iPAQabilities.com Reviews HP's Photosmart Mobile Camera

[Jason Dunn]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.ipaqabilities.com/reviews_and_articles/articles/1203-photosmart_ipaq.php' target='_blank'>http://www.ipaqabilities.com/review...osmart_ipaq.php</a><br /><br /></div>"I have just received my HP Photosmart Mobile Camera (the 1.3 megapixel SDIO camera for use with SDIO enabled iPAQ's). Here are my first impressions. HP has done a great job overall on this product, from the camera aesthetics, packaging, to the leather carrying case..."<br /><br />The HP PhotoSmart Mobile Camera looks "OK", but not particularly impressive - it offers 1.3 megapixels of data, more than the 0.3 megapixel (640 x 480) cameras we're used to on Pocket PCs, but all that seems to give you is a larger image that's equally as bad in quality. CMOS image sensors are certainly capable of stunning quality (witness Kodak's 14 MP CMOS sensor), but why haven't we seen something in the low end (1.0 to 2.0 MP) with reasonable quality?

[Vincent M Ferrari]

but why haven't we seen something in the low end (1.0 to 2.0 MP) with reasonable quality?

The only logical reason I can think of is cost... If they put a high-end CMOS, the add-on would probably cost as much as a standalone digicam and would probably end up cost prohibitve for most people; or at least make them consider just getting a regular camera instead.

[JohnJohn]

Not sure what I was expecting but...

I picked one up at CompUSA and will be returning it today. The manual focus aspect of it really stinks. Try turning the focus while trying to take a picture on the fly...no go.

I also hate the fact that there is no way to put your SD card back in. I would think it would be a much better design if in the top of the camera you could put your SD memory card back in and write pitures to that SD card. This design limits me to my memory left on the device.

I will invest that $129 into a small stand alone camera, and probably get better focus and a higher megapixal, but miss the "James Bond" factor.

[ricksfiona]

Did I read right? Manual focus? There's no way I'll use something like that. Too bad. I was considering one of these things.