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Hewlett Packard PhotoSmart C618xi 2MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom | List Price: $724.99
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Platform: Windows NT, Macintosh, Windows 98, Windows 2000, Windows NT 3.5, Windows NT 4, Windows NT 5, PowerMac, Windows Me, Windows XP, Windows 2000 Server, Mac OS X, Mac OS 9 and below, Windows
Brand: Hewlett-Packard
Binding: Electronics
Warranty: 1 Year Parts/Labor
Features: - 2.11-megapixel sensor for prints at sizes up to 8 by 10 inches
- 3x optical plus 2x digital Pentax zoom lens with autofocus
- Included 16 MB CompactFlash memory card holds 29 images at default resolution
- Connects with Macs and PCs via USB port
- 4 AA batteries included; special features included JetSend for direct printer connectivity and manual shooting modes
Let's Get Digital! [Posted on 2001-09-26]
After admiring the digital cameras of a few of my friends at various functions, I decided to put my tax rebate from President Bush to good use and joined the world of digital photgraphy! After hours of online research, comparing performance specs, reading reviews, etc., I decided to go with the HP C618. I'm happy to say so far I couldn't be happier with my choice. Although it's packed with special features, it also features an ease of use that lets beginners start taking pics right out of the box(well, you do have to install the batteries). A quick-start guide gives you the basics to get you going, while a far more comprehensive manual on an included CDROM tells you how to get the most out of your camera. So far I've taken a couple of hundred pics, and, except for a few, the results have been fantastic! I christened the camera with a trip to Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure in Orlando. Got some great pics which I downloaded to my screensaver/wallpaper on my computer at work and have received loads of compliments on the pics. Next test- a trip to Busch Gardens next week(living in Central Florida does have it's benefits!). A couple of suggestions to add to your digital camera experience- get a card reader, to facilitate the transfer of your pics from the camera to the computer, and a larger memory card. The included card is 16MB, which will get you started, but a larger card, say 64MB or up, will allow you to take a lot more pics without worrying about deleting to make room for more.
very nice camera [Posted on 2001-11-05]
i was looking for a digital camera with at least 2 megapixels in a certain price range, and after careful consideration, i chose this one. its a great camera. one of the criticisms i've seen about this camera was the size: i don't find this a problem, and i've had camera with the opposite problem (elph lt, which was sometimes too small to put your hands around). It has some very nice features, including remote control, easy to use menus, usb extension for easy download onto your computer. with the 16mb memory that comes with it, you can take 28 pictures of really good quality. I'm still getting used to being able to look at the pictures right away and deleting them/etc. i highly recommend this camera!
Pentax optics and H-P electronics equals Great Value! [Posted on 2001-11-10]
After extensive research into 2 and 3 megapixel cameras, I settled on the H-P C618xi (identical to the C618 except for included software). I was going to Europe for two weeks and wanted to give digital photography a serious workout. Boy, did I make the right choice!
The camera is worth much more than it costs, an idea supported somewhat by resell prices higher than what I paid for it new. It has tremendous versatility: Easy to use automatic features for carefree snapshots and excellent manual capabilities for greater artistic control.
I do professional work for feature and spot news stories. Over the last two or three months, I gradually have pared down the "film" equipment I keep with me until all I take along is the C618xi. The lower JPEG settings are great for newspapers, yet the highest rez TIFF images reproduce perfectly in 4-color glossy mags. Instead of a bulky kit, now I have only a small tote with a wrist strap, containing the camera, 4 spare AA's, a lens brush and CF memory cards. That will last me all day in just about any setting. If I'm doing a flash-heavy shoot, I carry along 4 extra AA's just in case.
This camera is not as power-hungry as some I've seen. However, any user will find that 1600mAH NiMH batteries are the way to go to keep the energy costs down. My personal recommendation is to go with Ray-O-Vac: Their AA's are the highest potency around and they make a great compact 1-hour charger that will charge 4 AA's at once (...).
For the amateur or the professional, I can't recommend this camera highly enough. I wouldn't part with it for anything.
The best camera for a beginner [Posted on 2002-01-05]
This past summer I studied in Cuba for a month. Of course this is once in a lifetime opportunity, so I had to get a camera and it HAD to be digital. I've never owned my own camera before and already too many moments in my lifetime have gone by without ever being recorded. I also have a problem with getting myself to the store and going through the tedious and costly process of developing film.
So I went ahead and purchased the HP C615 model and it was probably one of the best purchases I ever made. I also purchased the 96 MB memory card which holds up to 360 photos at the lowest quality (which is better than some film cameras). It was well worth it. All of the other American students whom I met in Cuba, were envious of the fact that I could selectively view and delete my pictures through the camera. In comparing film pictures with mine of the exact same images the HP 615 won out every single time. So that's not a bad large investment compared to buying film, lugging it around and then waiting for it to be developed. Now all I carry is the camera and an extra set of batteries.
Of course this review wouldn't be objective if I didn't put one complaint in. My only complaint is that the viewfinder is not very well lit. It's actually pretty dull compared to some other cameras that I've taken pictures with. It also does not provide a very accurate width of the actual photo that gets processed. But since I realize the fault of the camera, I know its OK to cut off people's arms straggling on the edges of the viewfinder because the photo comes out perfectly trimmed. This does cause a problem for those one or two occasions when you have to rely on a waiter or passerby to take your own photo. They usually include too much of the surrounding area. But I found a way to get around that too; now I set the zoom and area for the innocent bystander.
The pictures I take are breathtaking!! The colors are scintillating, and the lucid ambiance palpable. If you're just starting out this is a great choice. People who now view my photos assume that I have some kind of talent or training, but I am honest and admit to them that it's really the camera.
Quality construction, durable, decent images, but... [Posted on 2007-11-18]
I bought this camera seven years ago when digital imaging was still in its infancy as far as residential photography. (It was also much more expensive then... the curse of being an early adopter of technology.) From the beginning I found the C618 (U.S. software version) to be simple to use, overall reliable & rugged, and for its time loaded with features. Image quality was and still is quite good, within its 2-megapixel range...color balance & saturation is quite good, it handles contrast details well, and the manual options (shutter speed, f-stop, white balance) allow for great flexibility & creativity -- many cameras today in 2007 don't offer some of these features. A great feature for individuals concerned with image quality in regards to reproducing/printing is the option to save pictures as TIFF files instead of JPEG (eliminates compression artifacts); again, even modern cameras seldom offer this feature. And few cameras even today offer more than this camera's 3x optical zoom. All in all this camera has performed well. But... two things have been problematic/annoying about the camera, and one thing about HP.
First, the camera's AC adaptor/power supply (which came bundled with the camera at time of purchase) rapidly became loose where it plugs into the camera, meaning that it often loses connection and the camera loses power...quite annoying during image transfer/download, and a critical problem if it occurs during image capture. I don't know if it's caused by the camera's power cord port being loose, or the power cord's plug itself being a tad bit undersized, but regardless it has been a strike against the camera in my opinion.
Second, when I bought the camera and began using it (and when I printed the user's manual from the accompanying CD) I found the sound clip recording feature to be quite interesting -- it allowed a brief (up to 30-second) sound clip to be recorded, when attached to a particular picture in memory, using a built-in microphone/speaker on the back of the camera. After getting the hang of how close or far away I had to be from the microphone to get decent sound without distortion, I was impressed at the sound quality when played back through the camera's speaker. However, when I tried to download the sound clip along with my pictures, I noticed that it didn't appear -- as though it wasn't there. I was able to play the sound clip back on the camera, but it didn't show up in the images folder. I tried using the HP software, I tried using the USB transfer function, I tried using the memory card in a card reader...no success. Finally, in desperation I contacted HP Customer Support and explained my problem. After going back and forth for days via e-mail with four different techs, I was told that the camera I had purchased (directly from HP) was the U.S. version and came with U.S. software which didn't allow users to access the sound clips -- I could use the feature on the camera, but I couldn't access/download the files. In order to do that I would need the European software (for the C618xi model, which is identical except for the software bundle). I was and still am amazed that HP would pull this kind of shady marketing ploy, especially without specifying at the time of sale that not all features would be available on certain destination models. This has made the camera less appealing to me, although I have still enjoyed it as far as the images I've captured over the years. A bit disappointing.
Even more disappointing was HP's response to my request for the full software that would allow me to use all of the camera's features. I was told that I had to call a long-distance number and request a copy of the software, and pay a nominal fee (never specified) along with shipping & handling charges. I was quite angry that I was expected to pay for what should have come with the item.
All together, I give the camera four stars. A bit generous perhaps, if you consider the great strides made in digital photography in the years since my purchase, but if you base the rating on the available technology at the time of purchase, as well as the long-term durability & features offered (TIFF files, manual settings, sound capture -- if you get the right software) then the C618 was and still is a good deal...even with HP's terrible marketing & customer service. Given the current price-per-feature marketing today (this camera with accessories cost me over $400 seven years ago, but today's equivalent would retail for about $100) I would definitley buy this camera again.
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