Not the one for smart photos
Thursday, July 26, 2007
WITH one of the smallest price tags of all the major digital camera models, the HP Photosmart M437 looks like an appealing little camera. Its 5-megapixel sensor and 2-inch LCD won't turn many heads, but it's affordable.
The M437 is essentially the scaled-down twin of the HP Photosmart M537. They share the same chunky, simple design, the same 3x lens, and the same onboard image editing functions. They also share the same utter lack of controls. Besides a few scene presets, users have no way to control their exposures. The M437 completely automates white balance, ISO sensitivity, and exposure when shooting.
All this decision-making and focusing tends to take some time, as seen on our slow test numbers. You can expect a lag of more than a second when shooting in bright light, and a wait of up to two seconds when shooting in low light. After you take the shot, you'll have to endure another wait of two seconds before you can shoot again.
This automation also causes a problem when shooting indoors, as the automatic white balance makes most images shot under incandescent lights severely yellow, with only a neutral-tone fix in the Theatre setting. Even if you can get the colours to look good, however, the images are still sadly deficient; they're plagued with horribly softened details and distinct coloured fringing along high-contrast edges.
The M437 is one of the least expensive cameras out there, but it's also one of the least impressive. Its low resolution, poor performance, and disappointing image quality makes it a poor choice for all but the most frugal users. If you really want an easy-to-use budget camera, consider spending a bit more for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W35. It costs a bit more than the M437, but it's a much, much better camera. CNET, New York Times
The M437 is essentially the scaled-down twin of the HP Photosmart M537. They share the same chunky, simple design, the same 3x lens, and the same onboard image editing functions. They also share the same utter lack of controls. Besides a few scene presets, users have no way to control their exposures. The M437 completely automates white balance, ISO sensitivity, and exposure when shooting.
All this decision-making and focusing tends to take some time, as seen on our slow test numbers. You can expect a lag of more than a second when shooting in bright light, and a wait of up to two seconds when shooting in low light. After you take the shot, you'll have to endure another wait of two seconds before you can shoot again.
This automation also causes a problem when shooting indoors, as the automatic white balance makes most images shot under incandescent lights severely yellow, with only a neutral-tone fix in the Theatre setting. Even if you can get the colours to look good, however, the images are still sadly deficient; they're plagued with horribly softened details and distinct coloured fringing along high-contrast edges.
The M437 is one of the least expensive cameras out there, but it's also one of the least impressive. Its low resolution, poor performance, and disappointing image quality makes it a poor choice for all but the most frugal users. If you really want an easy-to-use budget camera, consider spending a bit more for the Sony Cyber-shot DSC-W35. It costs a bit more than the M437, but it's a much, much better camera. CNET, New York Times
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