HP Photosmart R927

Viewfinder
The R927 does not provide users with a viewfinder of any sort, although this should come as no surprise considering the petite size of the camera body and the impressively large 3-inch LCD screen. With the inaccurate framing and impossible viewing set-up often found with optical viewfinders on lower-priced digital cameras, the lack of a second viewing alternative should not be seen as a disadvantage.

LCD Screen
The HP Photosmart R927 does not shy away from the ever-expanding LCD screen size competition, providing users with an impressive 3.0-inch, 230K LCD screen. This is a marked improvement over the R725’s mere 2 inches of screen size. The solarization often found on the LCD screens of digital cameras was a not a problem with the R927; nor was viewing of real time and playback images, even in less than ideal viewing situations.

This LCD is the only viewing source for the camera and although optical viewfinders generally save on battery life, a 3-inch LCD with frame accuracy is a far better option than an undersized, ill-placed optical viewfinder with inaccurate framing. Located within the setup menu are controls for LCD screen brightness.

Flash
The flash for the HP Photosmart R927 is positioned on the right side of the camera face flush with the surface of the camera body. There is enough distance between this feature and the lens to cast unflattering shadows and harsh contrast upon illuminated subjects. That being said, this feature isn’t likely to be covered by meandering features.

Users may choose auto, on, and off as manual control flash options when shooting. Automatic in-camera red-eye adjustment is enhanced over models from last year, letting users set the Red-eye elimination to an automatic real time correction rather than a postproduction alteration. That being said, HP still provides the postproduction editing of red-eye anyway via the red-eye correction submenu found within the Design Gallery menu.

Zoom Lens
The HP Photosmart R927 comes with a retractable lens barrel, unlike the fixed lens found on other models within the R-series. This model comes with an HP Precision Lens, with 3x optical zoom, which extends from 7.5 to 22.5mm and offers an aperture that opens from f/2.8 to f/8.5. The zoom lens is controlled by an L-shaped zoom toggle positioned on the back of the camera body. The placement and L-shaped design help with quick control and even though it is placed within the scalloped thumb rest, it still manages to avoid being accidentally deployed when the thumb is at rest.