Hewlett-Packard M527 User’s Manual
HP Photosmart M527
Digital Camera
User Guide
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information
© Copyright 2006 Hewlett-Packard
Development Company, L.P.
The information contained herein is
subject to change without notice. The
only warranties for HP products and
services are set forth in the express
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herein should be construed as
constituting an additional warranty.
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editorial errors or omissions contained
herein.
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trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
SD Logo is a trademark of its
proprietor.
Contents
1 Getting started.......................................................................................................5
Camera top and back .............................................................................................5
Camera front, side, and bottom...............................................................................6
Camera dock insert.................................................................................................6
Before taking pictures..............................................................................................6
Install the batteries...........................................................................................7
Charge the batteries.........................................................................................7
Turn on the camera..........................................................................................7
Choose the language.......................................................................................7
Set the region...................................................................................................8
Set the date and time.......................................................................................8
Install and format an optional memory card.....................................................8
Install the software...........................................................................................9
Using your camera..................................................................................................9
2 Taking pictures and recording video clips.......................................................11
Taking still pictures................................................................................................11
Recording video clips............................................................................................12
Instant Review.......................................................................................................12
Auto focus and exposure.......................................................................................12
Focusing on the subject.................................................................................12
Optimizing focus.............................................................................................13
Using Focus Lock...........................................................................................13
Optimizing exposure.......................................................................................13
Using zoom............................................................................................................14
Optical zoom..................................................................................................14
Digital zoom....................................................................................................14
Setting the flash.....................................................................................................15
Red eye..........................................................................................................15
Using the shooting modes.....................................................................................15
Using the Self-Timer mode.............................................................................16
Using the Burst mode.....................................................................................17
Using the Capture Menu.......................................................................................17
Exposure Compensation................................................................................18
White Balance................................................................................................18
ISO speed......................................................................................................19
3 Reviewing images and video clips....................................................................20
Deleting images.....................................................................................................21
Viewing thumbnails................................................................................................21
Magnifying images.................................................................................................21
4 Using the Design Gallery Menu..........................................................................22
Removing red eyes................................................................................................22
Applying artistic effects..........................................................................................23
Modifying colors.....................................................................................................23
Adding borders......................................................................................................23
Recording audio....................................................................................................24
HP Photosmart M527 Digital Camera 3
5 Transferring and printing images......................................................................25
Transferring images with HP Photosmart Software..............................................25
Transferring images without HP Photosmart Software.........................................25
Connecting to the computer...........................................................................26
Using a memory card reader..........................................................................26
Printing images from the camera...........................................................................26
6 Using HP Photosmart Express...........................................................................28
Using the Photosmart Express Menu....................................................................28
Setting up online destinations in the camera.........................................................28
Sending images to online destinations..................................................................29
Selecting images for printing.................................................................................29
Buying prints online...............................................................................................30
7 Using the Setup Menu.........................................................................................31
8 Troubleshooting..................................................................................................32
Resetting the camera............................................................................................32
Problems and solutions.........................................................................................32
9 Product support...................................................................................................36
Helpful websites....................................................................................................36
Getting assistance.................................................................................................36
A Managing batteries..............................................................................................38
Top points about batteries.....................................................................................38
Extending battery life.............................................................................................38
Safety precautions for using batteries...................................................................38
Power indicators....................................................................................................39
Number of shots per battery type..........................................................................39
Battery performance..............................................................................................40
Recharging NiMH batteries...................................................................................40
Safety precautions for recharging batteries...........................................................41
B Specifications......................................................................................................42
Memory capacity...................................................................................................43
Image quality.........................................................................................................43
Index............................................................................................................................45
4
1
Getting started
Use this section to get familiar with camera controls, set up your digital camera for use,
and begin taking pictures.
Camera top and back
1 Flash button—See Setting the flash on page 15.
2 Photosmart Express button—See Using HP Photosmart Express
on page 28.
7645123
8
9
10
11
12131415
3
4 Shutter button.
5 Video button.
6 Power light.
7 button.
8 Zoom lever—See Using zoom on page 14.
9 Wrist strap mount.
10
11
12
13
HP Photosmart M527 Digital Camera 5
Live View/Playback button—Switches between Live View and
Playback (see Taking pictures and recording video clips on page 11 and
Reviewing images and video clips on page 20).
Mode button—Press to access the Shooting Mode menu while in Live
View (see Using the shooting modes on page 15).
and buttons—Scrolls through menus and images.
button—Displays camera menus, selects options, and confirms actions.
Delete button—Accesses the Delete function while in Playback (see Deleting
images on page 21).
Chapter 1
(continued)
14 Image Display.
15 Battery Charging light.
Camera front, side, and bottom
8
7
6
1 Flash.
2 Self-Timer light—See Using the Self-Timer mode on page 16.
1
2
3
5
4
3 Microphone.
4 USB connector.
5 Power adapter connector.
6 Tripod mount.
7 Dock connector.
8 Battery/Memory card door.
Camera dock insert
If you purchase a dock, it will come with multiple clear inserts. When setting up an optional
dock for use with this camera, use the dock insert with the square green tag. See the
dock User Guide for instructions.
Before taking pictures
Complete the following procedures before taking pictures or recording video clips.
6
Install the batteries
1. Open the Battery/Memory card door by sliding the
latch as indicated on the Battery/Memory card door.
2. Insert the batteries.
3. Close the Battery/Memory card door.
Note Turn the camera off before removing the
batteries. If using rechargeable NiMH batteries,
fully charge the batteries before using them the
first time (see Charge the batteries
on page 7).
Charge the batteries
You can charge batteries in the camera using an optional AC power adapter or in the
extra battery bay of an optional HP Photosmart Premium camera dock.
Connect the optional AC power adapter to the
camera, then plug it in to an electrical outlet. If you
are using an optional camera dock, plug in the
dock, then dock the camera.
The camera’s blinking Battery Charging light
indicates that the battery is charging (if you are
charging in an optional HP Photosmart Premium
camera dock, the dock's Battery Charging light blinks). The battery is fully charged when
the Battery Charging light turns on solid (approximately 12–15 hours).
Note You can also charge batteries using an optional HP Photosmart quick
recharger.
Turn on the camera
To turn on the camera, press the button.
Choose the language
Use to choose the language you want, then
press
To change the language later, use the Setup menu (see
Using the Setup Menu on page 31).
HP Photosmart M527 Digital Camera 7
.
Chapter 1
Set the region
Along with the Language setting, the Region setting
determines the default date format and the format of the
video signal for displaying camera images on a
television when connected through an optional
HP Photosmart Premium camera dock or wireless dock
base (see Using the Setup Menu on page 31).
Use
to choose the region you want, then press
.
Set the date and time
1.
Use
2. Use
Step 1 until the date and time are set correctly.
3.
Press
are correct, then press
To change the date and time later, use the Setup
Menu (see Using the Setup Menu on page 31).
to adjust the highlighted value.
to move to the other selections and repeat
when the date, time, and format settings
again to confirm.
Install and format an optional memory card
1. Turn off the camera and
open the Battery/Memory
card door.
2. Insert the optional memory
card in the small slot as
shown. Make sure the
memory card snaps into
place.
3. Close the Battery/Memory
card door and turn on the
camera.
Always format memory cards
before first use.
1.
With the camera turned on, press
corner of the Image Display. This indicates you are in Playback.
2.
Press
3.
Use
4.
Use
.
to select Format Card, then press .
to select Yes, then press to format the card.
until appears briefly in the upper right
Note Once you install a memory card, all new images and video clips are stored
on the card, rather than in internal memory. To use internal memory and view
images stored there, remove the memory card. To transfer images from internal
memory to an optional memory card, see Move Images to Card under Using the
Design Gallery Menu on page 22.
For information about supported memory cards, see Storage on page 42.
8
Install the software
The HP Photosmart Software provides features for transferring images and video clips
to your computer, as well as features for modifying stored images (remove red eyes,
rotate, crop, resize, adjust image quality, add colors and special effects, and more). See
About the HP Photosmart Software on page 9.
Note If you have trouble installing or using the HP Photosmart Software, see
the HP Customer Care website for more information: www.hp.com/support.
Windows
If your Windows computer does not meet the system requirements as stated on your
camera packaging, HP Photosmart Essential is installed (see About the HP Photosmart
Software on page 9).
1. Close all programs and temporarily disable any virus protection software.
2. Insert the HP Photosmart Software CD into the CD drive and follow the on-screen
instructions. If the installation screen does not appear, click Start, click Run, type
D:\Setup.exe, where D is the letter of your CD drive, then click OK.
3. When the software has finished installing, re-enable virus protection software.
Macintosh
1. Insert the HP Photosmart Software CD into the CD drive.
2. Double-click the CD icon on the computer desktop.
3. Double-click the installer icon, then follow the on-screen instructions.
About the HP Photosmart Software
The CD that came with your camera contains the following versions of HP Photosmart
Software:
● HP Photosmart Premier Software (for Windows XP and XP x64 systems with at least
128 MB of RAM). This version of the software includes some extra features that let
you use Photosmart Express to e-mail images to addresses you specify, create
online albums, and automatically print selected images when you connect your
camera to your computer. See Using HP Photosmart Express on page 28.
● HP Photosmart Essential Software (for Windows 98, 98SE, Me, and 2000 systems,
and for Windows XP systems with less than 128 MB of RAM). This version does not
have the extra features specified in HP Photosmart Premier Software.
● HP Photosmart Mac Software (for Macintosh systems).
To learn more about the software features and how to use them, see the Help feature in
the HP Photosmart Software.
Using your camera
Now that you’ve completed setup, you can take and review still images and video clips.
For information on taking still pictures and
capturing video clips
HP Photosmart M527 Digital Camera 9
See Taking still pictures on page 11
and Recording video clips on page 12
Chapter 1
(continued)
For information on reviewing images and
video clips on the camera
See Reviewing images and video clips
on page 20
For information on enhancing your images See Using the Design Gallery Menu
on page 22
For information on transferring images
from your camera to a computer
See Transferring images with
HP Photosmart Software on page 25
For information on printing images See Printing images from the camera
on page 26
Tip To switch between Live View and Playback, press .
10
2
Taking pictures and recording video clips
Live View allows you to frame pictures and video clips in the Image Display. To activate
Live View, press
Display. The Live View display looks like this:
1 Shooting mode indicator.
2 Battery level indicator (see Power indicators on page 39).
3 Memory card indicator.
4 12 Pictures remaining count.
until appears briefly in the upper right corner of the Image
5 Focus brackets (see Auto focus and exposure on page 12).
Taking still pictures
You can take a picture almost any time the camera is on, regardless of what is shown
on the Image Display.
1.
Press
This indicates you are in Live View.
2. Frame the subject for your picture.
3. Press the Shutter button halfway down to measure and
lock the focus and exposure. The focus brackets in the
Image Display turn solid green when focus is locked (see
Auto focus and exposure on page 12).
4. Press the Shutter button all the way down to take the
picture.
5. To add an audio clip, continue holding the Shutter button
down, then release it when done.
HP Photosmart M527 Digital Camera 11
until appears briefly in the upper right corner of the Image Display.
Chapter 2
Recording video clips
1.
Press
This indicates you are in Live View.
2. Frame the subject.
3. Press and release the
4. To stop recording video, press and release the
button again.
until appears briefly in the upper right corner of the Image Display.
Instant Review
After you have taken a still image or recorded a video clip, the camera displays it briefly
in Instant Review. If you want to delete the image or video clip, press
Image from the Delete sub-menu, then press
Note To hear audio associated with still images or video clips, transfer them to
your computer using the HP Photosmart Software or use an optional
HP Photosmart dock to connect the camera to a TV.
Auto focus and exposure
When you press the Shutter button halfway down, the camera automatically measures
and locks the focus and exposure. When you auto focus:
Video button.
Video
, select This
.
Indicator
Green focus brackets Focus found.
Red focus brackets Focus not found (see Optimizing focus
(shaking hand icon)
Tip If you follow the suggestions for focus and exposure and your image does
not appear to be in proper focus or exposure when viewed in Playback, see the
topics on blurry, dark, light, or grainy images in Troubleshooting on page 32.
Focusing on the subject
When you press the Shutter button halfway down, the
camera searches for focus within the focus brackets.
When it finds focus, the focus brackets turn green.
If the focus brackets do not frame your subject, use
Focus Lock (see Using Focus Lock on page 13).
12
Description
on page 13).
Long exposure required (see Optimizing
exposure on page 13).
Optimizing focus
When the camera cannot auto focus, the focus brackets turn red. This indicates the
picture may be out of focus because the subject is out of the focus range or the scene
has low contrast.
If the camera is set to a shooting mode (see Using the shooting modes on page 15)
other than
Shutter button, reframing, and then pressing the Shutter button halfway down again. If
the focus brackets are still red:
● Select a shooting mode more appropriate for the scene you are capturing (see Using
the shooting modes on page 15).
● If the scene has low contrast, use Focus Lock (see Using Focus Lock
on page 13) and aim at a point on the subject that has more colors or crisp edges.
● If the subject is too close (less than 500 mm or 20 in), move farther away from the
subject or use
on page 15).
If the camera is set to
Try one of the following:
●
Move within the
Using the shooting modes on page 15).
● In low contrast scenes, use Focus Lock (see Using Focus Lock on page 13).
Using Focus Lock
Use Focus Lock to focus on a subject that is not in the center of the picture, to capture
action shots more quickly by pre-focusing in the area where the action will occur, or to
focus in low light or low contrast situations.
1. Frame the subject for your picture within the focus
brackets. In low light or low contrast situations,
frame a brighter or higher contrast object.
2. Press the Shutter button halfway down.
3. Hold the Shutter button halfway down and reframe.
4. Press the Shutter button all the way down to take
the picture.
Macro and cannot focus, it will still take the picture. Try releasing the
Macro (see Macro under Using the shooting modes
Macro and cannot focus, the camera will not take the picture.
Macro range or set the camera to Auto (see Auto under
Optimizing exposure
When you press the Shutter button halfway down, the camera also measures the light
level to set the proper exposure.
If the camera is set to a shooting mode other than Fast Shot (see Fast Shot under Using
the shooting modes on page 15) and determines the scene will require a very long
HP Photosmart M527 Digital Camera 13
Chapter 2
exposure, a shaking hand icon ( ) appears. The camera will take the picture, but it may
be blurry because it is difficult to hold the camera still for the length of time required. Try
one of the following:
● Set the flash to Auto Flash or Flash On (see Setting the flash on page 15).
● Set the camera on a tripod or stable surface.
● Turn on more light.
If the camera is set to Fast Shot and determines there is not enough light, the message
NOT ENOUGH LIGHT FOR FAST SHOT appears in the Image Display and the camera
will not take the picture. Try one of the following:
● Select a different shooting mode (see Using the shooting modes on page 15).
● Turn on more light.
Using zoom
Your camera has both optical and digital zoom. Optical zoom physically extends the lens
to make the subject of your picture appear closer. After you have extended the lens fully
using optical zoom, the camera employs digital zoom. Digital zoom uses no moving lens
parts.
Tip The more you zoom in on the subject of your picture, the more small
movements of the camera are magnified (this is called camera shake). If
appears when you press the Shutter button halfway down, the picture may
be blurry. Be sure to hold the camera still or add more light to the scene. Try
holding the camera closer to your body or against a steady object, or set the
camera on a tripod or stable surface.
Optical zoom
Optical zoom moves the lens between wide angle (1x) and telephoto (3x).
In Live View, use the buttons on the Zoom lever to control zoom.
Press
Digital zoom
In digital zoom, the Image Display shows a yellow frame around the scene.
1. In Live View, press
2. Press and hold
3.
14
to zoom in and to zoom out.
on the Zoom lever to optically zoom to the maximum level,
then release the lever.
until the image you want to capture fills the yellow frame. If you
zoom in too far, press
To return to optical zoom, press
press it again.
Note 1 Digital zoom is not available when recording video clips.
.
until digital zooming stops. Release , then
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