Digital Camera Home > Digital Camera Reviews > Hewlett Packard Digital Cameras > HP PhotoSmart 912

HP PhotoSmart 912 HP and Pentax team up to make a true SLR digicam with Pentax lens, HP color wizardry, and ample features. Select a topic Reference: Datasheet PhotoSmart 912 Sample Images --------------------------------- 1. Intro and Highlights 2. Executive Overview 3. Design 4. Viewfinder 5. Optics 6. Exposure & Flash 7. Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests 8. Operation & User Interface 9. Camera Modes & Menus 10. Image Storage & Interface 11. Video, Power, Software 12. Test Results & Conclusion --------------------------------- Print-Friendly Review Version Additional Resources and Other Links Reader Comments on PhotoSmart 912 Review --------------------------------- Digital Camera Comparometer (TM) --------------------------------- <-- Digital Cameras (Home) <-- Digital Camera Reviews Index <<Optics :(Previous) | (Next): Shutter Lag & Cycle Time Tests>> Page 6:Exposure & Flash Review First Posted: 3/26/2001

Exposure
The 912 offers a full range of exposure controls, including a fully Manual mode. The Exposure Mode dial on top of the camera sets one of 10 different exposure modes, including the standard Auto, Program AE, Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter Priority (Tv), and Manual modes, plus special preset modes for Portrait, Landscape, Close-Up, Action, and Night shooting. The 912 also features a significant number of external camera controls, allowing you to operate the camera without the LCD monitor or menu system for the majority of shots.

A small status display panel on top of the camera reports all the major camera settings, including Capture mode, Auto Focus Area, Flash mode, Self-timer/Remote mode, battery status, and the remaining pictures, as well as various exposure settings, depending on the options available. Being able to operate the camera without the LCD monitor saves on battery power and time, as you're not having to scroll through numerous screens of menu options.

The basic exposure mode, Auto Exposure, is marked on the Exposure Mode dial with a highlighted green box. In Auto Exposure mode, all of the exposure settings are automatically set by the camera. The only user-controlled settings in Auto mode are File Type, Quality Level, Resolution, and Color. In standard Program AE mode, the camera controls both the shutter speed and aperture settings, while the user maintains control over Exposure Compensation, EV Bracketing, White Balance, AE Metering, and ISO Speed.

In Aperture and Shutter Priority modes, you set the designated exposure variable, while the camera chooses the best corresponding setting. In both modes, turning the Command wheel (shown above) on the front of the camera changes the available exposure setting. As you'd expect, Manual mode gives you control over both shutter speed and aperture, as well as the remaining exposure settings. Turning the Command wheel on its own changes the shutter speed in Manual mode. To change the Aperture, you simply hold down the AV button while turning the Command wheel. In all modes, apertures range from f/2.5 to f/11, and shutter speeds range from 1/1,000 to four seconds.

The 912 offers a handful of preset scene exposure modes, including Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Action, and Night. In all of these modes, the camera automatically controls the exposure settings, leaving the photographer to control flash, zoom, file size, and quality. Portrait mode employs a larger aperture setting to decrease the depth of field, which keeps the subject in sharp focus and blurs the background, placing all the emphasis on the subject. Landscape mode fixes the focus at the infinity setting and uses a smaller lens aperture to capture a greater depth of field (keeping the background and foreground in sharp focus). Because the mode uses a smaller aperture setting which requires a slower shutter speed, a tripod is recommended to prevent blurring from camera movement. Close-up mode optimizes the camera for close-up, macro subjects, and automatically switches to the Macro Focus range. Action mode optimizes the camera for shooting fast-moving subjects, such as sporting events, using a fast shutter speed to freeze action. Night mode uses slow shutter speeds to allow more ambient light into dark images. When the flash is activated with Night mode, the camera synchronizes it with the end of the exposure.

An Instant Review function automatically displays the recently captured image on the LCD screen for a few seconds while the image is being written to the memory card. You can delete the image on the spot by pressing the soft key labeled "Delete" before the image disappears. You can turn the review function off through the camera's settings menu, or set the length of time that the Instant Review is displayed on the monitor.

In Program AE, Aperture Priority, and Shutter Priority exposure modes, Exposure Compensation is adjustable from -3 to +3 exposure values (EV) in one-half-step increments, by holding down the Exposure Compensation (AV) button and turning the Command wheel. An exposure compensation adjustment bar appears in the top status display panel, showing the amount of EV adjustment. In Manual exposure mode, the adjustment bar remains on the status display panel, reporting the amount of over or under exposure. An AE Lock button (AE-L) on the back panel locks the exposure for 20 seconds (even after you fire the shutter), or until the AE Lock button is pressed again.

The default setting for the Metering mode is Average, which takes readings from throughout the image area and averages them to determine the best exposure. Metering can also be set to a Spot or Center-Weighted metering mode through the AE Metering submenu under Auto Assist in the Capture settings menu. Spot metering mode takes the exposure reading from the very center of the image, and is useful for backlit or high-contrast subjects, where an averaged reading may have trouble determining the correct exposure. Center-Weighted metering takes several readings from a large area in the center of the image, then averages them to find the best overall exposure. If you aren't sure of an exposure, the EV Bracketing function takes a series of three pictures, one at the current meter reading, one overexposed, and one underexposed by one or one-half EV step set under EV Bracket (Auto Assist submenu) in the Capture settings menu. (Note: there may be an extended delay between the second and third exposures.)

White Balance is also adjustable under the Auto Assist menu, with five options: Auto, Daylight, Tungsten, Fluorescent, or 5,500K. An ISO setting adjusts the camera's light sensitivity, with 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 ISO equivalents. Color options are selected in the File submenu under the Capture Settings menu. Options include Full Color, Black and White, and Sepia modes.

A Timer mode button on top of the camera controls the camera's timer and remote capture modes. One press of the button enables the Self-Timer mode, which counts down 10 seconds before taking the exposure, once the shutter button is fully depressed. A second press of the control button puts the camera in Remote Control mode, which works with the accompanying IR Remote Controller, allowing you to trigger the shutter remotely with no delay. The final option is the 3-Second Remote mode, which counts down from three seconds once the shutter button on the remote control is pressed. A fourth press of the Timer Mode button places the camera back into normal exposure mode.


Flash
The 912 features a built-in, pop-up flash as well as a hot shoe for connecting an external flash. The pop-up flash is released by pressing the Flash button directly to the left of the flash compartment. The Flash mode button, on the right side of the compartment, controls the operating mode, cycling between Auto, Auto with Red-Eye Reduction, Forced On, and Forced On with Red-Eye Reduction. (Closing the Flash unit places it in Forced Off mode.) In Auto mode, the camera determines when to fire the flash, based on existing light conditions. Forced On fires the flash with every exposure, regardless of light level. Both Red-Eye Reduction modes fire a small pre-flash before firing the full flash with the exposure. This reduces the occurrence of the red-eye effect, caused by a reflection in the subject's pupils. In our testing, we found the 912's flash power to be brightest eight to 10 feet from the target, with a slight decrease in intensity at each additional foot of distance. The largest decrease in intensity occurred between 14 and 15 feet. The flash was still effective at 15 feet, though the intensity was greatly diminished.

The external flash hot shoe on top of the camera features a small black protective cover that slides in and out of place. When the hot shoe is in use, the cover can be stored in one of the compartments of the neck strap, to prevent loss. The 912 is compatible with most standard flash units, though the flash must feature automatic control with its own light sensor. The camera must be set to Manual exposure mode, and the internal, pop-up flash must be closed.

Sound Recording
A tiny microphone on the front of the camera enables the user to record up to 45 seconds of sound per captured image. To record sound in Capture mode, the Instant Review function must be turned on in the Preferences menu (Display submenu). Once an image has been captured, you press the Sound button on the camera's back panel while the review screen is active. The amount of available recording time appears on the LCD monitor, and the camera records sound until the Sound button is pressed a second time. (For best results, make sure to talk into the microphone on the front of the camera.)

After you've finished the recording, you can use the soft keys below the LCD to play back or delete the recording, or exit the Instant Review screen. You can also record sound in Playback and Review modes, by selecting the image to which you'd like to attach the recording, and following the same procedure as above. In addition to One-Shot images, you can attach sound clips to the final image of a Continuous series or the first image of a Time-Lapse series.

Special Photography Modes
The 912 offers three main photography modes: One-shot, Continuous, and Time-Lapse. The Image Type button on top of the camera controls the photography mode, cycling between the three. The One-shot mode is the default setting, capturing a single image with one press of the shutter button. In Continuous mode, the camera captures a rapid series of images for as long as the shutter button is held down, or until the memory card runs out of room. You can use the flash in Continuous mode, but this increases the shot-to-shot cycle time as you have to wait for the flash to charge between shots.

Time-Lapse photography mode allows you to capture up to 1,000 images in a series, at specific time intervals (from 15 seconds to 24 hours). Shooting begins with a single press of the shutter button and ends when the preset number of images is reached (you can cancel the mode at any time by pressing the Stop soft key). The actual number of images that can be recorded depends on the amount of available space on the CompactFlash card.

Image Stamp Menu
An Image Stamp menu in the 912's Capture menu allows you to add text or a logo to captured images. Using the Date & Time submenu you can opt to have the date, time, or both stamped on the image. The Text submenu allows you to print your own messages on the image, by scrolling through and selecting individual letters from the alphabet. In both Date & Time and Text menu options, you can designate the placement of the text in the frame, the transparency of the words, the text color, and the background color. The Logo submenu allows you to download preset logos from the Hewlett-Packard Web site (www.hp.com/photosmart) and paste them into one of the four corners of the picture.