Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Beware the cons of this camera
I decided to upgrade from my 1.3 MegaPix Olympus Brio D-150 digital camera. The Olympus was my first digicam and I realized I wanted a camera that took better quality photos. The photo quality of the Olympus left me with a lot to be desired as I compared its photos with other cameras.After reading some reviews and considering the price, I decided the HP 812 would meet my needs for a near pocket-sized, point and shoot, zoom, 4.1 MegaPix digicam. Although I read both positive and negative reviews, I was comfortable with the possibility I may experience some of the minor cons. The camera itself is the perfect size. The features are exactly what I want. The picture quality wasn't exactly perfect, but much better than my Olympus. I also bought the accessory kit and the docking station. The first issue I experienced is that, using ordinary alkaline batteries, I could only get about one dozen photos using flash when the batteries died. This camera is very demanding on batteries. Fortunately, HP includes one set of disposable lithium batteries that last longer than alkaline. With the accessory kit, I also received two pairs of rechargeable NiMh batteries and a recharger. My greatest disappointment is that the second day I had this camera, after about twenty pictures taken over two days, the camera stopped working. I turned it on, heard a popping noise, then a grinding noise. The lens would not extract from the camera. Either the lens motor or gear stopped functioning. What a shame. I read some reviews which other people experienced similar problems. I understand that a bad unit can come out of a batch of good units, but with my unit being defective after having read such mixed reviews, I decided to return the camera, not for an exchange for a working unit, but for a refund. I now realize I should simply stick with buying one of the better-reviewed Canon or Sony cameras. It may cost more or I may have to settle for lower MegaPix in order to stay within budget, but the reviews for the Canon and Sony cameras have me convinced they are better quality than this HP 812. I gave this camera the benefit of the doubt, thinking the cons I read in the reviews would not affect me. It takes good (not great) pictures, is small, has good features, and is easy to use. But it also drains batteries too fast and, in my experience, can be defective right out of the box. I do not recommend this camera. There is a reason this is one of the lowest price 4.1 MegPix cameras on the market, and that reason has to do with quality. I will be buying a Canon or Sony now, maybe even another Olympus or Nikon. But unfortunately, I will not buy another HP anytime soon. Thanks for trying HP. It was a fair effort.
Rating:  - Excellent Camera
My company just merged with HP and so I bought this out of loyalty to my new combined company. I looked at lots of other digital cameras in this price range, but this had the most features for the money and the best resolution. The one thing I am really thrilled about though is how great the software is that comes with the camera. It's very simple to use. I haven't even popped open the manual yet and have taken pictures and video clips, uploaded them to my PC and emailed them all around the country to relatives. All without reading anything. HP has always been known for the excellent software that comes with their products such as printers and scanners. I am happy that it applies to their digital cameras as well. And now I get to write software for HP too.
Rating: - Nice Camera
I looked at many brands including Sony and Canon. I liked the idea of having the docking station that I just plug the camera into and can view easily on my TV. It also uploads the pictures very easily and the software that comes with it works great. I can easily have it email the pictures automaticaly or have them displayed on a web page automaticaly. I can't wait to get my new HP printer to print off some pics. I had actually bought a Sony camera for the same price and returned it to buy this one. The Sony was only 3.1mp and had only 2x optical and 3 way digital zoom. This has 3X optical and 7X digital zoom. The other big advantage for the same money is that this one captures sound when I take a movie clip and the Sony did not. I also found the memory cheaper with more choices than the Sony. Overall I am thrilled with my choice. Enjoy!!...
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