Rating: 
Summary: Great looks, optics, value, flexibility
Review: In addition to all the other comments here, the HP C618 has a couple of very appealing features:- Traditional Pentax "retro" appearance, more resolution than most people need, very nice onscreen menus, unique IR blasting features, automatic lens cover, and picture quality is light-years better than my last camera (especially on outdoor shots). The default 16mb card stores 100 800x600 images or 29 1600x1200 images at "better quality" - PC Connect mode simulates a generic hard disk to both Macs and Win2K (no software or adapters needed for to connect to an average PC, plug it in using any standard USB printer cable) - Scripting language is very useful, I downloaded several free scripts and documentation from the ... site and had them copied to flash in minutes...I've since written a couple of scripts, including one for "bracketing" shots (takes multiple pictures with various exposure or zoom levels) On the flip side, you'll need to accept that... - The battery drain is significant at times...I found some AA couldn't provide enough oomph when the camera what shooting (especially several shots in a row). The includes AA Photo Lithium batteries were flawless and provided 200 shots with a high percentage of flash shots, screen usage, and USB connections. I plan on trying Radio Shack NMH rechargables as people suggest - The flash is too bright on indoor shots less than ~5 feet...as others suggested, I've taped some tissue over the flash and sometimes also have to reduce the exposure setting to get a good shot in these cases. If you're doing eBay or inventory work you'll need to set up other sources of light. and disable the camera flash. - There was not as much software included for Macintosh computers...just some generic image editing tools (the ... site claims to have a free software download for Macs but the link is broken and you end up getting their software for an older HP camera). I honestly don't think this is a big deal, as the connections to my Mac are so easy in USB drive mode I'd just assume not clutter up my disk with stuff I wouldn't use. I love this camera...originally I'd thought I'd wanted the cute little Canon ELPH S100 but the HP has better optics, value, and customization using the scripting language. I also was very impressed with the Kodak 3400 (this was a close call but the asthetics, scripting, 3x zoom, and USB drive emulation on the HP won me over)
Rating:
Summary: Buy THIS camera, Stupid...
Review: Like everyone else, I went to Best Buy and fumbled with the dozen or so digital cameras before leaving totally frustrated at the lack of information that's provided with their products (are you REALLY going to believe what a salesman tells you???). I did, however, realize that I didn’t like how most of the cameras felt in my hands. I’m accustomed to having my claws around an SLR, so most of these cameras felt pretty strange. It seems that these manufacturers are more concerned about how something looks rather than how it performs and its affordability to the average Joe. Therefore, you get a camera that performs well in a wind-tunnel, but it’s awkward to handle. Have you tried looking through the puny viewfinder on the Canon Elph PowerShots? Your eyes will water as it peers through the peephole. Also, you’re guaranteed to lose it since it’s so small (e.g., leave it on a restaurant table…a generous tip). On the opposite side of the spectrum, all Sony cameras are bulky, and I honestly believe that no two are alike. Have you tried slipping a Sony Mavica in your shirt-pocket? Don’t do it unless you wear XXLs. I went home, logged-on, and did my homework prior to dropping [price] based on what some pimply kid with a blue shirt told me. Consumers are brutally honest, and they’ll wear their emotions on their sleeves. This is heightened on the internet where anonymity is commonplace. I noticed that the HP PhotoSmart C618 had many reviews for such a low-key camera. Only a handful of reviews were negative. I plodded through ALL the reviews from four websites and decided that this was the one. I ordered it from eCost.com for [price]. Upon receipt, I noticed how it nestled in my hands and had the weight and feel of an SLR. All of the features were very intuitive and well-placed. I took three fabulous pictures in the first five minutes (who reads the instructions anymore???). One action, one portrait, and one B&W. They turned out so well that I’ll have these committed to photographic paper. The camera lives up to its hype. One neat feature that no one has mentioned is the camera’s time-lapse mode. I’ve always wondered what my three dogs do to my house while I’m away earning my keep. I’m greeted by a trashed living room every day and images of the delinquents rough-housing in my absence occupy my mind. Now I’ll set the camera on a tripod in a safe corner of the house and let it pop pictures every hour to see what it captures. My lone complaint is the camera’s macro feature. The dreaded parallax effect will take your image off-from-center for extreme close-ups, but once you pop a few shots to get your bearings straight, you’ll capture what you want. I believe that this camera will make me take better film pictures due to its similar feel and function of an SLR. The bottom line, however, is to have fun with it. No film. Instant gratification. Maybe along the way capture a special photo that'll hang on the wall for years. Have fun. That’s why you’re spending the money, right?
Rating:
Summary: Great and Easy
Review: My first digital camera but I had no trouble in getting started with it. My first 29 pictures (default settings) were all good. The more I discovered about it the better I liked it. Since most of my pictures go on the family web page, I found that 1/4 picture size (4x6), and quality set on 'good' the pictures are as good as any you find on a computer and they fit perfect on a page at 800x600 res. And the best thing, you get 101 pictures on the 16mb card that is included. By Bill Bailey, Kaufman County, Tx
Rating: 
Summary: very poor battery life, very hard to to use
Review: purchased at Fry's, it is bad news from that day onwards, battery life is non existent, you have to keep using the Li type very expensive 4 x AA battery. It does not come with any ac adapter or charger. For ac adapter you have to cought up [more money]. Otherwise, the power drains anytime whether you have the camera on or not. I tried using recharable batteries and they run out real quick. Fry's refuse to take it back. Then the camera started acting funning and cannot program, i return it to HP, they send another one, same problem, call and they send another one. I am still not happy, the short battery life and that it uses 4 X AA Li battery means it is very expensive to operate. The camera is somewhat bulky for what it has. Also hard to program and use, the manual is confusing. I would certainly never buy a camera from HP again. By the way, it was Made in the Philippines, does this have anything to do?
Rating:
Summary: very poor battery life, very hard to to use
Review: purchased at Fry's, it is bad news from that day onwards, battery life is non existent, you have to keep using the Li type very expensive 4 x AA battery. It does not come with any ac adapter or charger. For ac adapter you have to cought up [more money]. Otherwise, the power drains anytime whether you have the camera on or not. I tried using recharable batteries and they run out real quick. Fry's refuse to take it back. Then the camera started acting funning and cannot program, i return it to HP, they send another one, same problem, call and they send another one. I am still not happy, the short battery life and that it uses 4 X AA Li battery means it is very expensive to operate. The camera is somewhat bulky for what it has. Also hard to program and use, the manual is confusing. I would certainly never buy a camera from HP again. By the way, it was Made in the Philippines, does this have anything to do?
Rating:
Summary: HP 618 Great Camera
Review: Purchased the camera .... Excellent pictures and great battery use. Bigger compact card great asset. Had much trouble uploading pictures via USB. Apparently, USB on Dell computers is not powerful enough to support USB uploading. Must buy separate card reader to upload pictures.
Rating:
Summary: Great Camera
Review: The 618 offers many features for a reasonable price. Menus are easy to understand. USB uploads are quick and the Scanner/Camera Wizard in Windows ME makes it super easy. Although others have reported problems with USB and Dell laptops, my Inspiron 5000e works perfectly. I've been using the 618 for 3 months now and taken about 700 pictures. I would say at least 95% of the pictures are excellent. My biggest complaint is when you turn the camera on, the lens zooms all the way out and sometimes I don't want to wait for that. Compared to the Sony digital cameras I have used at work, the 618 blows them away. I do not understand why Sony insists on using a floppy disk to store pictures. Also, the viewfinder on the 618 works great, so I can turn off the LCD screen to extend battery life. (The Sony models did not even have a viewfinder, you had to use the LCD screen)
Rating:
Summary: not worth the effort
Review: The camera took great pictures, but downloading from it to the computer would not work. I had to buy a card reader. Battery life was very short. The camera circuit board blew in less than 18 months and would cost $250 to fix, making it worthless. I'll never buy another HP camera.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Digital Camera
Review: The Hewlett Packard PhotoSmart 618 Digital Camera is the top of the line when it comes to price and quality.The price of this camera is about half the price you would pay for a camera of equal value.Picture quality is excellent.The menu is very easy to use.The features of the 618 are exceptional as comparied to other cameras in the same price range.
Rating: 
Summary: It broke 45 days after buying it.
Review: The lens won't retract all the way nor will it focus properly. It also requires new batteries about every 40 pictures
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