HP PhotoSmart 618HP's capable mid-level model offers 2.1 megapixels, an optical zoom lens, and ease-of-use.<<Design :(Previous) | (Next): Optics>> Page 4:ViewfinderReview First Posted: 03/19/2001 |
ViewfinderThe PhotoSmart 618 offers both an optical viewfinder and an LCD monitor for composing images. The real-image optical viewfinder zooms along with the lens, but is unable to show the 2x digital telephoto, which requires use of the LCD monitor. A central autofocus and exposure target mark helps line-up shots, and is useful when working in Spot Metering mode. The viewfinder eyepiece features a diopter adjustment dial, which adjusts the viewfinder focus to accommodate eyeglass wearers. We were able to see the full eyepiece view from a good distance, meaning that eyeglass wearers with thick lenses shouldn't have any trouble seeing a complete view of the scene. Two LED lamps on the right side of the viewfinder eyepiece indicate the camera's current status. A solid green LED reports that the focus and/or exposure is set. A flashing green LED indicates that the camera is having trouble focusing (a similar message appears in the LCD monitor). A solid red LED indicates that the flash is charged and ready, while a flashing red light means that the flash is charging or there is a problem with the camera or memory card (if so, the LCD monitor will report the problem or error). Hewlett-Packard estimates that the optical viewfinder shows about 85 percent frame accuracy.
The two-inch, low-temperature, polysilicon, TFT LCD monitor features a color display with approximately 130,338 pixels. The Display button on the right side of the screen controls the LCD display, turning it on or off. An information overlay across the top of the LCD monitor reports any exposure information or camera messages, such as when the camera is having trouble focusing, or when the batteries are too low. The bottom text area of the LCD monitor reports the current soft key functions (lined up along the bottom of the LCD monitor). The top and bottom overlay screens, where the text messages appear, can be canceled by pressing the center soft key (labeled "Overlay" on the LCD screen).
The Status function (activated by pressing the far right soft key during the normal image display in Capture mode) pulls up a full screen display of the camera's settings, including Resolution, Quality, White Balance, EV Compensation, ISO Speed, and AE Metering mode. This is useful when you want to double check exposure settings, without having to fish back through the menu screens.
In Playback mode, the top overlay bar provides capture information, including the image number and the date and time it was taken. The bottom center soft button is a playback zoom function, which enlarges captured images to 2x for closeup viewing of fine details. The button on the left plays a slideshow of the captured images, while the button on the right Expands and Collapses groups or sequences of images stored on the CompactFlash card. Playback mode offers only one menu of "Play Settings" which determines Slideshow content and duration, Playback rate for Time-Lapse and groups of images, and sets the Video Out preferences to NTSC or PAL.
The Review mode has its own notch on the Mode dial. Instead of an index display, it automatically displays small thumbnail images along the top of the LCD and a larger thumbnail of the selected image below it. Next to the larger thumbnail is a text area that provides the image number, date and time it was taken, and group name if one has been selected. This is the mode where most of the Review functions are set, with Edit, Print Order Form, Transmit, and Find menus. The center soft key is used to delete an image, the left button to mark an image for printing, and the right button provides the same Expand and Collapse functions found in the Playback mode.
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