HP Photosmart M425 First Impressions Review

Likes

- Simple menu navigation structure - Well-sized four-way control and zoom toggle - Capable of loading images onto the Internet via Snapfish - A plethora of Help menu screens and examples will help inform unsure or beginning users

Dislikes

- Small LCD screen - Poorly designed controls for On/Off, flash, print, and shooting/playback mode - Lag in processing and slow refresh rate when switching between playback menus and shooting menus - Limited Design Gallery settings when compared to higher-end HP models

Conclusion
With an understated and standard design, HP's M425 is a basic point-and-shoot 5 MP digital camera that will provide its users with an opportunity to shoot, alter, and share images, all while never moving outside the camera. The intensive Help menus will provide unsure or beginning users with a myriad of opportunities to learn and advance as camera users, even if the camera doesn’t have a large number of manual controls. The 1.7-inch LCD is undersized, even for this price range, and some control buttons are awkwardly placed, making continuous operation a hassle in the long run.

That being said, the menu structure is well designed and easy to navigate, with lists of options labeled with clear headings. With an ability to load images onto Snapfish, a website hosted and run by HP, users are able to immediately transfer images from camera to the web, allowing friends and approved members to view photos and digital video clips.

The Design Gallery features on this camera are just like the color modification settings found on most digital cameras within this price range, and the border feature isn’t adept enough to truly stand out as a marketable feature. The lack of manual controls beyond Exposure Compensation and ISO creates clear limitations on the camera, but the inclusion of a well-rounded preset Shooting Mode menu helps provide snapshooters with some shooting flexibility. 

With a price of around $149, consumers looking for an unassuming, standard, straightforward point-and-shoot camera could certainly do worse, and the HP Photosmart M425 manages to hold its own within this reasonably saturated entry price level. It will be interesting to see if HP can do better than merely hold its own when given a full review with testing of speed, color, noise and resolution. Check back in the near future to see how this model and HP's R-series cameras perform when placed under rigorous image testing.