Customer Reviews

HP PS720 3.3MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I've had this camera for a little over a month now, and I love it more and more every day. It is, by far, the easiest digital camera to use that I've ever encountered. Really. You choose your resolution and flash settings by simply pressing large, clearly marked buttons...no fiddling with strage dials and deciphering cryptic symbols. The resolution is incredible. Even on its lowest setting, the pics are still far better than the 2.5MP camera I've been using of late. And at its highest setting, you can count the whiskers on your cat, the leaves on your tree, whatever you fancy, with crystal clarity. The internal memory is sufficient, but is also easily (and fairly cheaply) upgraded. The camera drains standard alkaline batteries a bit quickly, and the battery slot is initailly puzzling, but don't let this stop you. I've seen a large range of digital cameras, and this is the first one I'd actually recommend, especially to those just starting out with digitals. This really is as idiot-proof as they get.

This is simply the easiest digital camera to use. The results are fantastic! With 3.3 megapixels this camera produces some amazing images. The software is easy to load and images transmit instantly to your PC via the USB cable provided. I highly recommend this great product!

This is my first digital camera and so far I am very pleased. I have taken a few pictures of my kids in front of our christmas tree. The picture quality is so excellent that you can see the ornaments down to their smallest details. I've only viewed the pictures on my computer so far and if they are just as nice printed on the right paper you can't go wrong with this camera. You get alot of camera for a great price! My sister in-law was so impressed with the pictures I sent her email that she bought one for her daughter.

I was extremely disappointed in this camera! It drains batteries like you wouldn't believe. I went through 3 sets of batteries in the first month I had this camera (that includes one set of those expensive lithium batteries that are supposed to last longer!). Plus, it doesn't even give you any warning when the battery is getting low. It is supposed to have an indicator but it doesn't tell you until it's too late. The other problem I kept having was that the camera would lock up and I couldn't shut the camera off. I had to take out the batteries to get it to do anything. Maybe I got a bad camera and this was a fluke?
On a **positive** note - the camera takes great pictures and has some great little features.
I am upgrading from a very basic Canon 1.3 mp so I have something to compare this to. Based on my experience I would definitely not recommend this camera to anyone. That is until HP corrects some of these design flaws.
I returned mine and am back on the market reading reviews and really doing my homework this time!

The Hp Photosmart 720 is my first digital camera. I've only been playing with it for a few days but so far I'm pleased. My first impression of the camera when I saw what it looked like were negative. I thought that it looked chunky and heavy for a digital camera. Especially when you look at it next to it's brother the 812. But at my price range this camera seemed the best value. And now that I have it in my hands, I've found that the design has grown on me. The chunkiness along with the rubberized hull make it grippy and comfortable to hold. The weight makes it feel substantial like there is some quality built into it. The buttons are nicely layed out and the features are good for a simpler family clicker like me.

Speaking of buttons there are a few unexpected annoyances but from what I've seen and read, I believe these to be just the nature of digital cameras in general. First of all, the on/off button doesn't respond right away. At first I thought it might have defective, but then I realized you just have to press it and then wait about 10 seconds for the camera to turn on and be ready. Also the camera does snap imidiately after you press the button. It has to focus first. But it does it pretty quickly and if you press the button half way first and let it get that part out of the way, it snaps right away after you press the button fully.

The picture quality looks okay, especially when liking it good and you are printing on good quality paper.

That's all I have time to say for now.

So far, I have no complaints! It is a very good camera. Great for someone who is not too terribly interested in a huge load of bells & whistles. This camera is basic ... does what 99% of most cameras do, and takes great photos. It is very easy to use. I would recommend it to anyone in need of a decent camera under 300 dollars. It takes movies with sound. The only thing I heard about it that was considered negative was the weight of the camera. I really do not see how that was a factor at all. It feels like a camera SHOULD feel like. It is not as heavy as a brick, and it looks as if it is made very well. Not like some toy, like some digital cameras look and feel.

Being completely new to digital photography, this is a great buy for beginners. The buttons and menus are easy to understand and 16MB is plenty of room for pictures. Even when taking lowest-quality pictures, they still look great. The user manual is quite simple and foolproof, HP software and the USB cable are working perfectly with my W98SE.
Video capturing worked just fine except the sound was a bit too quiet. Guess it's mostly meant for commenting on what you are currently recording.
For future customers: if you just got the camera and it won't start with regular alkaline batteries, just try the rechargeables. It will work fine after that with batteries as well, but looks like it needs rechargeables on the very first try.

I found that the camera was very easy to learn. The quality of the pics, movies, sound was very good. A couple of things that bring my rating down are:

1. Camera has no light, zoom features when taking movies
2. The access to the batteries is a little awkward(sp?) to figure out.
3. The access to the extended memory/usb/tv jack is a little flimsy leaving you with the worry that the cover will come off.

I purchased this camera ~10months ago, based upon reviews I had read. The concensus opinion is that this camera is a good balance between price and photo quality. Overall, I agree with this assessment. But hindsight being 20/20, I don't know if I would buy this camera again because of the lack of manual control or override for the exposure/whitebalance.

In use, it is a little bulky but easy to use with one hand. I find that the heft actually helps me keep the camera steady in use. Mixture of brushed aluminum and rubber for the case is aestheticlly pleasing and reassuring to the hand.

Autofocus is good and quick in normal to bright light, but slow and easily fooled in dim/low light conditions. The flash is not usefull beyond 15ft.

The automatic whitebalance and exposure settings are another matter. In situations where the light level of the centered subject is lower than the light level of the backround, the camera defaults to the backround. You can not totally override the automatic settings so you are left with an underexposed subject. The menu allows for only slight adjustment of the auto settings, but the adjustment range is not great enough. A good example of this problem would be an outdoor picture, where the subject is in the shade but the backround is not. The subject is underexposed, while the backround looks great and no amount of digital processing can reverse the result.

I have also used this camera to photograph items for Ebay auctions. For this purpose, the camera is perfect. With some attention paid to lighting, the photos are well exposed with excellent fine detail.

The included HP Photosmart software is basic, but usefull. Like the camera itself, there are not alot of custom editing options. The USB link from the camera to the software is quick and automatic. Data transfer of a full 64mb card takes ~3min. Slow to some, but OK by me.

The included 16mb of onboard memory holds ~11 full resolution pictures. I purchased a 64mb plug in card, which can hold ~52 full resolution shots. What is interesting is that the onboard memory and the plug in memory are segregated. You can fill up the onboard memory and then plug in the card and fill it up. Used this way, I can take a total of 63 high resolution photos.

Battery life is fine. I did invest in recharchable batteries and I get ~160-180 photos per charge. I would estimate that I use the LCD screen ~1/2 the time.

Like most camera LCD screens, it is usefull in all but daytime outdoor conditions.

For pictures from a distance of less than 15ft, there is a bit of parallax(sp) error between the viewfinder and what the camera records. But once you see the difference a few times, it is easy to compensate for by framing your subject to be just a bit offcenter in the viewfinder. This is not a problem to me, but may be to others.

In summary, this is a good point and shoot camera for most situations. Manual features are limited. Used withing it's limitations it is fine. If you need manual control over exposure/whitebalance, look elsewhere. If you want a simple, rugged camera for casual use, the 720 should be a candidate, expecially at current prices.

Nice product by HP but just a couple of things:
1- It does NOT have the 1024 x 768 resolution.
2- Memory door is very loose.
3- Battery door is very very tight.
I know I am goning to break them sooner or later.