The Hewlett-Packard
Photosmart R607 is designed to be an easy to use camera. This
bias is reflected in every aspect of the camera: by default,
it is designed to reset itself to everyday settings whenever
it is turned off, preventing the forgetful or occasional user
from accidentally ruining their shot. Similarly, the R607 is
equipped with a huge library of built-in help that can assist
a novice with every aspect of the camera, or its functions,
or even with basic photographic concepts.
With the R-series — the
R607 and the R707 — Hewlett-Packard is clearly making
an effort to attract users that might have been reluctant to
switch from a film camera to a digital camera, worried that
the technology might be too complex, or might require too much
computer savvy to be useable for them.
Indeed, the HP Photosmart R607 is currently one of the simplest cameras
to use.
Its shooting modes are limited
to a full Auto mode, and a few scene modes that tweak the image
according to the subject. The scene modes are basic, and function
by selecting one of the 2 apertures to control the depth of
field and adjusting saturation, sharpness and contrast to improve
the overall image. These modes are clearly designed for the
novice, and even if used incorrectly, none — including
the Aperture Priority mode with its range of 2 apertures — should
ever be the cause of a missed photo.
Used indoors with the flash, the
R607's flash produces well-lit images. By default, the Auto ISO
varies the sensitivity from 100 to 200 ISO, depending on the
brightness and distance of the subject, allowing the flash to
be effective out to approximately 2.5 m (8.2 ft) at 200 ISO.
Still, flash photos tend to be somewhat noisy even at 100 ISO.
Used outdoors under sunny conditions, the R607 yields very good images
as long as the camera is set to the highest image quality, the four-star
quality level, as the photo then benefits from the lesser compression.
Regrettably, the four-star
quality is not immediately available and requires selecting
the largest image size and least compression using the Custom
Image Quality option.
More positively however, this is a setting that the R607 recalls, as
it does the date, after being turned off. Unlike all other settings,
which are returned to the default values unless the OK button is held
pressed while the camera is powered on, forcing the camera to recall
their last non-default configuration.
Likewise, the 100 ISO sensitivity
produces the best images, as at higher sensitivities such as
200, noise becomes noticeable, and at 400 ISO it detracts somewhat
from the image.
The Pentax lens used on the
HP R607 performs well, and is clearly an asset to the camera.
Photos captured using the wide angle end of the zoom show some
barrel distortion, but not enough to cause a serious problem.
Telephoto shots on the other hand, are distortion-free.
Similarly, a sampling of photos captured throughout the zoom's focal
range show no chromatic aberration, even with subjects that contain high
contrast zones.
One area of the HP R607 is less
satisfactory than others: power consumption. Although equipped
with a rechargeable lithium-ion battery, the autonomy of the
R607 is limited, in part through what appears to be an inaccurate
battery charge sensor that tends to see the battery as nearly
drained, declare the charge as insufficient to allow a "live
view," and peremptorily cut off the monitor.
In conclusion, it is clear that
much effort has gone into making the HP R607 simple to use, something
that is evident in the way the camera operates, and by the depth
and type of information included in its built-in help files.
But, by the same token, the R607 may well be a bit too simple
a camera for some users. The inherent simplicity of the camera
precludes the possibility that a user will be able to experiment
in the future as they become more adept, and be able to explore
aspects of photography that go past "point and shoot".
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