Rating: 
Summary: It's a Camera, not its a ROCK, NO it's a ......
Review: I know my title is a little strong but after 3 hours I hated the camera and had to return it. I have used 3MP cameras that take better pictures then the HP 945. I rated the camera a 1 because there are no negative values or zero to assign to this rating.To understand a little about myself, I use and have used 35 mm cameras both SLR and the disposable ones. I have also used a couple digital cameras. I enjoy using the disposable camera more that I do the HP 945. I hate using disposable cameras. When I found this camera I was enthused based on the 8X Optical Zoom and the price!! I ordered the camera and as usual shipped promptly by Amazon. When I received the camera, I was happy with the shape and the way it fit my hand, very nicely designed. The buttons are easy to use. Below is a quick list of what I liked and did not like about this camera. Pros
Great Price,
8 x zoom 300mm for camera buffs
design fits hand near perfectly.
Light weight,
can use AA batteries non-proprietary camera sounds cam be easily shut off suing the menu. (this does not include of course mechanical noises) Cons ( a much bigger list)
* Auto focus very slow.
* Auto Focus will not always work, the only way I can get it to work was to power off and remove the batter is, similar to rebooting your PC.
* Manual Focus very slow.
* During focusing the LCD screen will periodically go blank for no reason.
* 4 AA batteries went from brand new fully charged to dead within 25 pictures at the best settings.
* My 1 MP web cam has sharper images as well as my 3mp Casio.
* This is the worst feature. The following is true when the flash is on and light is sufficient. When you press the shutter button it may take 2-5 seconds before the shutter will release. This occurs even when I try pressing the shutter 1/2 way for a pre-meter reading. We all know that this time period is way too long. By then the people or subject can be long gone. This problem is like the auto focus problem it is unpredictable and occurs way too many times. Out of the 25 pictures I snapped, this problem occurred on 20 of them.
(I AM NOT DISCUSSING THE WRITE TIME! THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE TIme FROM WHEN YOU PRESS THE SHUTTER UNTIL IT DECIDES TO TRIP THE SHUTTER curtain.) In closing, I have to recommend that you stay away from this camera. I returned the Camera to Amazon.com, the very next day without hesitation. It's a Camera, no it's a rock, No it's a useless piece of technology.
Rating: 
Summary: Great features, but problem with some images
Review: While having great features, the camera seems to suffer a serious flaw: Some pics have Horizontal lines which ruin the pics. I've seen other reports of the same flaw, some indicating and exchange from HP support might help. Yet, HP support does not acknowledge any problem (offered an exchange, but would not say if that fixes anything or acknowledge others reported the same problem). Watch for this and be aware before purchasing this camera. I'd wait for the next version or go with another brand.
Rating: 
Summary: wonderful camera
Review: This is my second digital and my best. I've got a 35mm also. The HP945 when you read the instructions takes outstanding photos. I've read of the problems with the Kodak 10x optical and the Olympus 10x optical. For example the pictures out of focus and the LCD going black during the shutter release and this camera can experience these same problems but when you just read the easy to follow instructions this little baby will give you some of the best QUALITY pictures you will ever see. My only limitation is I don't get enough time off from work to enjoy it. In my opion this camera is only second to the $1,000.00 digital SLRs the colors are brilliant and sharpness excellent. And as for the 8x optical zoom with 7x digital Wow! I zoomed in on a tansformer atop the power pole accross the street approximentlly 140 feet away and when I magnified the picture I could read the serial number from the Data Tag. WONDERFUL CAMERA! P.S. Don't forget to read your instructions.
Rating: 
Summary: Great Camera, Great Features
Review: Great camera with great features. The sepia and BW features are cool. Also, the zoom is really useful. When doing the digital zoom, make sure to use a tri-pod or put the camera on a stable device as it can be blurry. The 5.3 MP makes the images really clean and clear. I also bought the docking station and the HP photo smart printer. Great accessories. You will need much more than the 32 MB memory card. I bought a 256 MB and it gives me 90 or so photos at the top resolution. That plenty for me, but if you plan on going on a 2 week vacation, you may want the bigger one. Overall I highly recommend this quality HP product.
Rating:
Summary: Your moneys worth!
Review: I just recently got my hp photosmart 945, i love the design and the way it fits in your hand. I have to say i read the negative reviews before i got it, but since i never had a problem with my HP hardware, I decided to go for it anyways. It was the right thing to do, because I haven't got many of the problems that people comment about on this site; my camera seems to work just fine, and although the rechargeable batteries dont work quite as well as the ones specifically designed for digital cameras, their performance is still acceptable. Now, I have to say it is true that, given a specific set of values, it takes the camera a while to take the picture, as the screen goes blank it is hard not to move and ruin the shot. However, it is also true that the same thing happens with the slow speeds on a Reflex, and its just a matter of practice until you get the precision you need in order not to ruin a shot, and if it never happens, you can always use a tripod! haha What can I say, if you are either a starter, or a professional amateur, stay away from this camera and go for a Sony or Canon instead, which have similar features and near same quality. If you are like me, a student who requires the best PC-friendly camera, stay with HP. I'm sure you will love it.
Rating: 
Summary: Mixed Bag - Works Than Locks - Not to used with Win2000
Review: My new HP 945 arrived two weeks ago as a replacement for a HP 315. New camera worked nice but battery charging seemed to go on and on even after just couple of pictures. Started me to wonder. Pictures were fine and the learning curve was easy. AS I needed a bigger card I went ahead and purchased a 256 MG SD card after checking with HP Support. Now the strange problems start -- the camera would lock up and only unlock if batteries were removed. Pictures taken seem OK but sometimes it would say it couldn't read the 256 Mg Secure Digital Card. Then once it was rebooted it would record pictures and upload to the computer. Finally today it locked up again so I called and they want it returned for repair - as usual good service they even pay the courier. The HP rep however told me that loading pictures from a 256 MG card to a Win 2000 Operating System may not work and that I might need to get a card reader. Whoa this is getting really off base - camera goes down within two weeks and a 256 MG card may not work with my Win 2000. This is starting to get me a little upset. No mention by anyone in reviews or on the HP Support site about Win 2000 issues with this camera and 256 MG card. I have their email saying the camera will handle 256 MG; but how am I'm going to get some assurance about it always working with Win 2000. There are some issues here and I want to get at the answers.
Rating:
Summary: Love The HP-945
Review: I have had mine for about 3 weeks.I am still using the batteries that came with it.I have taken about 300 pictures.It takes very Sharp pictures.The 8x Zoom is outstanding.The Auto-Eye start EVF and large LCD are very good in Low light or Sunlight.LCD Gains Up so it can be used in Very Low Light.Even the digital zoom seems to be sharper than usual.Very low red-eye,uses 4AA Batteries,Aperture Priority,Shutter Priority,Low light Focus Assist Lamp.Lots of Advanced settings Video with Sound,and just Plain Fully Automatic.I also bought one for my Wife.I think it is a Very Outstanding 5.3mp Ultra-Zoom Digital Camera.Lots of Very Nice Features.Other Family Members also own HP-945 and They Love it too.It is Very Easy for beginners.Advanced settings for Advanced users.Help is built into Camera Menus.I Highly Recommend the HP-945.
Rating:
Summary: hp945 review
Review: The HP945 is an exceptional digital camera. I am able to zoom in on wildlife at long distances. I have taken some incredible pictures of nesting eagles. This camera is very user friendly and downloading to a computer is a snap. Pictures can be blown up without losing resolution. I have taken pictures that compare with any 35mm camera. I have recieved many compliments on the wildlife pictures I have taken. I would recommend this camera to anyone wanting a great digital camera.
Rating:
Summary: First digital camera and I love it!
Review: This is the first digital camera I have owned and I am very happy with it. I have not had any of the problems mentioned in the other reviews. I bought it from BestBuy.com about 2 months ago and for the price of the camera I feel that the zoom and quality of the photos are great. The camera was very easy to figure out how to use. I didn't have any problems with it. Batteries don't last as long as I am used to with a regular camera, but I suppose that is to be expected. I think I took about 250 photos with with the batteries that came with. I am going on an 18 day trip this summer and am excited to use the camera there. I will be bringing a lot of extra batteries though!
Rating:
Summary: Camera should be re-named the lag master 945
Review: We just finished re packing the camera for return. Tried for three weeks to get an un blurred shot, to say the lag time was excessive would be an understatement! if you are a person who only shoots slow moving land mammals while using a tripod this could be the camera for you, but for the rest of us, alas this camera is of no use.
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