The HP R742 is an extremely simple camera to use, and this
extends to its interface. In use the monitor shows basic camera
settings: the mode, using its icon — which when the
default Auto mode is used, is described adds:"Take pictures"
— the remaining number of shots that can be captured,
the memory in use (internal or memory card), the battery charge,
the current setting for image size/quality, and the AF brackets.
Unlike most current cameras, there are no histograms, no
alternate data views, no guidelines to help align the shot.
The same is true when the camera is set to the playback mode.
The only information presented is an indication that the camera
is set to the playback mode, the source of the image (SD card
or Internal memory), the battery state, and the position of
the image within those that are in memory, along with the
fact that there are more photos to be seen by pressing the
left and right arrows.
The menus are similarly simple, and all provide an access
to the R742's 1-screen Setup menu:
Display Brightness controls the brightness of the
LCD monitor over three steps: Low, Medium or High.
Camera Sounds: controls all the sounds produced
by the camera. Two settings are offered: On, Off.
Date & Time: serves to set the time and date
on the HP R742.
USB allows selecting the USB protocol:
Digital Camera (PTP): allows for the automatic
transfer of images and videos to a computer running
HP's software.
Disk Drive (Mass Storage): allows the camera
to appear as a removable hard disk when it is connected
to a computer.
Language controls the interface language: English,
German, Spanish, French, Italian, Dutch, Portuguese, Swedish,
Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Russian.
A very thin printed manual is included with the
Photosmart R742, intended to get the purchaser to start with
the camera. While it is clear and contains easy to follow
instructions, it lacks detail.
Software
In North America, the HP R742
is retailed with a single CD called HP Photosmart Software.
It contains the following programs: HP Photosmart Essential
version 2.01, the camera manual in PDF
(Adobe Acrobat format), a link to register
the camera with HP, HP Photosmart Share Setup,
HP Product Assistant, HP Solution Centre,
and HP Update.
Photosmart Solution Center is a gateway
to other HP applications that are installed on the computer.
It can also direct users towards the purchase of accessories
for the camera.
Photosmart Share Setup is an application that serves
to configure share destinations in the camera's memory while
it is connected to the computer. Once these destinations are
established, when the camera is reconnected to a computer
running HP's software, images/videos that have been assigned
destinations are automatically forwarded via e-mail.
Photosmart Essential
serves to view, print and share images. It can also be used
to adjust them, but only as part of automated processes.
While some image editing is possible, users that have 2 or
more monitors running on their computer should be aware that
the image editing portion of the software is not able to operate
in that type of environment.
Moreover, image editing is
limited to rotation, cropping, flipping, red-eye removal,
resizing, colour and light tools (to adjust colour, temperature,
and adaptive lighting), and Special Effects (black and white
and sepia), which, as noted above, are automatic.
On a fast windows machine, the program ran sluggishly and
even the simple effects that it offers exhibited a poor performance.
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Interface & Software
