HP PhotoSmart R707 - Expert Reviews

Review summary: In the crowded digital photography market, the still camera that stands out from the herd will have to combine stylish looks, good picture quality and a host of technical wizardry with a reasonable retail price. Hewlett ...

Verdict: Hewlett Packard has managed the difficult feat of creating a digital camera that both looks stylish and packs a massive amount of supportive technology that should improve your photography even before you transfer the images to your computer.

Review summary: A point-and-shoot that's ergonomically designed and uncomplicated enough for just about anyone.

Review summary: A point-and-shoot that's ergonomically designed and uncomplicated enough for just about anyone.

Pros: Simple to use, In-camera digital flash image processing function, Easy photo printing and sharing.

Cons: Small LCD screen by today's standards, Zoom does not function when shooting video, No SD card bundled, Annoying wait for the built-in flash to charge.

Verdict: A point-and-shoot that's ergonomically designed and uncomplicated enough for just about anyone. However, its mediocre performance may sour the deal for even budget-minded users.

Review summary: A point-and-shoot that's ergonomically designed and uncomplicated enough for just about anyone. However, its mediocre performance may sour the deal for even budget-minded users.

Pros: Simple to use ; in-camera digital flash image processing function ; easy photo printing and sharing

Cons: Small LCD screen by today's standards ; zoom does not function when shooting video ; no SD card bundled ; annoying wait for the built-in flash to charge

Award: Highly Recommended!

Review summary: At press briefings during PMA 2004 HP staff quietly admitted they had finally realized that the company's digital cameras suffered from something of an 'image problem'. Big, seemingly designed to resemble a house brick, and made from the kind of ...

Pros: Good resolution, clean images with few processing artifacts and no over-sharpening, Vivid yet natural colors, Efficient noise reduction - even at high ISO and with long exposures, Excellent auto white balance in all but the most extreme situations, ...

Cons: Only two aperture settings, An ISO 50 setting would have been nice to cut down the need for noise reduction, Even the best quality setting uses quite heavy JPEG compression, Some fall-off of sharpness in the corners, especially at widest aperture, ...

Verdict: First impressions of the R707 are overwhelmingly positive - it is beautifully built, feels 'right' in the hand and is responsive enough for most every day photography.