HP Photosmart R927

Front
The smooth polished front on the R927 features an extending lens barrel on the right side of the camera body. The lens barrel retracts into the camera body and the lens cover automatically closes when the R927 is turned off. Above the lens to the right are two small dots: the one furthest to the right is the microphone, the one positioned slightly above and to the left is the focal assist light.

Moving along the top edge of the camera, the user will find the horizontally configured in-camera flash. The flash is far enough off the center point of the lens to cause harsh shadows upon subjects. To the left of the flash, there is a slightly raised HP logo, which can act as a slight finger grip on an otherwise slick exterior. Beneath the HP logo and flash is the title "Photosmart R927" in a light gray tone. Nonetheless, the visually appealing stainless steel exterior shows finger marks and perspiration. There are also no grips on the front of the camera body, making it problematic if hands are sweating or weather is less than serene.

The HP Photosmart R927 features a few departures from previous and less stylish HP models of recent years. The R927 has a more refined scalloped finger rest which functions nicely when shooting casually. Running along the top of the camera body is a second aesthetic design improvement for the R-series. Separating the front and top faces of the camera body is an angled and sleek scallop which echoes the finger hold located in bottom left corner of the camera. Its also creates more visual interest and flow than earlier models which leaned more towards the boxy and stocky physique.

Back
The 3-inch 230K pixel LCD is the overwhelming feature on the back of the Photosmart R927, not that this should be surprising considering the overall dimensions of the camera body itself. The screen is framed and raised off of the camera and does not solarize when viewed in a variety of angles.

To the right of the LCD are two sections of controls, each placed within a scalloped thumb rest to avoid accidental deployment when not in use. The zoom toggle on this camera is an interesting design—a basic L shape turned ninety degrees clockwise. The telephoto control is to the top right, while the wide angle is positioned at the bottom of this rotated L-shape. While in playback, the telephoto doubles as an image enlarging device, while the wide angle functions as a zoom out and toggle device between full frame, six frames, and nine frame multi-up.

Below the zoom control, the shooter will find the generous size four-way controller with a Menu/OK button placed in the center. While this controller is perfectly adept at navigating menus and engaging in most quick alterations to menu selections, there is not enough physical space between the up and down arrows on the four-way controller for efficient movement between settings on the shutter speed and aperture scales. There was a tendency towards accidental engagement of the Menu when trying to scan from one end of the shutter speed to the other. The up arrow functions as a shortcut access point for the shooting modes, while the down arrow is used as the trash function when reviewing images in playback mode.

Top
The top of the camera body slopes down on a smooth angle to both the front and back of the camera to soften what would otherwise be another typically harsh rectangular lower priced point-and-shoot body design. The playback speaker for the R927 is positioned on the left side of the top face, allowing users to review both audio clips and movie clip audio while digital video files remain in-camera.

To the right of this single speaker is a series of buttons that are flush with the surface of the camera. Moving from left to right, one first finds the flash button, which when pressed allows users to navigate flash control options on the LCD screen. Beside this control is the Focus button, which also provides an instant menu on the LCD. These controls are well placed and sized for quick access and engagement. By placing these important and more frequently used manual control settings on the exterior of the camera body, HP makes immediate engagement and alteration far easier than scanning endless menu structures.

Moving to the right of the Focus button, there is the Photosmart Express button, which allows users to enter into an onscreen menu for marking images to be printed or sent via WiFi to a PC for uploading onto the Internet. Beside this there is a button which allows users to toggle between shooting and playback modes. This control, like all the controls on the top of the camera body, is marked by a well sized universal symbol marking its intended function. To the right of this is a blue LED which acknowledges when the camera is currently running. This LED is large enough and bright enough to be seen even in situations with bright lighting.

Next to the LED is the camera’s On/Off button, clearly labeled with large font text. On the angled face which connects the top to the front of the camera, the user will find the shutter button for the R927. This shutter button is a raised ovoid large enough for comfortable use. To the right of the On/Off button and on the angled face which connects the back and the top of the camera, the user will find the Movie Record button that switches users from still image to video mode. On the far right edge of the top face, is an eyelet for a wrist strap. The eyelet sits flush with the camera body, a design decision which will allow this camera to slide more easily into a pocket.

Right
The right side of the HP Photosmart R927 features no controls, ports, or other accessories; there are merely two screws flush with the camera body surface.

Left
Like the right side of the HP Photosmart R927, the left side has no features and is a smooth sleek continuation of the front and back faces of the camera design.

Bottom
The bottom of the Photosmart R927 has the metal tripod mount placed beneath the lens barrel of the camera. The metal tripod mount seems to be sturdier and less inclined to stripping when compared to the plastic tripod mount found on the R725. Moving to the left of this tripod socket, is the port for the printer/wireless dock. This feature is set into the camera body.

On the left side of the bottom face, the user will find a port door cover which when opened reveals both the lithium-ion battery and the memory card slot for the camera. This door has a locking mechanism which must slide to the right before the cover will open. This locking mechanism should prevent accidental opening and breaking of the port cover when the camera is in transport or handled haphazardly.