Hewlett-Packard's
PhotoSmart 850 is one of two 4 megapixel models in HP's current
line-up. Unlike the HP
812 which has a 3X optical zoom, the HP 850 offers an 8X optical zoom,
whimsically described as a 56X zoom on the camera's body; a "magnification"
achieved by combining the 8X optical zoom with a 7X digital zoom.
This exaggeration is somewhat regrettable since it can cause confusion.
Nevertheless, the HP 850 offers interesting features, and wraps them in
an ergonomic and appealing design, all at a good price.
The
HP 850 is the first Hewlett-Packard camera to use an electronic viewfinder
(EVF). The EVF is activated by default when the camera is powered on,
albeit a few seconds after the LCD screen which comes on briefly at first
to display the HP's logo.
The viewfinder has a diopter correction integrated with the rubber eyecup.
Turning the rubber trim left or right increases, or decreases, the correction,
as needed. The EVF itself is activated automatically by sensors —
the 2 round little windows below the rubber trim — which are used
to detect when the user's face is near the viewfinder. This, in turn,
allows the camera to conserve power by turning off the EVF when it is
not in use.
The
top of the HP 850 provides a 2-part control. The Mode Dial around the
shutter release serves to turn on and off the camera, and select the shooting
mode:
Single
frame shooting
Self-Timer
shooting
Movie
Mode
Nearby, a
small button is used to release the pop-up flash. A small speaker is incorporated
behind the shutter release to playback recorded sounds.
The back controls of the HP 850 are likewise simple and their wide spacing
— made possible by the size of the camera — makes them very
easy to use. The upper buttons are for:
Flash
Modes: Auto, Auto with Red-eye Reduction, Forced on, Night (Slow
Synch), Night with Red-eye Reduction.
Macro
Mode: provides a focusing range of 10 to 80 cm (4 to 31.5 inches)
and limits the zoom to a maximum magnification of 3.5 X.
The zoom
control is placed in the upper right corner, so as to be under the thumb
when the camera is in use.
The
optical zoom moves by steps throughout its focal length range, and transitions
from optical to digital after the maximum optical magnification of 8X
has been reached, and the button has been released and then pressed again.
As the digital zoom takes effect, it progressively crops the image until
the actual image frame measures only 320 x 240 pixels. The cropping effect
is shown in the viewfinder as a red rectangle which progressively gets
smaller, and smaller. The resulting image is not interpolated, but its
small size makes it of little use.
The
other controls on the back of the HP 850 are organized on the right side
of the LCD screen. A large multi direction control dominates the area,
and provides for menu navigation. In addition, Exposure
Compensation (±3EV in 0.5EV steps) can be set with the left
and right arrows. When the Aperture or Shutter Priority modes are used,
the up and down arrows can be used to modify apertures, or shutter speeds.
Turns
on the 2 inch LCD screen.
Starts
the playback mode.
Share
button, used to tag images for printing or e-mailing.
Calls
up the menu and confirms selections.
The ergonomics of the HP 850 are quite good. Its electronic viewfinder
image seems smaller than on some other cameras equipped with similar systems,
but in fact the impression stems from the fact that there is less magnification
in the eyepiece.
The advantage of the
lesser magnification is that the image looks sharper and the pixels that
form it are less noticeable. This gives the HP 850 one of the sharpest
displays that we've seen for EVF system.
