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Introduction |
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Use this guide to familiarize yourself with your digital camera, and start taking outstanding pictures in no time.
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What is a megapixel and why is it important in taking pictures? |
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Zoom in on any digital image closely enough, and you'll notice it's made up of tiny little squares. These are pixels.
Image quality is most often described in terms of how many pixels a photo has. A million pixels is equal to 1 megapixel (MP).
Your camera is rated according to its effective megapixels, or the number of megapixels that actually appear in each
photograph.
How many megapixels do I need? |
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The more megapixels you have, the higher the resolution of your photos. Higher resolution is important for enlarging images
or cropping and enlarging portions of images.
So, it becomes a question of what you want to do with your photos. If you're only interested in snapshots (4" x 6" or 5" x 7"),
then 5 MP will probably do the trick. If you want to create a 16" x 20" or poster-sized image, you'll need up to 6 MP or more.
The chart below illustrates the largest print size you can make with the amount of megapixels your camera has:
| Camera megapixels |
Largest professional-quality prints |
| 4 MP |
11" x 14" |
| 5-6 MP |
16" x 20" |
| 8 MP |
20" x 30" |
| 10 MP |
Poster size |
What's the difference between optical and digital zoom? |
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Optical zoom is how far your camera's lens can physically extend from the camera body (its focal length). Professional sports
and nature photographers often use huge, high-powered lenses that cost hundreds of dollars when they need close-up shots from
very far away. Since most digital cameras have lenses that are relatively small, they're normally only capable of zooming in
roughly three to five times (3x-5x) closer than what you see with your eyes.
Digital zoom picks up where optical zoom leaves off, by stretching your camera's pixels in order to make an image look bigger.
The downside to digital zoom is that the farther you zoom in, the blockier and more distorted your image becomes. Therefore,
if you plan on using digital zoom, make sure to set your camera to the highest MP setting when taking photos.
A camera's "total zoom" is calculated by multiplying the optical zoom by the digital zoom. For example:
3x optical x 8x digital = 24x total zoom
How much memory do I need? |
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Everyone's needs are different, but it basically boils down to quantity vs. quality. The higher the image quality, the
more information your camera records to your memory card. The bigger your image files, the fewer photos you can save to
that memory card. This chart will help you evaluate your needs:
| Camera megapixels |
Images on a 64MB memory card |
Images on a 128MB memory card |
Images on a 256MB memory card |
Images on a 512MB memory card |
Images on a 1GB memory card |
| 4MP |
40–50 |
91–100 |
171–189 |
362–400 |
724–800 |
| 5MP |
35–40 |
70–78 |
141–157 |
283–313 |
565–625 |
| 6MP |
27–32 |
57–63 |
113–125 |
226–250 |
452–500 |
| 8MP |
20–23 |
38–42 |
75–83 |
151–167 |
301–333 |
Shooting photos at full resolution requires more memory, but it also allows you to make stunning enlargements later on.
How do I get my digital photos off my camera? |
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HP offers several ways to transfer your images from your camera quickly and easily.
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Connect your camera to your computer via a USB cable or
camera dock (where applicable).
Be sure you've installed the software that came with your camera. This software will automatically detect and start the process of downloading your pictures.
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Attach your camera to your HP printer via the USB cable, and download your images to the printer's memory, where you
can archive, edit, and print. Or, insert your memory card right into the printer, using the memory card slot.
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Use a card reader
to transfer images from your camera's memory card.
How can I make batteries last longer? |
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Your battery life will depend largely on how you use your camera. Leaving your camera on between shots, using the flash, and
reviewing your photos on the in-camera display at full brightness can all diminish battery life by varying degrees.
Another significant factor is the kind of batteries you use. Most newer HP digital cameras use a rechargeable custom factory
Lithium-Ion battery. These have the longest life. For older HP models that require traditional AA batteries, Lithium-Ion and
Nickel-Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries are recommended. Alkaline batteries will die very fast and cost the most to replace
over time.
NOTE: The performance of all batteries will decrease as the temperature drops. For best performance in cold environments,
use Lithium AA batteries. NiMH batteries may also provide acceptable low temperature performance.
Here are some tips for extending battery life:
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Change the Display Brightness setting in the Setup Menu to Low, so that the image display consumes less power.
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Minimize the use of flash by setting your camera to Auto Flash, instead of Flash On (flash always on).
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Turn off or reduce the duration of the preview function of your shots.
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Turn the camera off between shots.
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Consider buying an additional battery as a backup. There's nothing worse than lining up a wonderful shot only to have your camera shut off right before
you snap.
Why is there a delay between pressing the shutter button and taking the picture? |
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Your camera is doing a lot during that time, such as setting the focus, exposure, and white balance, as well as saving the
image to the flash memory. You can shorten shutter lag (the time between pressing the button and taking the picture) by
first pressing the button halfway down. When the right moment comes, press all the way down to instantly capture the
desired image.
How can I prevent and remove red-eye from my photos? |
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When it comes to correcting this common problem, you have a few different options.
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When shooting
Before snapping any photo, try these tips for preventing red-eye:
- Whenever possible, try not to use a flash. If you have to use a flash, ask your subject to look toward the camera, but not directly at the lens.
- Use additional light sources in the room.
- Take pictures during the day.
- Stand farther away from your subject.
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In-camera features
HP digital cameras offer in-camera red-eye removal and automatic in-camera red-eye removal. Automatic
in-camera red-eye removal allows you to set your camera control to remove red-eye before you take your photo.
HP R-series cameras feature automatic in-camera red-eye removal.
Take a tour
to see how HP in-camera red-eye removal works.
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Using an HP printer
Red-eye removal is also available on many
HP Photosmart printers and
all-in-ones.
You can view your photos on your printer's LCD screen and remove red-eye in a few simple steps—all without a PC.
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Using your PC
HP Photosmart Premier and
HP Photosmart Essential software
allow you to remove red-eye quickly and easily. Just choose Red-eye from the Edit menu. Then, to correct the problem,
place the red-eye removal pencil over the area you want to fix, and click. Presto! No more red-eye.
Why are my photos occasionally too dark? |
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Poor lighting, standing too far from your subject, or using too fast of a shutter speed are a few of the reasons photos can
appear too dark. Luckily, most HP digital cameras are equipped with
HP Adaptive Lighting, which balances the contrast in an image and allows you to produce photos that look more like what you see with your own eyes. Select Adaptive Lighting from the Capture Menu and set to low or high depending on desired results.
HP digital cameras also allow you to adjust the exposure of your photos from the main Capture Menu. For lighter photos, adjust exposure up; for darker photos, adjust down. You will be able to see your subject as you adjust.
Why do my photos sometimes turn out blurry? |
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If you're shooting photos in low light conditions without a flash, it's difficult to hold your camera still enough to avoid
blurring. For great evening shots, use your HP camera's Night Scenery or Night Portrait shooting mode, and consider using a
tripod or bracing yourself against a stationary object to hold the camera still.
If your photos are blurry in daylight, chances are either you or your subject is moving too fast. To remedy this, use the
Action shooting mode on your HP camera. This setting automatically optimizes your shutter speed to capture the action.
Lastly, avoid shutter lag (the time between pressing the button and taking the picture) by pressing the button halfway down.
When the right moment comes, press all the way down to instantly capture the desired image.
What is white balance and how can it help me take better photos? |
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Different lighting conditions cast different colours. The White Balance setting on your HP camera allows it to compensate for
these varying conditions, reproducing colours more accurately and ensuring that whites come out looking white (not orange or blue)
in your photos. Your HP camera is equipped with the following presets:
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Auto (Default) for general picture taking
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Sun for outdoor scenes in sunny or cloudy conditions
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Shade for outdoor scenes in shade or at dusk
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Tungsten for indoor scenes with incandescent or halogen lighting
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Fluorescent for indoor scenes with fluorescent lighting
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Manual for setting a custom white balance based on your target subject. In the
White Balance menu, select Manual, then adjust up or down accordingly.
Can I add special effects to my photos? |
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Yes. Several HP digital cameras come standard with the in-camera
HP Design Gallery.
Choose from several artistic effects such as slimming, colours and borders, kaleidoscope, retro, and more-and apply them
right in your camera.
How do I take close-ups? |
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Several HP digital cameras feature macro mode in Aperture Priority shooting mode, which you should use when you want specific
control over the aperture (for example, using a lower f-stop number to blur the background or a higher f-stop number for
more depth of field). The camera automatically selects the best shutter speed for the situation.
Learn more about
close-up photography.
Does my camera capture video and sound? |
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A number of HP cameras allow you to record video clips by pressing the video button near the photo button (press OK to
stop recording). While viewing a clip, press OK at any time to save a frame as a photo.
Can I take panoramas with my camera? |
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Several HP digital cameras are the first to offer in-camera panorama stitching—a feature that fuses up to five
single shots together to create one seamless image—right in your camera. You don't need special software to stitch
your image together. Just connect your camera or memory card directly to a printer—no PC needed!
Take a tour
to see how in-camera panorama stitching and preview works.
What are the best ways to store digital photos? |
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It's so easy to capture digital photos that they tend to pile up quickly and take up space on your hard drive. At some
point, you have to decide on a long-term storage option. Here are your best bets:
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DVD
A DVD holds 4.7GB of data, which translates to more than 15,000 high-quality pictures. That's about seven times
the capacity of a CD. And HP's innovative double-layer recording technology lets you use double-layer DVDs to record
almost twice as much data as you can on single-layer DVDs.
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External hard drives
Portable external hard drives, such as the
HP Personal Media Drive
are also a good option for storing your photos. These drives attach via a USB or FireWire port and come in huge sizes,
anywhere from 80GB to 400GB and higher. External hard drives are easy to transport; simply disconnect and take them
along for the ride.
How do I print my digital photos? |
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Printing your photos at home using an
HP photo printer and
HP photo paper
is fast, easy, and convenient. To print, either connect your camera to your printer via a USB cable, or simply insert your
camera's memory card right into your printer.
How can I improve my skills? |
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Explore a whole range of useful
digital photography articles
for more information on printing, sharing, editing and taking digital photos.
Learn more |
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