Why I Purchased a Digital Camera...
To be honest, when I was looking at buying a color printer in the fall of 1999, I wasn’t too interested in getting a digital camera at that point in time. But, HP enticed me to lay down my hard earned cash when they advertised the bundled rebate of $100 US for buying the HP PhotoSmart P1100 printer with the HP C200 Digital Camera. And overall, I’m glad I got both.
In 1998, I started studying traditional black & white photography at the college I attended; and I got used to using a Pentax K-1000 for all my photos, and I was able to process the B&W film myself at school. But outside of school it was difficult and expensive to process B&W film, even if you did it at home, and where without a place to setup a darkroom. So, that’s why I began to look for a way of continuing practice of photography minus the prohibitive costs of film and processing. And deep in my heart I knew that going digital was the answer. But, the cost of setting up my own digital darkroom was shutting the door on me. That is, until I came across the HP offer. So, in January 2000, I purchased the HP C200 digital camera, along with a Photosmart P1100 Color Photo Printer. And so far, it’s been great!
It’s just a Simple Point and Shoot...
Now I’ve never been one to use a plethora of lenses with your fancy zooms (although I will admit that I do own one 85-210mm zoom that goes with my Pentax - so I can steal shots of people sitting or walking across the street without them knowing it), and because I believe in Henri Cartier-Breson, who only used a regular lens. So I’m confident that with my C200 I can still look for the perfect moment and capture it for everyone to see.
Resolution...
Having said that, I find the resolution on the C200 to be good. It shoots at 1 MegaPixel, and comes with a SanDisk CompactFlash 8MB memory card. To break it down, the C200 has 3 different levels of quality to chose from (so, with the 8mb card I am using, when I shoot on LOW, I can take up to 80 shots, and I have a feeling this low setting would be fine on bright sunny days; whereas a MEDIUM setting which does about 40 shots; and a HIGH setting which shoots about 20 shots). You can also buy additional memory cards for the camera, ranging in size from 4MB to more than 100MB, which I will eventually do.
I’ve been using the ’’medium’’ setting 90% of the time. Occasionally, I’ve changed to the highest setting, but as you increase the quality, you lose the number of shots you can take. I hope to eventually buy at least one more cartridge, either a 24MB or higher cartridge (or even a couple of 8MB cartridges), but a 24MB cartridge will cost me at least $100 Canadian or more. That kind of a price seems wild, but just keep in mind that unlike film, a digital cartridge can be used over and over again for many, many, many, many years...
The Digital Viewer (it’s on the back)...
On the picky side, the C200 does come with a digital viewer, which is nice but also drains the batteries. I’ve found it’s good to use the viewer to quickly search through what you’ve taken if you get tight on shots, so you can delete the ones you don’t like and take more. But otherwise I wouldn’t use it without getting a power cord as this option does eat up memory.
Batteries and Power...
I don’t know why they didn’t use a lithium battery or some other portable power technology that lasts longer - the HP C500 may use one I don’t know, but the C200 uses 4 AA batteries, which can prove to be very insufficient). You can pick up a power cord for about $10-20 at any local specialty electronics store. It also doesn’t hurt to use rechargeables. I use PURE ENERGY rechargeable batteries with my camera - they go a long way and easily charge up overnight.
Accessories, Layout and Build...
The layout on the camera is very intuitive. You won’t have any problems using this camera - it’s basically point and shoot. It’s easy to load the batteries and the cartridges are easy to change and replace if you use more than one. It’s hooking it up to a computer that can be tricky, without a photosmart printer that accepts the photo cartridges directly, you’ll need an available serial port on your computer. That’s why I recommend getting a power cord - you can plug the camera in as you upload images to your computer from the camera. They also have photo smart card readers, which are fairly inexpensive... hopefully on newer versions of this camera, HP will think smart and go USB.
But for me, I don’t have to worry about using the serial port. I just plug the camera cartridges directly into my P1100 printer and I can upload them from my printer, or bypass my computer all together and print directly from the card. A truly amazing feature of the P1100 Photosmart printer!
Those buying the HP C200 digital camera should also get a case for it - I found a Samsonite camera bag that was actually built for compact digital cameras (Samsonite Model WF27) and the HP C200 camera fits perfectly into it, along with its manual, tv and computer cords, and even an extra set of batteries and any extra memory cartridges you may own. It’s a good case for under $15 Canadian.
And the camera itself is very stable and durable. It’s a solid little camera, no different from a traditional point and shoot camera and it wears well under the uses I’ve put it through. It should last me for a long time!
Final Thoughts and Warranty Information...
Even though it is a bit pricey I know it these two products will go very far for me. To me this is an investment and I look forward to using both products to enhance not only my photography, but my reports and volunteer work I do.
The warranty for the C200 is nothing fancy, just your standard one year parts and labour, although you can buy extended warranties from your place of purchase if you so desire - but if you do buy one, make sure it is a hasstle free, no questions asked policy - one that makes sure that if you can’t get what you need in terms of repair or replacement with an equivalent model, you’ll get your money back.
I truly believe that those who do buy a digital camera in combination with a photosmart or other color printer, may never have to go to a photo processing store again. Digital technology allows you to take your own pictures and make your own prints from the comfort of your own home. You can send them to friends and family via the internet and electronic mail, or save them on a disk for use some other day.
I know I’ll be busy on holidays when the family comes and we all take pictures together - I’ll be running back to my room to print off 4 by 6 copies for guests to take home with them. The days of waiting for the prints to come back (and ordering copies or larger sizes) is over. I really believe that within 10 to 15 years, the stuff I’ve been doing at home today will be common around the world.
The end of the traditional photo shop is near....
Next year, I plan to expand my digital darkroom by purchasing the HP 6350C scanner and the HP PhotoSmart S20 Photo (Slide and Negative) Scanner (these products will allow me to work with past photos I’ve taken and other B&W I have never even printed). The HP C200 digital camera is great for students and families like me who want to go digital but don’t want to pay the price of more expensive models.
So, go digital today - you won’t regret it!
Grade: A-
Although you can still find the C200 for sale in some places, the new HP equivalent to the camera I purchased, in terms of price, is located here on the manufacturer’s website:
https://hp.ca/products/static/c8452a/features-en.html