HP Photosmart M517 5MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom
By: Hewlett-Packard Average Rating: 3.5 Total Reviews: 39
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 On: 2008-03-12
I purchased the HP Photosmart camera/printer bundle for 99$ on Black Friday 2007. Coming from a 450$ Olympus 1.3Mp camera, I had high expections of image quality since the M517 is 5.2Mp.
The M517 is really slow at taking pictures. Ive missed dozens of picture opts waiting for the charging flash indicator to finish flashing. When it does finish, the bracketed focus indicator is red, (meaning out of focus) It takes 3 to 4 depresses/releases of the button to finally get an infocus picture. After months of use, and hundreds of blurry useless pictures, Ive finally mastered (tolerated) the photo taking procedure required for this model.
The pictures, even when focused still seem blurry. I expected to be able to crop a 5Mp picture to my old 1.3Mp size. However when you digitally zoom in on the pc, the pictures simply lack the clairity needed for editing. Macro mode has its own list of problems.
The batteries included (NiMH 1800ma) die within hours. The screen turns off at around 30 seconds, considering 25 of those are charging flash and focusing...... The video mode is very grainy and always dark, much worse than a standard webcam. The top buttons started to stick after 6 months of use. The printer now sucks the paper crooked, leaving 4 white triangles on my borderless prints.
There is more, but all in all, Im unhappy.
On: 2007-12-26
Purchased this camera Nov 2006 but never took it out of the box to use until Aug 2007. Used it 3 times and the camera BROKE! HP wants $70 for customer support to talk to me since it has been over a year. What kind of camera breaks after 3 uses?? HP has very poor quality products.
 On: 2007-11-12
I have this camera and the shutter speed is way too slow for me. The flash takes forever to charge, especially between shots. It also eats the AA batteries, especially rechargables. My next camera will definately be better than this!
On: 2007-05-29
I could not believe the glowing reviews that I found about this camera. I am not a professional photographer but have been an avid photographer as a hobby since I was a kid. I own another digital camera and received this one as a gift. Thank GOODNESS I did not waste my own money on this piece of junk.
Here are my main issues with the HP:
1. The LCD screen sometimes goes black after taking a picture. Nothing will bring it back without powering it down and bringing it back up.
2. The pictures are NOT crystal clear. They are clear enough, but they lack that sharp, focused look of my other digital camera.
3. There is a TREMENDOUS lag time between when you "take" the picture and when the camera actually flashes and takes the picture. I suppose if youre photographing a lot of adults or still objects, this is not a big issue. I, however, spend most of my time these days photographing my kids. I have missed MANY great shots because the picture you take and the picture the camera catches is NOT the same picture! I know that some will argue that this is true of all digital cameras, and let me assure you that it is NOT. My other camera has some lag, but I get reasonably close to the picture I wanted...if not the exact one. This is my biggest complaint with this camera.
4. My camera drains the batteries so quickly! Friends of mine have this camera also (they also complain about #3), and theirs dont seem to do this. I have tried various batteries without different results. I can sometimes only take 6 or so pics before needing new batteries. And this IS with the Ni rechargeables.
I called HP to see what could be done about the tech issues, and ~SURPRISE~ my warranty expired a couple of weeks ago. I will not spend my money on an HP camera EVER and would highly recommend that you put your own money into another camera, too. There are more reliable cameras of better quality (and some for less money!) out there. BUY SOMETHING ELSE!
On: 2007-05-02
About a year ago I was looking for a camera/printer bundle because I was interested in taking/printing pictures to make scrapbooks. I had owned a couple digital cameras before this one but figured I might as well buy a new one since printers alone are so much money. If I was spending money on a printer, I might as well get a new camera to go with it. ESPECIALLY if it would cost me next to nothing to get the camera. So I found this bundle on Amazon. I noted that it had 5 megapixels and 3x optical zoom which is pretty darn good. And HP is a decent brand. So I went ahead and bought it.
Now for my review of the camera. Let me first start off by saying that Im not a camera expert by any means. However, I do know what I want my pictures to look like and I do know that there ARE cameras out there that can take really good pictures (I know this because the camera that Im currently using is one of those cameras). One thing that I didnt want is a camera that takes a while to process after taking a picture. Not only does this camera take a while to process pictures, but if you move even slightly within 5 seconds after taking a picture, the picture comes out blurry. This is extremely inconvenient if you need to take several pictures in a row very quickly or if you want to take a picture of someone in movement or if your subject is jumpy (I know this because my cousin owns this camera as well and has trouble taking pictures of her 8 month old daughter). Also, the brightness doesnt always show what the true brightness is. I know how to use the flash and I understand what ISO settings are so I dont think that Im the problem. Ive taken plenty of pictures using other cameras and havent had this problem. As far as the options on the camera, they are decent. You can play around with different settings to alter your photos (like changing the picture to black and white or sepia). These options are a little bonus.
The screen is a good size. No problems there whatsoever. The internal memory is typical. Most cameras can only hold a handful of pictures so an SD card is a necessary purchase.
As for the printer, I dont have any real problems with it. Ill admit that Ive only used it with the few photo papers that came with the printer. The pictures that I DID print came out looking like pictures that you get developed. So if its easier for you to use this printer instead of going to a drugstore to get them developed, this printer is a great option. The picture looks exactly like how it was taken. Nothing was cropped out of the original picture. The printing time isnt too long so if you want to print multiple pictures at once, time is not a huge problem. One thing that I did like about the printer is that you can dock the camera on it. Not only does docking charge the camera (lets face it, camera batteries die pretty often), but it also lets you review the pictures you took. This is pretty handy if you dont have a computer around.
So would I recommend this bundle? If this is your first digital camera and youre ok with a) having pictures with incorrect brightness and b) having to play with the camera a bit to get a good picture, go for it. I think its a great bundle if youre scrapbooking and dont necessarily need to get "the perfect shot". Or if youre purchasing this just for the printer, thats a great idea too. However, if youve owned a digital camera before and want accurate pictures, Id skip on this bundle. I have a Sony DSC-H2 and it works wonderfully (no playing around with the camera to get a good shot... just press the shutter and youve got a good picture). You truly get what you pay for. Id suggest testing out cameras at a store before buying one.. If I had tested this one at a store, I would have passed on it hands down.
 On: 2007-03-16
Ive had the camera for over a year, and taken several thousand pictures with it. Its pretty darn good overall. Ive been pleased with the image quality, especially for scenery shots. It does fall somewhat short with portraits of people in many cases, though. Easy to use. Minor durability problems.
 On: 2007-02-13
Gave this to the in-laws for Cristmas and they were taking pictures the next time we went to visit. Definitely buy additional memory, the internal memory is really more of a back-up.
On: 2007-02-13
I had to have the camera replaced by HP because it never really would stay "on" for more than a few shots. The process was so bad, Ill never by another HP camera. The printer is the older series, using #95 cortridges, so they are not waterproof. But it prints just fine.
On: 2007-02-12
Good camera and photo printer, easy to use. Only thing missing is a multi-card reader. Easy transfer to computer and printing pictures from computer. Good software for most photo editing.
On: 2007-02-11
This camera works great. And the batteries last quite awhile too. Good quality pictures. A good deal for the price.
On: 2007-01-12
I bought 2 of this type of camera for my uncle and mother. It was huge when I first opened the box. I would have rathered one a little more sleek. As far as the other options I have no idea for Ive never used it, but the size I can definitely comment on, its not a pocket or purse camera.
On: 2007-01-12
I canceled this order because shipment wasnt going to arrive in time for christmas.
On: 2007-01-11
I bought this camera for my wife for Christmas and after I bought it she was talking and said she did not like HP products. Well she opened it on Christmas and said it looked nice. After she took about 40 pictures with it I could not pry it out of her hand with a crowbar.. It takes great pictures and is very easy to work. She even let me take a couple of pictures with it. So it shows you dont have to spend a lot of money to get a great camera. Keep up the great work HP...
On: 2007-01-11
My husband got this for me as a present and I love it. Easy to use.
On: 2007-01-10
I purchased this camera for my daughter. She was looking for a digital that was in the price range of $100. She has reported that the capture speed is a little slow and is not a good choice to catch an active toddler. Also the view finder displays are dark and grainy if you do not have a lot of light. She reports that once the picture is saved the quality is very good but it is difficult to see what she is shooting. She has also had some problems with the camera freezing which required removing the batteries and reinserting them. This may be a defect and she is checking with the manufacturer to see if this is something they can fix. Pictures taken outside are the best quality shots. On a whole, she is okay with the camera for the price range, she was not expecting it to be a top of the line camera.
On: 2007-01-09
I bought this for my mother...she loves it! Its easy for her to use and the screen is large enough for her to view. The print quality is excellent. I got more (merchandise and quality) with this HP brand than I would had with any other brand. The price was excellent too. Good job Hewlett Packard for making me a "smart" person!
 On: 2007-01-07
We have had our camera and printer for one year now. We loved having the sole printer for the camera, but I havent been too happy with the quality of the pictures from the camera. Also, the printer now no longer works.
On: 2007-01-04
We got this camera for Christmas, took one shot, and then the camera shut off completely with the lens out. HP Customer Service was not helpful. Its an internal problem with the circuitry. We pay freight for a repair or replacement on a BRAND NEW CAMERA. And NO PICTURES of Christmas! We purchased this camera after reading multiple positive reviews.
On: 2007-01-04
I received one as a gift from a friend and really like the camera. I have used it only a few times and then I bought an SLR Digital Camera.
The photos I took with this camera turned out great.
On: 2007-01-03
We got this camera for Christmas, took one shot, and then the camera shut off completely with the lens out. HP Customer Service was not helpful. Its an internal problem with the circuitry. We pay freight for a repair or replacement on a BRAND NEW CAMERA. And NO PICTURES of Christmas! We purchased this camera after reading multiple positive reviews.
On: 2006-12-27
I have had so many problems with this camera..and I didnt just own one, after the first one croaked, I bought a second. BAD MISTAKE
Plain and simple:
It is too slow,
Doesnt take pictures fast enough (I Often missed my subject..waiting for it to turn on and take the picture),
Sucks through batteries like nothing Ive seen
Its a waist of money and time. Spend a few extra bucks and upgrade to something better..
On: 2006-12-26
I have had so many problems with this camera..and I didnt just own one, after the first one croaked, I bought a second. BAD MISTAKE
Plain and simple:
It is too slow,
Doesnt take pictures fast enough (I Often missed my subject..waiting for it to turn on and take the picture),
Sucks through batteries like nothing Ive seen
Its a waist of money and time. Spend a few extra bucks and upgrade to something better..
On: 2006-12-12
I have own mine for a few months now and it has been a great investment. I have noticed a difference in the print quality based on the type of paper I used. Do not skip on the photo paper, get the high gloss paper for pictures you want to keep, but the anytime paper is still solid for giving away to others. So far I have been able to print 40 or so pictures on the orginial cartridge HP provided in the kit. Either way love my camera, love the printer, love the convienence.
On: 2006-12-11
Ive only had this camera 3 months and already Ive experienced a million problems with it. some days the camera wont even turn on, other days it functions beautifully. I just cant figure it out. the software is also unreliable. one moment the camera allows me to upload photos and the next moment it wont. I dont know if I got a defective one or what, but if you are looking for something more reliable I wouldnt go with this because its performance varies like the weather.
On: 2006-11-13
Its exactly what I was looking for. Easy to use digital camera and printer. Delivery took longer than I expected, but well worth the wait.
On: 2006-11-10
Only one problem at installation and it was solved quickly with there online messenger service.
A very good everyday camera that is compact and quick and easy to use. Features you use a lot like action, red eye flash etc are easy and quick to use. Software for transfering to computer works very well. Can carry it in a shirt pocket and I like the automatic lens cover.
On: 2006-11-10
I am a Grandma and not very adept at figuring out new fangled cameras expecially with printers. The printer is VERY easy to use and its been nice when grandkids and friends come to our vacation house-we take many pictures and can send relatives and friends home with as many photos as they want. No going to the store to get them developed! A wonderful advantage to this camera/printer set! The printer has an included electric cord, or you can purchase a battery to run the printer without electricity. This camera takes several different quality photos depending what you set the "MPs" at. Even I learned how to set the MPs! The greater the "MPs," the clearer resolution of your photo. This model M517 goes from 3MPs to 5.2MPs, but I found that the lower MPs take VERY acceptable quality pictures. The higher the MPs, the less pictures your camera memory will hold before youll need to delete some if you want to take more photos. So I purchased a 1GB memory card that can store several HUNDRED photos even on the clearest resolution. This is wonderful for vacations, weddings, etc.! It is very easy to delete "red eyes" in your photos before printing them and you can also "crop" the photos if you want a closer-up photo. The only "con" I have is that the rechargeable batteries do not last long-a few days depending on how often you have the camera on. The camera batteries are recharged when you "dock" (set the)the camera on the printer. I purchased a 4 pack of NiMH rechargeable batteries so I could always have spares on hand. The recharger charges the camera batteries in ONE HOUR. Charging batteries when the camera is docked on the printer takes several hours to do. The whole package has what you need to start taking pictures immediately-even ink and photo paper. Cables to connect to a computer and to a TV to view photos are all included. All in all, this Grandma is VERY satisfied with my new Photo Studio!
On: 2006-11-10
This camera hasnt given me any problems. Some have complained of low battery life, but that is due to using regular batteries. I use the rechargeable camera batteries for days at a time without recharging. I am still playing around with the printer, but my first test print was good.
On: 2006-11-10
i bought this camera along with photo printer for only 99 dollars after rebate. it delivers great quality and very easy to use. it takes secure digital cards which are very cheap. i recommend this camera to everyone, especially the new users.
On: 2006-10-11
I purchased this camera printer combo for my daughters 16th birthday. The price was unbeatable. The camera has a ton of features, and the pictures are beautiful, and crystal clear. The printer is tiny and portable, great for a teenager, and it hooks up easily to the TV to view/edit/print the photos. She was able to print pictures of her party for her friends to take home with them.
Great camera and printer for the price! And Amazon customer service is first rate! Shipping was super, super fast and when I needed help with a rebate for this item, customer service was very efficient and polite. A+!
On: 2006-09-09
This camera is best among its class. The LCD displace is so brigh and high resolution. All buttons are very well organized so easy to use. Special flash recycle so fast and strong makes the shooting indoor and dark area an experience. The software menu is so easy to reach. I got SLR Pentax Digital Camera before, but cant tell the difference in picture quality.
On: 2006-09-04
I purchased this camera-printer set for my husband about a year ago. Its performed very nicely over the last 8 months. The only thing is that taking close-ups can be a little bit tricky and the battery life seems very short between charges. Otherwise, I would buy it again.
On: 2006-08-04
Pros: easy to use, nice features, size,powerful flash
Cons: soft lens
good camera for those amateur ones.very powerful flash makes shooting in the dark (at close ranges)a nice experience. but the lens is a soft one and does not provide the contrast that a canon or a nikon might give, consequently the colors are not up to the mark. good for entry level photographers. overall features are quite nice; user should try to operate manually rather than depending on the auto features---gives better performance that way. but then again, the lens makes you sad and makes you realize that HP after all does not specialize in camera lenses. even the Carl Zweiss of Sonys gives a better contrast.
On: 2006-07-20
Easy to use and takes great pictures. You can edit on the printer or use a PC and the included HP Image Zone software for more advanced editing. Camera has all the features a casual user would need plus a few Ill probably never use. Printer produces excellent quality 4 x 6 prints. Printer is small enough to take on trips so you can have prints immediately. Can also show pictures and videos on a TV.
Wrist strap was missing from the box but HP had one delivered 3 days after I called Customer Support. Id give this 5 stars were it not for battery problems. The rechargeable NiMH AA batteries included will not hold a charge. Theyre rated for 150 shots but discharge within a day. Im going to replace them with non-rechargeable lithium batteries, which are rated for 300 shots.
Overall an excellent camera and printer. I recommended it for anyone wanting a digital "point & shoot" camera.
On: 2006-02-25
I like the camera and the ease of use; however, when I registered the camera on HPs website, a bunch of garbage got downloaded into my computer and Ive been dealing with the aftermath for quite sometime. I never had problems with my computer until I used this camera. Nice camera, but beware of problems migrating to your computer.
On: 2006-02-24
I like the camera and the ease of use; however, when I registered the camera on HPs website, a bunch of garbage got downloaded into my computer and Ive been dealing with the aftermath for quite sometime. I never had problems with my computer until I used this camera. Nice camera, but beware of problems migrating to your computer.
On: 2006-02-20
This camera takes photos with much clearness. I am very satisfied with it to have bought
On: 2006-01-31
An excellent camera. Easy to use, great quality photos, and very resistent. If you are going to take it to a trip this is the perfect camera. It only has 2 little problems, 1.-it is a little bigger than the others, 2.- the rechargeable batteries included dont last very long.
On: 2006-01-23
I bought this digital camera as my first one for my birthday and Im sastisfied. The cameras price was 179$ CDN (~ 159$ USD) at The Source by Circuit City. The box included Ni-Mh batteries so, I didnt have to buy them for now. What I didnt like, its that the camera cant start with my Pure Energy Alkaline Batteries...
I bought a 256Mb SD card (19.99$ CDN at the upper shop. ^^) and you can take ~ 155 photos at normal 5 mpx and ~99 while on optimal 5 mpx.
I shot, zoomed filmed, etc. around 40 photos and the batteries lost a bit of their energy. (At first, the pointer was on the 1st "O" of GOOD and then it went between "G" and "O")
Pros:
- Good pictures
- Love doing macro pictures :)
Cons:
- Bad video quality (well, duh! Its not a camera recorder.)
- Doesnt take normal alkalines batteries
I never got a digital camera before, but it gives the features I needed.
On: 2005-12-15
I got this camera a few days ago and I must say that I am very, very satisfied. The price is great for a 5 megapixel, it is easy to use, very user-friendly. Its size is perfect: very small. The 2" screen is wonderful and the pictures this camera takes are surprisingly good. It comes with an internal 32 Mb memory, but I got a 1 Gb SD memory card. This memory card can store 618 pictures(5 megapixel) and more than 300 pictures at 5 megapixel best mode. It also comes with a rechargeable NiMH battery and an AC adapter to recharge it. I think HP should also include in the whole package a case for the camera, once there is none in the box. Finally, I am not sorry at all for having bought it...
On: 2005-09-22
I previously owned a Canon Powershot A100, and I am so much happier with the HP Photosmart M517! This camera is ideal for novice photographers and experts alike! The users manual is very easy to follow and understand, and the camera functions are extremely simple to use. I am very pleased with the picture quality, and had gorgeous pictures even on the very lowest image quality settings! This camera is worth every penny I paid for it, and Id highly recommend it! Its definitely a superb quality camera!
On: 2005-07-20
As an amateur photographer taking pictures for more than 25 years with a reflex Minolta XG2 I was looking for a camera `to make a leap in the digital.
I started browsing around and, as I got acquainted with the features of these small new devices, I started being attracted by the M517 because of:
· the high resolution (5.2MP is not still an entry level for such a device)
· the wide (2 inches) LCD display for setting the camera and managing the pictures
· an optical zoom (a fair 3x)
· an internal memory (32MB)
· support for download and management of pictures and videos (the camera comes with a USB 2 cable that connects camera and computer and with a very well crafted software (HP Image Zone) to download, edit, organize, print and share images and videos (15 320x240 fps))
· the recent availableness (May 2005, at least in Europe)
· last but not the least, the bargain I could make from a big retail chain in my country (euro 199 for the camera, a Dikom 256MB SD 60x Memory Card, a SimpleTech Bonzai USB 2.0 Flash Drive Memory Adapter, a HAMA Track Pack Compact 2).
Coming from a heavy camera it took me some time to become accustomed to the light weight of the M517 first of all not to move it while shooting.
The only disadvantage Ive found yet are the 2 AA-size NiMH batteries included that are just enough for a not-intensive-two-day use and then you have to recharge them. Sometimes I switch the display off to spare energy and use the optical viewfinder that, not being a reflex, doesnt show you the picture youll eventually get. In the next future Ill buy at least another couple of rechargeable or lithium batteries.
People using old reflex cameras have to become accustomed to the shutter delay (default 0.85 sec) that captures not exactly what you wanted when you shot.
My next camera, in the years to come, will be definitely a digital reflex but for the time being I enjoy my M517. Its a very good camera so let it a chance.
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