HP Photosmart M407 digital camera with HP Instant Share User's Manual Legal Notices © Copyright 2004 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 warranty statements accompanying such products and services. Nothing herein should be construed as constituting an additional warranty. HP shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein. Windows® is a U.S. registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. SD logo is a trademark of its proprietor. Printed in China Table of Contents Chapter 1: Getting Started . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9 Setup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Attaching the Wrist Strap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Installing the Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Installing a Memory Card (Optional) . . . . . . . . . 11 Turning on Power . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Choosing the Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Setting the Date and Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Installing the Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Windows® . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Macintosh . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 User Manual on the CD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Camera Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Back and First Side of the Camera . . . . . . . . . . 16 Front, Second Side, and Bottom of the Camera . 20 Top of the Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Camera States . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Camera Menus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Using the Help Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Camera Status Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Restoring Previous Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Taking Still Pictures . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Recording Audio with Still Pictures . . . . . . . . . . 28 Recording Video Clips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Using Live View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Focusing the Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Using Auto Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Using Focus Lock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips . . .27 Using Zoom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Optical Zoom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Digital Zoom . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 Setting the Flash . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37 Using the Shooting Modes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .38 Using the Self-Timer Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .41 Using the Burst Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .43 Using the Capture Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .44 Help for the Menu Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 EV Compensation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45 Image Quality . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46 White Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .48 ISO Speed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .50 Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Date & Time Imprint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .51 Chapter 3: Reviewing Images and Video Clips . . . . . . . . . 53 Using Playback . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53 Total Images Summary Screen . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Viewing Thumbnails . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56 Magnifying Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57 Using the Playback Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .58 Delete . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .60 Record Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .61 Rotate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .62 Using the HP Instant Share Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64 Setting Up Destinations in the HP Instant Share Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .65 Setting Up Destinations on a Windows Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .67 Setting Up Destinations on a Macintosh Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .68 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual Chapter 4: Using HP Instant Share . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Selecting Images for HP Instant Share Destinations . . 69 How HP Instant Share E-mails Images . . . . . . . . 71 Chapter 5: Transferring and Printing Images . . . . . . . . . . .73 Chapter 6: Using the Setup Menu . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79 Transferring Images to a Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 Printing Images Directly from the Camera . . . . . . . . . 75 Display Brightness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Camera Sounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Live View at Power On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 Date & Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 USB Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83 TV Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84 Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Move Images to Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85 Resetting the Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88 Using Your Camera without Installing the HP Image Zone Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89 Transferring Images to a Computer without HP Image Zone Software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Using a Memory Card Reader . . . . . . . . . . 90 Configuring the Camera as a Disk Drive . . . 93 Cleaning the Camera Lens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94 Problems and Solutions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 Error Messages on the Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Error Messages on the Computer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 119 Getting Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 HP Accessibility Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 HP Photosmart Website . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Support Process . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Chapter 7: Troubleshooting and Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . .87 Phone Support in the United States and Canada . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .124 Phone Support in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .125 Other Phone Support Worldwide . . . . . . . . . . .127 Appendix A: Managing Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Top Points About Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .129 Extending Battery Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .130 Safety Precautions for Using NiMH Batteries . . .131 Performance per Battery Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .132 Power Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .133 Recharging NiMH Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .134 Safety Precautions for Recharging NiMH Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .136 Sleep Time-out for Power Conservation . . . . . . . . . .137 Appendix B: Purchasing Camera Accessories . . . . . . . . . . 139 Appendix C: Specifications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 143 Memory Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .148 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual Chapter 1: Getting Started Congratulations on your purchase of this HP Photosmart digital camera! This camera has many features to enhance your picture-taking experience, including 7 shooting modes, HP Instant Share, direct printing capability, manual and automatic controls, on-camera Help, and an optional camera dock. With HP Instant Share, you can easily select images in your camera to be automatically sent to your favorite destinations (such as e-mail addresses and online albums) the next time you connect the camera to your computer. Your friends and family can easily receive and view your pictures in e-mail without being burdened by large file attachments. And with the direct printing capability, you can easily select images in your camera to be automatically printed the next time you connect the camera to your computer or directly to any HP Photosmart printer or PictBridge-compatible printer without ever connecting to your computer. To further enhance your experience, you can purchase an HP Photosmart M-series dock. The camera dock allows you to easily transfer images to a computer, send images to a printer or television, and recharge Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) batteries in your camera. The dock also provides a convenient home for your camera. Chapter 1: Getting Started 9 Setup To locate a part on your camera (such as a button or a light) while following the instructions in this section, see Camera Parts on page 16. Attaching the Wrist Strap Attach the wrist strap to the wrist strap mount on the side of the camera as shown. Installing the Batteries 1 Open the Battery/Memory card door on the side of the camera by sliding the door down toward the bottom of the camera. 2 Insert the batteries as indicated inside the door. 3 If you want to install an optional memory card, leave the Battery/Memory card door open and go on to Installing a Memory Card (Optional) on page 11. However, if you do not have an optional memory card to install, close the Battery/ Memory card door by pushing the door down and sliding the door toward the top of the camera until the door latches. Then skip to Turning on Power on page 12. 10 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual NOTE Digital cameras use batteries at a much faster rate than film cameras. Battery life in digital cameras can be measured in hours and minutes of use rather than the years more typical of film cameras. Battery life may also vary dramatically from one user to another and from one battery type to another, depending on what modes the camera is being used in most frequently. For hints on optimizing battery performance, see Appendix A: Managing Batteries on page 129. NOTE You can also use an optional HP AC power adapter to power the camera. If you use rechargeable NiMH batteries, you can recharge the batteries in the camera using the optional HP AC power adapter or optional HP Photosmart M-series dock, or recharge the batteries separately in the optional HP Photosmart Quick Recharger. For more information, see Appendix B: Purchasing Camera Accessories on page 139. Installing a Memory Card (Optional) If you do not have an optional memory card to install, skip this section and go on to the next section, Turning on Power on page 12. Your camera contains internal memory that allows you to store images and video clips. However, you can use a memory card (purchased separately) instead to store images and video clips. For more information about supported memory cards, see Storage on page 145. When you install a memory card in the camera, all new images and video clips will be stored on the card. The camera's internal memory is only used when there is no memory card in the camera. Chapter 1: Getting Started 11 1 With the Battery/Memory card door open, insert the memory card in the small slot below the batteries, with the notched side of the card going in first, as shown. The card only fits one way; do not force it. Make sure the memory card snaps into place. 2 Close the Battery/Memory card door by pushing the door down and sliding the door toward the top of the camera until the door latches. To remove the memory card from the camera, first turn the camera off. Then open the Battery/ Memory card door, press down on the top edge of the memory card, and it will spring outward from the slot. Turning on Power Turn the camera on by sliding the right and then releasing it. ON/OFF switch to the The lens extends and the Power light to the left of the ON/ OFF switch turns on solid green. The HP logo also displays on the Image Display as the camera powers up. 12 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual Choosing the Language The first time you turn the camera on, the following screen appears and prompts you to choose a language. 1 Scroll to the language that you want by using the buttons on the Controller . 2 Press the Menu/OK button to select the highlighted language. NOTE If you need to change the language later, you can do this with the Language setting in the Setup menu. See Chapter 6: Using the Setup Menu on page 79. Setting the Date and Time The camera has a clock that records the date and time at which you take each picture. This information is recorded in the image properties, which you can see when viewing the image on your computer. You can also choose to have the date and time imprinted on the image (see Date & Time Imprint on page 51). The first time you turn the camera on, a Date & Time screen appears after you choose the language, prompting you to set the date and time. 1 Adjust the value of the highlighted selection by using the buttons. 2 Press the buttons to move to the other selections. Chapter 1: Getting Started 13 3 Repeat steps 1 and 2 until the correct date/time format, date, and time are set. 4 Press the Menu/OK button when you have entered the proper values for the date and time. A confirmation screen appears, asking if the correct date and time have been set. 5 If the date and time are correct, press the Menu/OK button to select Yes. If the date and time are incorrect, press the button to highlight No, and then press the Menu/OK button. The Date & Time screen appears again. Repeat steps 1 through 5 to set the correct date and time. NOTE If you need to change the date and time settings later, you can do this with the Date & Time setting in the Setup menu. See Chapter 6: Using the Setup Menu on page 79. Installing the Software The HP Image Zone software allows you to transfer images from the camera, and then view, edit, print, or e-mail them. It also allows you to configure the HP Instant Share menu on the camera. NOTE If you do not install the HP Image Zone software, you can still use the camera, but certain features will be affected. For details, see Using Your Camera without Installing the HP Image Zone Software on page 89. Windows® In order for the HP Image Zone software to install successfully, you must have installed at least Internet Explorer 5.5 Service Pack 2 on Windows 2000, XP, 98, 98 SE, or Me. (Internet Explorer 6 is recommended.) 14 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual 1 Close all programs and temporarily disable any virus protection software running on your computer. 2 Insert the HP Image Zone software CD into the CD drive of your computer. Follow the instructions in the installation screen that automatically appears. NOTE 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. NOTE If you have trouble installing or using the HP Image Zone software, see the HP Customer Support website: www.hp.com/support for more information. Macintosh 1 Close all programs and temporarily disable any virus protection software running on your computer. 2 Insert the HP Image Zone software CD into the CD drive of your computer. 3 Double-click the CD icon on the computer desktop. 4 Double-click the installer icon, and then follow the on-screen instructions to install the software. NOTE Before you can transfer images from the camera to your Macintosh computer with the HP Image Zone software, or to take advantage of the HP Instant Share functionality, you must first change the USB Configuration setting to Disk Drive on the camera. See Chapter 6: Using the Setup Menu on page 79. NOTE If you have trouble installing or using the HP Image Zone software, see the HP Customer Support website: www.hp.com/support for more information. Chapter 1: Getting Started 15 User Manual on the CD A copy of this camera User's Manual in several different languages is located on the HP Image Zone software CD. To view your camera User's Manual: 1 Insert the HP Image Zone software CD into the CD drive of your computer. 2 On Windows: Click View User's Manual on the Main page of the CD installation screen to view the User's Manual. On Macintosh: Look in the readme file in the docs folder of the HP Image Zone software CD to locate the User's Manual in your language. Camera Parts Refer to the pages in parentheses after the part names in the following tables for more information about those parts. Back and First Side of the Camera 14 13 12 11 10 4 15 16 17 12 3 9 8 7 6 5 16 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual # Name 1 Power light Description Solid--Camera is on. Blinking rapidly--Camera is shutting down due to lack of battery power. Blinking slowly--Camera is charging the batteries using the optional HP AC power adapter or the optional HP Photosmart M-series dock. Off--Camera is off. 2 3 switch (page 12) Zoom lever (page 35) Zoom Out--While taking still pictures, zooms out the lens to the wide angle position. Thumbnails--While in Playback, allows you to view still images and the first frames of video clips arranged in a matrix of nine thumbnail images per screen. Zoom In--While taking still pictures, zooms in the lens to the telephoto position. Magnify--While in Playback, allows you to magnify a still image. ON/OFF Turns the camera power on and off. 4 5 Wrist strap mount Allows you to attach a wrist strap to the (page 10) camera. Memory light Blinking rapidly--Camera is writing to either the internal memory or an optional memory card that is installed. Off--Camera is not writing to memory. Chapter 1: Getting Started 17 # Name 6 Battery/Memory card door (pages 10, 11) Description Allows access to insert and remove the batteries and an optional memory card. 7 Menu/OK button Allows you to display the Capture (pages 44, 58) and Playback menus and to select menu options and confirm certain actions on the Image Display. with Allows you to scroll through menus and Controller and images on the Image Display. buttons Allows you to frame pictures and video clips using Live View and review them afterward in Playback, and to view all the menus. 8 9 Image Display (page 30) 10 Turns the HP Instant Share Menu on and / HP Instant Share/ off on the Image Display. Print button (page 63) Timer/Burst button (pages 41, 43) Allows you to select between the Normal, Self-Timer, Self-Timer - 2 Shots, and Burst settings. Allows you to select between different shooting modes for taking still pictures. Allows you to select between the different flash settings. Allows you to frame the subject of your pictures or video clips. 11 12 MODE button (page 38) 13 Flash button (page 37) 14 Viewfinder (page 27) 18 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual # Name 15 Viewfinder lights Description solid red--Video is recording. AF solid green--When you press the Shutter button halfway down, this light turns on solid when the camera is ready to take a picture (auto exposure and auto focus are locked, and the flash is ready). Or when you press the Shutter button all the way down to take a picture, this light turns on solid to indicate that auto exposure and auto focus were successful. AF blinking green--When you press the Shutter button halfway down or all the way down, either a focus error occurred, the flash is still charging, or the camera is processing a picture (see the NOTE below). Both and AF blinking--An error has occurred that prevents the camera from taking the picture (see the NOTE below). NOTE If an error prevents a picture from being taken, then an error message will appear on the Image Display. See Error Messages on the Camera on page 109. 16 17 Live View button (page 30) Playback button (page 53) Turns Live View on and off on the Image Display. Turns Playback on and off on the Image Display. Chapter 1: Getting Started 19 Front, Second Side, and Bottom of the Camera 12 3 76 4 5 # Name 1 Microphone (page 28) Description Records sound for audio clips that are attached to still images, and for the audio portion of video clips. 2 Self-Timer/Video Blinks during the count-down before taking light (page 41) a picture or recording video when the camera is set to Self-Timer or Self-Timer 2 shots. Also turns on solid when recording video. 3 Flash (page 37) Provides additional light to improve picture-taking. 20 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual # Name 4 Description Allows you to connect an optional HP AC Power adapter connector power adapter to the camera to either operate the camera without batteries, or recharge NiMH rechargeable batteries in the camera. USB connector (pages 73, 75) Allows you to connect a USB cable from the camera to a USB-enabled computer or any HP Photosmart printer or PictBridgecompatible printer. Allows you to mount the camera on a tripod. Allows you to connect the camera to the optional HP Photosmart M-series dock. 5 6 Tripod mount 7 Camera dock connector (page 140) Chapter 1: Getting Started 21 Top of the Camera 1 2 # 1 2 Name Shutter button (pages 27, 28) Description Takes a picture and records audio. Video button Starts and stops recording a video clip. (page 29) Camera States Your camera has two main states that allow you to complete certain tasks. Each of these states has an associated menu that you can use to adjust camera settings or perform tasks in that state. See the following section, Camera Menus. Capture--Allows you to take still pictures and record video clips. For information about using Capture, see Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips on page 27. Playback--Allows you to review the still images and video clips that you capture. For information about using Playback, see Chapter 3: Reviewing Images and Video Clips on page 53. 22 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual Camera Menus Your camera has five menus that, when accessed, appear in the Image Display on the back of the camera. When any menu is displayed, you can then access the other menus by using the menu tabs at the top of the screen. To display another menu, use the buttons to move to the menu tab for that menu. To display the Capture Menu , press the Live View button to turn Live View on, then press the Menu/ OK button. If Live View is already on, simply press the Menu/OK button. For information about using this menu, see Using the Capture Menu on page 44. To display the Playback Menu , press the Menu/OK button while you are in Playback. If you are not currently in Playback, press the Playback button first, then press the Menu/OK button. For information about using this menu, see Using the Playback Menu on page 58. To display the HP Instant Share Menu , press the HP Instant / button. For Share/Print information about using this menu, see Using the HP Instant Share Menu on page 64. Chapter 1: Getting Started 23 NOTE To use the HP Instant Share Menu to send images to destinations other than printers (such as to email addresses or other online services), you must first set up the menu. See Setting Up Destinations in the HP Instant Share Menu on page 65. To display the Setup Menu , first access either the Capture, Playback, or HP Instant Share menu, then use the buttons to move to the menu tab for the Setup Menu . For information about using the Setup Menu , see Chapter 6: Using the Setup Menu on page 79. To display the Help Menu , first access either the Capture, Playback, or HP Instant Share menu, then use the buttons to move to the menu tab for the Help Menu . For information about using the Help Menu , see the next section. Using the Help Menu The Help Menu provides helpful information and tips for using your camera. 1 Use the buttons to move across the menu tabs to the Help Menu tab. The Help Menu displays in the Image Display. 2 Use the buttons to highlight the Help topic you want to read. 24 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual 3 Press the Menu/OK button to display the Help topic. buttons to scroll through the Help topic to 4 Use the read it. 5 Press the Menu/OK button to exit the Help topic and return to the Help Menu . Camera Status Screen A status screen appears for a few seconds in the Image Display any time you press the Flash , MODE, or Timer/Burst buttons when Live View is off. As shown in the example here, a text description of the current setting for the button that was just pressed appears at the top of the screen. Beneath that, icons for the current flash, shooting mode, and timer/burst settings are shown, with the icon for the button that was just pressed highlighted. The bottom portion of the screen shows whether a memory card is installed (indicated by the SD icon), power indicator (such as the low battery level indicator; see Power Indicators on page 133), the number of pictures remaining, and the Image Quality setting (indicated in the example by the 4MP). Chapter 1: Getting Started 25 Restoring Previous Settings The flash, shooting mode, and timer/burst settings, as well as some of the Capture Menu settings that you change from their default settings, reset to their default values after you turn the camera off. However, you can restore the non-default settings from the last time the camera was on by holding down the ON/OFF switch to turn Menu/OK button while sliding the the camera on. The icons for the restored settings are then displayed in the Live View screen. 26 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips Taking Still Pictures You can take a picture almost any time the camera is on, regardless of what is being shown on the Image Display. For example, if a menu is currently displayed when you press the Shutter button, the menu will be canceled, and the camera will take a picture. To take a still picture: 1 Frame the subject for your picture in the viewfinder. 2 Hold the camera steady (especially if using zoom) and press the Shutter button on the top of the camera halfway down. The camera measures and then locks the focus and exposure (the AF viewfinder light turns on solid green when focus is locked - see Using Auto Focus on page 32 for details). 3 Press the Shutter button all the way down to take the picture. You will hear a shutter click when the camera takes the picture. After a picture is taken, the image appears for several seconds on the Image Display. This is called Instant Review. You can delete the image during Instant Review by pressing the Menu/OK button. You can use Playback to review the pictures you have taken. See Using Playback on page 53. Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips 27 Recording Audio with Still Pictures There are two ways to attach an audio clip to a still picture: · Add an audio clip to the picture later, or replace the audio clip that was captured when the picture was taken. For details on how to do this, see Record Audio on page 61. · Record the audio while you are taking the picture, as explained in this section. You will not be able to use this method when using the Self-Timer or Burst settings. An audio clip can be as long as you like or until the camera runs out of memory, whichever happens first. 1 Press the Shutter button all the way down to take the picture. 2 Continue to hold the Shutter button down to record the audio clip. A microphone icon and audio counter appear on the Image Display during recording. 3 To stop recording audio, release the Shutter button. Audio recording stops when you release the Shutter button; otherwise, the audio will continue recording until the camera runs out of memory. After recording has stopped, the image is displayed for several seconds in Instant Review on the Image Display. You can delete the image and the audio clip that is attached to the image during Instant Review by pressing the Menu/OK button. To delete or record a new audio clip, use the Record Audio option in the Playback menu. See Record Audio on page 61. 28 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual NOTE To hear audio clips that have been attached to your still images, you must use a computer or television (TV). If you have an optional HP Photosmart M-series dock, you can review the audio clips by connecting the camera to a TV via the camera dock. To do this, see the dock User's Manual for instructions. Recording Video Clips NOTE Zoom is disabled while recording video clips. A video clip includes audio. 1 Frame the subject for your video in the viewfinder. 2 To start recording video, press and release the Video button on the top of the camera. The Video viewfinder and Self-Timer/ Video lights turn on solid red. If Live View is on, a video icon, REC, a video counter, and a message instructing how to end the video appear on the Image Display. (See Using Live View on page 30.) 3 To stop recording video, press and release the Video button again; otherwise, the video will continue recording until the camera runs out of memory. NOTE If you have set the camera to Self-Timer or Self-Timer 2 Shots (see Using the Self-Timer Settings on page 41), the camera will start recording 10 seconds after you press the Video button. However, with the Self-Timer - 2 Shots setting, the camera only records one video clip. Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips 29 After recording has stopped, the last frame of the video clip appears for several seconds on the Image Display. This is called Instant Review. You can delete the video clip during Instant Review by pressing the Menu/OK button. You can use Playback on the camera to review the video clips you have recorded. See Using Playback on page 53. NOTE To hear the audio portion of your video clips, you must use a computer or television (TV). If you have an optional HP Photosmart M-series dock, you can review the audio portion of your video clips by connecting the camera to a TV via the camera dock. To do this, see the dock User's Manual for instructions. Using Live View The Image Display allows you to frame pictures and video clips using Live View. To activate Live View from the menus or when the Image Display is off, press the Live View button. To turn off Live View, press the Live View button again. NOTE Using Live View increases the rate of battery drain. To conserve battery power, use the viewfinder instead. The following table describes the information that is displayed in the Live View screen of the Image Display when the camera settings are at their default values and an optional memory card is installed in the camera. If you change other camera settings, icons for those settings will also be displayed in the Live View screen. 30 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual 1 2 3 4 5 # Icon 1 2 3 12 Description Indicates that a memory card is installed in the camera Power indicator, such as this low battery level indicator (see Power Indicators on page 133) Remaining pictures count (actual number depends on the current Image Quality setting and how much space remains in memory) Image Quality setting (default is 4MP) Focus brackets (see the following section, Using Auto Focus) 4 4MP 5 Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips 31 Focusing the Camera Using Auto Focus The focus brackets in the Live View screen show the focus region for the still picture you are taking or the video clip you are recording. (See Using Live View on page 30.) When you press the Shutter button halfway down to take a still picture, the camera automatically measures and then locks the focus in the focus region. The AF viewfinder light turns on solid green and the focus brackets in the Live View screen turn green when the camera has found and locked the focus. When you have the camera set to any of the shooting modes other than Macro (see Using the Shooting Modes on page 38), the camera will attempt to auto focus using the normal focus range of 0.5 m (20 in) to infinity. However, when the camera cannot focus in these shooting modes, one of the following will occur: The AF viewfinder light will blink green and the focus brackets in Live View will turn red. If you press the Shutter button all the way down, the camera will still take the picture, but the picture may be out of focus. To focus the picture, release the Shutter button, re-frame the subject for your picture, and then press the Shutter button halfway down again. 32 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual If the AF viewfinder light continues to blink green and the focus brackets continue to turn red after several tries, there may not be enough contrast or light in the focus region. Try using a technique called Focus Lock to focus on a highercontrast or brighter object about the same distance away, and then, without releasing the Shutter button, point the camera at the subject you were originally trying to photograph (see Using Focus Lock on page 34). You can also simply turn on more light, if that is possible. The AF viewfinder light will blink green, the focus brackets will turn red, and the Macro icon will blink in the Live View screen. In this case, the camera detects that the focus is closer than the normal range. The camera will still take the picture, but the picture may be out of focus. To focus the picture, either move farther away from the subject you are trying to photograph, or set the camera to the Macro shooting mode (see Using the Shooting Modes on page 38). Finally, if the camera is set to the Macro shooting mode but detects that either the focus is closer or farther away than the Macro range of 0.1 to 0.5 m (4 to 20 in), or there is not enough contrast or light in the focus region, both viewfinder lights will blink, the focus brackets will turn red, and the Macro icon will blink in the Live View screen. In these cases, the camera will not take a picture. NOTE It is recommended that you not use zoom while in the Macro shooting mode. Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips 33 If the subject for the picture is not within the Macro range, either move farther away from or closer to the subject, or set the camera to a shooting mode other than Macro (see Using the Shooting Modes on page 38). If there is not enough contrast or light in the focus region, try using a technique called Focus Lock to focus on a higher-contrast or brighter object about the same distance away, and then, without releasing the Shutter button, point the camera at the subject you were originally trying to photograph (see the next section, Using Focus Lock). You can also simply turn on more light, if that is possible. Using Focus Lock Focus Lock allows you to focus on a subject that is not in the center of the picture, or to capture action shots more quickly by pre-focusing in the area where the action will occur. You can also use Focus Lock to help achieve focus in low light or low contrast situations. 1 Frame the subject for your picture within the focus brackets. 2 Press the Shutter button halfway down to lock the focus and exposure. 3 Continue to hold the Shutter button halfway down while you re-frame or adjust your subject for proper positioning. 4 Press the Shutter button all the way down to take the picture. 34 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual Using Zoom NOTE The more you zoom in on the subject of your picture, the more that small movements of the camera are magnified (this is called "camera shake"). So, especially at full telephoto zoom (3x), you must hold the camera steady in order to take a picture that is not blurry. If an icon of a shaking hand ( ) appears in the Live View screen, you should set the camera on a tripod or stable surface; otherwise, the picture will likely be blurry. Optical Zoom NOTE Optical zoom is disabled while recording video clips. Optical zoom works like the zoom on a traditional film camera, where physical lens elements move inside the camera to make the subject of your picture appear closer. Press Zoom Out and Zoom In on the Zoom lever to move the lens between wide angle (1x) and telephoto (3x) positions. Digital Zoom NOTE Digital zoom is disabled while recording video clips. Unlike optical zoom, digital zoom uses no moving lens parts. The camera essentially crops the image to give an appearance of the subject of the picture being an additional 1.1x to 6x larger. 1 Press Zoom In on the Zoom lever to optically zoom in to the maximum level, then release the button. Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips 35 2 Press Zoom In again and continue to press it until you reach the desired size in the Image Display. A yellow frame surrounds the area of the image that will be captured, and the image enlarges in the yellow frame. The resolution number on the right side of the screen also becomes smaller as you digitally zoom. For example, 3.3MP appears in place of 4MP, indicating that the image is being reduced to a size of 3.3 Megapixels. 3 When the image is at the desired size, press the Shutter button halfway down to lock focus and exposure, and then press it all the way down to take the picture. To turn digital zoom off and return to optical zoom, press Zoom Out on the Zoom lever until digital zooming stops. Release Zoom Out , and then press it again. NOTE Digital zoom reduces the resolution of an image, so your picture will tend to be more pixilated than the same image taken with optical zoom. If you just intend to e-mail an image or post it to a website, this loss of resolution will probably not be noticeable; but in situations where the highest quality counts (such as printing), limit the use of digital zoom. It is also recommended that you use a tripod when using digital zoom to avoid camera shake. 36 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual Setting the Flash The Flash button allows you to cycle through the flash settings on the camera. To change the flash setting, press the Flash button until the desired setting appears on the Image Display. The following table describes each of the flash settings on the camera. NOTE The flash is disabled with the Burst setting, Fast Shot shooting mode, and while recording video clips. Setting Description Auto Flash The camera measures the light level and uses the flash if necessary. A Red-Eye A The camera measures the light level and uses the flash with red-eye reduction if necessary (see the following NOTE for a description of red-eye reduction). your subject, you can use this setting to increase the light on the front of your subject. This is called "fillflash." conditions. Use this setting to capture poorly lit subjects that are beyond the flash range. Exposure times may be increased when using this setting, so it is recommended that you use a tripod to avoid camera shake. The camera uses the flash with red-eye reduction if necessary to illuminate objects in the foreground (see the following NOTE for a description of red-eye reduction). The camera then continues to expose as if the flash had not been used, to gather the background. 37 Flash On The camera always uses flash. If the light is behind Flash Off The camera will not use flash, no matter the lighting Night Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips NOTE The red-eye phenomenon is caused by light from the flash reflecting off the subjects' eyes, which sometimes makes a human's or animal's eyes appear red in the captured image. When you use a flash setting with redeye reduction, the camera flashes quickly three times to minimize the red-eye in the captured images of humans or animals before the camera uses the main flash. It will take longer to take a picture using red-eye reduction, because the shutter is delayed for the additional flashes. In turn, make sure your subjects wait for the additional flashes. If the flash setting is anything other than the default Auto Flash setting, the icon for the setting (in the previous table) will appear in the Live View screen. The new setting remains in effect until it is changed again or until the camera is turned off. The flash setting resets to the default Auto Flash setting when you turn the camera off. NOTE To restore the flash setting to what it was when you last turned the camera off, hold down the Menu/OK button as you turn the camera back on. Using the Shooting Modes Shooting modes are pre-defined camera settings that are optimized for taking still pictures of certain scene types to give you better results. In each shooting mode, the camera selects the best settings, such as the ISO speed, F-number (aperture), and shutter speed, optimizing them for the particular scene or situation. NOTE The shooting mode does not apply when you are recording video clips. 38 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual To change the shooting mode, press the MODE button on the back of the camera until the desired shooting mode appears on the Image Display. The following table describes each of the shooting mode settings on the camera. Setting Auto Mode Description The camera automatically selects the best F-number (aperture) and shutter speed for the scene. Auto mode works well for most shots in normal situations. This mode is also useful when you need to take a good shot quickly, and do not have time to select a special shooting mode on the camera. This mode allows you to take close-up pictures of subjects less than 0.5 m (20 in) away. In this mode, auto focus has a distance range of 0.1 to 0.5 m (4 to 20 in), and the camera will not take a picture if it cannot find focus (see Focusing the Camera on page 32). Macro NOTE It is recommended that you not use zoom while in the Macro shooting mode. Fast Shot The camera uses a fixed focus instead of auto focus, allowing you to take pictures very quickly. Use this mode in bright light conditions when the subject is moderate to long distances away. Action The camera uses fast shutter speeds and higher ISO speeds to stop motion. Use Action mode to capture sporting events, moving cars, or any scene where you want to stop the action. The camera combines a smaller F-number to blur the background, with lower sharpness for a more natural effect. Use Portrait mode for pictures that have one or more people as their primary focal point. Portrait Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips 39 Setting Description depth of field with higher sharpness for a more vivid effect. Use Landscape mode to capture mountain scenes or any shots with a deep perspective. This mode allows you to capture bright outdoor scenes and balance out harsh lighting. Landscape The camera combines a higher F-number for better Beach & Snow If the shooting mode setting is anything other than the default Auto Mode setting, the icon for the setting (in the previous table) will appear in the Live View screen. The new setting remains in effect until it is changed again or until the camera is turned off. The shooting mode setting resets to the default Auto setting when you turn the camera off. NOTE To restore the shooting mode setting to what it was when you last turned the camera off, hold down the Menu/OK button as you turn the camera back on. 40 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual Using the Self-Timer Settings 1 Secure the camera to a tripod or set it on a stable surface. 2 Press the Timer/Burst button until Self-Timer or SelfTimer - 2 Shots appears in the Image Display. 3 Frame the subject in either the viewfinder or in Live View. (See Using Live View on page 30.) 4 The next steps depend on whether you are capturing one or two still pictures, or are recording a video clip. For Still Pictures: a. Press the Shutter button halfway down to gain Focus Lock (the camera measures and then locks the focus and exposure). The camera will hold these settings until it takes the picture. b. Press the Shutter button all the way down. If the Image Display is on, a 10-second countdown appears on the screen. The Self-Timer/Video light on the front of the camera then blinks for 10 seconds before the camera takes the picture. If you set the camera to Self-Timer 2 Shots, after the first picture is taken, the Self-Timer/ Video light blinks for a few more seconds until the second picture is taken. NOTE If you immediately press the Shutter button all the way down without using Focus Lock, the camera will lock focus and exposure just before the end of the 10-second countdown. This is useful when one or more subjects will be entering the picture during the 10-second countdown period. NOTE You cannot record audio with a still picture when using the Self-Timer settings, but you can add an audio clip later (see Record Audio on page 61). Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips 41 For Video Clips: To start recording video, press the Video button and then release it. If the Image Display is on, a 10-second countdown appears on the screen. The Self-Timer/Video light on the front of the camera then blinks for 10 seconds before the camera starts recording the video. NOTE With either the Self-Timer or the Self-Timer - 2 Shots setting, only one video clip is recorded after the 10second countdown. To stop recording the video clip, press the Video button again; otherwise, the video will continue recording until the camera runs out of memory. The icon for the Self-Timer setting (Self-Timer or Self-Timer 2 Shots ) will appear in the Live View screen. The Self-Timer setting resets to the default Normal setting after the picture is taken. NOTE To restore the Timer/Burst setting to what it was when you last turned the camera off, hold down the Menu/OK button as you turn the camera back on. 42 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual Using the Burst Setting Burst allows you to take up to 3 still pictures as quickly as possible. The camera then continues taking burst pictures at a slower rate until you release the Shutter button or the camera runs out of memory. NOTE The Burst setting is disabled while recording video clips. You also cannot record audio when using the Burst setting, but you can add an audio clip later (see Record Audio on page 61). Also, the flash is disabled while using the Burst setting. button until Burst appears in the 1 Press the Timer/Burst Image Display. 2 Frame the subject and press the Shutter button halfway down to lock the focus and exposure. Then press the Shutter button all the way down and hold it. The camera takes 3 pictures as quickly as possible and continues taking burst pictures until you release the Shutter button or the camera runs out of memory. The Image Display remains off during the burst capture. After the burst pictures have been taken, each image appears one at a time on the Image Display. When Burst is selected, the Burst icon will appear in the Live View screen. The Burst setting remains in effect until it is changed again or until the camera is turned off. The camera resets to the default Normal timer/burst setting when you turn the camera off. NOTE To restore the timer/burst setting to what it was when you last turned the camera off, hold down the Menu/OK button as you turn the camera back on. Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips 43 Using the Capture Menu The Capture Menu allows you to adjust various camera settings that affect the characteristics of the images and video clips you capture with your camera. 1 To display the Capture Menu, press the Live View button, and then press the Menu/OK button. If Live View is already on, simply press Menu/OK. 2 Use the buttons to scroll through the Capture Menu options. 3 Either press Menu/OK to select a highlighted option and display its sub-menu, or use the buttons to change the setting for the highlighted option without going to its sub-menu. 4 Within a sub-menu, use the buttons and then the Menu/OK button to change the setting for the Capture Menu option. 5 Use one of several ways to exit the Capture Menu. If, immediately after entering the Capture Menu, you decide not to change anything, simply press Menu/OK again to exit the menu. You can also select the EXIT menu option and press Menu/OK. After you have used the Capture Menu, you can navigate to another menu via the menu tabs at the top of the Image Display. If you want to switch to another camera state, press the appropriate button on the back of the camera. 44 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual NOTE To restore Capture Menu settings to what they were when you last turned the camera off, hold down the Menu/OK button as you turn the camera back on. Help for the Menu Options Help... is the last option in each of the Capture sub-menus. The Help... option provides information about that Capture menu option and its settings. For example, if you press Menu/OK when Help... is highlighted in the White Balance sub-menu, the White Balance Help screen is displayed, as shown. Use the buttons to scroll through the Help screens. To exit the Help and return to the particular Capture sub-menu, press the Menu/OK button. EV Compensation In difficult lighting conditions, you can use EV (Exposure Value) Compensation to override the automatic exposure setting that the camera makes. EV Compensation is useful in scenes that contain many light objects (like a white house in the snow) or many dark objects (like a black cat on a dark background). Scenes containing many light objects or many dark objects could turn out gray without the use of EV Compensation. For a scene with many light objects, increase the EV Compensation to a positive number to produce a brighter result. For a scene with many dark objects, decrease the EV Compensation to darken the scene to be closer to black. Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips 45 1 In the Capture Menu (page 44), select EV Compensation. 2 In the EV Compensation submenu, use the buttons to change the EV setting in 0.5 steps from -2.0 to +2.0. The new setting is applied to the Live View screen behind the menu, so you can see the effect each setting will have on the picture. 3 Press Menu/OK to save the setting and return to the Capture Menu. If the setting is anything other than the default setting of 0.0, the number value will appear in the Live View screen next to the icon. The new setting remains in effect until it is changed again or until the camera is turned off. The EV Compensation setting resets to the default 0.0 setting when you turn the camera off. Image Quality NOTE This setting does not apply when recording video clips. This setting allows you to set the resolution and JPEG compression of the still images you capture with your camera. The Image Quality sub-menu has four settings. NOTE The resolution portion of all the Image Quality settings except for the VGA setting is represented by a number and MP (Megapixels), such as 4MP or 2MP. The higher the number of Megapixels, the higher the resolution. In the case of the VGA setting, the image will be 640 by 480 pixels (0.31 MP), which is the lowest resolution. 46 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual 1 In the Capture Menu (page 44), select Image Quality. 2 In the Image Quality sub-menu, buttons to use the highlight a setting. 3 Press Menu/OK to save the setting and return to the Capture Menu. The following table explains the Image Quality settings in more detail: Setting Description 4MP Best Images will be full resolution and have the lowest compression. This setting produces very high quality images, with greater color accuracy, but uses the most memory. This setting is recommended if you plan to print images at a size larger than 18 by 24 cm (8 by 10 in). 4MP Images will be full resolution and have medium compression. This setting produces high quality images, but uses less memory than the 4MP Best setting above. This is the default setting and is recommended if you plan to print images up to a size of 13 by18 cm (5 by 7 in). Images will be half resolution and have medium quality and compression. This is a memory-efficient setting, ideal for images that you want to send via e-mail or post to the Internet. Images will be 640 by 480 (lowest) resolution and have medium compression. This is the most memoryefficient setting, but produces lower quality images. This setting is good for images you want to send via email or post to the Internet. 2MP VGA Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips 47 The Image Quality setting not only affects the quality of the images but, as a result, also the number of images that can be stored either in the internal memory in the camera or on an optional memory card. Higher resolution and lower compression images will take up more space than images with lower resolution and/or higher compression. For example, the 4MP Best setting results in the highest quality images, but consumes more storage space in memory than the next lower setting, 4MP. Likewise, many more still images can be stored in memory at the 2MP or VGA settings than at 4MP; however, these settings will result in lower quality images. The Pictures remaining count at the bottom of the Image Quality sub-menu screen updates when you highlight each setting. See Memory Capacity on page 148 for more information about how the Image Quality setting affects the number of images that can be saved in the internal memory in the camera. The Image Quality setting (in the previous table) will appear in the Live View screen. The new setting remains in effect until it is changed again, even when you turn the camera off. NOTE When you use digital zoom, the resolution reduces as you zoom in. See Digital Zoom on page 35. White Balance Different kinds of lighting conditions cast different colors. For example, sunlight is more blue, while indoor tungsten light is more yellow. Scenes dominated by a single color may require an adjustment of the white balance setting to help the camera reproduce colors more accurately and ensure that whites appear white in the final image. You can also adjust the white balance to produce creative effects. For example, using the Sun setting can produce a warmer look to the image. 48 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual 1 In the Capture Menu (page 44), select White Balance. 2 In the White Balance sub-menu, use the buttons to highlight a setting. The new setting is applied to the Live View screen behind the menu, so you can see the effect each setting will have on the picture. 3 Press Menu/OK to save the setting and return to the Capture Menu. The following table explains the settings in more detail: Setting Auto Sun Description The camera automatically identifies and corrects for scene illuminance. This is the default setting. The camera balances color assuming the subject is outdoors under sunny or bright cloudy conditions. The camera balances color assuming the subject is outdoors in shade, in dark cloudy conditions, or at dusk. Shade Tungsten The camera balances color based on incandescent or halogen lighting (typically found in homes). Fluorescent The camera balances color based on fluorescent lighting. If the setting is anything other than the default Auto setting, the icon for the setting (in the previous table) will appear in the Live View screen. The new setting remains in effect until it is changed again or until the camera is turned off. The White Balance setting resets to the default Auto setting when you turn the camera off. Chapter 2: Taking Pictures and Recording Video Clips 49 ISO Speed NOTE This setting does not apply when recording video clips, or when the shooting mode is set to Action, Portrait, Landscape, or Fast Shot. This setting adjusts the sensitivity of the camera to light. When ISO Speed is set to the default Auto setting, the camera selects the best ISO speed for the scene. Lower ISO speeds will capture the best quality images with the least amount of grain (or noise), but result in slower shutter speeds. If taking a picture in low light conditions without a flash at ISO 100, you may want to use a tripod. In contrast, higher ISO numbers allow faster shutter speeds, and can be used when taking pictures in dark areas without a flash, or pictures of fast moving objects. Higher ISO speeds produce pictures with more grain (or noise) and, therefore, can be of lower quality. 1 In the Capture Menu (page 44), select ISO Speed. 2 In the ISO Speed sub-menu, use the buttons to highlight a setting. 3 Press Menu/OK to save the setting and return to the Capture Menu. If the setting is anything other than the default Auto setting, the icon for the setting (as shown in the ISO Speed sub-menu) will appear in the Live View screen. The new setting remains in effect until it is changed again or until the camera is turned off. The ISO Speed setting resets to the default Auto setting when you turn the camera off. 50 HP Photosmart M407 User's Manual