up a couple of sets of rechargeable batteries and keeping a spare set charged at all times. If you plan on downloading images directly from the camera or spending a lot of time reviewing captured images in the camera, the accessory AC adapter is also a good idea.
The 618 features a Sleep Timeout option under the Capture settings menu (Preferences>Display submenus) which can be set from 30 seconds to five minutes. This option helps save battery power by shutting off the camera after a specified period of inactivity. When shooting in Time-Lapse mode, the camera automatically shuts the LCD monitor off between shots with long intervals. Also through the Preferences>Display submenu, you can turn off the Live View function, which saves battery power by keeping the LCD monitor display off when the camera is powered on (requiring you to press the Display button to activate the LCD). A battery icon on the status display panel reports the approximate amount of available battery power. The icon flashes and the camera beeps when the batteries are very low.
HP estimates that a new set of alkaline batteries should produce between 150 and 230 shots (depending on the camera settings), or approximately 90 minutes of image review time. Alternately, a fresh set of lithium batteries should provide between 500 and 810 shots, or approximately 220 minutes of playback time.
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| Capture Mode, w/LCD |
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| Capture Mode, no LCD |
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| Half-pressed shutter w/LCD |
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| Half-pressed w/o LCD |
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| Memory Write (transient) |
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| Flash Recharge (transient) |
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| Image Playback |
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In our tests, the PhotoSmart 618's power consumption was a bit lower than average, but we found that stepping between images in Playback mode consumed quite a bit more power than normal. HP's estimates may be accurate for Alkaline batteries, but we never recommend using alkalines for digital cameras. Buy yourself a couple of sets of high-capacity NiMH rechargeables and a good charger and you'll save literally hundreds of dollars in battery costs over the camera's life. A freshly charged set of high-capacity NiMH cells should give you a couple of hours of full-power run time, about average for digicams we've tested. As always, turning off the LCD screen in Capture mode greatly reduces power consumption and extends the battery life.
About
Batteries
We've gotten so many emails about power issues for digicams, that we're now
inserting this standard notice in the reviews of all AA-powered cameras on our
site: Don't even *think* about using alkaline AA batteries in a digicam!
Despite their being packed in the box with many cameras, they simply don't have
the juice to handle typical digicam demands. (Even the "high power"
ones the battery manufacturers say are designed for devices like digital cameras.)
Spend the $35-40 or so it takes to get a set (or two) of high-capacity NiMH
rechargeable batteries and a good charger! The few dollars up front will save
you literally hundreds of dollars in the long run, not to mention the hassle
of wimpy batteries running out in the middle of the action. We suggest you buy
two sets of batteries, so one can always be in the charger, ready to go, and
so have two sets available for longer excursions. Good brands of batteries include
Maha (our favorite), GP, Kodak, and Nexcell. Also, buy the highest capacity
AAs the manufacturer makes, the few extra dollars for the extra capacity is
usually well worth it. Getting a good charger is critical though, almost more
so than buying good batteries. We recommend the Maha C-204F (see the photo at
right), the charger we use the most in our own studio. - Read our review
of it for all the details. Or, just click
here to buy one, you won't regret it.
Included Software
Packaged with the PhotoSmart 618 are a USB cable and two software CDs. The first
CD contains HP's Photo Imaging software, for Windows only (98/2000/Me/NT 4.0),
and a copy of the User's Guide for both Macintosh and Windows. The second CD
contains ArcSoft PhotoImpression and PhotoMontage software for both Windows
and Macintosh (OS 8.6 and higher) operating systems. HP's Photo Imaging Software
is essentially a downloading utility that offers basic printing, viewing, and
editing utilities, as well as e-mail and image sharing tools for use with the
Internet and HP's Cartogra Web site. Though the application is not compliant
with the Macintosh operating system, Mac users can take advantage of similar
utilities with ArcSoft PhotoImpression, which also provides downloading, organization,
printing, and minor editing tools for digital images. Images can be organized
into "albums," or cropped, rotated, or flipped before being printed.
PhotoMontage is a fun, creative application that allows you to create one large
image made up of a mosaic of hundreds or thousands of tiny images. You can use
your own digital images or the application's library of images to create a montage.
Although we give HP some negative marks for not providing better support for
the Mac OS, the Windows-based software package included with the PhotoSmart
618 is quite capable and very easy to use, one of the best packages we've seen
included with a digicam.
In the Box
Included in the box are the following:
- HP PhotoSmart 618 digital camera
- Shoulder strap
- 16MB CompactFlash (Type I) card
- Four AA alkaline batteries
- USB cable
- IR Remote Control
- Two software CDs containing ArcSoft's PhotoMontage and PhotoImpression, as well as camera drivers, HP's Photo Imaging software, and User's Guides
- Quick Start Guide
- Registration kit
- NTSC video cable (PAL for European models)
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