HP 715 3MP Digital Camera w/ 3x Optical Zoom
By: Hewlett-Packard Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 12
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 On: 2005-01-16
Perhaps when this product first came out, it made some good impressions to those unfamiliar with digital cameras. But by now, this camera seems ancient and incompetent when compared to its competitors.
Turning it on takes several long seconds, and if you want to take a picture right away, it may take even longer. From the time you press your finger down to the time that the camera actually goes off, Ive frequently had to wait up until half a minute. Instant use is just not possible with this camera.
The features to view stored images are very limited and poorly designed. On occasion Ive accidentally deleted photos, because there is only one big button on the back that serves many functions, making it easy do something that you dont want to do.
To put it simply, skip this one over and get something newer. This camera is frustrating to deal with, and not even worth the cheaper price.
 On: 2003-05-27
I bought my HP 715 about two years ago and I have never been sorry.Although it has been discontinued at this writing it is still available on line and elsewhere. It is by far the greatest camera I have ever owned. You dont need a degree to operate it and it always comes thru. It has a big camera feel and I love that. Whatever the occasion I feel at home using this camera on landscapes and portraits. I use a 256 MB Compact flash card so I can shoot all pix on the fine setting. But the default setting is equally as good. The program that goes into the computor is by far the best money can buy. The pix are downloaded and organized into a real neat format and easy to retrieve for email or print. Today you are fortunate since you an purchae it much cheaper than I did at Staples. ... I am still in awe of it. The controls are on top and rapid changes can be made without guessing. If you are new or pro to digital cameras, get this one and dont worry about it being discontined.It is still the state of the art. It also defies the adage about digitals eating up batteries. Its power consumption is very frugal. Try it and you will love it. Thanks HP.
 On: 2002-09-23
GREAT CAMERA. SIMPLE TO USE AND VERSATLE. USED IT ON A YACHT CLUB CRUISE TOOK OVER 100 PICTURES AND MADE A GREAT SLIDE SHOW! ALSO TOOK OVER 100 PICTURES ON A TRIP TO NOVA SCOTIA. YOU DOO NEED TO UPGRADE THE MEMORY TO 128. IM DISAPPOINTED THAT THE NEW MODEL IS AVAILABLE FOR ONLY $ 30.00 MORE THAN I PAID FOR THIS!!
DAN SHINKWIN
by: Anonymous On: 2002-06-13
We already own a C618 (earlier model of this camera) and are buying this as a grad present. BATTERIES: The way to go with batts is the Panasonic package of charger and batteries, plus an extra package of batts, get it at BJs. DO NOT USE BATTS WITH ANOTHER MANUFACTURERS CHARGERS! We suffered faults with Kodak batts and charger, and the Rayovac batts and charger caught fire on our wall plug. FLASH CARDS: GO with humongous sized memory, you wont be fumbling during that perfect oppportunity. Getting reasonably priced flash cards is best done online, its easy, AND you dont need an entire flash receptical if you own a laptop, the card holder slides right into the modem slots, easy for travel downloading. We use the laptop, load pics to zips and hard drive (safety) then burn a master CD-R of everything to free up zip space. FAULTS: The damn on/off button you better watch, putting it into a tight camera case can activtate the on feature, out slides the lens, binding against the case, and scary ratchetting noises ensue. No damage from that yet, but watch it! Darkness is this cameras worst enemy, I havent got that figured out well enough yet, and the shakes ruin anything with a time exposure. AND THIS BABY TAKES FORRRRRRRRRREVER TO CYCLE SO YOU CAN SHOOT AGAIN, so bring the old motor driven 35MM for those rapid fire pic needs. We bought two, and that says it all. Plus, nothing like commanility in components.
by: Anonymous On: 2002-04-11
You absolutely can not go wrong with this camera. If youre looking for a pure point and click camera, this is the one for you. Set-up is extremely easy and the user manual is very well written. Also, the included software is very easy to use. The one recommendation I would make would be for you to decline the free 32mb Compact Flash Card and opt for the credit towards a higher capacity one (if offered). At the highest resolution setting, a 40mb card will yield 25 pictures. The highest setting on a 128mb card gives you 81.
On: 2002-03-17
here is a cut and paste of the data on this camera from the HP website
Color Depth 30-bit
Mac Compatible Yes
hp Imaging Technology, PhotoSmart Auto exposure, auto strobe, automatic white balance for Daylight, Overcast, Tungsten, and fluorescent lighting conditions
Memory, Std. 16 MB SDRAM
Connectivity, Std. USB 2.0 full-speed device, standard Still Image Device Class and Mass Storage Device Class; user selectable
External I/O Ports 1 USB, CompactFlash Type I, DC in
Resolution 2048 x 1536 pixels
Lens System f2.8, 5.6, 11; glass; autofocus; 3x optical zoom lens; 46 mm lens
Zoom Capability 6x (3x Optical, 2x Digital)
Shutter Speed Range 2 to 1/500 secs
LCD Display 4.4 cm Backlit LCD display for preview and review of photos and GUI; 19 mm x 9 mm status LCD
View Finder Real image viewfinder, magnification 0.33 - 0.9, eye relief 15 mm, reticule for framing and image center
Focus Auto focus, macro, Scene Brightness
Status LCD Battery level, picture remaining, strobe modes, self timer, zoom, CompactFlash card present, camera error, card error, PC connect, macro mode, quality mode
Exposure Rating ISO 100
Exposure Control, PhotoSmart Automatic Aperature, Shutter, Meter
Compression EXIF
Shooting Mode Single shot, self timer
System Requirements, Minimum Pentium® 166 MHz or higher, 32 MB of RAM, 150 MB free hard disk space, 800 x 600 16-bit color display, CD-ROM drive, USB, Windows 95, 98, ME, NT 4.0, or 2000
System Requirements, Macintosh, minimum 233 MHz Power PC required with 64 MB RAM, 150 MB available disk space, 800 x 600 16- color display, CD-ROM drive, USB, OS8.6 or higher
Software Included hp Photo Imaging software, Arcsoft PhotoFantasy
Power Supply 4 AA batteries, rechargeable NiMH batteries, or optional AC adapter
Power Consumption 5.28 watts maximum
Light Source, PhotoSmart Internal variable strobe
Dimensions (W x D x H) 5 x 2.9 x 2.5 in
Compatible Operating Systems Windows (98, 2000, XP, Me), Mac OS (8.6 and higher)
Warranty Features 1 year limited warranty
Weight 0.7 lb
Whats in the Box hp Photosmart 715 digital camera, 4x AA Energizer Titanium, 16 MB CompactFlash, USB Cable Mini-B, 8.5 x 5.5 saddle-stitch Manual EFIGS + J, Tiffen catalog, users guide, wrist strap, CD-ROM, Energizer booklet, Energizer coupon (US only), ferrite and usage instructions for optional AC adapter
product information
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support and troubleshooting
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by: Anonymous On: 2002-02-23
I got this cmaera about two weeks ago and aside from the way it chews through batteries it is easy and excelelnt quality. Point and shoot never miss a pick and just keep on firing away. get teh 64mb card...expensive but then again so is the camera.
On: 2002-01-23
I had an Olympus digital camera for the last three years and was very happy with it. The opportunity arose for me to get this camera (HP 715) at a great price. I was hesitant because I liked Olympus so much, but I have been won over. The HP performs very well, although it is a little heavier than my previous camera. I highly recommend this camera if you are looking for a 3+ megapixel camera!
On: 2001-12-18
I bought this camera the night before a trip to Disneyworld, I had not intended on spending the 499 for a camera. However, it was one of the few cameras that Sears actually had in stock. The camera proved its worth almost immediately, I took almost 200 pictures at the 1 and 2 star resolution features. This was my first real digital camera (I had another as a freebie from an ISP). I am thoroughly impressed with the ease of use as well as the ability to use it like a normal camera (ie using the view finder to take pics withought the LCD screen on). The only fault I found was when booting the camera with the lens cap on required a reboot after removing the lens cap before taking pictures. The battery life lasted longer than I expected. I took over 150 pictures before replacing the batteries that came with it. Although not what I wanted to buy, I would reccomend this camera to anybody wanting a simple to use -out of the box- camera that takes great shots and doesnt require reading the owners manual to use.
 On: 2001-12-17
Since there is no technical information available, I would not touch this item with a 10 foot, make that a 20 foot pole. If specifications are not availabe, I will not buy.
by: Anonymous On: 2001-12-06
The combination of camera, picture quality, and software is great! There is a choice of 3 picture quality levels, with the lowest quality best for e-mails and web sites and the higher levels best for printing. However, even the the lowest quality prints extremely well to 4 by 6 inch photo paper. Outdoor pictures are especially sharp and seem to up there with 35 mm SLR photos. Shooting indoors with the flash is a bit trickier, and I have used editing software (Adobe Photoshop Elements) to improve some of my indoor shots. I have downloaded to my PC using both both Windows 98 and XP, and the bundled software works great with either OS, and places the photos in a dated folder. The camera has a very nice feel, and appears to be very well built. Its primary drawback is the lack of manual controls; everything is automatic. But for a point and shoot type of camera, it cannot be beat!
by: Anonymous On: 2001-10-27
This is the greatest digital camera I have ever used! It took trying six other cameras to finally choose this gem. I am very picky about my photographs. I want perfection, anything else is a waste of my time. This camera is ergonomically very comfortable to hold and use. Once it is in your hand, it feels like it is there to stay. Its a little heavier than other digital cameras Ive used. It feels more like a film camera.The HP Photosmart 715 is very sturdy. It is very easy on the eyes as well, it is sophisticated, yet simple, bearing a close resemblance to its 35 mm cousin. The camera is point and shoot, it automatically adjusts for every lighting situation perfectly. The photo quality is absolutely breath taking! You do not miss a single detail with this camera. The results are better than anything Ive ever accomplished with film. With a 3X optical zoom, there is no way you can go wrong on this one. There is not a single thing I do not like about this camera. It is PERFECT!
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