The HP PhotoSmart E337
As digital cameras go, price is often an indicator of quality. But there are a surprising number of lower-end cameras tailored to the skills of new photographers that perform on par with or even better than their more expensive competitors. The HP PhotoSmart E337 is a bargain, but users are full of glowing reviews – provided that you don’t expect too much out of the camera.
What should you expect from the HP PhotoSmart E337? Customers who have used the camera rave about the intuitive button layout and menu navigation. In fact, this camera is so easy to use that many customers have bought a PhotoSmart E337 for their children or parents. (Younger children should get rugged cameras made specifically with kids in mind; the PhotoSmart E337 has a rather flimsy and light body that would break if tossed or dropped.)
Most customers bought this camera to have a simple point-and-shoot accessory for parties and special events. Others purchased bundles of the cameras to give as Christmas gifts for the younger photographers in the family. For what it is, the HP PhotoSmart E337 is a capable camera. Its color and image accuracy are on par with comparably priced competitors, and its ease of use even surpasses some of the more expensive models out there.
In keeping with the competition in its price range, the HP PhotoSmart E337 has plenty of internal memory (16MB) so that it can be used without a memory card. The camera comes with a USB port and cable for easy photo transfer. It also has leading-edge internal red-eye reduction. Windows Vista users will appreciate that this camera is fully Vista compatible. It is also fully compatible with Mac OS X v10.3.9 and 10.4.
The HP PhotoSmart E337 runs on two AA batteries. Other camera features include motion video and direct printing to any PictBridge certified printer. The camera comes with a 90-day limited warranty and 24/7 customer support. It also has a hand strap, user manual, and software CD.
So what are the drawbacks of owning an HP PhotoSmart E337? Unfortunately, there are a few. As mentioned before, the camera isn’t the sturdiest on the market. It’s light and feels rather fragile. Image quality has been described as “acceptable,” but not great. The camera is best used for point-and-shoot pictures; it has no optical zoom. Finally, the 1.5-inch LCD preview screen has been described as small and grainy. Kids and novice photographers would likely have fun with this camera, but serious photography enthusiasts are advised to look elsewhere.
The HP PhotoSmart E337 can be found wherever digital cameras are sold. It retails for about $80 US.