Hewlett Packard PhotoSmart C315xi 2MP Digital Camera

by HP

Product Details

Product Manual [2.97mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 1.3 x 5 x 2.7 inches ; 9.9 ounces
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000051YGT
• Item model number: C8455A#ABA
• Batteries: 4 AA batteries required. (included)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,068 in Camera & Photo (See Top 100 in Camera & Photo)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes
• Date first available at Amazon.com: September 4, 1999

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

This traditional point-and-shoot-style digital camera features a high 2.1-megapixel resolution that captures vivid images at up to 1,600 x 1,200 resolution. The tripod mount, as well as features such as flash fill and red-eye reduction, helps produce precision photographs. HP's JetSend technology gives the option of wireless printing in conjunction with compatible HP printers. The adjustable 2.5x digital zoom lens combined with a fully automatic focus and exposure system captures photos effortlessly in all conditions. You can store your photos on the included 8 MB CompactFlash card and share them over the Web or in print. In addition, the C315xi includes Adobe's PhotoDeluxe Business Edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

227 of 232 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars HP 315 Digital Camera, November 24, 2000

By 

"bish001" (Ohio, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hewlett Packard PhotoSmart C315xi 2MP Digital Camera (Electronics)

We purchased this camera because of the price, and expected MUCH less than what we received... The camera has the ability to take 3 different resolutions of pictures. The least resolution is fine for web pictures, the medium resolution is great for pictures to be printed, and the highest resolution Gives Magnificent Pictures (but uses alot of memory) THe camera comes with an 8 MB disk, however, you will need to upgrade (or get a second card) if you plan to take alot of pictures before uploading to your computer... We got a 48mb Lexmar disk and have MORE than enough space to take lots of medium resolution pictures... We print our pictures using a midgrade ink-jet printer and they turn out GREAT! The drawbacks are that it is not very easy to use the zoom mode, especially if you are in a hurry to snap a pic! For the money, it appears the HP 315 is the BEST deal out there!

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple to use, great quality, December 18, 2001

By 

H. F. (Las Vegas, NV USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Hewlett Packard PhotoSmart C315xi 2MP Digital Camera (Electronics)

I have owned this camera for over a year. The quality of the images is great. I bought it as a gift for my wife and needed it to be easy to operate. This camera is basically point and shoot!
The menu is easy to operate and the included software is user friendly. A great deal for the price I paid. I especially like the fact that it uses "AA" batteries. We do a lot of international travel and being able to replace the batteries with ordinary "AA" batteries is a definate plus in remote areas.
The flash illuminates well, even at distance.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice camera - choose (or not) based on your usage habits, November 18, 2001

By 

AgJeff "AgJeff" (College Station, TX USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hewlett Packard PhotoSmart C315xi 2MP Digital Camera (Electronics)

I bought this camera several months ago based on online reviews and recommendations and based in no small part on the fact that this was one of only a handful that had published support for Windows 2000.

The camera is easy to use both when shooting pictures and when uploading those pictures to your computer via its USB interface.

The camera has three basic settings for picture quality (size). Like all digital cameras, it uses a lossy compression to save stored photos and the smallest ones cannot be blown up without significant pixelation. The medium sized ones are better for snapshots or web-ready pics and the large ones are quite large and would need to be edited or scaled before viewing over a slow connection. Larger pictures require more storage so the larger your chosen size the lower your capacity. At the camera's highest quality (largest size) setting this camera will store 8 photos. The camera uses standard memory sticks so this may not be an issue for you if you have more than one memory stick.

In my experience toting the camera around to take snapshots it has two significant drawbacks.

1. It is a battery hog - forcing you to take your picture and then turn the camera off quickly (close the lens cover). It will automatically turn off after a period of inactivity but not before significantly draining the battery. Turning off the LCD display vastly improves performance but of course instant results is one of the great things about having a digital camera in the first place.

2. Don't expect to be able to take very quick snapshots. I took this camera on a tour bus once and tried to take a couple of shots but to take a picture you must first aim, frame, depress the shutter button halfway, (to get a focus lock), and then depress the shutter button the entire way to save the picture. Even with practice it's very hard to get off a quick shot especially if you're moving. Many of my attempts resulted in no picture at all. I might have preferred an off-center photo but that's not an option.

If your photography consists of taking pictures of still subjects or does not require you to aim and shoot quickly this may be a good camera for you at a reasonable price.