2
Taking pictures and recording video clips
Live View allows you to frame pictures and video clips in the Image Display. To activate
Live View, press until appears briefly in the upper right corner of the Image
Display. The Live View display looks like this:
1
2
3
4
5
12
Shooting mode indicator.
Battery level indicator (see
Power indicators on page 39
).
Memory card indicator.
Pictures remaining count.
Focus brackets (see Auto focus and exposure on page 12 ).
Taking still pictures
You can take a picture almost any time the camera is on, regardless of what is shown on the Image Display.
1.
Press until appears briefly in the upper right corner of the Image Display.
This indicates you are in Live View.
2.
Frame the subject for your picture.
3.
Press the Shutter button halfway down to measure and lock the focus and exposure. The focus brackets in the
Image Display turn solid green when focus is locked (see
Auto focus and exposure on page 12
).
4.
Press the Shutter button all the way down to take the picture.
5.
To add an audio clip, continue holding the Shutter button down, then release it when done.
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Chapter 2
Recording video clips
1.
Press until appears briefly in the upper right corner of the Image Display.
This indicates you are in Live View.
2.
Frame the subject.
3.
Press and release the Video button.
4.
To stop recording video, press and release the Video button again.
Instant Review
After you have taken a still image or recorded a video clip, the camera displays it briefly in Instant Review. If you want to delete the image or video clip, press , select This
Image from the Delete sub-menu, then press .
Note To hear audio associated with still images or video clips, transfer them to your computer using the HP Photosmart Software or use an optional
HP Photosmart dock to connect the camera to a TV.
Auto focus and exposure
When you press the Shutter button halfway down, the camera automatically measures and locks the focus and exposure. When you auto focus:
Indicator
Green focus brackets
Red focus brackets
(shaking hand icon)
Description
Focus found.
Focus not found (see
Optimizing focus on page 13 ).
Long exposure required (see Optimizing
exposure on page 13 ).
Tip If you follow the suggestions for focus and exposure and your image does not appear to be in proper focus or exposure when viewed in Playback, see the topics on blurry, dark, light, or grainy images in
Troubleshooting on page 32 .
Focusing on the subject
When you press the Shutter button halfway down, the camera searches for focus within the focus brackets.
When it finds focus, the focus brackets turn green.
If the focus brackets do not frame your subject, use
Focus Lock (see
Using Focus Lock on page 13 ).
12
Optimizing focus
When the camera cannot auto focus, the focus brackets turn red. This indicates the picture may be out of focus because the subject is out of the focus range or the scene has low contrast.
If the camera is set to a shooting mode (see
Using the shooting modes on page 15
) other than Macro and cannot focus, it will still take the picture. Try releasing the
Shutter button, reframing, and then pressing the Shutter button halfway down again. If the focus brackets are still red:
● Select a shooting mode more appropriate for the scene you are capturing (see
Using
the shooting modes on page 15 ).
● If the scene has low contrast, use Focus Lock (see
Using Focus Lock on page 13
) and aim at a point on the subject that has more colors or crisp edges.
● If the subject is too close (less than 500 mm or 20 in), move farther away from the subject or use Macro (see Macro under
Using the shooting modes on page 15
).
If the camera is set to Macro and cannot focus, the camera will not take the picture.
Try one of the following:
● Move within the Macro range or set the camera to Auto (see Auto under
Using the shooting modes on page 15 ).
● In low contrast scenes, use Focus Lock (see
Using Focus Lock on page 13 ).
Using Focus Lock
Use Focus Lock to focus on a subject that is not in the center of the picture, to capture action shots more quickly by pre-focusing in the area where the action will occur, or to focus in low light or low contrast situations.
1.
Frame the subject for your picture within the focus brackets. In low light or low contrast situations, frame a brighter or higher contrast object.
2.
Press the Shutter button halfway down.
3.
Hold the Shutter button halfway down and reframe.
4.
Press the Shutter button all the way down to take the picture.
Optimizing exposure
When you press the Shutter button halfway down, the camera also measures the light level to set the proper exposure.
If the camera is set to a shooting mode other than Fast Shot (see Fast Shot under
Using
the shooting modes on page 15 ) and determines the scene will require a very long
HP Photosmart M425/M525 Digital Camera 13
Chapter 2 exposure, a shaking hand icon ( ) appears. The camera will take the picture, but it may be blurry because it is difficult to hold the camera still for the length of time required. Try one of the following:
●
Set the flash to Auto Flash or Flash On (see Setting the flash on page 15 ).
● Set the camera on a tripod or stable surface.
● Turn on more light.
If the camera is set to Fast Shot and determines there is not enough light, the message
NOT ENOUGH LIGHT FOR FAST SHOT appears in the Image Display and the camera will not take the picture. Try one of the following:
● Select a different shooting mode (see
Using the shooting modes on page 15 ).
● Turn on more light.
Using zoom
Your camera has both optical and digital zoom. Optical zoom physically extends the lens to make the subject of your picture appear closer. After you have extended the lens fully using optical zoom, the camera employs digital zoom. Digital zoom uses no moving lens parts.
Tip The more you zoom in on the subject of your picture, the more small movements of the camera are magnified (this is called camera shake). If
appears when you press the Shutter button halfway down, the picture may be blurry. Be sure to hold the camera still or add more light to the scene. Try holding the camera closer to your body or against a steady object, or set the camera on a tripod or stable surface.
Optical zoom
Optical zoom moves the lens between wide angle (1x) and telephoto (3x).
In Live View, use the buttons on the Zoom lever to control zoom.
Press to zoom in and to zoom out.
Digital zoom
In digital zoom, the Image Display shows a yellow frame around the scene.
1.
In Live View, press on the Zoom lever to optically zoom to the maximum level, then release the lever.
2.
Press and hold until the image you want to capture fills the yellow frame. If you zoom in too far, press .
3.
To return to optical zoom, press until digital zooming stops. Release , then press it again.
Note 1 Digital zoom is not available when recording video clips.
14
Note 2 Digital zoom reduces the resolution of an image, so your picture may be more grainy than the same picture taken with optical zoom. When you need higher quality, limit the use of digital zoom.
Setting the flash
To select a flash setting, press , use to highlight the desired flash mode, then press .
Auto Flash (Default)—The camera uses the flash if necessary.
Red-Eye—The camera uses the flash with red-eye reduction, if necessary, to minimize the possibility of human eyes appearing red in the final image. For
information about red-eye, see Red eye on page 15 .
Flash On—The camera always uses flash. If the light is behind your subject, use this setting to increase the light on the front of your subject.
Flash Off—The camera does not use flash. Use this setting to capture poorly lit subjects beyond the flash range or to capture scenes with the existing light.
The Flash setting remains in effect until it is changed again, or you turn off the camera.
Note The flash is not available in Burst, Fast Shot, Landscape, or Sunset shooting modes, nor while recording video clips. In Night Portrait shooting mode, the flash is set to Red-Eye.
Red eye
The red-eye phenomenon is caused when light from the flash reflects off the subjects' eyes, which can make human eyes appear red in the captured image. Using Red-
Eye causes the camera to flash quickly up to three times to shrink the subject's pupils
(reducing the effect of the red-eye phenomenon) before using the main flash and capturing the image. Since it takes longer to take a picture using this setting, make sure your subjects wait for the additional flashes.
Using the shooting modes
Shooting modes are predefined settings for everyday situations. They are optimized for particular types of scenes or shooting situations.
To select a shooting mode, press while in Live View, use mode, then press .
to highlight a shooting
Auto Mode (Default)—For taking good shots quickly, when you do not have time to select a special shooting mode.
Self-Timer—For capturing images or recording video after a 10-second delay
(see
Using the Self-Timer mode on page 16
).
Fast Shot—For taking images more quickly than in Auto mode in bright light conditions when the subject is a moderate to long distance away.
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Chapter 2
(continued)
Landscape—For scenes with deep perspective, such as mountain scenes.
Portrait—For pictures that have one or more people as their primary subject.
Action—For capturing sporting events, moving cars, or any scene where you want to stop the action.
Night Portrait—For capturing images of people at night. This mode uses the flash and a long exposure. As a result, you must set the camera on a tripod or stable surface.
Beach and Snow—For capturing scenes against bright backgrounds such as at the beach or in snow.
Sunset—For capturing outdoor scenes at sunset.
Burst—For taking two or more shots quickly in succession (see
Using the
Burst mode on page 17 ).
Macro—For taking close-up pictures of subjects between 100 and 800 mm
(3.9 to 31.5 in) away.
Note The shooting modes do not apply when you are recording video clips.
The shooting mode remains in effect until it is changed again, or until you turn off the camera.
Using the Self-Timer mode
The Self-Timer allows you to take an image or video clip 10 seconds after pressing the Shutter or Video button.
1.
Press while in Live View, use to highlight Self-Timer , then press .
2.
Set the camera on a tripod or stable surface.
3.
Frame the subject in the Image Display.
4.
The next steps depend on whether you are taking a still pictures or recording a video clip.
a.
For still pictures, press the Shutter button halfway down to lock focus and exposure. When the focus brackets turn green, press the Shutter button all the way down.
b.
For video clips, press the Video button, then release it.
5.
The camera begins the 10-second countdown, then takes the still image or begins recording the video clip.
6.
If you are recording a video clip, press the Video button to stop recording.
Tip If you want to include yourself in the picture, press the Shutter button all the way down, then place the camera on a tripod or stable surface. The camera locks focus and exposure just before the end of the countdown, allowing you time to place yourself in the scene.
16
Note To add audio to images taken with the Self-Timer setting, see
Recording
audio on page 23 .
The Self-Timer setting resets to the default Auto shooting mode after the picture or video clip is taken.
Using the Burst mode
Burst allows you to take two or more pictures as quickly as possible when you press and hold the Shutter button all the way down.
1.
Press while in Live View, use to highlight Burst , then press .
2.
Frame the subject, then press the Shutter button halfway down to lock the focus and exposure. Then press the Shutter button all the way down and hold it. The camera takes pictures as quickly as possible until you release the Shutter button or the camera runs out of memory.
The Image Display remains off during the burst capture. After the burst images have
been taken, each image appears one at a time in Instant Review (see Instant Review on page 12
). You can delete the entire burst sequence in Instant Review. To delete
individual images, see Deleting images on page 21
.
Note
To add audio to images taken with the Burst setting, see Recording
audio on page 23 .
The Burst setting remains in effect until it is changed again, or until it resets to the default
Auto shooting mode when you turn off the camera.
Using the Capture Menu
The Capture Menu allows you to adjust camera settings that affect the characteristics of the images and video clips you capture.
1.
While in Live View or Playback, press , then use to highlight .
2.
Use to highlight a menu option, then press to display the menu option’s sub-menu.
3.
Use to highlight a setting, then press .
4.
Press to exit the Capture Menu.
For on-camera information about an option, use sub-menu, then press .
to highlight Help... in the option's
Shooting Modes—For selecting a shooting mode. For information about shooting modes and another way to select them, see
Using the shooting
modes on page 15
.
Image Quality—Sets resolution and compression for images. The greater the number, the higher the resolution.
M525:
● 6MP Best—For enlarging or printing images greater than 28 x 36 cm (11 by 14 in).
● Normal (6MP) (Default)—For printing images up to 28 x 36 cm (11 by 14 in).
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Chapter 2
(continued)
● 4MP—For printing images up to 20 x 25 cm (8 by 10 in).
● 2MP—For printing images up to 13 x 18 cm (5 by 7 in).
● VGA—For sending images via e-mail or posting them to the Internet.
M425:
● 5MP Best—For enlarging or printing images greater than 28 x 36 cm (11 by 14 in).
● Normal (5MP) (Default)—For printing images up to 28 x 36 cm (11 by 14 in).
● 3MP—For printing images up to 20 x 25 cm (8 by 10 in).
● 1MP—For printing images up to 10 x 15 cm (4 by 6 in).
● VGA—For sending images via e-mail or posting them to the Internet.
Date & Time Imprint—Imprints date in lower left corner of image.
● Off (Default)—No date or time imprinted on the image.
● Date Only—Date permanently imprinted.
● Date & Time—Date and time permanently imprinted.
Exposure Compensation—Overrides the camera’s automatic exposure
setting. For more information, see Exposure Compensation on page 18
.
● To make the images you are about to capture brighter, press to increase the value.
● To make the images you are about to capture darker, press to decrease the value.
White Balance—Balances color based on lighting conditions. For more information, see
White Balance on page 19 .
● Auto (Default)—Corrects for scene illuminance. For general picture taking.
● Sun—For outdoor scenes in sunny or cloudy conditions.
● Shade—For outdoor scenes in shade or at dusk.
● Tungsten—For indoor scenes with incandescent or halogen lighting.
● Fluorescent—For indoor scenes with fluorescent lighting.
ISO Speed—Adjusts the camera’s sensitivity to light. For more information,
see ISO speed on page 19
.
● Auto (Default)—Camera selects the best ISO speed for scene.
● ISO 100—For best quality.
● ISO 200—For lower light conditions.
● ISO 400—For lower light conditions and/or action when short shutter speeds are desired.
Note Some Capture Menu options are not available in certain shooting modes.
In addition, some do not apply when recording video clips.
Exposure Compensation
You can use Exposure Compensation to override the camera's automatic exposure setting. Exposure Compensation is useful in scenes that contain many light objects
(like a white object against a light background) or many dark objects (like a black object against a dark background). Such scenes could turn out gray without the use of
Exposure Compensation. For a scene with many light objects, increase the Exposure
18
Compensation to a positive number. For a scene with many dark objects, decrease the
Exposure Compensation.
White Balance
Different lighting conditions cast different colors. This setting allows the camera to compensate for this, reproducing colors more accurately and ensuring that whites appear white in the final image. You can also adjust the white balance to produce creative effects.
For example, the Sun setting produces a warmer look to the image.
ISO speed
This setting adjusts the sensitivity of the camera to light. When ISO Speed is set to the default Auto setting, the camera selects the best ISO speed for the scene.
Lower ISO speeds capture images with the least amount of grain (or noise), but result in slower shutter speeds. If taking a picture in low light conditions without a flash at ISO
100, use a tripod.
Higher ISO numbers allow faster shutter speeds, and can be used when taking pictures in dark areas without a flash, or when taking pictures of fast moving objects. Higher ISO speeds produce pictures with more grain (or noise) and, therefore, can be of lower quality.
HP Photosmart M425/M525 Digital Camera 19
