HP launches 100 new products

New consumer printers and cameras included in the line-up

2 June 2006 13:14 GMT / By Amber Maitland

HP launched 100—count 'em—products for the autumn, including four new cameras and a raft of photo printers.

Amongst the innovations in the new products are the first touch-screen LCD on an HP Photosmart printer, a 10MP compact camera, and a printer that holds up to 4000 images in an internal memory.

The top-of-the-line camera in HP's range is the Photosmart R967, a 10MP compact with a 3-inch LCD on the rear. It and the 7.2MP R827 both feature HP steady photo anti-shake mode that activates a high ISO to prevent blurred photos.

HP has also added another effect to its Design Gallery, which include options for adding effects to images in-camera, that turns photos into pencil drawings.

The R967 also boasts a 30x total zoom, although it only features a 3x optical zoom, and 32MB of internal memory. It also offers an impressive array of shooting modes — 17 in total — as well as macro multi-zone auto focus and high-quality VGA video that records at 24fps. The R967 will hit the shelves in the US for about $449 in September.

The specs for the R827 are much the same, except it has a 24x total zoom and a 2.5-inch screen.

The last of the four cameras—the E427 and the M627—are the lower-end models, featuring 6 megapixels and 7 megapixels of resolution respectively. The M627 has a 24x total zoom, while the E427's only extends to a 5x digital zoom.

HP has also added to its compact photo printers and is calling the souped-up versions Portable Photo Studios.

In the compact printer line, enhancements include a Photo Fix button to remove red-eye, sharpen blurred images, and improve the overall look of the image.

The Photosmart A716 Compact Photo Printer has a 4GB internal memory so that photos can be printed up to 5 x7-inches on the go, while the A430 Portable Photo Studio is a kit that includes a photo printer, built-in dock, and a compact camera.

HP has also added handles to the A716, A616, and A430 for increased portability.

Moving up in size, the Photosmart D7360 is an A4 photo printer designed for ease of use, with a touch-screen LCD, an HP Photosmart Express button to access a Print Wizard, and the PhotoFix button to quickly improve photos.

The D7360 will be priced at $199 in the US market.

Leading the All-in-One range is the Photosmart C7180 with a 3.6-inch LCD that incorporates a Fax, Scanner, and Copier with a photo printer. Bluetooth connectivity means that it can communicate wirelessly with a host of devices and be shared over multiple computers on a wireless Ethernet network.