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Why upgrade your digital camera?

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You've come a long way since you bought your digital camera. For one thing, you've been honing your photography skills and it shows (everyone appreciates it when you share your pictures in creative ways). And now you might be wondering what else you can do with this ever-changing technology.

Great news: While you've been learning the ins and outs of being a shutterbug, HP has been developing some amazing digital cameras with incredible new features. And with prices ranging from US $149 to around US $549, your investment will go a long, long way.

A natural evolution

Just a few years ago, even the best digital cameras for consumers were light-years behind the ones you can get today. Two-megapixel (MP) resolution was considered high quality for consumer cameras, and now HP cameras offer up to 5.3MP. You can also take advantage of improvements in zoom capacity, storage, connectivity, and more. Here’s a tour of what's possible with the latest cameras from HP:

  • Improved image quality: HP's 5.3-megapixel camera, the Photosmart 935 is now available. The 5.3MP resolution is a jump from earlier models that topped out at just over 4MP. And since a megapixel translates to one million dots, one megapixel makes a huge difference in image quality. Higher resolution means cleaner, crisper prints.With this model, you'll be able to confidently print photo-quality enlargements of up to 20 x 30 inches! And even if you're only printing more traditional 4 x 6 prints, you'll see much sharper images that you can really be proud of.
  • More powerful zoom: For those times when you want to get a close-up shot without moving in on your subject's personal space, a high-powered zoom lens comes in handy. Now you can get closer than ever with the HP Photosmart 850. It offers up to 8x optical zoom and 7x digital zoom, or 56x total zoom. If you have an camera, the total zoom capabilities are likely to be 21x or less.
  • Increased storage space: Take more photos without having to transfer them to your PC or change memory cards. The HP PS 935 amodel come with 32MB Secure Digital memory cards, enough to store a whopping 96 pictures! (Older cameras typically store about 36.) No matter how much memory your camera has, an extra memory card is a photographer's best friend. Getting a spare card with a large capacity (128MB) is not only economical, it also means fewer interruptions … something all photographers can appreciate.
  • Advanced control features: By having more flexibility and control over your photos, you can really let your creativity shine. Current HP Photosmart cameras offer manual or automatic controls for ISO (measures the camera's sensitivity to light), exposure, white balance (corrects color in different lighting situations), and more.
  • Capture sound and motion: Turn your memories into a multimedia experience using your camera's video-clip capture with audio.
  • Simplified connectivity: With a camera dock (bought separately), you can easily connect your camera to a PC or TV. The dock includes a remote control for viewing photos, and it recharges photo batteries too! This Dock your digital camera article explains more about the benefits of docking.
  • Added convenience: It's no mistake that the newest HP cameras are smaller and lighter than ever before. The compact HP Photosmart 735, for example, can fit comfortably into your pocket and doesn't sacrifice quality for a smaller size. On the contrary: It has a powerful Pentax lens for highly precise shooting.
Innovation station

It's not just the cameras that make digital photography fun and easy. After all, taking the pictures is only part of the story. It's what you can do with the images that makes the medium of digital photography so flexible. Look at all the extras you'll get with the purchase of an HP camera:

  • HP Image Zone: This software package has it all. With Image Zone, you can easily find the photos you're looking for and organize them in a way that makes sense to you. And sharing your pictures is a breeze with HP Instant Share, part of the Image Zone package. You can choose up to 32 destinations, including e-mail addresses and printers. The next time you connect to your PC, the images will be sent! Learn more about HP Instant Share. Need to edit a picture? Use the editing features to adjust color, sharpness, contrast, or even remove red-eye. HP Memories Disc is another part of the Image Zone software suite. With it, you'll be able to create slideshows and archives of digital images on a CD. Read all about the HP Memories disc possibilities right here. Finally, you won't have to worry about accidentally deleting your precious pictures. Image Zone automatically creates digital negatives and lets you back up your photos on CD with a single click.
  • Direct photo printing: Just take your camera's memory card out of the camera, put it into select HP Photosmart printers, and print! You don't even need to wake your PC.
Let's print

There are lots of new possibilities for printing your digital photos. HP's new Photosmart printers, such as the 7760 and 7960, can produce borderless 4 x 6 pictures, just like you get from the photo lab. And on HP's website, you'll find a wealth of snazzy digital photography projects , like cards and frames you can make yourself.

If you're interested in scrapbooking or quilting, you'll love the HP Scrapbooking and HP Quilting websites. They're both chock-full of ways to enhance your craft by using digital photography, printing, and other technology. You can even download free print projects.

Be resourceful

HP has the information you need to find your next digital camera. To learn more, read the articles Choosing an HP digital camera and Digital camera features. And this Maximize your digital camera article will help you get the most out of your purchase.

Visit the HP Digital Photography Centre

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