Manual Control Options
HP’s M-series of digital cameras does not offer many manual functions. This will be fine for the timid or inexperienced point-and-shoot user, but users who will want to learn more as they shoot will eventually find the lack of options disheartening. The user of the M527 may control and alter settings pertaining to ISO and exposure compensation, while AF mode and white balance choices rely on preset options.
Focus
Auto Focus
The HP Photosmart M527 will allow the user to switch between two focal modes, Normal and Macro AF. Since there is no manual focus on this camera model, users will need to rely solely upon the auto focus settings. The AF settings are located within the Shooting Modes submenu of the Capture menu. Users are presented with shooting modes with thumbnails and descriptions of each setting’s general purpose. Within this menu users will also find the Macro Mode setting for the M527.
Manual Focus
There is no manual focus setting available on any of the cameras released within HP’s M-series at this time. Not that this is a huge loss; the R927 had manual focus but its adjustment method left much to be desired. (Look through our First Impressions Review for the HP Photosmart R927 for more details.) The M527’s preset shooting modes like Macro and Landscape should help users who want a bit more depth of control when shooting with the M527 and, considering the market this camera is designed for, that will be enough for most.
Metering
The metering settings on the M527 are unfortunately entirely automatic, a design choice which can greatly limit the ability for users to creatively react to lighting situations which are less than perfect. The M527 shoots with a Center-weighted Auto Exposure Metering System, which registers the whole scene in part, but gives priority to lighting specifics located at the center of the proposed image. This means that both multiple lighting sources and backlit subjects will be problematic for this metering system to accurately gauge and react to. Other camera manufacturers attempt to counter-act this problem by providing spot and matrix metering to better fine tune this system.
Exposure
There is one exposure control available on the HP Photosmart M527; users can operate the exposure compensation settings for this camera from the Capture Menu. Adjustment is accomplished through a horizontal sliding scale that is positioned in the center of the LCD screen and overlays a live view. The live view feature is useful for novices as well as more experienced users as a means of instant feedback. The scale itself is a little substandard, allowing users to control the EV scale with a range of +/-2 EV with 0.5 stop increments throughout. 0.3 stop steps are more common. The aperture and shutter speeds for the M527 are fully automatic and will not be accessible to the user.
White Balance
The white balance mode provides a handful of preset options along with a fully automatic system for shooting. The white balance settings are located within the Capture Menu as a white balance submenu. This submenu offers no live view, though it does feature short textual descriptions along with thumbnail images of when each setting could possibly be engaged. The settings it provides beside Auto mode are: Sun, Shade, Tungsten and Fluorescent. Users can find a fuller overview in the Help menu which will inform them on the functions and importance of white balance when shooting photographs.
The white balance settings are a bit underwhelming and leave certain situations wholly untouched. Also, the lack of a manual white balance setting is unfortunate; this is one of the last manual settings that should be sacrificed in the name of lower prices.
ISO
The ISO settings are located within the Capture Menu as well. The ISO menu is not a live view menu either, although this opaque menu does feature a text description, further help, and a series of thumbnails illustrating the function of manual ISO settings. Once within this menu, users will be able to scroll and select among the following options: Auto, 100, 200 and 400 ISO. This menu seems somewhat truncated, even for this lower price range, when competing manufacturers are more often offering settings that bracket one or both ends of the scale, even if resolutions are compromised.
Shutter Speed
The shutter speed range for the M425 is completely automatic and will capture images at speeds from 1/1000th of a second to 2 seconds. With slow speeds of only 2 seconds, users may find that images captured in lower light situations are underexposed and should have been captured with extra illumination or the in-camera flash. The camera should perform without problem when shooting in well-lit situations.
Aperture
The aperture settings, like the shutter speed settings, are fully automatic. Consumers looking for manual control over these settings within the HP camera line will find that they will need to look towards the R927 to finally attain these features in full manual functionality. The automatic aperture range for the HP Photosmart M527 is f/2.8 to f/8 in wide and f/4.7 to f/7.6 in telephoto, and is identical to the range found on the less expensive M425.
