| At press briefings during PMA 2004 HP staff | | | | for flash and focus readiness, but this is a minor |
| quietly admitted they had finally realized that the | | | | niggle. |
| company's digital cameras suffered from | | | | The LCD monitor is a fairly typical 1.5-inch 119,000 |
| something of an 'image problem'. Big, seemingly | | | | pixel affair, it's sharp and bright with sufficient |
| designed to resemble a house brick, and made | | | | resolution, and the refresh rate is significantly |
| from the kind of materials normally found only on | | | | better than earlier HP models. My only complaint is |
| the dashboard of a 1980's hatchback, the | | | | that screen is turned off after about 30 seconds |
| Photosmart range simply couldn't compete with | | | | (something you can't change) to save batteries. |
| the slick, shiny and keenly priced Far Eastern | | | | The camera can be woken up by half-pressing |
| offerings. From now on, we were told, HP | | | | the shutter, but the live preview has to be |
| cameras would be designed for style, speed and | | | | re-activated by pressing the record button, an |
| ease of use, and would no longer be twice the | | | | unnecessary extra step. |
| size of their direct competitors. The 5 megapixel, | | | | HP's new design 'signature' is a wave-shaped |
| 3x zoom, Photosmart R707 is the first of this | | | | indent moulded into the front of the camera to |
| new wave of slimmed-down, metal-bodied HP | | | | improve grip. It adds a little flair to the design and |
| cameras, offering a tempting mix of thoughtful | | | | certainly seems to do the job without adding to |
| design and some genuinely innovative features. | | | | the bulk of the body. The brushed steel cladding |
| Most of these are aimed at ensuring less | | | | looks and feels very luxurious, but we found it |
| experienced users avoid common photographic | | | | quite easy to scratch, and inevitably it shows |
| pitfalls, something possible mainly due to the | | | | every greasy fingerprint. If you like your camera |
| inclusion of a clever Texas Instruments Digital | | | | to look clean you'll be wiping the fascia with your |
| Signal Processor (DSP). The power of the DSP is | | | | T-shirt every 10 minutes. |
| obvious when you look at some of the features it | | | | In a move we struggle to understand (also seen |
| has allowed HP to shoehorn into the R707: | | | | on Canon's new PowerShot S1 IS) there are two |
| Adaptive lighting technology ('digital fill flash') | | | | shutter releases - one for stills, the other for |
| In-camera red-eye removal | | | | movies (it only works when the camera is set to |
| MPEG movie mode | | | | movie mode). The results from the R707's movie |
| Comprehensive on-screen camera instructions | | | | mode are certainly impressive, which makes the |
| In-camera panorama stitching (preview) | | | | fact that I kept pressing the 'wrong' capture |
| 'Image advice' - on-screen help system that | | | | button whenever I tried to use it doubly annoying. |
| analyses saved pictures, identifies problems and | | | | Another minor niggle is the main stills capture |
| suggests how they could have been avoided. | | | | button, which could be more responsive. |
| The R707 is surprisingly comfortable in your hand, | | | | At a glance the R707 might look like nothing more |
| with the subtle moulding of the front plate | | | | than a stylish point-and-shoot camera, but once |
| offering considerably more secure single-handed | | | | you start to dig a little deeper you'll find a real |
| operation than appearances might suggest. The | | | | wealth of features designed to help the novice |
| two controls most used in everyday snapping - | | | | snapper, as well as a few manual controls thrown |
| the shutter release and zoom rocker - are | | | | in for the more experienced user. As with most |
| perfectly positioned, though I felt more | | | | compact cameras with limited real estate available |
| comfortable supporting the camera with both | | | | for external controls the majority of the more |
| hands as operating the zoom meant relaxing my | | | | advanced features are accessed via the |
| grip. There are eight other clearly marked buttons | | | | extensive on-screen menu system. The most |
| on the rear, plus a 4-way controller and the | | | | commonly accessed functions - macro mode, |
| power switch. At 180g the R707 is weightier than | | | | flash mode and self-timer - get their own buttons, |
| it looks, which helps keep the camera stable when | | | | as do HP's now standard instant sharing and |
| shooting. One minor point - the R707 can get | | | | printing features. |
| mighty warm in continuous use, something you | | | | Rear of camera |
| need to bear in mind if you want the best | | | | The main controls are ranged around the top and |
| possible image quality (noise increases as the | | | | right sides of the 1.5-inch LCD. These offer quick |
| camera temperature rises). | | | | access to macro mode, manual focus, self-timer |
| Body elements | | | | and continuous shooting (burst) mode, plus |
| The R707 has a combined SD/MMC and battery | | | | buttons for switching between playback and |
| slot (fortunately the battery is held in with a latch | | | | record modes and HP's instant share and instant |
| so no chance of losing it when changing cards. | | | | print functions. The camera is turned on and off |
| Although no card is supplied in the box. The | | | | with a slider button next to the optical viewfinder. |
| camera can handle any SD or MMC card from | | | | The right-hand side of the rear of the camera is |
| 8MB to 2GB. The battery is a L1812A Lithium Ion | | | | home to a small zoom rocker switch that falls |
| that is recharged in-camera, and - if you can find | | | | perfectly under the thumb, and a four-way |
| one anywhere - the camera can also use a | | | | controller surrounding the Menu/OK button. |
| Duracell CP1 disposable cell. In our tests battery | | | | Pressing this once brings up the on-screen menus, |
| life with the supplied rechargeable was excellent. | | | | which are navigated using the directional 'arrow' |
| The optical viewfinder is a standard direct view | | | | keys. Another press of the central button |
| affair that is really too small for regular use. And if | | | | confirms menu selections. |
| you wear spectacles, forget it; there's no dioptric | | | | Top of camera |
| adjustment and you'll never see the entire frame | | | | On the top of the camera you'll find two shutter |
| with your glasses on. The upper LED (red) lights | | | | releases - the main one is for taking stills, the |
| up during movie capture, the lower (green) LED | | | | smaller one to the left is a 'stop/start' button for |
| glows when the camera is ready to take a | | | | recording movies. Over the lens is another small |
| picture, or blinks to indicate a focus problem or | | | | button that cycles through the R707's various |
| flash not charged. I'd prefer a separate indicator | | | | shooting modes. |