Photos are captured by a 1/2.5
inch, 4.23 million pixel CCD of which 4.05 million pixels are
effective to produce a maximum image size of 2320 x 1744 pixels.
By default, the CCD sensitivity is set to Auto, allowing the
camera to increase sensitivity over the sensor's entire range
of 100, 200 or 400 ISO.
Alternatively, the sensitivity
can be set to a specific setting in the menu (100, 200 or 400
ISO); but, unless the Menu/OK button is held pressed
in while the camera is turned on, the R607 will return to its
default settings once it has been turned off.
Pentax provides the lens for the Photosmart R607. The 3X optical zoom,
with a focal length range of 5.8 to 17.4 mm, is equivalent to a 35 to 105
mm in the 35 mm film format. The lens has two apertures, f2.6 and
f4.3 which become respectively f4.8 and f7.6 when the zoom is at its maximum
telephoto.
HP has also equipped the R607 with
a 7X digital
zoom, which when factored in with the 3X real zoom
makes it possible to boast a 21X Zoom for the R607 and
stencil that on the front of the camera, thus creating an unnecessary
source of confusion for potential purchasers. However, the
R607's digital zoom is a cropping tool which gradually crops
the 4-megapixel image smaller and smaller as the digital zoom
is used, arriving at an image size of 320 x 240 pixels at
21X. (See our
article about digital zooms).
While the R607 offers a basic aperture priority mode that makes it possible
to control the depth of field to some extent by selecting one of the two
apertures of the camera, the shutter speeds are completely under the control
of the camera. The shutter speeds range from 1/2000 second to 12 seconds
when the zoom is at the wide angle and largest aperture (f2.6), and 16
seconds when set to the smaller aperture (f4.3) or the zoom is at the telephoto
end. Moreover, long exposures are automatically processed for noise reduction.
All images captured with the R607 are JPEG compressed. The levels of compression
are represented by stars, and are at any one of 3 image sizes:
4M: 2320 x 1744 pixels with a image
quality,
2M: 1600 x 1260 pixels with a image
quality,
VGA: 640 x 480 pixels with a image
quality.
In addition, the R607 provides a Custom Image Quality setting that
gives access to another compression level which has an even higher image
quality, and which makes it possible to create a specific combination of
image size and compression using any of the 4 compression settings that
are available:
compression ratio of around
1:6 (the highest image quality).
compression ratio that ranges
between 1:8 and 1:10.
compression ratio that ranges
between 1:12 and 1:14.
compression ration that can be
as low as 1:18 and as high as 1:30.
Thus, although it is not directly offered in the image quality presets,
the R607 can be set to capture a 4 megapixel image with the least amount
of compression of which the camera is capable.
The HP Photosmart R607 uses a 3-point auto focus which can identify one
or more points horizontally at the centre of the frame and on either side
of the centre. By default the auto focus system starts to look for the
focus point from the last focus position of the lens. However, that behaviour
can be changed if either the up or down arrow of the 4-direction controller
is held in while half-pressing the shutter release. The camera will then
start searching for a new focus point farther away when the up arrow is
pressed, or closer in when the down arrow is pressed.
Aside from the aforementioned use of the controller, and the functions
of the external buttons described in the Ergonomics section
of this review, all other user selectable functions are contained in the
various menus of the R607. By default, aside from the image size and quality,
user-selected menu settings or the shooting mode are not retained once
the R607 is turned off. Still, a somewhat impractical go-around for this
peculiarity exists, requiring the Menu/OK button to be held in while
the camera is powered on, which in turn returns the camera to the last
set of user settings that were different from the defaults.
But, while the lack of an option to recall preferred settings is a regrettable
omission on the R607, its menu contains options that are unique to recent
Hewlett-Packard cameras. Each of its menu options offers a Help section,
explaining the function of the option, and its settings. The Help pages
are so extensive and detailed that they can effectively replace the instruction
manual, making this an ideal camera for occasional photographers, or novices.
The menu is composed of 5 sections — each identified by a tab at
the top of the menu — and is the same whether in the image capture
modes or in the playback mode. Recording options are presented in the first
section, identified by a camera icon:
EV Compensation: offers an exposure compensation range
of ±3 EV in 1/3 EV increments.
Image Quality: serves to select the image size and
quality (see above).
White Balance offers presets for: Auto, Sun, Shade,
Tungsten, Fluorescent or Manual, which serves to set the white
balance for ambient lighting conditions that do not match any
of the presets by basing the white balance on a piece of white
paper.
ISO Speed serves to set the CCD sensitivity: Auto
(100 - 200), 100, 200 or 400 ISO.
Adaptive Lighting: is a post-capture image processing
option that identifies the dark areas of the frame, and
then increases their brightness before storing the image.
Three settings are available: Off, Low or High. (This option
is not available when the camera is set to either Panorama
or Movie mode.)
Color: determines whether the image will be recorded
in full colour (the default), or Black and White, or Sepia.
Saturation has 3 settings: Low, which mutes the
colours slightly; Medium, the default; or High, which accentuates
colours.
Sharpness provides 3 settings: Low, Medium (default)
and High.
Date & Time Imprint: not available with either
the Panorama or Video modes, this option serves to permanently
stamp the date, or the date and time onto the lower left
of the image.
Exit: clears the menu off the screen.
The next tab on the right of the Recording options accesses
the Playback menu. When the camera is set to the Playback
mode and the Menu/OK button is pressed, this section
appears first. The Playback menu offers the following options:
Delete provides several options: Cancel returns
to the Playback menu without deleting the image;This
Image deletes the currently displayed image or video
clip; Entire Panorama Sequence deletes all images
associated with a panoramic sequence; All Images (in
Memory/on Card) deletes all of the images and video
clips either in internal memory, or on an optional memory
card; Format formats the internal memory or memory
card; and UndeleteLast recovers the last
deleted image.
Remove Red-Eyes: is an option that is only available
for photos captured with the flash. With the image to be
processed on the screen, selecting the option automatically
removes the red-eye effect if it is there. The corrected
image is then displayed, and the user can save it or cancel
it.
Image Advice: this option checks the image for
problems such as possible camera shake, overexposure, etc. (see
the example shown at right).The option is not
available for video clips.
Image Info: presents the shooting data superimposed
on the image.
Record Audio: serves to attach a voice annotation,
up to a minute long, to an image.
Rotate: allows rotating images clockwise in 90° increments.
Panorama Preview: presents a series of images,
recorded using the Panorama mode, as a seamless panoramic
image which can be seen using the right and left arrows
of the 4-direction control.
Exit: clears the menu from the screen.
As explained in the Ergonomics section, the Share menu
is the third section of the complete menu, and can be accessed
whenever the menu is displayed, or when the button
to the right of the LCD monitor is pressed. The Share menu
serves to select a destination: e-mail addresses, group distribution
lists, online albums, or other online services, to which one
or more images will be sent once the R607 is connected to a
computer equipped with the software HP supplies with the camera.
The fourth section, identified with a wrench icon, is the R607's Setup menu,
and an overview of its content can be found in the Interface & Software section
of the review.
The last section of the menu is the Help Menu, which contains a
number of options intended to assist the user, and make the camera more
useful. The Help menu offers additional information on 14 topics:
Top Ten Tips(see further below).
Camera Accessories: provides a list and explanation
about accessories available from HP to enhance the camera.
Camera buttons: describes the use and function
of each of the R607's buttons.
Using Shooting Modes: explains the use and effect
of each shooting mode.
Recording Audio Clips: provides advice on the
sound capability of the R607.
Recording videos: provides a simple explanation
of the video mode.
Reviewing Images and Videos: offers an overview
of the Playback mode.
Deleting Images: explains how to delete one or
more photos.
Sharing Images: explains how to use the Share
menu options, and how to configure them when the camera
is connected to a computer running the software HP includes
with the camera.
Transferring Images: explains how to automatically
transfer images from the R607 to a computer.
Printing Images: explains the capabilities of
the camera, such as direct printing with a printer compatible
with PictBridge, or any HP Photosmart printer.
Managing Batteries: gives pointers on how to insert
the battery, and manage power consumption.
Getting Assistance: explains how to get help from
HP over the Web.
Camera shortcuts: offers a quick overview of simple
camera shortcuts, such as pressing the or to
get out of a menu without having to cycle through to the Exit option.
Of the Help items described above, one best exemplifies
the depth of information HP offers. The Top Ten Tips section
provides screen after screen of photography tips:
Extending battery life.
Avoiding blurry or out of focus images.
Using the Adaptive Lighting option.
The use of Fill-flash.
The best times of the day to shoot photos.
Taking photos with the sun behind the photographer.
Using a tripod and the monitor to shoot macros so as
to avoid camera shake and parallax error.
Advice on shooting panoramas.
Capturing action shots using pre-focusing.
Composition: avoiding placing the subject dead-centre
of the frame.
The HP 607 is retailed without
a memory card. Instead, the HP R607 offers 32MB of internal
memory, 27 MB of which can be used to store images.
A memory card slot, for SD (Secure
Digital) and MM (MultiMedia) memory cards, is located under
the camera in the same compartment as the battery. Using the
32 MB of internal memory, the R607 can store:
Resolution\Quality
4M: 23202 x 1744
4
11
22
34
2M: 1600 x 1200
6
18
33
48
VGA: 640 x 480
49
121
199
259
The Lithium-ion battery (L1812A)
that powers the R607 is held in place by a spring-loaded catch
that prevents it from falling out when the compartment's door
is opened. The battery is recharged while in the camera, and
a charger is included with the R607 which takes from 5 to 7
hours to fully recharge the battery. As an option, the camera
can be docked on the HP Photosmart R-Series dock which
functions as a means to connect the camera to a computer, or
a television, or to recharge the battery. In addition, when
purchased, the optional dock includes a R-series battery that
can be charged directly in the dock — inserted into a
charging slot in the base of the dock — independently
of the camera.
In addition to the dock connection
underneath the R607, two other connections are available on
the left side of the camera, and are covered by a flexible
door. When the dock isn't available, recharging the battery
while it is in the camera is done by plugging the charger into
the DC-IN jack.
Similarly, the R607 can be connected to a computer, or to a PictBridge
compliant printer via the USB port (Full Speed - compatible 2.0) which
is below the DC-IN jack.
Compare Prices for Hewlett Packard PhotoSmart R607v Digital Camera Battery Charger (CH-9118)
Characteristics
image
quality,
image
quality, 
button
to the right of the LCD monitor is pressed. The Share menu
serves to select a destination: e-mail addresses, group distribution
lists, online albums, or other online services, to which one
or more images will be sent once the R607 is connected to a
computer equipped with the software HP supplies with the camera.
or 
to
get out of a menu without having to cycle through to the Exit option.
