HP PhotoSmart 912 - Digital camera - SLR - 2.2 Mpix - optical zoom: 3 x - supported memory: CF - black, metallic silver

by Hewlett Packard

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• ASIN: B0009LYDY4
• Item model number: C6326A#AR8
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: December 7, 2006

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice camera for the time, December 13, 2009

By 

Scott Peterson "I.T. Sme" (Center of the U.S.) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: HP PhotoSmart 912 - Digital camera - SLR - 2.2 Mpix - optical zoom: 3 x - supported memory: CF - black, metallic silver (Electronics)

This is a circa 2000-2001 camera that on the surface resembles an SLR, but in function is more like a point and shoot.

The good points are:

Fits your hand well, has about the "right" heft and feel.

Looks and handles like a "real" film camera.

Straightforward operation, relies more on external buttons than hidden menus.

3X zoom like a traditional SLR "kit" lens.

Can use 4AA batteries with the adapter or a proprietary internal battery--some sources say it's a lithium ion but I think it was a Nimh.

Can be durable, mine's survived being dunked from a canoe accident.

Has a true TTL (Through The Lens) viewfinder. It's not a mirror like an SLR, it's a beam splitter, and bright light from the back can find it's way into your image.

LCD flips up but does not rotate.

Picture quality can be very good but not contest winning.

And the down points:

Very slow operation, reviewing pictures can take several minutes if you have a lot.

Max ISO of 400 and burst mode of something like one frame per second means it won't be winning any speed contests. For older cameras like this I usually tell people to think it's a film camera with a manual advance. The speed and dim light shots modern cameras can take put this to shame.

2.24 megapixel is a very low resolution today, which can't really be offset by the picture quality.

Uses the standard (big size) USB cable to download.

The zoom is motorized, you twist the barrel left or right to go in or out. Why I don't know, as a manual zoom is simpler and less prone to fail.

Is supported in Windows XP as a mass storage device but is not in Vista or Windows 7. I'm still trying to find a workaround on that as the camera processes images when they're downloaded so you can't just pop the card in a reader.

Is rare as a hen's tooth today. I got mine in the spring of 2001 and within two years they were gone. I've only seen 4-5 come up for sale and finally got one that was almost new, 54 exposures.