Customer Reviews

Hewlett Packard PhotoSmart C618xi 2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Just recently I purchased a Hewlett Packard C618 digital camera. Although I have not used a digital camera before I find that it is very easy to use, even for a retiree as I am. If you wish, you can just turn on the camera, point and shoot. The camera will take care of everything else, such as exposure, focus, flash, white balance to compensate for various light sources, advance to the next frame, etc., etc. It is really a great little camera that comes up with pictures that rival the pictures I have taken with my Pentax.

The instruction book is detailed and covers just about everything you may want to know about the camera. It includes features that I will probably never use, but they exist nevertheless. The camera simulates a single lens reflex as closely as possible, and that includes the sounds of the shutter when taking a snapshot. There is also a quick start guide that gets you on the road quickly.

I purchased the 48 meg memory chip, NiMH batteries with battery charger, and a camera case. All seem necessary, matter of fact, a spare set of batteries is probably a good idea. I'm also planning to purchase the AC power supply because you can spend a fair amount of time at the computer with the camera in operation when working with your images.

Although minor in nature, the automated registration was a problem because the serial number on the camera did not match the number of digits required by the registration form. Also there is an automated camera software download that could become a problem, especially if one is working with brand new NiMH batteries. Initially these batteries seem to have a significantly reduced capacity until they have been recharged several times. Dead batteries during a download may become a problem. A quick call for help to HP solved both issues.

All in all I'm very pleased with my purchase and I'm looking forward to using this camera extensively this summer.

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.

I went from a HP C30 to the HP 618. I am impressed. The body just fits my hand, the buttons/controls are readily available and easy to operate. The 3x zoom beat the others I was looking at hands down. The camera can easily be put into auto mode, then just point and click. Or, it has lots of manual settings to experiment with. The HP software isn't super great, but putting the camera into "USB Disk Drive' allows me to treat it as a removable disk - I Love It!! Good clear LCD, Just an all around great camera! Highly recommend!

This is a pretty sexy-looking digital cam and feels great in your hand. The image LCD is larger than most. Agree with others that this camera is great for your first step into the digital world of photo-taking...Complaint is...the lag time. Yes, its "point and shoot", but after you "shoot" ...tick,tick,tick then,maybe you will (or maybe you won't) get the picture you were going for. I have not found an explanation within HPs website or their manual (which does not come in the box and must be found online). I also agree with others that the images are a bit off from what you see in the viewfinder.

Recently purchased this camera after returning the Kodak 3500. What a difference! The features,quality and construction are amazing. Took the camera on vacation to the beach and it performed beautifully. Brought back 70 Pictures and they were better than ever before! Took all of those pictures on the batteries that came with the camera. Comes with an excellent set of Photo Batteries from Energizer.I took a rechargeable set and never had to use them. Haven't been brave enough to try the camera on manual yet but I will. Took along My laptop so I had somewhere to unload the pics, which is a breeeze. Highly recommended camera!!

This is my first Digital Camera and I am very impressed. I took the camera to Europe for 6 weeks. It was easy to upload the pictures to my Laptop and email them to friends. I took over 225 pictures and only changed the rechargeable batteries once. When I got home, I printed some of the pictures using an HP 1215 printer and as I was told "They look like a Postcard." The camera was easy to use and I used all of the default settings. The zoom was great and it work like a point and shoot.

I had been thinking about a digital for quite awhile. The family has always used auto-focus 35 mm cameras for the convenience and easy results. We are not photo experts. We were looking for something with enough resolution to print up to 8 x 10 pictures, yet be a fully automatic camera with easy "point and shot" abilities. But at the same time we were looking for all the "extra" features if we wanted to experiment a bit. I did my research both on the internet and in the stores and finally decided on the HP 618xi. I have not been disappointed. I was taking digital pictures and downloading them to the computer within minutes (as well as printing). The camera has a solid feel and after a brief review of the fast start manual, easy to use. Be sure to purchase at least 2 sets of Ni-MH baterries with a charger to keep you going non-stop, and to read the Amazon editorials on purchasing a digital camera to see what features you really want. Be sure to get a camera with an optical zoom (as opposed to digital).

I've had this camera for only a day and a half but already have a good feel of what this camera can and can't do. Pros: strong flash, accurate color, easy to use. photos were very pleasing, and the software that comes with the HP is easy to use and understand. Cons: a bit slow capturing the photo once the action button is depressed, making it difficult to catch an "action photo." also, importantly, the viewfinder is off-center!! it is aimed higher than the camera's eye actually sees. you have to use the LCD to aim correctly. If you can deal with the cons, i think the camera is actually a good purchase.

After admiring the digital cameras of a few of my friends at various functions, I decided to put my tax rebate from President Bush to good use and joined the world of digital photgraphy! After hours of online research, comparing performance specs, reading reviews, etc., I decided to go with the HP C618. I'm happy to say so far I couldn't be happier with my choice. Although it's packed with special features, it also features an ease of use that lets beginners start taking pics right out of the box(well, you do have to install the batteries). A quick-start guide gives you the basics to get you going, while a far more comprehensive manual on an included CDROM tells you how to get the most out of your camera.

So far I've taken a couple of hundred pics, and, except for a few, the results have been fantastic! I christened the camera with a trip to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure in Orlando. Got some great pics which I downloaded to my screensaver/wallpaper on my computer at work and have received loads of compliments on the pics. Next test- a trip to Busch Gardens next week(living in Central Florida does have it's benefits!).

A couple of suggestions to add to your digital camera experience- get a card reader, to facilitate the transfer of your pics from the camera to the computer, and a larger memory card. The included card is 16MB, which will get you started, but a larger card, say 64MB or up, will allow you to take a lot more pics without worrying about deleting to make room for more.

A remarkably easy to use and understand digital camera, but with many advanced features and high resolution. I was drawn to this camera because of Hewlett Packard's excellent reputation and have not been disappointed. Within a few hours of using it, I was sending pictures by e-mail and editing my shots on the computer. It looks and feels like a film camera (unlike many boxy or ultra-small digitals)and has controls at logical places. The quality of the photos is remarkable. This is a camera I will grow into as I learn more and more of its features.