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Back to Full HP PhotoSmart 912 Review
Go to HP PhotoSmart 912 Data Sheet
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	*	2.24-megapixel CCD delivers up to 1,600 x 1,200-pixel photos.
	*	SLR viewfinder shows you exactly what the camera sees.
	*	3x optical zoom lens by Pentax delivers high-quality optics.
	*	Flashpoint's Digita operating system adds programmability and lots of features.

• 2.24-megapixel CCD delivering up to 1,600 x 1,280-pixel resolution images.
• Two-inch color LCD monitor that tilts up 90 degrees.
• 36-bit color (12 bits per color).
• Through-the-lens (TTL) optical viewfinder with data display.
• Pentax 3x, 8.2-25.8mm lens (equivalent to a 34-107mm lens on a 35mm camera).
• Digital telephoto up to 2x.
• Manual and automatic focus control.
• Program AE, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual, and special preset exposure modes.
• Manually adjustable aperture ranging from f/2.5 to f/11.
• Shutter speeds from 1/1,000 to four seconds.
• One-shot, Continuous shooting, and Time-Lapse photography modes.
• Audio recording capability.
• Exposure lock, EV bracketing, and adjustable metering modes.
• 25, 50, 100, 200, and 400 ISO equivalents.
• Adjustable White Balance with five modes.
• Built-in, pop-up flash with five modes.
• Hot shoe for mounting an external flash unit.
• IR Remote Control included.
• JPEG and uncompressed TIFF file formats.
• Images saved to CompactFlash memory cards (Type I or II), 16MB card included.
• Power from four AA batteries (set of alkaline batteries included), or HP Li-Ion battery pack.
• JetSend Infrared interface.
• Flashpoint Digita operating interface.
• Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) compatibility.
• Software CDs containing HP Photo Imaging Software, ACDSee Systems Viewer, ArcSoft PhotoImpression, and ArcSoft PhotoMontage.
• USB interface for quick connection to a PC or Macintosh.

Executive Overview
Similar in size and appearance to a large 35mm SLR camera, the PhotoSmart 912 is the top-of-the-line model among Hewlett-Packard's recent PhotoSmart digital cameras (seventh in the PhotoSmart digicam family). It offers significantly more features than the most recent introductions we've tested (the PS 215, 315, and 618), including a Manual exposure mode, SLR optical viewfinder with data display, and a wide range of ISO settings. Though it's certainly not a pocket camera -- measuring a hefty 5.6 x 3.6 x 4.1 inches (143.5 x 90.5 x 105mm) -- the PS 912 is still lightweight for its size, at approximately 19 ounces (540 grams) without batteries.

The 912's design features more external controls than the 618 model, with a larger status display panel, a pop-up flash and external flash hot shoe, plus two Mode dials: One for selecting Capture, Playback, Review and PC modes (just like the PS 618), and a second dial that provides access to all of the Exposure mode settings that were previously part of the LCD menu. The camera's through-the-lens (TTL) optical viewfinder displays exactly what the lens is seeing, with an information readout at the bottom that shows shutter speed and aperture settings in some modes, plus the number of remaining images.

The viewfinder eyepiece has a rotating bezel, which serves as a diopter adjustment dial to accommodate eyeglass wearers. As a consequence of its Single Lens Reflex (SLR) design, light can enter the eyepiece and affect the exposure, causing streaks or blurs. Thus, when the camera is used on a tripod (without your eye pressed against the viewfinder eyepiece), you need to affix a tiny plastic clip over the viewfinder eyepiece. While you can always use your thumb or hand to shade the eyepiece, we'd have liked to have seen some solution other than an easily-lost clip for these situations.

The two-inch LCD monitor is quite flexible, as it can be rotated 90 degrees up and off the camera's back panel, providing a chest-level viewing angle reminiscent of the old twin-lens reflex cameras. Limited LCD readouts report current soft key functions and any pertinent camera messages, while the majority of the camera's information is shown in the status display panel on top of the camera (great for operating without the LCD monitor).

The 912 features a Pentax 3x, 8.2-25.8mm lens (equivalent to a 34-107mm lens on a 35mm camera), with adjustable apertures from f/2.5 to f/11. Focus ranges from 1.64 feet (0.5 meters) to infinity in Normal autofocus mode, and from 0.33 to 1.97 feet (0.1 to 0.6 meter) in Macro mode. Manual focus changes the focal range to 0.33 feet (0.1 meter) to infinity, with the current focal distance displayed in the upper left corner of the LCD monitor. Focus can be set to Wide or Spot area settings, Continuous focus, or a manual focus lock by pressing the shutter button halfway before an exposure. In addition to the 3x optical zoom (set by turning the zoom ring that surrounds the lens barrel), the 912 also provides up to 2x digital enlargement, which is activated by zooming past the normal telephoto range. (Users should be aware that digital zoom is not the same as optical zoom, since the digital zoom is merely cropping and enlarging the center portion of the CCD. As a result, digitally enlarged images often result in higher image noise and/or softer resolution.)

In addition to a fully Manual exposure mode, the 912 offers Auto, Program AE (P), Aperture Priority (Av), Shutter Priority (Tv), Landscape, Portrait, Close-up, Night, and Action exposure modes. Automatic mode keeps the camera in control of all exposure settings, while Program AE puts the camera in charge of aperture and shutter speed only. Aperture and Shutter Priority modes allow the user to select the available exposure setting while the camera chooses the best corresponding value to achieve a good exposure, and Manual mode puts the user in charge of both aperture and shutter speed.

The 912 also provides additional control by using the Exposure Compensation adjustment from -3 to +3 exposure equivalents (EV) in one-half-step increments. The EV Bracketing function takes a series of three images at different exposure levels, allowing you to choose the best overall exposure from the group.

White Balance can be set to Auto, Daylight, Tungsten, Fluorescent, or 5,500K settings, and ISO (light sensitivity) can be set to Auto, 25, 50, 100, 200, or 400 ISO equivalents, depending on the exposure mode. Meter reading options include Spot, Average, or Center-Weighted metering, or you can maintain a single exposure reading for 20 seconds by pressing the AE Lock button (regardless of capture mode). The Color mode option provides three recording options: Full Color, Black and White, or Sepia tone.

The 912's built-in flash operates in Auto, Auto with Red-Eye Reduction, Forced On, and Forced On with Red-Eye Reduction modes, which are chosen by pressing the Flash mode button on top of the camera. The external flash hot shoe, protected by a small black plastic cover, accommodates a variety of auxiliary flash units, making it very versatile in low-light shooting conditions.

The Timer mode button on top of the camera offers three exposure options: Self-timer with a 10-second countdown (after pressing the shutter button), standard Remote Control, and Remote Control with a three-second countdown. Both Remote modes are triggered by the accompanying Infrared (IR) Remote Control device, which communicates with the IR sensor on the front of the camera. All three options can be used to delay the shutter release until the photographer steps into the picture, or to trigger the shutter mechanically, so the photographer doesn't cause camera shake while depressing the shutter button.

In addition to a standard One-Shot exposure mode, the 912 also offers Continuous shooting and Time-Lapse photography. Continuous mode takes an unlimited series of images in rapid succession for as long as the shutter button is held down (or until the memory card runs out of space). In Time-Lapse mode, the camera takes a preset number of images at specified time intervals. You can also record up to 45 seconds of sound to accompany each captured image, or series of images (such as Continuous and Time-Lapse images), or use the Image Stamp function to print text or logo watermarks on your images (a selection of logos is available for download from HP's website).

The 912 has two image viewing modes that are selected through the Mode dial: Playback and Review. The Playback mode provides information about each image in an overlay bar across the top of the screen, including the image number, the date and time it was recorded, aperture (f/stop) setting, shutter speed, and shooting mode. You can expand the information overlay to a third row of data, which includes the ISO, lens length, metering, and exposure mode settings. The center soft key underneath the LCD monitor is used to zoom in and out of an image for closer inspection. The other two soft keys are used to edit and exit menu options. There is only one menu in Playback mode, the Play Settings.

The Slideshow submenu allows the user to determine the content and duration of a slide show, whether the sound is turned on or off, and whether the slide show stops after one play-through, or loops for continuous play. Playback rate can also be determined, as well as the video connection (NTSC or Pal) format and overlay options.

In Review mode, the Edit menu allows you to delete images, link them together as groups, write-protect individual images, and categorize them by subject (Scenery, Vacation, Friends, etc.). A Print Order Form menu sets up images for DPOF printing, and a Transmit menu allows the user to send images via the 912's infrared port from Camera-to-Camera, when used with other HP Digita-enabled digicams, and from Camera-to-Printer, when used with an HP JetSend-enabled printer. Finally, a Find menu enables the user to search through stored images by Date or Category.

An NTSC video cable is provided to connect the camera to a television (PAL for European models), where images can be played back using all of the functions in the 912's Playback and Review menus. A USB cable is also supplied to connect the camera to a computer for downloading captured images.

Two software CDs include HP's Photo Imaging software, ACDSee Systems Viewer, a PDF copy of the User's Guide, plus ArcSoft PhotoImpression and PhotoMontage software programs. HP's Photo Imaging software provides minor editing, organizing, printing, and Web sharing utilities, while ACDSee offers more in-depth organization tools (both programs are Windows only). The ArcSoft PhotoImpression software (Mac/Windows) provides similar image editing, organizing, and printing tools. ArcSoft's PhotoMontage (also dual platform) creates large images from mosaics of hundreds or thousands of smaller images.

The 912 is powered by four AA batteries, and a set of alkaline batteries accompanies the camera. You can also use NiMH rechargeables, or purchase HP's optional Lithium-Ion rechargeable battery pack or the optional AC adapter.

Overall, we enjoyed shooting with the 912, especially with the fully manual exposure control. The extensive external controls enable you to rely less on the LCD monitor, saving battery power and time. The TTL optical viewfinder is a nice bonus, as is the adjustable LCD screen. With a large variety of preset exposure modes, plus the semi and full manual controls, the 912 is perfectly suited for a wide range of consumers, from novices to more advanced photographers. The 912 has a lot to offer, and, judging by the popularity of Hewlett-Packard's other PhotoSmart models, we think it will do well.


Design
Sporting a body design similar to that of a traditional 35mm film camera, Hewlett-Packard's PhotoSmart 912 offers the highest level of exposure control in the PhotoSmart line to date (March 2001). Its matte-black exterior is accented by brushed silver panels -- each covered with a myriad of clearly labeled control buttons and dials, effectively reducing reliance on the LCD monitor and its menu system.

Measuring 5.6 x 3.6 x 4.1 inches (143.5 x 90.5 x 105mm), the 912 is too large to store in a pocket or purse. In fact, based on the size and weight (19 ounces / 540 grams without batteries) we suggest investing in a small camera bag to provide additional protection and convenience. When you're actively shooting, the accompanying neck strap is styled to comfortably support a its bulk.

The high-quality Pentax 3x zoom lens dominates the front panel, sharing the space only with a Command wheel, microphone, IR Remote Control window, and JetSend infrared window. The 2.5-inch lens barrel features a notched, rubber finger grip that rotates right or left to control the optical zoom. Turning and holding it to the right after the optical zoom has reached the end of its range engages the 2x digital zoom. The entire front panel of the camera is covered with a black rubber-like coating that wraps around both ends of the camera. A large, curved hand grip provides a comfortable grasp on the right side, with sculpted finger rests on the front and back of the camera.

On the right side of the camera is the CompactFlash compartment, which is protected by a hinged, plastic door, with a wide opening that provides plenty of room to insert or remove the memory card. A small, red LED lamp just to the rear of the top of the compartment lights when the camera is accessing the card, letting you know that you shouldn't open the compartment or turn off the camera (when you're in a capture mode). A small gray button inside the compartment ejects the card when you're ready to remove it. Above the door is one neck strap attachment eyelet, which sits next to the AE Lock button on the top of the back panel.

The connector compartment, which houses the USB, A/V out, and DC In jacks, is located on the left side of the camera. A flexible rubber flap covers the compartment, and is connected to the camera by a small rubber hinge. Though it appears to offer good protection for the jacks, the rubber cover can require a significant amount of manipulation to close again, as the corners are very difficult to pop back into place. We eventually got it closed, but it was a bit of a hassle until we got used to it. Above the connector compartment is the second neck strap attachment eyelet.

The contours of the 912's top panel are designed to provide maximum space for the many control buttons. The large Exposure Mode dial on the left offers 10 different exposure options, and includes a notched edge to facilitate turning. Directly to the right is the Pop-Up Flash button, which activates the Pop-up Flash. On top of the flash unit is an external flash hot shoe, which is protected by a small black plastic cover that could be a challenge to track down if separated from the camera. The shutter button, power switch, and status display panel are on the far right side, easily within reach of the right forefinger. The status display panel reports camera settings, such as file quality and size, autofocus area, flash mode, battery status, and remaining pictures, as well as various exposure settings. To the left of the status display is a series of small control buttons that are used to select the Image Type (shooting mode), Timer mode, Auto Focus Area, and Flash mode.

The remaining camera controls are on the 912's back panel, along with the optical viewfinder eyepiece and LCD monitor. The through-the-lens (TTL) optical viewfinder has a diopter adjustment dial, provided in the form of the plastic bezel surrounding the eyepiece. The bezel turns back and forth to adjust the focus for eyeglass wearers. A small plastic clip (not shown) is provided to shade the eyepiece when the camera is used on a tripod. (To prevent stray light entering the eyepiece from affecting the picture.) This clip is tiny and easily lost: We'd have greatly preferred some sort of on-camera shutter or other arrangement for shading the eyepiece when needed. Directly below the eyepiece are the Speaker, JetSend button, and four-way Arrow Rocker Pad, surrounded by the Camera Mode dial, which controls the camera's main operating modes. The two-inch LCD monitor sits on a panel that lifts up 90 degrees to provide a chest-level viewing angle. Three buttons along the top of the LCD monitor control the Menu, Display, and Sound options, while the three soft keys along the bottom of the LCD monitor change functions depending on the camera mode. The two remaining controls, on the top right side of the back panel, are the Exposure Compensation (AV) and AE Lock buttons.

The 912 features a reasonably flat bottom, except for some light ridges surrounding the metal threaded tripod mount. Centered directly under the lens, the tripod mount is just a hair too close to the battery compartment to allow access to the batteries while the camera is mounted. The battery compartment is covered by a hinged, plastic door with a sliding lock button. Sliding the button backward allows the compartment door to snap open, while pushing the door closed again snaps the lock back into place. The battery compartment comes with an AA battery adapter inside, which can be popped out to accommodate the optional HP Li-Ion battery pack.

A tiny IR Remote Control unit is provided with the 912. About the size of a stick of gum, the Remote Control has only one button, which releases the shutter when the camera is in Remote Control or 3-Second Remote mode.


Viewfinder
The 912 features a Through The Lens (TTL) optical viewfinder, following the traditional 35mm SLR design, as well as a two-inch LCD monitor for composing images. The optical viewfinder eyepiece is surrounded by a round plastic bezel, which not only serves as an eye rest, but also as the diopter adjustment dial to accommodate eyeglass wearers. A series of dots on the back side of the bezel indicate the degree of correction. There isn't as much room for wearers of thick eyeglasses (when compared to other PhotoSmart models), because the corners of the view begin to disappear immediately after moving back only slightly from the eyepiece.

The viewfinder display features a set of autofocus and autoexposure target marks, as well as an information readout along the bottom. This small LCD information display reports the shutter speed, aperture, flash status, exposure compensation, AE lock (when used), number of pictures remaining (depending on the exposure mode), and whether or not the image is in focus.

As we mentioned earlier in this review, one consequence of the SLR viewfinder design is that stray light entering the viewfinder eyepiece during the exposure can cause ghosts or streaking in the final image. In normal use, this isn't a problem, since your eye will block any extraneous light from entering the eyepiece. When the camera is mounted on a tripod though, light can enter, particularly if the light on the subject is coming from behind the camera. To avoid ghostly blobs in images shot from tripods, HP provides a small plastic clip to cover the eyepiece in such situations. This is such a small item that it could easily be lost, but fortunately, HP's neck strap provides a compartment for storing it when not in use.

Also on the 912 is a two-inch, low-temperature, polysilicon, TFT, color LCD monitor comprised of 130,338 pixels. The LCD and surrounding panel lift up off the back and flip upward about 90 degrees for better viewing. A Display button just over the LCD monitor controls the image display. An information overlay reports the soft key functions (the three keys along the bottom of the LCD monitor), and reports camera information such as error messages. This information display is canceled by pressing the bottom center soft key, labeled "Overlay."

The Status function (activated by pressing the far right soft key during 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.

Overall, the PhotoSmart 912 was a fairly responsive camera, with excellent shutter lag characteristics (noticeably better than most of the competition). Interestingly, shutter delay with manual focus was no faster than with full autofocus, resulting in average speed for manual focus operation and very fast for autofocus. When prefocused with a half-press of the shutter button, lag time was also faster than average, at only 0.15 seconds.

Cycle times were a bit more problematic. An internal buffer memory kept the cycle time to only 2.2 seconds for the first three shots in any resolution mode, but occasionally, we measured only two shots at high resolution. After that, cycle time varied radically, ranging from 11 to 20 seconds between shots. We found that if you wait for the buffer to clear (on the order of 20 seconds if you've just captured three shots in rapid succession), you'll be able to capture three more shots in rapid succession. We'd like to see the buffer clear a little more quickly, but the roughly 2.2-second cycle time, when buffer space is available, is faster than average for this class of camera.

In Continuous shooting mode, the camera snaps three pictures with an interval of just 1.8 seconds between them. Interestingly, cycle times for low-resolution files are actually a little slower than for high-resolution. Apparently, the 912 captures images at the full sensor resolution all the time, and downsamples them in the camera if the lower resolution option is selected. This produces high-quality low-res files, but at the cost of additional processing time.


Operation and User Interface
At the outset, the PhotoSmart 912's user interface may appear complicated, given the two mode dials and multiple external control buttons. However, we found the camera operations to be very straightforward, and the external controls are a nice bonus, as they are all well marked, and when combined with the LED status display panel, they provide access to most critical functions without having to go through the LCD menu system. Within the menu system itself, the Digita operating system used by the PhotoSmart 912 provides a very simple user interface, with functions made very clear by plain-English names and menu entries. As such, it is very approachable by novice photographers. More experienced users may be frustrated by the need to page through multiple menu screens to access fairly commonly-used functions, such as ISO adjustment, metering modes, etc.

The menu system follows the same format established in earlier PhotoSmart digicams. Menus are navigated using the four-way Arrow Rocker Pad, with multiple layers that can be somewhat time-consuming to navigate. However, we appreciated the rotating LCD panel, which lifts up off the camera back, and extends outward 90 degrees.

The User's Manual is included in PDF format on one of the camera's two software CDs. While the full manual is much too lengthy to print out, a handy Quick Start Guide also accompanies the camera. It's not nearly as detailed as the manual, but the Quick Start Guide does include a full listing of each camera control and its functions.


Control Enumeration


Shutter Button: Located on top of the camera, on the right side, this large unmarked button sets focus and exposure when depressed halfway. When fully depressed, the button activates the shutter to record the exposure. When the Self-Timer mode is enabled, pressing the shutter button activates the 10-second countdown.


Command Wheel: Just below the Shutter button, on the front side of the camera, this horizontal notched dial adjusts the designated exposure variable in Aperture and Shutter Priority modes. In Manual mode, turning the wheel by itself sets the shutter speed, while holding down the AV button as you turn the dial sets the lens aperture. In Program, Aperture Priority, and Shutter Priority modes, turning the dial while holding down the Exposure Compensation (AV) button adjusts the exposure compensation. The Command Wheel can also be used to scroll through the Capture, Playback, and Review menus, and to scroll through captured images in the Playback and Review modes.


Zoom Ring: This large, rubberized ring encircles the lens barrel, controlling the optical and digital zoom. Turning to the left zooms to wide angle, and turning to the right zooms to telephoto. Turning beyond the optical telephoto automatically engages the digital zoom function.


Power Switch: Directly to the right of the Shutter button, this switch turns the camera power on and off.


Pop-Up Flash Button: Located on the left side of the pop-up flash compartment, this button releases the flash into its operating position. (Closing the flash disables it.)


Image Type Button: The first in a series of four buttons on top of the camera (just to the left of the status display panel), this button sets the photography mode, cycling between One-Shot (default), Continuous, and Time-Lapse modes.


Timer Mode Button: Located behind the Image Type control, the Timer mode button cycles through the Normal (no icon), Self-Timer (Clock), and Remote Control (Remote icon) capture modes. When the Remote Control mode is activated, the Remote LED lamp on the front of the camera begins flashing.


Auto Focus Area Button: Just below the Timer mode button, the Auto Focus Area button controls the autofocus area, setting it to Wide Area (full frame w/bracket icon), which focuses on a large center portion of the viewfinder, or Spot (full frame w/square icon), which focuses on the smaller center spot in the viewfinder. In Auto exposure mode, the Auto Focus area is fixed to the Wide Area setting.


Flash Mode Button: The last in a series of four buttons on top of the camera, this one controls the four Flash operating modes, cycling through the following: (corresponding icons include an Eye for Red-Eye Reduction, Lightening for Forced Flash, and Lightening/A for Auto Flash mode)

• Auto: The camera determines when to fire the flash, based on existing light levels. (Auto Flash)
• Auto with Red-Eye Reduction: The flash fires the same as in Auto mode, but fires a small pre-flash before firing the full flash, reducing the occurrence of red-eye. (Auto Flash and Eye)
• Forced On: The flash fires with every exposure, regardless of light levels. (Lightening)
• Forced On with Red-Eye Reduction: The flash fires with every exposure, but with the addition of the Red-Eye Reduction pre-flash. (Eye with Lightening)

Exposure Mode Dial: Positioned on the far left side of the top panel, this dial controls the camera's exposure mode:

• Manual: Allows the user to control the entire exposure, including aperture and shutter speed.
• Aperture Priority: Places the user in control of the lens aperture setting, while the camera selects the best corresponding shutter speed. All other exposure variables are available.
• Shutter Priority: Gives the user control over the shutter speed, while the camera chooses the best corresponding lens aperture setting. All other exposure variables are available.
• Program AE: The camera controls both aperture and shutter speed, while the user maintains control over all other exposure settings.
• Automatic: Places the camera under complete, automatic control, with the exception of Flash mode and image resolution and quality. (Fully automatic control means that all Photo Assist options are disabled.)
• Portrait: Camera chooses a large lens aperture to limit the depth of field, maintaining a sharp focus on the subject in the foreground, and slightly blurring the background. Exposure remains under fully automatic control.
• Landscape: Employs a smaller aperture and slower shutter speed to capture broad vistas of scenery, maintaining sharp focus on both the foreground and background. The camera remains under fully automatic exposure control.
• Close-up: Automatically changes the focus range to Macro mode, and optimizes the camera's exposure settings for close-up subjects. The camera remains under fully automatic exposure control.
• Action: Uses fast shutter speeds to freeze action, with the camera in charge of all exposure decisions.
• Night: Sets up the camera for night exposures, using slow shutter speeds. If the flash is enabled, the camera synchronizes it with the end of the exposure.

Diopter Adjustment Ring: Doubles as the bezel surrounding the viewfinder eyepiece. This ring not only cushions the eye when using the optical viewfinder, but it also rotates right or left to adjust the viewfinder focus for eyeglass wearers.


Menu Button: Positioned over the top left corner of the LCD monitor, this button activates and deactivates the LCD settings menus in Capture, Playback, and Review modes.


Display Button: Located over the top center of the LCD monitor, this button controls the LCD image display, turning it on or off.


Sound Button: Positioned over the top right corner of the LCD monitor, this button activates the audio recording feature, which allows you to record up to 45 seconds of sound to accompany an image. In Record mode, the sound function only works when Instant Review is enabled. In Playback and Review modes, pressing the button pulls up the sound recording icon, and begins recording sound until the button is pressed a second time.


Exposure Compensation (AV) Button: Located in the top right corner of the camera's back panel, this button controls exposure compensation. When pressed in Program AE, Aperture Priority, and Shutter Priority mode, available settings are changed by turning the Command wheel. In Manual exposure mode, lens aperture is set by pressing this button and turning the Command wheel.


AE Lock Button: Directly to the right of the Exposure Compensation (AV) button, this button locks the exposure reading for 20 seconds, regardless of whether or not the image is captured. Pressing the button a second time (before the 20 second period ends) cancels the mode.


JetSend Button: Situated just below the viewfinder eyepiece, this button features a flying paper airplane symbol. In Playback or Review modes, pressing the JetSend button allows you to send the currently selected image to another JetSend device, via the infrared port on the front of the camera. In Record mode, pressing the JetSend button sends the last image captured.


Camera Mode Dial: Encircling the Four-Way Arrow Rocker Pad, this notched dial sets the camera's operating mode. The following options are available:

• Capture (Record): Sets up the camera to record digital images. The user has control over a variety of exposure modes and features.
• Playback: Allows the user to scroll through captured images on the memory card or play them back in an automated slide show.
• Review: Displays a horizontal index of all the captured images on the memory card, as well as individual thumbnails of selected images with text information listed on the right. Images can be deleted, organized by groups, write-protected, set up for printing on DPOF devices, transmitted to a JetSend device, and searched by date or category.
• PC: Sets up the camera for connection to a PC or Macintosh computer via the USB cable.

Four-way Arrow Rocker Pad: Located in the center of the Camera Mode dial, this large button features an arrow in each direction (up, down, right, left). In any settings menu, these arrow keys navigate through menu options. In Playback and Review modes, these arrows scroll through captured images.


Soft Keys: Along the bottom of the LCD monitor, these three buttons perform a variety of functions, depending on the camera mode and menu setting. In standard Capture mode, the far left button controls the Focus mode, alternating between Auto and Manual (AF and MF) focus. The central button deactivates and reactivates the information overlays, which provide a variety of notations, depending on the current camera mode. On the far right is the Status button, which pulls up a page of the camera exposure settings, including Resolution, Quality, White Balance, ISO Speed, AE Metering, and AF Range. When the Capture settings menus are displayed, the buttons' functions change, allowing you to edit menu options or exit the menu screen.

In Playback mode, the center soft key controls the 2x playback zoom, digitally zooming in and out of the captured image. In both Playback and Review Menu modes, the soft keys allow you to edit menu options or exit the menu screens. In Review mode, the far left key marks (selects) images, and the center key deletes the currently selected image. If a soft key does not have a label, the key is inactive.


CompactFlash Release Button: Hidden inside the CompactFlash compartment, this gray button releases the CompactFlash card and pops it up slightly so that it can be removed from the slot.


Open Battery Switch: Located in the center of the battery compartment door, this button locks and unlocks the battery compartment.

AA Battery Adapter Release Switch: Inside the battery compartment, this switch releases the AA battery adapter.


Camera Modes and Menus

Capture (Record) Mode: Accessed by turning the mode dial to the green camera symbol, Record mode sets up the camera for capturing images. The Exposure Mode dial on top of the camera controls the exposure mode, selecting between Manual, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Program AE, Auto, Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Action, and Night. The following exposure options are available through the Capture settings menu (some settings may not be available, depending on the exposure mode):

• Capture Settings:
  • File Settings: Pulls up a submenu of file settings:
    • File Type: Sets the file format to JPEG or TIFF.
    • Quality Level: Determines the amount of JPEG compression, with options of Best (least compression), Better, and Good (highest compression).
    • Resolution: Establishes the pixel resolution size of the image. Options are Full (1,600 x 1,280 pixels) and 1/4 Size (800 x 640 pixels).
    • Color: Enables the Full Color, Black and White, or Sepia capture modes.
  • Time-Lapse Settings: Allows you to establish the number of time-lapse images to be recorded (from two to 1,000) and the interval between shots (from 15 seconds to 24 hours).
    
    
• Photo Assist:
  • AF Range: Establishes the autofocus range as Normal or Macro.
  • White Balance: Sets the white balance to Auto, Daylight, Tungsten, Fluorescent, or 5,500K, to match a variety of light sources.
  • AE Metering: Selects the camera's metering system. Choices are Spot, Center-Weighted, and Average.
  • Focus Lock: Determines whether the camera continually adjusts focus (Continuous AF), or focuses only when the Shutter button is halfway pressed (AF Lock).
  • ISO Speed: Adjusts the camera's light sensitivity to 25, 50, 100, 200, or 400 ISO equivalents.
  • EV Bracket: Sets up the camera to take a series of three exposures: The first will be underexposed by a half/full stop, the second will be a normal exposure, and the third will be overexposed by a half/full stop.
    
    
• Image Stamp: Designates the type of image stamp recorded on each image, with the following submenus:
  • Date & Time: Places the date and/or time that the image was recorded on the image, with options to select the Placement (one of four corners or center of the image), Transparency Level (clear, opaque, or semiopaque), Text Color (white, red, green, blue, turquoise, purple, yellow, or black), and background color (same as text).
  • Text Stamp: Once enabled, allows you to create your own text message, then determine the placement, transparency level, text color, and background color.
  • Logo: Prints a logo on the captured image, with five placement options. A set of downloadable logo files are available from the PhotoSmart website (www.hp.com/photosmart).
    
    
• Preferences:
  • Display: Pulls up a submenu of LCD display options:
    • Brightness Level: Adjusts the brightness of the LCD monitor in values from one to seven.
    • Instant Review: Turns off the Instant Review function, or sets the amount of time for the review display (from one to 30 seconds).
    • Live View: Turns the Live View function on or off, which controls whether or not the LCD monitor automatically displays the image view when the camera is powered on. Turning this setting off reduces the amount of battery power consumption.
    • Sleep Timeout: Sets the period of inactivity before the camera shuts itself off. Times range from 30 seconds to five minutes.
  • Sound: Allows you to set the playback volume level and turn the camera's beep sound on or off.
  • Format Card: Formats the memory card, erasing all files (even write-protected ones).
  • PC Connect Mode: Establishes the type of connection to a computer, either a USB Disk Drive or Digita Device. (Digita devices, such as other HP digicams, use the infrared interface on the front of the camera to exchange images.)
  • Date and Time: Sets the camera's internal calendar and clock, with various format options.
  • Image Counter: Continuous Counter continues file numbering from one memory card to another; while Reset When Empty resets file numbering with each new card.
  • Camera Name: Allows you to edit the camera's name by scrolling through and selecting letters from the alphabet.
  • Language: Changes the LCD menu language to English, French, Italian, Spanish, German, or Japanese.
  • Reset Settings: Resets all the camera settings to the factory defaults (except for language, date and time, PC connect mode, and video settings).
    
    

Playback Mode: The traditional playback symbol (a rectangle surrounding an arrow) designates Playback mode on the mode dial. Here, you can scroll through captured images, play them back in an automated slide show (when the Slideshow menu is activated), or enlarge captured images to 2x. Pressing the menu button displays the following options:

• Slideshow:
  • Content: Selects which images to include in the slide show, all images or those grouped into a category.
  • Duration: Sets the interval that each image is displayed, from one to 10 seconds.
  • Sound: Turns sound playback on or off (for sound clips recorded with images).
  • Loop: Sets the slide show to loop or play only once.
• Playback Rate: Allows you to set playback rates from one to 10 seconds.
• Video: Establishes the A/V Out signal as NTSC or PAL.
• Overlay: Determines whether the top information overlay bar takes up two or three lines.

Review Mode: This mode is indicated on the Mode dial by a rectangular box with smaller boxes inside, representing the index view format that it employs. In Review mode, images can be viewed, edited, and organized. The Review settings menu offers the following options:

• Edit: Offers the following edit tools:
  • Delete: Deletes the current image, with an option to cancel.
  • Group: Manages image groups. You can establish new groups and give them individual text names. Once a group is established, you simply select another image, and "Add" it to the group (by selecting Group and pressing the Add soft key). Groups can also be dissolved or deleted.
  • Protect: Write-protects individual images from accidental erasure or manipulation, except from card formatting. Protected images will be marked "Read Only" when transferred to a Windows computer.
  • Categories: Assigns images to particular categories. The 618 has several preset categories, including Scenery, Vacation, Friends, Family, Pets, Work, Circle, Triangle, and Square. Assigning images to categories makes them easier to sort and locate.
    
    
• Print Order Form: Creates a DPOF file for printing images on compatible devices, with the following settings:
  • Add Images: Adds selected images to the file, letting you choose the number of copies to be printed (from one to 999) and the print size (Standard or Index).
  • View Order: Allows you to double check the DPOF file and verify the print number and size settings.
  • Erase Order: Deletes the entire DPOF file.
    
    
• Transmit: Sets up the camera for transmitting images:
  • Camera-Camera: Allows you to send or receive images from another HP Digita camera, via the infrared interface.
  • Camera-Printer: Uses the JetSend infrared interface to send images to an HP JetSend printer.
    
    
• Find: Searches images on the memory card, either by date of capture or category.
  
  

PC Mode: This mode enables the camera to connect to a computer via the USB interface.

Image Storage and Interface
The 912 records images to a Type I or II CompactFlash card, and a 16MB card is packaged with the camera. Upgrades are available separately, however the camera is not compatible with the IBM MicroDrive. (It apparently doesn't provide power on a particular pin that the MicroDrive needs. We're not sure why HP elected to not support the MicroDrive, but power consumption is certainly one possible explanation.) The CompactFlash card inserts into the card slot with the electrodes going in first, and the front of the card facing the front of the camera. The card will not go into the camera the wrong way. A gray button next to the slot releases the card and pops it up slightly when you're ready to retrieve it.

Never remove the CompactFlash card while the camera is performing any function, to avoid damaging the media. The LED above the card slot lights red when the camera is accessing the card. The 912's status display panel reports the number of available images on the card; when a flashing "000" appears on the display panel, the memory card is full.

Entire CompactFlash cards cannot be write-protected, but the 912 allows you to protect captured images through the Review settings menu. The Edit menu (Protect submenu) can be used to write-protect individual images, or any marked images on the card, which prevents them from being accidentally deleted or manipulated in any other way (except by formatting the card). The Review menu also provides Digital Print Order Format (DPOF) printing utilities, camera-to-camera and camera-to-printer image transfer, and image search functions. The Edit menu enables you to link images by group and/or categorize them by subject (such as "Vacation" or "Pets".) The Find menu allows you to search stored images by date and category. The 618 also provides Image Stamping tools (through the Capture menu), which allow you to add text, a logo, or the date and time to an image.

The PhotoSmart 912 features JetSend infrared technology, which allows the user to "beam" one image at a time from the 912 to other JetSend devices, such as HP cameras and printers, via the infrared port. To beam a photo, you simply choose the image you'd like to send from the installed memory card (Review menu), line up the camera's infrared port so that it's no further than six inches (15cm) from the JetSend device, access the Transmit submenu, choose either the Camera-Camera or Camera-Printer option, and press the shutter button. The camera's LCD will report that it's looking for the device, then show a status bar of the image transfer once the process begins. The 912's infrared port also hosts the Digita image transfer process, which communicates to other HP Digita cameras. The Camera-Camera option of the Transmit submenu enables the camera to send and receive image files from any other Digita camera.

Three JPEG compression levels (Best, Better, and Good) and two image sizes (1,600 x 1,200 and 800 x 600 pixels) are available on the HP 618. There's also an uncompressed TIFF mode. Below are the approximate still image capacities and compression ratios for a 16MB CompactFlash card:

A USB cable and two software CDs also accompany the 912, for quick connection to a PC or Mac. The 912 is a "storage class" USB device, which means that it can connect to late-model Macs and Windows Me or 2000 machines with no special driver software. Connected to our G4 Macintosh, we found the 912's USB port to be unusually fast, with a data transfer rate of 694 KBytes/second. This is pretty much at the top of the field for data transfer speeds: There'll be no need for an external memory card reader with the 912!


Video Out
The 912 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 912's LCD monitor, with all the functions available in Playback and Review modes.


Power
Four AA batteries power the PhotoSmart 912, and a full set of alkaline batteries accompanies the camera. You can also use lithium or NiMH AA batteries. Hewlett-Packard offers an optional rechargeable Li-Ion battery 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 AA 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 912 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 45 and 180 shots (depending on the camera settings), or approximately 75 minutes of image review time. Alternatively, a new set of lithium batteries should provide between 120 and 640 shots, or around 180 minutes of playback time. The table below shows the power consumption numbers we measured for the 912 in our laboratory tests. (NOTE: These figures were obtained at the external power adapter rating of 9 volts. The current drain increases as the supply voltage is decreased, meaning that power could drain nearly twice as fast at the roughly 4.8 volt battery voltage level.)

While the power drain we measured at the external power jack was fairly low, the PhotoSmart 912 is a relatively power-hungry camera. Also, it seems to like a healthy voltage from its batteries, which may further shorten battery life with NiMH rechargeables. (NiMH rechargeable cells only produce about 1.2 volts apiece when fully charged, as compared to 1.5 volts for alkaline cells.) Given this high power drain, we question HP's figure of 75 minutes of operation in Playback mode with alkaline batteries. (We'd estimate about 75 minutes of operation for high-capacity NiMH batteries, but not for alkalines.)

In use, the SLR viewfinder is a great help in keeping the rear-panel LCD display turned off, which greatly extends the battery life. As always, we strongly recommend purchasing at least a couple of sets of NiMH batteries and a good charger, so you can always have a fully charged set of batteries on hand.

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 912 are a USB cable and two software CDs. The first CD contains HP's Photo Imaging software (for Windows 98/2000/Me/NT 4.0 only), ACDSee Systems Viewer (also Windows only), and a copy of the User's Guide for both Macintosh and Windows users. The second CD contains ArcSoft PhotoImpression and ArcSoft PhotoMontage 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. The ACDSee Systems Viewer provides more in-depth organizing utilities, allowing you to create image albums and listen to the recorded sound clips. Though these applications are 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.


Included Hardware
Included in the box are the following:

• PhotoSmart 912 digital camera
• Neck strap
• Lens, viewfinder, and hot shoe caps
• 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, ACDSee Systems Viewer, and User's Guides
• Quick Start Guide
• Registration kit
• NTSC video cable (PAL for European models)

Test Results
In keeping with our standard policy, our comments here are rather condensed, summarizing our key findings: For a full commentary on each of the test images, see the PhotoSmart 912's "pictures" page.

As with all Imaging Resource camera tests, we encourage you to let your own eyes be the judge of how well the devices performed. Explore the images on the pictures page, to see how well the 912 performed, and how its images compare to other cameras you may be considering buying.

Overall, the 912's white balance system did a pretty good job, though it had some trouble with our household incandescent lighting as well as the bright sunlight of the outdoor pictures. During the majority of our testing, the color balance was always either slightly warm or slightly cool, never dead on what we'd consider neutral. Still, overall color looked pretty good in most shots, with good accuracy. Saturation was a little weak, particularly in the Indoor portraits, never to the point we'd consider detrimental in typical shooting conditions. We noticed that bright red values, such as the red flower in the Outdoor Portrait and the large, red color block of the Davebox, often had a pixelated appearance along the edges, and a slight loss of detail. (A fairly common digicam limitation.) The other large color blocks of our Davebox test target showed good hue accuracy, although with slightly reduced saturation. The 912 did a good job of distinguishing between the red and magenta color blocks on the middle, horizontal color chart (another common problem area for many digicams), and picks up the variations of the Q60 chart all the way to the "B" range (albeit with very dim color variations). We also noticed a hazy cast in many of our test shots, that subdued the color. Still, the 912 does a pretty good job.

In our laboratory resolution test, the PhotoSmart 912 produced clean detail out to about 650 lines per picture height in both horizontal and vertical directions. The image is fairly "clean", in that noticeable aliasing doesn't begin until 700 to 750 lines. The image is once again soft, as we observed in our other tests, but takes sharpening well in Photoshop or other imaging program.

Optical distortion on the 912 is fairly high at the wide angle end, where we measured approximately 0.91 percent barrel distortion. The telephoto setting produced much better results, as we only measured one pixel of pincushion distortion. Chromatic aberration is fairly low, showing about a three pixels of faint coloration on each side of the black target lines. (This distortion is visible as a very slight colored fringe around the objects at the edges of the field of view on the resolution target.)

We found the 912's TTL optical viewfinder to be only a little tight, though still reasonably accurate, showing approximately 90.4 percent of the image area at wide angle. Frame accuracy was approximately 93.2 percent at the telephoto end. (Frame accuracy was the same for both resolution sizes). The LCD monitor was also a little tight at the wide angle end, showing approximately 96.3 percent of the image area, at both resolution sizes. (These shots of the viewfinder accuracy target look a little different than normal, because the 912's 4:5 image aspect ratio means that the bold vertical lines at the right and left hand edges of the frame are cut off. This is normal for cameras with this aspect ratio.) The LCD's frame accuracy was slightly higher at the telephoto end of the zoom range, where it showed 98.3 percent of the final image area. Since we like to see LCD viewfinders as close to 100% frame coverage as possible, the 912's LCD does quite well in this respect.

The 912 performed very well in the macro category, capturing a very tiny minimum area of just 0.62 x 0.50 inches (15.78 x 12.62mm). Definitely one of the smallest macro areas we've seen in a while. Detail and resolution both look great, with a lot of the fibrous detail of the dollar bill visible. Printing details on the bill are slightly soft, but still well defined. Color looks reasonably accurate as well, though slightly greenish. Noise is low, and scarcely visible. The 912's built-in flash does a surprisingly good job of throttling down for the macro shot, though with slightly uneven distribution at such a close range. An orangish hot spot dominates the top right corner of the image, with the greenish tint increasing in rest of the image. Still, a very nice job overall.

In our testing, we found the 912's flash power brightest from 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 the 14 and 15 foot distances. The flash was still effective at the 15 foot distance, though the intensity was quite dim. HP doesn't state an official range for the flash in their documentation for the camera, but we'd rate it at about 10 feet.

The 912 had a little trouble in the low-light category, producing the brightest, clearest image at the eight foot-candle light level (88 lux), which is the brightest light level in the series. We found similar results for the 100, 200, and 400 ISO settings, the only major difference being the noise level. At all three ISO settings, the eight foot-candle (88 lux) image shows very hot white values which seem to glow slightly. This odd highlight trait disappears with the lower light levels, however. We also noticed a strange blue cast to a couple of the images, namely the four foot-candle light level (44 lux) at 200 ISO, and the two foot-candle light level (22 lux) at 400 ISO. Images were still usable at the two and four foot-candle light levels, though somewhat dim. The target remained visible as low as 1/16 of a foot-candle (0.67 lux), however, noise levels increased dramatically. Noise was surprisingly high with the 100 ISO setting, and only increased with the 200 and 400 ISO settings. However, at all three ISO settings, the highest noise occurred with the darker light levels, from about two foot-candles on down. (We direct readers to Mike Chaney's excellent Qimage Pro program, for a tool with an amazing ability to remove image noise without significantly affecting detail.) To put the 912's low-light performance into perspective, an average city night scene under modern street lighting corresponds to a light level of about one foot-candle, so most average nighttime city shots will require use of a flash.

The 912 performed pretty well throughout our testing. Despite slightly flat color and a milky haze in some images, the 912 does a good job of reproducing color and interpreting most light sources. (The slight milkiness could be easily dealt with using QBeo's PhotoGenetics program, which we highly recommend for applications such as this.) The camera does better than average in the macro category, and has a nice complement of manual exposure controls (including a wide array of ISO settings). Most low-light situations will require the use of a flash, but the 912's built-in flash should be up to the challenge. We think the 912 does a pretty good job for its 2.24 megapixel class.


Conclusion
With the addition of a fully manual exposure mode, TTL optical viewfinder, more extensive exposure controls, and more external camera controls, the 912 provides a much more sophisticated user interface than other HP PhotoSmart models. Its varying levels of exposure control make the PS 912 suitable to both beginning and advanced digital photographers, with an easy-to-use fully automatic mode and a manual mode that allows the user to make all of the exposure decisions. The 912 produces exceptional color and image quality, with a high-precision 3x zoom lens, and a 2.24-megapixel CCD that is capable of producing prints as large as 8 x 10-inches (and larger. Based on HP's popularity in the digicam marketplace, and the relatively low price point, we feel that the PhotoSmart 912 should do well in the advanced digital SLR market.

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