I bought this camera a little over a year ago for about $150CDN. Comparing this camera to others in the same price range, its performance is pretty good.
Ease of Use The camera is exceptionally easy to use and there are only a few buttons to work with. Moving through the menu is quick and easy, and accessing all of the features and options of the camera is a breeze. It is a good camera for all family members, as everyone can use it.
Features When it comes to the different features, the HP M417 comes with all of the ones expected in a camera. The 7x digital zoom is more than sufficient for everyday use and is easy adjust. There are also some different shooting modes such as black and white, sepia, landscape, and action for different environments. The quality of the pictures is excellent and crystal clear. The camera also takes videos, which is another big plus. However, the MPEGs are not as crystal clear as the pictures and the microphone isn't too great. The camera only comes with 16mb of memory which is not much if you are planning on taking the camera on a trip, or enjoy going picture crazy. However, there is an SD card slot where you can add more memory, and hence take more pictures.
Physical The camera is small and compact so you can take it anywhere you go. However, if you're looking for style points, this camera can sometimes feel like a block more than anything. Although you cannot see it in the picture, the M417 isn't as thin as some of the other cameras in the same price range. With the batteries, the weight of the camera is still pretty light. I actually dropped the camera once from about 1.5 meters, and the camera stopped working (I had to send it in for repairs after). Although camera's frame is pretty solid, the durability of the camera is questionable. It wasn't the frame that actually broke, but an internal part, so its insides may not be so secure.
PC Application The M417 comes with the HP drivers and HP Imagezone, a bundle of software to help organize and edit your photos. In case the lighting may be off or the red-eye reduction didn't work to perfection, you can touch up the pictures. The software is easy to use and straightforward. The main problem I found was that with the red eye edit, you can sometimes tell that it is being digitally enhanced, giving it an artificial feel. I find that the organizing feature of the program is also convenient as you can quickly view them from the program.
Battery Life The biggest problem I had with the camera was its battery life. It comes with 2 NiMH (rechargable) batteries. After 10-15 pictures,, the camera would be at low battery. Lithium batteries do a little better, but the M417 isn't too great if you are looking at a power-efficient camera.
Conclusion If you're looking for a good basic camera for your whole family, this is a good choice. The video mode is also a good feature. However, using lithium batteries would be a good idea with this camera, but if you dont' like battery draining devices, this may not be the one for you. If you are one to buy items for its different options and features, you should look at what this one has to offer and whether it fits your needs.
More details
Durability
Good
Reliability
Satisfactory
Size
Average
Weight
Average
Instruction Manual
Satisfactory
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