Customer Reviews

HP PS812 4MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(11)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

I looked at many brands including Sony and Canon. I liked the idea of having the docking station that I just plug the camera into and can view easily on my TV. It also uploads the pictures very easily and the software that comes with it works great. I can easily have it email the pictures automaticaly or have them displayed on a web page automaticaly. I can't wait to get my new HP printer to print off some pics.

I had actually bought a Sony camera for the same price and returned it to buy this one. The Sony was only 3.1mp and had only 2x optical and 3 way digital zoom. This has 3X optical and 7X digital zoom. The other big advantage for the same money is that this one captures sound when I take a movie clip and the Sony did not. I also found the memory cheaper with more choices than the Sony.

Overall I am thrilled with my choice.

Enjoy!!...

I decided to upgrade from my 1.3 MegaPix Olympus Brio D-150 digital camera. The Olympus was my first digicam and I realized I wanted a camera that took better quality photos. The photo quality of the Olympus left me with a lot to be desired as I compared its photos with other cameras.

After reading some reviews and considering the price, I decided the HP 812 would meet my needs for a near pocket-sized, point and shoot, zoom, 4.1 MegaPix digicam. Although I read both positive and negative reviews, I was comfortable with the possibility I may experience some of the minor cons.

The camera itself is the perfect size. The features are exactly what I want. The picture quality wasn't exactly perfect, but much better than my Olympus. I also bought the accessory kit and the docking station.

The first issue I experienced is that, using ordinary alkaline batteries, I could only get about one dozen photos using flash when the batteries died. This camera is very demanding on batteries. Fortunately, HP includes one set of disposable lithium batteries that last longer than alkaline. With the accessory kit, I also received two pairs of rechargeable NiMh batteries and a recharger.

My greatest disappointment is that the second day I had this camera, after about twenty pictures taken over two days, the camera stopped working. I turned it on, heard a popping noise, then a grinding noise. The lens would not extract from the camera. Either the lens motor or gear stopped functioning. What a shame. I read some reviews which other people experienced similar problems. I understand that a bad unit can come out of a batch of good units, but with my unit being defective after having read such mixed reviews, I decided to return the camera, not for an exchange for a working unit, but for a refund.

I now realize I should simply stick with buying one of the better-reviewed Canon or Sony cameras. It may cost more or I may have to settle for lower MegaPix in order to stay within budget, but the reviews for the Canon and Sony cameras have me convinced they are better quality than this HP 812. I gave this camera the benefit of the doubt, thinking the cons I read in the reviews would not affect me. It takes good (not great) pictures, is small, has good features, and is easy to use. But it also drains batteries too fast and, in my experience, can be defective right out of the box. I do not recommend this camera. There is a reason this is one of the lowest price 4.1 MegPix cameras on the market, and that reason has to do with quality. I will be buying a Canon or Sony now, maybe even another Olympus or Nikon. But unfortunately, I will not buy another HP anytime soon. Thanks for trying HP. It was a fair effort.

This is a cool camera and it is small and light ehough to put in your pocket. I carry mine everywhere just in case I want to take a picture. The fact that it uses only two batteries is also an advantage - you effectively get twice the battery life of many other cmaeras. While the Viking MMC cards prompted by David Payne may work in the 812, in general MMC cards are not supported with this camera. According to the manual you should use SD cards for best results.

I absolutely love this camera!!! I have only had it for one week and have already taken over 100 pictures including still with audio and video. So incredibly easy to use!!! The camera only comes with a 16mb memory card. Make sure you invest in at least a 128MB memory card. I also bought the HP DSCA20 Accessory Kit which included an HP camera bag, very compact battery charger and 4 rechargeable batteries...Well worth it! With enough memory and batteries, I can take pictures anytime. Highly recommended!!!!

My company just merged with HP and so I bought this out of loyalty to my new combined company. I looked at lots of other digital cameras in this price range, but this had the most features for the money and the best resolution. The one thing I am really thrilled about though is how great the software is that comes with the camera. It's very simple to use. I haven't even popped open the manual yet and have taken pictures and video clips, uploaded them to my PC and emailed them all around the country to relatives. All without reading anything. HP has always been known for the excellent software that comes with their products such as printers and scanners. I am happy that it applies to their digital cameras as well. And now I get to write software for HP too.

I take a lot of pictures! I have 30 or so picture albums on line on Webshots. These are by far the best pictures I've ever seen. When you enlarge the picture the details stay sharp and focused! It's light enough to keep in my shirt pocket. The zoom is outstanding. The docking station makes recharging and downloading a snap! I would like a car charger. I have not looked for one yet, but I'm sure there is one out there somewhere. This little puppy even makes big movies! It's a work-horse in a small package. It is very easy to learn how to use. I never even opened the manual that came with it. You will love this camera!

This is my third digital camera (I also have a wonderful Toshiba PDR-M1 (1.3 Mp) and a horrible, full of bugs Kodak DX 3600). I really like the HP PS812 except that it does not come with any way to power the camera except two batteries.

There is a camera dock, which is OK, but not something that I really want to carry on trips.

There is supposedly an optional AC adapter, but HP gives absolutely no hint in its included documentation or on its web site what the part number is. Looking through the reviews here on Amazon.com for AC adaptors for HP cameras, it is obvious that getting an adapter is an iterative process of buying and returning until a lucky purchase works.

If anyone has found the magic AC adapter that works, please post which one it is.

do NOT buy this camera unless you enjoy spending lots and lots of money on batteries...regular AA batteries last about 5 minutes, rechargables only slightly longer....i am waiting on Hewlett Packard to send me some photo lithiums to try...if they dont work any better, i am demanding my money back!..of course that doesnt mean i'll get it back!...takes great pictures, easy to use....just drains batteries quick as a flash!..not worth the trouble...the thing is too expensive for this!!

I bought this camera about four months ago after reading some good reviews, boy were they wrong! For the price, the resolution is good, but I expected better. The macrofocus does not work well at all, and I have a hard time getting a picture off indoors. The "no red-eye" feature just makes you have "green-eye" instead. I would not recommend this camera to anyone. Go buy a Canon instead, stick to those companies that know something about photography.

My wife and I received this camera for an early Christmas present. We have been looking for a camera for a few months now, and unexpectedly, her uncle bought this for us. This camera is more than anything I have ever expected in a camera. The features are incredible and easy to use. I have not even opened the manual yet, it is that user friendly. The pictures are of the most excellent quality. I would recommend this to anyone looking for a camera.