Hewlett Packard PhotoSmart C912xi 2.24 MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom

Someone wrote that the HP C912 was the "Best kept secret in digital cameras." I agree, now that the price has dropped from [$$$] to about [$$$] (... price new). I really like the 6 automatic and 4 manual modes of operation, the hot flash and the remote control features. The camera has been easy to learn and to experiment with ... I have used a point and shoot digital camera for years. The 912 in one of its auto modes functions as a point and shoot, with the advantage of the TTL viewfinder. Traditional P&S cameras do not come close to this feature. If I don't like the settings (visible in the viewfinder) it is not difficult to change to manual mode and adjust a setting or two. The external selectors make this very simple for most features. With a SunPak 610 flash I can shoot good pics out to 50 feet with good resolution. This is tough for most other digitals. At the price this camera has dropped to, it is truly a bargin for anyone who likes the SLR type cameras married to the new technology of the digital revolution.

For this price this camera is unbeatable. I have used a lot of digital cameras and this one takes the best, most accurate pictures. Plus there are options all over the place.

I've used this camera on many occasions for projects at school. True it is good for taking quick snaps, but otherwise, it's horrid.
Let's go for some examples:

1.Unless the two 912s we have are horribly malformed, the "zoom lens" must be an afterthought, cause it barely works.

2.The SLR-like design is good, and I'm quite partial to the old school camera design. However many of the controls are seemingly pointless.

3.Many of the useful features are buried within a cutsey (so typical of HP) menu.

4.It's downright spendy

5.Finally this thing eats batteries like being an absurdly power hungry device is going out of style.

There are plenty of better >2 mpx cameras that aren't as monetarily exorbitant.

All I'm saying is: consider your options before you get this one. If you're just happy with taking the same old pictures over and over again, go for it. But if you want something with more professional controls, look somewhere else

If you have been bitten by the digital camera bug, then you will love this camera. I got this camera this summer, and bought the accessory kit which comes with a recharging kit and battery. I love how it has a real camera feel. You may think that you need a camera that takes clearer pictures, but I have been real impressed with the sharpness of these pictures. The red eye feature works great, and downloading is a snap. This camera is on the expensive side, but if you want to take great digital pictures, this is a good choice.

By the way, this camera works great with the HP Photosmart printers. You can beam pics to the print with the IR port, or simply take the compact flash card out of the camera and put it into the drive in the printer.

This is a great camera for the beginner and the professional alike. It is very easy to use and has all the bells and whistles. It probably has more features than the average person would use but they are there for the asking. It has a great LCD screen, very clean on the images and great for shots in low light. I can not say enough good things about this camera. The only thing is that you definetly want to get a good zoom lens. The one that comes with the camera is more than ample for shots that are with in about 100 ft., after that you will want a better zoom. I bought this camera and 2 days later I took the camera on vacation and glad to say that I never missed a shot. The things that I noticed reading all the reviews on alot of cameras were lag time between shots and battery draw. As for the lag time it is not really noticable but you had better invest in a set or two of rechargable batteries. Overall it is a little pricey as far as digital cameras go but it is worth every penny. You will not go wrong with this camera.