HP PhotoSmart 912HP and Pentax team up to make a true SLR digicam with Pentax lens, HP color wizardry, and ample features.<<Image Storage & Interface :(Previous) | (Next): Test Results & Conclusion>> Page 11:Video, Power, SoftwareReview First Posted: 3/26/2001 |
Video OutThe 912 is equipped with an A/V Out jack in its connector compartment, and US and Japanese models of the camera are packaged with an NTSC video cable. European models come with the appropriate PAL cable, with an NTSC or PAL video option selectable in the Playback menu. Once connected, the television acts as a larger version of the 912's LCD monitor, with all the functions available in Playback and Review modes.
PowerFour AA batteries power the PhotoSmart 912, and a full set of alkaline batteries accompanies the camera. You can also use lithium or NiMH AA batteries. Hewlett-Packard offers an optional rechargeable Li-Ion battery and a battery charger, as well as an optional AC adapter through its website. As always, we highly recommend picking up a couple of sets of rechargeable AA batteries and keeping a spare set charged at all times. If you plan on downloading images directly from the camera or spending a lot of time reviewing captured images in the camera, the accessory AC adapter is also a good idea.
The 912 features a Sleep Timeout option under the Capture settings menu (Preferences>Display submenus) which can be set from 30 seconds to five minutes. This option helps save battery power by shutting off the camera after a specified period of inactivity. When shooting in Time-Lapse mode, the camera automatically shuts the LCD monitor off between shots with long intervals. Also through the Preferences>Display submenu, you can turn off the Live View function, which saves battery power by keeping the LCD monitor display off when the camera is powered on (requiring you to press the Display button to activate the LCD). A battery icon on the status display panel reports the approximate amount of available battery power. The icon flashes and the camera beeps when the batteries are very low.
HP estimates that a new set of alkaline batteries should produce between 45 and 180 shots (depending on the camera settings), or approximately 75 minutes of image review time. Alternatively, a new set of lithium batteries should provide between 120 and 640 shots, or around 180 minutes of playback time. The table below shows the power consumption numbers we measured for the 912 in our laboratory tests. (NOTE: These figures were obtained at the external power adapter rating of 9 volts. The current drain increases as the supply voltage is decreased, meaning that power could drain nearly twice as fast at the roughly 4.8 volt battery voltage level.)
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| Capture Mode, w/LCD |
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| Capture Mode, no LCD |
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| Half-pressed shutter w/LCD |
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| Half-pressed w/o LCD |
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| Memory Write (transient) |
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| Flash Recharge (transient) |
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| Image Playback |
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While the power drain we measured at the external power jack was fairly low,
the PhotoSmart 912 is a relatively power-hungry camera. Also, it seems to like
a healthy voltage from its batteries, which may further shorten battery life
with NiMH rechargeables. (NiMH rechargeable cells only produce about 1.2 volts
apiece when fully charged, as compared to 1.5 volts for alkaline cells.) Given
this high power drain, we question HP's figure of 75 minutes of operation in
Playback mode with alkaline batteries. (We'd estimate about 75 minutes of operation
for high-capacity NiMH batteries, but not for alkalines.)
In use, the SLR viewfinder is a great help in keeping the rear-panel LCD display
turned off, which greatly extends the battery life. As always, we strongly recommend
purchasing at least a couple of sets of NiMH batteries and a good charger, so
you can always have a fully charged set of batteries on hand.
About
Batteries
We've gotten so many emails about power issues for digicams, that we're now
inserting this standard notice in the reviews of all AA-powered cameras on our
site: Don't even *think* about using alkaline AA batteries in a digicam!
Despite their being packed in the box with many cameras, they simply don't have
the juice to handle typical digicam demands. (Even the "high power"
ones the battery manufacturers say are designed for devices like digital cameras.)
Spend the $35-40 or so it takes to get a set (or two) of high-capacity NiMH
rechargeable batteries and a good charger! The few dollars up front will save
you literally hundreds of dollars in the long run, not to mention the hassle
of wimpy batteries running out in the middle of the action. We suggest you buy
two sets of batteries, so one can always be in the charger, ready to go, and
so have two sets available for longer excursions. Good brands of batteries include
Maha (our favorite), GP, Kodak, and Nexcell. Also, buy the highest capacity
AAs the manufacturer makes, the few extra dollars for the extra capacity is
usually well worth it. Getting a good charger is critical though, almost more
so than buying good batteries. We recommend the Maha C-204F (see the photo at
right), the charger we use the most in our own studio. - Read our review
of it for all the details. Or, just click
here to buy one, you won't regret it.
Included Software
Packaged with the 912 are a USB cable and two software CDs. The first CD contains
HP's Photo Imaging software (for Windows 98/2000/Me/NT 4.0 only), ACDSee Systems
Viewer (also Windows only), and a copy of the User's Guide for both Macintosh
and Windows users. The second CD contains ArcSoft PhotoImpression and ArcSoft
PhotoMontage for both Windows and Macintosh (OS 8.6 and higher) operating systems.
HP's Photo Imaging Software is essentially a downloading utility that offers
basic printing, viewing, and editing utilities, as well as e-mail and image
sharing tools for use with the Internet and HP's Cartogra Web site. The ACDSee
Systems Viewer provides more in-depth organizing utilities, allowing you to
create image albums and listen to the recorded sound clips. Though these applications
are not compliant with the Macintosh operating system, Mac users can take advantage
of similar utilities with ArcSoft PhotoImpression, which also provides downloading,
organization, printing, and minor editing tools for digital images. Images can
be organized into albums, or cropped, rotated, or flipped before being printed.
PhotoMontage is a fun, creative application that allows you to create one large
image made up of a mosaic of hundreds or thousands of tiny images. You can use
your own digital images or the application's library of images to create a montage.
Included Hardware
Included in the box are the following:
- PhotoSmart 912 digital camera
- Neck strap
- Lens, viewfinder, and hot shoe caps
- 16MB CompactFlash (Type I) card
- Four AA alkaline batteries
- USB cable
- IR Remote Control
- Two software CDs containing ArcSoft's PhotoMontage and PhotoImpression, as well as camera drivers, HP's Photo Imaging software, ACDSee Systems Viewer, and User's Guides
- Quick Start Guide
- Registration kit
- NTSC video cable (PAL for European models)
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