Okay, so my birthday was a week ago ...My family knew I really wanted a digital camera, so they decided to pick the HP PS620 for me ...Just looking at the box told me that this was nothing to get excited about. Only 2 Megapixels? 3x optical zoom? That's it?
Yeah, I was polite and thankful upon getting it as a gift, but I'll defenitely be returning it with a speed!
Before you ever turn on the camera, you'll already be unimpressed. The camera feels very light and plastic-ish. Weighing in at a mere .46 pounds, this thing feels more like a children's toy than a real $200 digital camera.
Then you start taking pictures ...Anyone who has ever had a digital camera before will immediately notice the lack of features and options, and the picture quality can easily be obtained (surpassed, even??) with a much cheaper 35mm. There really isn't any special features or advanced options to speak of, and the photographer's creative control is extremely restricted. There is not even a Sepia or Black & White Mode to speak of, so any such editing of your pictures will have to be done on your computer, in a Photoshop program for example.
Many things that a serious photographer would like to have control over will be absent. The white balance, ISO, and the shutter speed cannot be controlled, they are all automatic! This becomes very frustrating.
There is also a "movie" mode, but I believe it is actually refered to as a "motion image" or "motion JPEG" or something. This is because you can't record the video with audio.
So really, the best thing to do is never, ever, ever buy this camera for yourself, or loved ones on their birthdays, either. Serious photographers will find absolutely NO significant controls to take charge over, feeling very restricted. The camera is simply too simple for them. Folks new to digital cameras will find themselves satisfied for now, but in a few months when they begin learning more and more about digital cams they will already be ready for an upgrade. So even for amateurs, the camera is not worth the price.
I recomend instead the Sony Cybershot P10. It does cost a bit more money, but new digital photographers will find a lot of options and controls at their disposal. Even though there's a bit more to learn with that camera, no one should be intimidated by it. Sony has made a very easily-accessible camera in the P10.
For even more advanced photographers, the Nikon Coolpix 5700 is an excellent 5.0 megapixel camera, with even yet more advanced features than the Sony P10.
Both of these cameras will make any photographer, amateurs and serious ones, very happy ...the price is a little higher, but anyone willing to give either a try will realize that the price is definitely worth it.
And as for this worthless camera? Anyone could eventually find that this simplified, point-and-shoot camera is hardly worth $200. I wouldn't pay one red cent for this thing.
pea sout
