HP PhotoSmart 635 2.1 MP Digital Camera w/3x Optical
by Hewlett Packard

List Price: $216.99
Our Price: $25.00
You Save: $191.99 (88%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Category: Digital Camera
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Digital Photo Product Details

• 2 megapixel sensor captures 1636 x 1236 images for prints up to 8 x 10 inches
• 3x optical plus 4x digital zoom lens (for 12x total) with autofocus
• 1.6-inch LCD; capture video with sound that's limited only by amount of memory
• 16 MB internal memory; compatible with Secure Digital and MMC memory cards
• Powered by 2 AA batteries (alkalines included, rechargeables recommended); connects to PCs and Macs via USB 1.1

• Adobe Photoshop CS5 Upgrade [Old Version]
• Serif PhotoPlus X3
• Adobe Photoshop CS4 Upgrade [OLD VERSION]
• Aperture 3
• Pixelmator [Old Version]

Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of HP PhotoSmart 635 2.1 MP Digital Camera w/3x Optical

Customer Review: An easy choice for a first- time digicam buyer.
Summary: 4 Stars

The biggest selling point of this camera is that fact that it is one of the most user-friendly on the market. The intuitive design and menu system makes operating it right out of the box very easy, and you will be shooting pictures in no time. Everything function is controlled by a series of buttons on the back of the camera. There are four function keys (even one for printing, if you have the camera hooked up to a printer), a flash and video control key, and 4-way navigation keys with an "OK" button in the middle, like the ones found on DVD remote controls. The menus appear on the LCD viewfinder and are easy to navigate. Adjusting the picture quality, setting the color scheme, and deleting pictures in the memory are just a few of the functions made easy with the menu system. The camera comes with 16 MB of internal memory, but it can be expanded using the memory card slot. Everything you would expect from a digital camera is here, making the HP 635 a great value.

The pictures themselves are excellent quality, even at the lowest image quality setting. The optical zoom (which I recommend over the digital zoom) and auto focus allow you to get the best quality pictures with minimal effort on your part. What pleased me as well was the imaging software that came in the box, which takes no time to set up and is easy to use. The images take no time to be downloaded to your computer, and the imaging software provided helps you re-size and edit your pictures quickly and easily. The USB cable is provided with everything else. In terms of functionality, this camera has been nothing short of stellar so far.

Having said all the praise, there are a few flaws that might dissuade people who would use this camera frequently. For starters, the battery life is horrible. Since the camera has a high-resolution viewfinder and moving parts for the optical zoom, the batteries don't last very long. If you are taking pictures a lot, you will probably have to replace the batteries every 1-2 days (I am not kidding). The minimize this, avoid using the LCD viewfinder too often, or playing with the optical zoom too much. The other flaw is that the 16 MB internal memory doesn't hold much, especially if you are taking pictures at the highest quality. It can hold 12 pictures only on the "Best" setting, while having it on the lowest ("good") will allow you to hold 80, which is better. If you insist on the best quality, you will have to buy an extra memory card.

Since I am not a heavy camera user, I had few beefs with the HP 635. The abysmal battery life and small capacity are slight turnoffs, but they hardly make me regret buying this particular camera. If is well made, easy to use, and reliable. For first time buyers, I highly recommend it for both the value and functionality.

Description of HP PhotoSmart 635 2.1 MP Digital Camera w/3x Optical

Digital Cameras

• Camera & Photo > Digital Cameras