Rating: 
Summary: JUNK BATTERY HOG
Review: Be prepared to spend [price] on Batteries every 2 hours! I don't even give this camera 1 star but thats the lowest it'll go.You'll spend more on batteries than you did the Camera! I bought a new pack of Batteries and only got ABOUT 2 hours of use out of the camera and the Camera was OFF 99% of that time.
Rating: 
Summary: not impressed
Review: This was my first digital camera and I have to say I'm not impressed. First of all, the first camera I bought was defective. The memory card would not fit into the slot because the pins were bent. How that happened before I ever used it is a mystery. The viewfinder is way off, I've spent a fortune on batteries and have missed many good pictures because it takes too long for the camera to actually take the picture once you've pushed the button. About 10 months after I purchased the camera (and had the original replaced, remember) the LCD screen became very blurry so that I could not even see the picture that I'd just taken. It's also hard to take pictures with it because the image you see through the viewfinder is not even close to what ends up on the picture.
Rating: 
Summary: starter camera
Review: Very good camera for the price.This was are first digital.We have been very happy with it.Yes,it does eat batterys.Definatly need a 64 cf card.Just ordered a 318 more megapixels
Rating: 
Summary: HP 215, Good Image Quality, Good Price, Few Drawbacks
Review: The HP 215 offers good picture quality, above average control for the price range, and a simple and easy to use interface, but it has a few small drawbacks that you can probably overlook.Picture Quality- Picture quality on this camera is good. The camera lacks manual control in regards to white balance, aperture, and shutter speed, but does offer 4 flash modes, (Auto, Auto w/ Red Eye Reduction, Fill, and No Flash) that help to improve low-light shooting, a category in which the camera does well in an outdoor setting. The camera has some color balance issues in indoor shooting, a common digital problem, but those are minor. Outdoor shots are fantastic, and are acceptable for printing up to an 8x10. Interface- The HP 215 is a beginner camera, and the interface reflects this. The camera is very simple to use, and nobody should really have any problems with it. The computer hookup via USB is simple, and the program pops up automatically. A very nice physical design, except the method used to turn on the LCD is a tad unusual, but easy to get used to. Features- The features on this camera are good for the price range. 2x digital zoom, which is really enlarging and cropping, helps you get a closer look, albeit at a lower quality. The 4 flash modes are good, and the addition of a macro lens for close up shots (I.E. butterflies, wrappers, cards, etc.) is a nice feature. The viewfinder is slightly off, but the LCD is extremely accurate, but uses battery life. Three quality modes are given: good, very good, and excellent and they really don't affect quality as much as size. An 8 MB Compact Flash card is included with the camera, which is sufficient in the Good quality mode. Battery Life- Many single this camera out for having poor battery life, but it is a widespread problem in the digital market not unique to this camera. In order to capture an image, a digicam uses far more power then a film camera due to the all-electronic components. However, HP not allowing the usage of rechargeable batteries is the single greatest flaw of this camera. The reason? The camera isn't equipped to deal with the discharge from a rechargeable. Usage of them will void the warranty, so it is not something to take likely. I took the risk that the camera wouldn't break and used NiMH rechargeable, and have never had any problems, but you should be advised to remove the batteries if the camera won't be used for an extended period. The rechargeable lasted me through a day of shooting, but a set of alkaline batteries will last about 30 shots with extensive LCD use, which is below the industry average. My advice: Use rechargeables, and be careful with the camera. Price- Well priced, below average for the megapixel range. To sum up, the 215 is an excellent choice for a beginner camera that takes great shots. If you can deal with the batteries, you will not be disappointed in this camera.
Rating:
Summary: Not quite worth the trouble...
Review: The HP C215 is an ok entry level camera. The picture quality is as good as can be expected on 1.3 mega pixels. The ease of use is marginal (it usually takes a minute to explain how to use it to someone else). But the problem I incurred was HP's customer support. It was abysmal. It clearly labeled support for Windows XP on the box, yet when connected to an XP machine, it didn't recognize the device. It warns you that it has not been XP approved. After seeing this, I figured I could just get on HP's website and download some new drivers...wrong. They wanted [money] US to ship a CD out with the new drivers (no option to just download them, by the way). I could be mistaken, but I see something severely wrong with that. After visiting a few forums about such a subject, I heard that people who did buy the CD had to have it in their computer anytime they wanted to upload pictures to it. Eventually, I just installed the drivers despite the warning. There haven't been any noticeable side effects except that it's usually a bit slower and it crashes occasionally. Overall: spend a few extra bucks to get a little better camera.
Rating:
Summary: H-P 215
Review: This camera is a great starter. It is no longer being made by H-P so if you can find one on the WEB, buy it! The pix are fantastic even at medium resolution. I bought a 16meg plug in board when I purchased the camera and at medium resolution I can get about 148 pix on it; more than you'll ever use without downloading. The only problems are:
1. Being used to a 35mm camera I held it with 2 hands and my left forefinger generally got in front of the lens. Learn to use it with one hand.
2. The battery lifetime [is short] and you cannot use rechargable batteries or you might burn out the circuitry.
Rating:
Summary: Good basic performance
Review: This is my first digital camera. I bought it as part of a package and didn't do any prior research. I wasn't sure if I wanted to make the jump to digital, so I bought a low-end camera to play around with. After 1.5yrs, it has served me very well for what it is, although I am now convinced that I need to upgrade to something that will produce better photo prints. Beyond 4x6, these are just too grainy. Basically, it has served its purpose, which was to help me decide whether or not to spend real money on a digital camera. This has been a real workhorse when I just needed basic pictures for the internet.
Rating:
Summary: Horrible product
Review: I bought this camera last Oct. just before my daughter was born. I have had nothing but problems with it. First - DO NOT buy rechargeable batteries for this camera. The people where I bought the camera sold me rechargeable batteries, and the first time I had a problem with the camera the people at HP told me that it is recommended that you do not use rechargeable batteries...so there was [money] wasted. The first problems I had was it would not save any pictures I took. I could not return the camera to the store I bought it at because HP does not want them to take their products back after 30 days...so I had to work directly with HP. They shipped me a new camera and within 2 months the camera didn't work again. Now the minute you turn it on you cannot turn it off without taking the batteries out. If you put it down it continuously takes pictures. I would NEVER recommend this particular camera to anyone.
Rating:
Summary: This product [stinks]!
Review: This is a bad product. It shift the picture to the right and upper corner so when you take a picture of the person, you may lose half of the face even if you can see the whole face in the viewport. And now I have to return it. I do online shopping for convenience but alas, I buy all these lousy incoveniance. I also had problems with other HP products.
My advice: Don't buy this one and avoid HP/Compaq product.
Rating:
Summary: Cheap, fast and simple!
Review: I own two digital cameras--the HP 215 and a newer Hp 318. Both take exceptional pictures and are easy to use. The biggest difference between the two cameras? SIZE! The 215 is a BIG camera. Don't let the image fool you. It's large size does not make its pictures better or worse, it just keeps you from slipping it into your shirt pocket. If small size is a big deal to you spend the extra [money]and buy the 318. Now, back to the 215 model. I found it very easy to use and a delight to own. I use it for all our family pictures and then print them on an HP Photosmart 100 printer. As long as you use the highest quality setting, you should have no problem creating photo-album quality prints. Battery life is pretty good and I have been using rechargables for a long time, even though the manual clearly says not to. If you are serious about archiving photos or prefer the photo processing be done by a professional, I suggest using the Ofoto.com service that comes with this camera. The prints are top-notch and look every bit as good as your local photo lab. I usually get my prints two days after I place an order and they offer great deals on picture cards, frames and other photo-related gifts. PROS: Cheap price
Simple to use
Great quality photos CONS: Large size
Small memory card included
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