HP Photosmart R927 8MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Reviews

• Some good features, but some major deal breakers.

  
  By AHABEDNSQKM6H on 2006-08-22
  This is not a digital camera that I would recommend to anybody. Although there are a few good features, there are some MAJOR dealbreakers with this camera. Then again, what would you expect from a company that specializes in printers, not digital cameras?
  
  First, the good news:
  
  1. Incredibly fast. You can take a photo in less than 1 second of turning this camera on. I have not seen this with any other digital cameras on the market. It is also ready to take additional photos almost instantaneously after taking the previous photos. Very nice speed.
  2. Beautiful large gorgeous screen, with full-text paragraphs explaining key features of the camera. This is is so invaluable.
  
  Now the bad news:
  1. Notice where the flash is located -- it is RIGHT UNDERNEATH the shutter button that you press every time you want to take a photo. What this means is that your right hand will almost always be blocking the flash when it goes off, unless you are CONSCIOUSLY AWARE about twisting your fingers & your hand to NOT block the flash.
  2. The flash is NOT POWERFUL at all... it can barely light up an object that is 5 feet away. And unlike most other digital cameras on the market, there is ABSOLUTELY NO WAY to alter the brightness of the flash.
  3. Because the flash is not powerful at all, ALL indoor pictures come out EXTREMELY DARK and nighttime pictures outside are completely out-of-the-question. This has not happened with any of my other digital cameras that I have owned -- this if the first camera that is completely disappointing in these regards. This makes this camera basically unusable to us. We took 3 photos side-by-side with 2 other digital cameras in the same indoor room, and the other cameras resulted in clear, bright photos. Not this one. This one's photos came out dark & unusable.
  4. You're not going to believe this, but you can NOT download your photos from this digital camera to your computer without lugging along the 4-piece DOCK that comes with the camera!!! That's right -- you have to log along a 4-piece Dock (one plastic mounting piece, one plastic docking station, and 2 power cables)! I have never seen another digital camera like this before! You can not simply bring along a tiny USB cable to connect this to your computer, so it makes this camera much less portable than any other digital camera on the market.
  5. Furthermore, you also can not recharge the battery in this camera without lugging along the 4-piece dock as well. Unless you're interested in purchasing a $80 battery recharger kit for this camera that they sell at Best Buy & other electronics stores, you will be stuck lugging along this 4-piece dock with you wherever you go.
  6. If you're planning on taking brief movies with the built-in videocamera, prepare for your videos to be jerky & very dimly lit. Granted, this isn't a dedicated videocamera, but still I've seen much better video quality from other digital cameras on the market.
  7. Finally, above all else, the only thing that really matters is how GOOD your photographs turn out, right? Well unfortunately, every single photograph taken with this camera (even the ones in bright daylight) come out incredible SOFT. The photos are not sharp or clear at all. It's just so disheartening.
  
  I can not recommend this camera to anyone. I'm sad that I even purchased it. This camera is poor all the way around.
  
  

• It does what I want it to do and more!

  
  By A35WKEK0M32UWZ on 2006-08-19
  First you must learn how to use this camera, but after you do, it is an absolute joy. You can take pictures in color, b&w, and in antique brown tone, enhance the color, sharpen, thin the fat, make artistic touches, stitch together landscapes to make murials. Landscapes are wonderful. Up-close photos are not washed out. As for using only one hand, I always use two hands, so that is unimportant to me anyway. You must adjust the view screen to see outdoors on a bright day, but then it is easy to see. HP offers classes on this camera for free, so there is no reason to not learn to use it. Do invest in a hard sided case for it, an extra battery and charger. Lastly, it fits in my purse, and I don't carry a huge purse.
  
  Only down side, it does take getting use to. It is a computer and not a simple point and shoot. But what a way to go!
  
  

• Disappointing for the price

  
  By A3J786S6AL1YUZ on 2006-08-14
  It was a gift that didn't work out.
  
  Plus side: Compact size and megapixels were the selling points for me.
  1.Great size - compact. Fits in shirt pocket.
  2.Clear pictures. Good color and sharpness.
  3.Has great megapixels! More than ample.
  4.Has lots of nice features.
  
  Down side: 1.Unbalanced design. Fits in one hand, but wants to fall off to one side when in position to shoot. One hand operation is awkward. Can't hold it, zoom it, use feature buttons, and still maintain balance to shoot. Needs strap and awkward finger placements to help keep it level for one hand use.
  2.Slow, sloow, slooow......!
  3.Cumbersome download. Needs recharger dock to download pics. That wasn't obvious in the product description.
  4.No viewfinder. That was not obvious in product description, either. Must rely only on screen display. Sometimes hard to use in bright light - I keep wishing I could check my line up through a lens. But that could be just from habit.
  
  For the money, I would buy a different product the next time.
  
  
  
  
  

• HP R927 IS AWESOME!

  
  By A1TQDYAQFC74ME on 2007-04-10
  I very carefully researched the vast world of digital cameras before actually commiting to purchasing one for my upcoming trip to Europe. By far, for the money and features, this camera IS AWESOME!! 8.2 MGP and the HUGE screen is absolutely amazing and it takes WONDERFUL pictures. The ONLY downfall is that it charges only on a DOCK, (not just a cord) but the dock is small and VERY light, so it travels easily. That's it- everything else about it very cool. Onscreen finishing, effects, tinting, etc. I didn't need any sorts of bells or whistles as i have little camera experience, and with this its just point and shoot- and the extras aren't daunting in difficulty.
  all in all, its a sweet camera at a sweet price!
  
  

• Good Point & Shoot

  
  By AC5299TP9UFK7 on 2006-11-16
  I've owned this camera for a couple of months and love it. Good pictures, small enough to slip in a pocket. Has great learning tools built in for beginners.
  
  You DO NOT need a dock to download pictures to your PC. All you need is the standard USB cable provided with the camera.
  
  I agree there is some awkwardness in the design. It is easy to put your finger over the flash. Like a lot of the newer cameras, no manual view finder which is too bad. They come in handy in certain lighting conditions.
  
  
• Great Camera
  By A39CSWXW71KU7R on 2007-01-09
  I purchased this camera in order to create clean, large poster size images as well as crisp smaller images for my business. This camera does not disappoint! The camera is easy to use as well as having many options and functions that will help even the most basic beginner take great photos as well as keeping the advanced photographer happy. I highly recommend this camera!
  
  
• A High Quality Value
  By A33JB3S5CV6JIU on 2007-01-12
  This pocket sized stainless steel package delivers more than I expected. It has to be the easiest digital camera to use than any I've owned or used. I get more use from this camera simply because it is truly a pocket sized camera and I carry it with me most of the time. The huge 3" LCD display is one of the most outstanding features. Its battery is strong and has not let me down yet. The camera is much quicker to use than the low resolution camera built into my cel phone. The video and audio quality is very good. This feature packed camera is one of the best values out there.
  
  
• Great pictures, easy to use
  By AN01PH31QGXQR on 2007-03-31
  As soon as you charge the battery for the first time, you can take a picture. The quick start guide has all the information you need to perform all the common tasks with the camera. You can use the camera as a simple point and shoot, or take advantage of all its features. You can snap pictures less than 2 seconds apart. Great clarity until you reduce the megapixels too much with the digital zoom, but the camera tells you what your current mp level is, so you can monitor the quality before you snap. I recommend an extra battery and a card with plenty of extra memory so you can snap unlimited photos then pick and choose later. Only drawback is that the latch for the battery/memory door requires some dexterity to open and close. If you have clumsy fingers, you'll want to try to open the latch on a demo before you buy it. Also read my comment on Scott Rose's review.
  
  
• HP R927
  By A37W3EKSXRZV56 on 2007-05-25
  I already had the HP R707 (one of their first generations of the R family) so I knew that with the product description what I was getting. And I got a bundle of fun.
  
  I know that there are a lot of people out there who bashed this camera because it doesn't do everything and doesn't take very good pictures that aren't sharp, or show weird pixelation. I think there is a problem with the user because I have used Olympus's, Nikons, and the such. I still prefer the HP line. There are lots of settings you can apply to get the camera to take pictures how you want to. You can control appature speed, you can change what type of lighting you are in. You can have the camera take the picture in 3 different ways. There are endless possibilities.
  
  The thing with the shape of the camera and covering the flash with you finger is not a problem. The shape of the camera fits your hand well to make you hold the camera properly and to get a steadier picture. Its actually really comfortable too.
  
  On the flash is too weak, that user had said that about another camera too.
  
  I LOVE the artistic affects you can do. At first I thought it would be terrible, but you can make some hysterical pictures with the kaleidoscope.
  
  The charging dock isn't that bad. Its smaller than having to carry around a charger with a huge block for a adapter.
  
  If you don't like the way that HP software transfers the images there is a lot easier way to do it. Remove the SD card from the camera. Insert the card into a card reader (many cpu's have them built in). Go to the drive and copy or move the images to the desired location.
  
  I have always used the panoramic and the program stitches it up pretty good too. I have so many stadium shots that are really cool with it.
  
  The video mode is good for what it is. I didn't buy a digital camera to take a movie, but it has been a good bonus to have. Especially when you can save a frame as an image.
  
  The battery in my last HP will still last a long time. You just have to remember to charge it up at least once a month like any battery.
  
  I love this camera and for the price here at amazon, why would you spend $350 on something that can do the same/almost as much.
  
  
  
  
  
• Basically a mini-computer...
  By A198FW0E5YN1PL on 2007-04-10
  This camera is pretty incredible. You can do so much on the camera itself, before you even upload the pictures. It is so advanced compared to my previous Fujifilm digital camera or any other camera I've seen for that matter. The only thing that is a little bit of a bummer is that it can be a little slow at times due to the capacity of information it processes, but it is well worth the couple seconds extra wait time. I am extremely happy and satisfied with my purchase and am looking forward to seeing what HP comes up with next.
  
  
• Great little camera
  By A1PDN43F2V276M on 2006-12-29
  This is such a fun camera. Quick and easy to learn and use. My son bought one last summer before coming home and I fell in love with it. Had to have one for myself. Now my Mom and Sister have bought one, too. It make great pictures and is so easy to use. I would buy this camera again in a heartbeat. Takes better pictures than more expensive cameras that my friends and family have. I bought a SD card that has a USB connection contained in it and it makes it so easy to download pictures to your computer.LOVE IT!!!
  
  
• Good small camera
  By A2X25O5YBBOS45 on 2007-03-04
  This camera is good for any one that travels and wants to have good pixs of the family or places they visit. The viewing area is a good size for those with "over 50 eyes" and is easier to see when the sun is shinging than most. The LCD is blurry until pushing a button which is the only negative I can find. I have an expensive sony but this is less bulky and easier to take on the plane. Slips in my purse.
  
  
• High Res Photos
  By A1LBKPQQYWCVZA on 2007-03-06
  I purchased this camera for use in my real estate business, downloading pics is easy, especially for a novice like myself. I've never been good at taking pictures and this camera makes me look like a pro. The large screen is great for viewing and you really don't have to focus...the camera does all the work for you. I'm still learning everything this camera can do. I have to upload pics to many different sites and use them for ads, every pic comes out in High Resolution and I get compliments all the time about the quality of the photos. I would definitely recommend this camera over and over again.
  
  [...]
  
  
• Amazing!!!
  By A1K4JNQ8O4E2TU on 2007-03-08
  I love this Camera!!! The Screen is Huge! The pictures come out great!! There is not much you can't do with this camera, great investment if you love taking all kind of pictures indoors, outdoors, light, or dark!! Great job HP!!!
  
  
• HP R927 user review
  By A37Z2BZ43QGT0Y on 2007-03-23
  This camera is awesome! easy to use, easy to setup, and the program to manage your photo's is simple with a very intuitive interface. Thanks HP
  
  
• very good general digital camera
  By A37X9K3IUB61GT on 2007-06-04
  This is my second general use digital camera, replacing a five year old Olympus which just became too slow between pictures, a software problem which I could not solve.
  
  HP has developed an excellent camera in that all the options are available in the software of the camera itself. No more carrying the instructions book and frantically trying to find how to perform some functions. Now one can frantically go throgh all the steps on the screen until the function is found.
  
  So far I am satisfied with the camera, I have not used it long enough to run out of battery and I bought a spare to keep with me at all times when that does happen. The memory in the camera is inadequate except for an emergency, but a 2 Gig card has taken care of that.
  
  I have not gotten used to using to screen for shooting pictures as yet, I hope that by the end of vacation this month I have mastered the techniques for doing that. Too many years of shooting through a lens finder.
  
  
• The Best Camera I Have Ever Owned for The Features and Price
  By A1AMGDNA776SHW on 2007-07-11
  This camera does it all and more for what our needs are. You can't go wrong on this one especially at the price.
  
  
• Be informed of customer service and the ways they make extra money!!!
  By A1BIDXYU6CMAL8 on 2006-12-18
  Bought an HP Photosmart R717 in the summer of 2005 for $324.74. 4 months after the camera warranty was up and after minimal usage the camera was displaying: 0000000F-10FB-1BD-024 Error Message, on the display screen.
  
  When I called HP about getting my camera repaired I was told that it would be too expensive to repair. I was informed it would cost around $200.00 dollars to receive most likely a refurbished replacement camera, with only a 3-month warranty.
  
  After trying the replacement camera for 15 days I was then to send my old camera back as partial payment for the replacement camera.
  
  I told HP no thanks, because they had already gotten enough money from me.
  
  
• HP Photosmart R927 Camera
  By A1DOSEAYCVWOQL on 2007-01-04
  This is the best digital camera I have ever owned! I would not hesitate in buying it again if I had to purchase one as a gift. The shipping was wonderful and fast! Thanks!
  
  
• Hp is friendly
  By A3FQWPS4IST11Y on 2007-01-25
  This camera is user friendly and has done everthing I have asked it to do . The pictures are clear and I am able to download them to my computer with ease.
  
  
• Excellent Quality and Features
  By A3VUSAET3WEONE on 2007-06-15
  This is an excellent camera!! My photos aren't blurry if my hands get shaky. I took pictures from a moving car, and my photos turned out crystal clear! I can crop, add borders, re-color, remove red eyes, and add artistic effects all from the camera. That way, when I download and print my photos, I don't have to get onto photo shop to clean-up my photos. I haven't found any faults. As for the reviewer who said there's not enough memory built-in to the camera... what do you expect for an 8.2 megabyte camera? I'd hope that all camera buyers plan on purchasing a memory card... you'd have to do that with any camera on the market.
  
  
• Love it!
  By A1S7BJWAH05S8W on 2007-07-12
  This camera is perfect! I particularly love the large view screen. This camera is quite compact and easy to use. Love it!
  
  
• Excellent Camera
  By A1X8LKVQWIO9G2 on 2007-09-04
  This camera for the price is the best all around digital camera ( and I have owned 4 others) on the market.
  It takes not only Great pictures but awesome video as well. I have left my larger video camera at home in favor of the video on this camera.
  The Picture quailty, the effects, the menus, the large LCD screen and the battery life are astonding. I bought one, showed it to my Daughter,(who already owned a camera), she bought one. I showed it to my Mother-Inlaw (who had an older HP camera) and she had me go on-line at her house and show her how to purcahse one. I showed it to my cowokers who have cameras that cost twice what I paid for this one and they were amazed.
  If I had to give a camera as a gift, this would be the one.
  
  
• Excellent for outdoor photos
  By AO830667WBDTK on 2007-09-11
  I've been using the R927 for nine months now to take outdoor photos and I'm very happy with the quality of the images. Prior to this I was using a lower-resolution Canon PowerShot and I'm glad I switched to the HP.
  
  I'd like to address a couple of the issues mentioned by one of the previous reviewers.
  
  1. Flash: I don't take indoor photos with the R927 so the location and strength of the flash isn't much of an issue for me. I have used it to take outdoor evening photos and the flash has been adequate for that purpose.
  2. Downloading: The previous reviewer wrote: "you can NOT download your photos from this digital camera to your computer without lugging along the 4-piece DOCK that comes with the camera!!!" Wrong, I can pull out the SD card and easily download photos to my laptop computer. The dock is convenient for downloading and recharging at home, but it's not mandatory.
  3. Videos: I have been very happy with the videos I've taken using the R927. This camera is more than adequate for creating movies to upload to YouTube or Google Videos, which is most of what I want to do with videos I take using my point-and-shoot digital camera.
  
  
• Nice Camera
  By A3KU88HS93FQIT on 2007-10-18
  The camera takes good quality photos with a definate difference when you use the Adaptive Lighting Feature. The battery doesn't last long enough and a spare is needed if you're taking alot of photos between recharges. This is special battery. You can't just use AA's. Words of warning: The battery can fit in even if its backwards and it looks like it is charging even though its in wrong. This does not have a viewfinder so you have to use the display in the back but the size of the display is a great feature. Direct light causes the display to look a little funny but the photo it takes is fine. It is a small camera so watch out if you have big hands.
  
  
• Great Camera
  By A34TO88MDD8CR9 on 2007-11-12
  This camera is largely being used by us for construction photos and performs very well. We are able to capture finer details and use the pics as part of the site files.
  
  It has performed excellently so far.
  
  
• Great Camera
  By A20DZX38KRBIT8 on 2008-06-22
  Best digital camera I ever owned. Awesome quality, great battery life, and design, nice strong houseing, great flash for day, inside or nighttime and best of all it's a good price. Made with quality unlike their printers which suck.
  
  
• Defect and poor design
  By A9ZNEVEV2KJDR on 2007-05-29
  The product arrived defective: the camera's battery would not charge. Even if the battery would have charge, the charging process was bad. That is because the camera's design required the camera to be placed in a two-piece plastic cradel in order to charge. Total impratical for travel.
  On contacting HP about this--which was not stated in the specification--the response was you are correct,"traveling with the two picies of plastic is not pratical." We can solve that problem if you spend another $70 to get a small charger, camera bag and battery. The charger was not sold without the other items. At that point, I just returned the product.
  
  However, the good point was the service from Beach Camera. After returning the camera, Beach promptly refunded the price of the camera and the shipping charges. I will do business with Beach again.
  
  
  
• Fun Camera
  By AILQJH5KDLUPO on 2007-07-12
  First, I want to complement Amazon on their speedy delivery of this camera. I ordered the camera one morning and received it the next day. Now that is service.
  
  Now for the camera, I bought it as a gift for a first time digital camera user and I have to say the camera not only is easy to use but fun. I almost kept the camera for myself. The picture quality is a lot better than I expected. The pictures are very clear and sharp. The camera is used mainly indoors at family get togethers and I haven't seen a bad picture yet.
  
  If you are looking for a small camera that is easy to use and takes good pictures this camera is for you. It also has some fun photo imaging that you can play with on the camera however I have noticed it drains the battery fairly quickly. Overall I would recommend this camera.
  
  
• Amazing
  By A1344KW4ZLX1M on 2007-10-08
  Okay, this camera is pretty awesome. I got this last year while entering college, and being a college student I know I'm not the most responsible person in the world. There was a point where one of my friends actually threw the camera across the room (hoping that I would catch it) it hit the radiator and fell ... and let me tell you, not a scratch on the camera. I was very impressed (I'm not saying that you guy should chuck the camera to test its capabilities). I have put this camera through the most ridiculous situations. Crowded parties, international vacations, sports, everything. And it still works as if it were brand new. My suggestion is to get a minimum 1-2GB SD card for it, because the pictures are so high quality that it takes more memory. Everyone who has used this camera loves to get their hands on it again because it works so smoothly. Definitely a recommendation. Hope you guys enjoy it! :)
  
  

• Kodak Digital Camera Tripod
• Targus DLUC02 Universal Camera Leather Case - Black (Leather)
• DANE-ELEC Dane-Elec 1 GB Secure Digital Memory Card DA-SD1024-R
• Corel MediaOne Plus
• Adobe Photoshop Elements 4.0 (Mac) [OLD VERSION]

• SanDisk 2 GB SD Memory Card ( SDSDB-2048-A11, Retail Package)
• HP Q6225A Photosmart Premium Leather Case
• Kingston 1 GB Secure Digital Flash Card ( SD/1GB ) (Retail Package)
• Kingston SD/2GBKR 2 GB SD Memory Card
• HQRP Brand New Battery Replacement for HP Photosmart R927 & R837 Digital Camera