Auto Mode
The R725 has a full Auto mode, which actually provides the most control over settings. The Auto mode on the R725 does allows manipulation of settings pertaining to ISO, AE metering, multi AF modes, EV Compensation settings, White Balance, Exposure / Color / Adaptive Lighting Bracketing, and color. It is not necessary to use these controls however, and users may choose to shoot with full auto control or shooting mode presets. The mode settings are located at the top of the Capture Menu in the Shooting Mode submenu, a menu which may be accessed via the up arrow on the four-way controller, or via the Menu button located on the back of the camera.
Movie Mode
The HP Photosmart R725 can record video clips at a rate of 24 frames per second with VGA quality resolution, 24 frames per second at VGA medium resolution, and QVGA quality at 15 frames per second. Simultaneous monaural audio recording is possible when recording video clips. The monaural microphone is positioned on the front of the camera, away from fingers which may muffle or obstruct clean audio recordings. Audio can also be recorded to previously captured still images. This feature is located within the Playback menu within the Audio Recording submenu.
Like still images, it is now possible to upload digital video clips onto Snapfish for sharing with approved users. The R725 can also extract stills from video clips during playback. To extract a still, the user must merely review the video clip and press Menu when the still to be exported is reached. Beyond these features the user will not be able to edit these clips further while working with them in-camera. Design Gallery features cannot be accessed when shooting videos which is a little surprising, considering the similarities between the effects and those commonly found within the preset options on inexpensive video editing suites.
Drive/Burst Mode
The HP Photosmart R725 does provide a Burst mode, located within the Capture Menu of the camera. The reported frame rate for the R725 is 3 frames per second for 3 frames prior to saving images to memory. The camera can also be set to two separate self-timer settings, one which shoots a single photograph after 10 seconds and one which shoots two photographs after 10 seconds.
Playback Mode
Playback Mode for the R725 is accessible via two separate control routes. Users may either press the Menu button on the back of the camera to navigate to the Playback Menu or they may press the Shooting/Playback button on the top of the camera.
Once in Playback mode, users may make alterations to images in the Digital Gallery or use the postproduction Red-eye reduction setting found within the Playback Menu. Along with this feature, users may also select Image Advice, a setting that provides advice on how to better produce quality images during future shooting situations. Similar to the Image Advice feature, users may engage the Image Info setting, which provides the time and date photographs were taken, name of photos on the memory card or internal memory, and other setting information.
Pressing the Trash button on the back of the camera deletes photos, and it is possible to delete either single images, full memory cards, or the internal memory. This external control should expedite the editing process and prevent users from having to sort thru menus. It is also possible to view slide shows of varying speeds, as well as images as single full frames, six up, or nine up multi-frame format thumbnails. Multi-up image format is accessed via the wide angle end of the zoom toggle. The playback zoom feature can be accessed by engaging the telephoto end of the zoom toggle. Video clips may be played back within Playback mode, although users will not be able to edit or manipulate this footage. There is an in-camera speaker on the top of the camera towards the left, so users may hear audio playback.
Custom Image Presets
There are a number of preset Shooting Mode options available through the Shooting Mode menu at the immediate top of the Capture Menu. These settings may be scanned within the main Capture Menu window, although only symbols for each setting are displayed. Users may enter the Shooting Mode Menu for text descriptions and thumbnail images for further explanations of these settings.
The HP Photosmart R725 comes with the following preset shooting modes: Help, Document, Sunset, Snow, Beach, Night Scenery, Night Portrait, Action, Panorama Left to Right, Panorama Right to Left, Theatre, Portrait, and Landscape modes. The Help menu is an overall description of how these shooting modes function, and will inform users as to how and when these presets could be employed to their advantage. The list is both quick to navigate and once the universal symbols are learned, the full Shooting Mode menu is unnecessary.
