Customer Reviews

Hewlett Packard PhotoSmart C618 2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

After agonizing for weeks over what camera to buy, and coming THIS CLOSE to buying the Olympus C-2040, I decided on the HP 618. I liked the idea of HP technology combined with a Pentax lens. Just received it yesterday, and boy am I impressed! The HP technology is very intuitive, so figuring out how the camera works is not difficult. Lots of settings available for photo buffs, but can operate on a simple point-and-shoot basis, too. Shot-to-shot times are fast, and there's very little shutter lag. Picture quality seems terrific so far, but I haven't tested it under too many conditions yet.

Two nice included bonuses are a 16 MB CompactFlash card and a very simple, one-button infrared remote control. The accessory kit (right now, offered FREE with purchase of camera, if you buy direct from HP) is a great deal, too. It contains another 16 MB card, a leather case, and eight lithium batteries, among other things.

Can you tell I'm excited about this camera? Highly recommended!

Oh yes, the only difference between the C-618 and the C-618xi is the software that is included. The cameras are identical.

One additional purchase I would recommend is a CompactFlash card reader to help preserve battery life. ... ...

(No, I don't work for HP!)

If you are ready to buy a new digital camera then you probably have some idea of what camera you want to buy. If you are like me who is low on budget but still want good performance and features, I strongly recommend C618. Buying a digital camera can be very challenging, especially when lot of manufacturers are bringing in new products every day. When I started to look for a digital camera I first wrote down the features I want and then tried to fit the products that will meet my requirements. Nikon, Canon, Minolta are the only brand names most of the amateur photographers like me know. The name HP will not come to you in first place. But after reviewing my needs and BUDGET I decided to buy HP and I very happy with this product. While judging the digital camera, you must judge it as if it was regular 35mm film camera. The reason for this is because most of the camera manufacturers try to build it in such a way that it will closely match with the film camera. Here is a small review of the camera. - Camera has very good normal to tele Pentax zoom 3x optical and 2x digital (34-108mm 35 mm equivalent) which serves most of the picture taking purpose. - The resolution of 2.11 MP produces very good 5 x 7 prints. Anything above 5 x 7 will reduce the quality. - Shutter and Aperture priority mode lets you use your creativity. - Excellent center weighted and spot metering. - Zoom flash, the flash moves based on the zoom. (I have taken acceptable quality pictures in absolute darkness with this camera) - Excellent Macro/Close Up focusing range. - AA batteries - NTSC and PAL playback on TV.

The most important accessory for taking great pictures with this camera (for that matter any camera) is good quality tripod. When I took this camera for the outdoor shoot, I mounted it on [a]... tripod that I regularly use with my film camera. In place of shutter release cable, I use the infrared remote that comes standard with this camera and the results were impressive. Just like any other film camera, you must first test the camera with various subjects, lighting situation and settings. I have tested the camera for Close ups, Portraits and in studio where I work with studio lights. If you treat this camera with the same basic principles of working with film camera you should get excellent pictures. With digital camera if the final output you want is print, then I recommend that print the pictures with good quality printer. Even if your pictures are good, if you print them using average printer, you will be disappointed and camera may not be at blame. Again the truth is “Excellent technique and average equipment will produce better results than Excellent equipment and average technique”. This camera is budget buy for amateur photographer like me and to date I am very happy with this. A very good quality for the price you pay. Buy additional 128 MB compact flash card and you are all set for vacation with this camera.

If you are looking for 3x optical zoom then this is the best camera for the money that I've found. It has a natural feel when holding it, the menu system is outstanding, and the picture quality is great.

In addition to all the other comments here, the HP C618 has a couple of very appealing features:

- Traditional Pentax "retro" appearance, more resolution than most people need, very nice onscreen menus, unique IR blasting features, automatic lens cover, and picture quality is light-years better than my last camera (especially on outdoor shots). The default 16mb card stores 100 800x600 images or 29 1600x1200 images at "better quality"

- PC Connect mode simulates a generic hard disk to both Macs and Win2K (no software or adapters needed for to connect to an average PC, plug it in using any standard USB printer cable)

- Scripting language is very useful, I downloaded several free scripts and documentation from the ... site and had them copied to flash in minutes...I've since written a couple of scripts, including one for "bracketing" shots (takes multiple pictures with various exposure or zoom levels)

On the flip side, you'll need to accept that...

- The battery drain is significant at times...I found some AA couldn't provide enough oomph when the camera what shooting (especially several shots in a row). The includes AA Photo Lithium batteries were flawless and provided 200 shots with a high percentage of flash shots, screen usage, and USB connections. I plan on trying Radio Shack NMH rechargables as people suggest

- The flash is too bright on indoor shots less than ~5 feet...as others suggested, I've taped some tissue over the flash and sometimes also have to reduce the exposure setting to get a good shot in these cases. If you're doing eBay or inventory work you'll need to set up other sources of light. and disable the camera flash.

- There was not as much software included for Macintosh computers...just some generic image editing tools (the ... site claims to have a free software download for Macs but the link is broken and you end up getting their software for an older HP camera). I honestly don't think this is a big deal, as the connections to my Mac are so easy in USB drive mode I'd just assume not clutter up my disk with stuff I wouldn't use.

I love this camera...originally I'd thought I'd wanted the cute little Canon ELPH S100 but the HP has better optics, value, and customization using the scripting language. I also was very impressed with the Kodak 3400 (this was a close call but the asthetics, scripting, 3x zoom, and USB drive emulation on the HP won me over)

This camera offers impressive quality and features for a reasonable price. This was my first experience with a digital camera so I wasn't sure what to expect. I was surprised to find that the camera is exceptionally easy to use and takes great photographs.

You really don't even need to read the manual to start taking pictures. The "getting started" guide helps you install the memory card and batteries and then you are off and running. For the most part, all camera function can be figured out by navigation the well designed menus. This is especially good since the full manual is only included in PDF format on the software CD.

So far, all of the pictures I've taken have had very nice color balance and depth. Naturally, the quality setting on the camera (of which there are 3) has a signficant effect on the imagine quality.. but I have been satisfied with the results at all quality levels.

The included memory card has 16 megabytes of storage. This will get you about 29 images at medium quality, ~ 15 at high quality and 2 at the high quality setting (which uses no compression). 16 megabytes gives you plenty of storage to get started with the camera, but you'll probably want to invest in something larger once you start using it more.

Of course, this camera has it's set of downsides.

- On occasion the response time from the zoom is a bit slow. You'll press the zoom buttom (which is nicely located right where your thumb rests) and it might take a second or so for the zoom to move.

- The screen on the back of the camera isn't bright enough for outdoor photography. This only becomes a problem when you are using the macro feature. Normally the viewfinder gets the job done, but with macro photos the viewfinder doesn't accurately show what the lens sees so you must use the screen. Unfortunately the screen can be almost impossible to see on a sunny day.

- When looking through the viewfinder your nose presses against the rear screen. This doesn't present a problem from a usage perspective but you'll find the screen needs constant cleaning.

We've had the 618 for several months now. It's a been a great value. We particularly appreciated the higher resolution and flexibility that this camera offered in the price range. We paired this camera with a Photosmart 1215 printer and that has made printing very simple (we print by sending images through the camera's infrared port or through the smartcard).

HP's basic photoprinting software is very easy to use and allows you to make basic adjustments in photographs prior to printing. The included 3rd party photoediting software is adequate but not a match for Adobe Photoshop or Photoshop Elements which we purchased later.

We'd buy the camera again, but in our next camera we would look for these improvements on the 618:

(1) Printed colors seem a bit faded for shots taken in daytime lighting.
(2) The LCD display washes out in normal daylight (a problem most of these cameras apparently share).
(3) The 16 MB smartcard included is large for cameras in this price range but insufficient (we immediately bout a 64 MB card).
(4) Battery life seems short, I'd recommend purchasing the rechargable battery.

I've looked at a lot of different digital cameras here and elsewhere. I have also used many in trying out different types.

This camera is absolutely the most intuitive and easy to use digital camera that I have ever used. The transition between using a high quality film camera and using this one is seemless, plus you get a lot more features and flexibility.

The quality of the photos makes it easy to take a great picture.

Highly recommended.

After extensive research into 2 and 3 megapixel cameras, I settled on the H-P C618xi (identical to the C618 except for included software). I was going to Europe for two weeks and wanted to give digital photography a serious workout. Boy, did I make the right choice!
The camera is worth much more than it costs, an idea supported somewhat by resell prices higher than what I paid for it new. It has tremendous versatility: Easy to use automatic features for carefree snapshots and excellent manual capabilities for greater artistic control.
I do professional work for feature and spot news stories. Over the last two or three months, I gradually have pared down the "film" equipment I keep with me until all I take along is the C618xi. The lower JPEG settings are great for newspapers, yet the highest rez TIFF images reproduce perfectly in 4-color glossy mags. Instead of a bulky kit, now I have only a small tote with a wrist strap, containing the camera, 4 spare AA's, a lens brush and CF memory cards. That will last me all day in just about any setting. If I'm doing a flash-heavy shoot, I carry along 4 extra AA's just in case.
This camera is not as power-hungry as some I've seen. However, any user will find that 1600mAH NiMH batteries are the way to go to keep the energy costs down. My personal recommendation is to go with Ray-O-Vac: Their AA's are the highest potency around and they make a great compact 1-hour charger that will charge 4 AA's at once (...).
For the amateur or the professional, I can't recommend this camera highly enough. I wouldn't part with it for anything.

Like everyone else, I went to Best Buy and fumbled with the dozen or so digital cameras before leaving totally frustrated at the lack of information that's provided with their products (are you REALLY going to believe what a salesman tells you???). I did, however, realize that I didn’t like how most of the cameras felt in my hands. I’m accustomed to having my claws around an SLR, so most of these cameras felt pretty strange. It seems that these manufacturers are more concerned about how something looks rather than how it performs and its affordability to the average Joe. Therefore, you get a camera that performs well in a wind-tunnel, but it’s awkward to handle.

Have you tried looking through the puny viewfinder on the Canon Elph PowerShots? Your eyes will water as it peers through the peephole. Also, you’re guaranteed to lose it since it’s so small (e.g., leave it on a restaurant table…a generous tip). On the opposite side of the spectrum, all Sony cameras are bulky, and I honestly believe that no two are alike. Have you tried slipping a Sony Mavica in your shirt-pocket? Don’t do it unless you wear XXLs.

I went home, logged-on, and did my homework prior to dropping [price] based on what some pimply kid with a blue shirt told me. Consumers are brutally honest, and they’ll wear their emotions on their sleeves. This is heightened on the internet where anonymity is commonplace. I noticed that the HP PhotoSmart C618 had many reviews for such a low-key camera. Only a handful of reviews were negative. I plodded through ALL the reviews from four websites and decided that this was the one. I ordered it from eCost.com for [price].

Upon receipt, I noticed how it nestled in my hands and had the weight and feel of an SLR. All of the features were very intuitive and well-placed. I took three fabulous pictures in the first five minutes (who reads the instructions anymore???). One action, one portrait, and one B&W. They turned out so well that I’ll have these committed to photographic paper.

The camera lives up to its hype. One neat feature that no one has mentioned is the camera’s time-lapse mode. I’ve always wondered what my three dogs do to my house while I’m away earning my keep. I’m greeted by a trashed living room every day and images of the delinquents rough-housing in my absence occupy my mind. Now I’ll set the camera on a tripod in a safe corner of the house and let it pop pictures every hour to see what it captures.

My lone complaint is the camera’s macro feature. The dreaded parallax effect will take your image off-from-center for extreme close-ups, but once you pop a few shots to get your bearings straight, you’ll capture what you want.

I believe that this camera will make me take better film pictures due to its similar feel and function of an SLR. The bottom line, however, is to have fun with it. No film. Instant gratification. Maybe along the way capture a special photo that'll hang on the wall for years. Have fun. That’s why you’re spending the money, right?

This camera rocks. Great quality and is a breeze to use. There are 2 items you will need. 1. the power adapter and 2. rechargeable batteries. In fact my one and only complaint is battery life.

A must buy!