HP PhotoSmart 945 Review

This is the typical record screen when using the color LCD as the viewfinder. On the left is the number of pictures remaining, image quality and size, in the center is the auto focus target area, on the right is battery level and flash mode.

This is the aperture priority record screen. You select the desired aperture and the camera automatically selects the proper shutter speed. Shutter speed priority is the inverse, you select the desired shutter speed and the camera automatically selects the proper aperture.

The exposure metering can be overridden +/-3.0EV in .3EV steps.

The white balance can be set to match any color temperature.

The PS945 can get as close as 3.9 inches in macro mode with the zoom at wide angle. The optical zoom is limited to a maximum of 3.5x when in Macro focus mode.

After you reach the maximum optical zoom position, the camera begins stepping through the digital zoom levels from 1.3x to 4.0x. There is no option to lock out the digital zoom but the zoom does pause when it reaches the end of the optical range.

The Photosmart 945 captures up to 60-second video clips at 15 frames per second with audio at 320 x 240 resolution. The zoom can be used while recording although you will hear a certain amount of "motor noise" when you do zoom in or out.

When changing exposure modes with the Mode Dial, the modes (auto, action, shutter priority, aperture priority, video, portrait, landscape) will be displayed momentarily on the color LCD.

Pressing the Flash button cycles the available flash modes (auto, flash on, flash on + redeye, night, night + redeye), these are displayed on the color LCD momentarily

Pressing the Drive button cycles the available drive modes (self-timer, self-timer 2-shots, burst, normal), these are displayed on the color LCD momentarily

Pressing the Focus button cycles the available focus modes (normal, macro, infinity, manual), these are displayed on the color LCD momentarily

Record Menu:

EV Compensation - Override metering +/- 3.0EV in 0.3EV steps

White Balance - Auto, Sun, Shade, Tungsten, Fluorescent, Manual

AE Metering - Average, Center-Weighted, Spot

ISO Speed - Auto or 100, 200, 400

Digital Flash - Enable or disable Adaptive Lighting Technology to balance brightness relationships between bright and dark areas in the picture

Color - Full color, B&W, Sepia

Resolution - 5MP 2608 x 1952 or 1MP 1296 x 976

Compression - Best, Better, Good

Saturation - Color Intensity: Low, Medium (Normal), High

Sharpness - Low, Medium (Normal), High

Contrast - Low, Medium (Normal), High

Setup - Enter the SETUP menu

Setup Menu:

Camera Sounds - High, Low, Off

Eye Start - If ON the micro-display turns on and off automatically when camera is against your face

Focus Assist - Enable/disable AF assist lamp

LCD Brightness - Adjust LCD back light intensity

Instant Review - View image after capture (2, 4 or 6 secs or OFF)

Auto Power Off - Turn power off after 3, 6, 10 mins or Never

Date & Time - Set internal clock

USB Configuration - Digital camera or Disk drive

TV Configuration - NTSC or PAL

Language - English, German, Spanish, French, Italian

Remembered Settings - Camera settings to memorize

Reset Settings - Reset to default