David Boginov
The black sheep of the 11,200 4AS family
Nerd, I'm the designated digital photographer at the Vermont party this summer.
Lakes, mountains, baby-
Man, I'm in heaven.
By the end of the week I have turned the best photos into websites, screensavers, desktop pictures, emails
Email attachments and carefully crafted DVD slides.
I snuggled up in bed with joy and said confidently that as a fully digital geek, I have reached my potential.
But then my mother got a strange request.
"You can do some 4-by-6's of these? "Um --as in prints?
Did anyone do this?
Of course they will.
While it may be difficult for gadget lovers to understand, millions would rather hold a glossy printed envelope than an electronic gadget with two photosinch screen.
No wonder the big news of digital photography this season is one. trick-
Designed for amazing 4-by-6 photos.
These printers are not good for printing daily files, their ink cartridges and photo paper (
Sell one box together)aren't cheap. (
Ink and paper are usually sold together in one box, with an average of each box
Print costs 29 to 67 cents. )
But the printer itself is cheap, easy to use and full of smart ideas.
Most importantly, computers are not needed for these printers.
They can be printed directly from a digital camera, which means you can even bring them on the road. (
However, they can print it on a computer.
Mac OS X and Windows can be used in addition to Sonys. )
There are several printers competing for your megapixel business this year, including Canon's Selphy DS700 and CP330; the Olympus P-10;
Sony's FP30 and EX50;
Picture partner of Epsonand Hewlett-
Photosmart 375 for Packard.
Make this list of important features your guide when you shop.
As you can see, none of the printers offer every breakout feature in 2004, but there are three very close printers. PICTBRIDGE --
OK, so no computer is needed.
So how did the photo pass from your camera to the printer?
If your camera is PictBridge-compatible (
This is the case with most cameras now, but check this box or manual)
, Then you can connect it directly to the PictBridge printer using the standard US. B. cable.
All seven players today are PictBridge. compatible.
For you, this arrangement means that you can use the familiar controls and bright screens of the camera to preview each photo, rotate the photo, crop the photo, and more.
For printer manufacturers, this means that the screen is omitted from the printer, thus saving $ mucho. MEMORY-CARD SLOTS --
Another way is to include memory-
Card slot on printer.
You take the card out of the camera, slide it into the printer, and then boom: You are a walking Fotomat.
Therefore, the camera's battery will not be exhausted when printing, just like when using PictBridge.
Almost all digital cameras, even PictBridge, are compatible-incompatible. (
Epson for $172 for all memory-
Card type, including oddball XD format;
The $160 Sony EX50 has only memory sticks and small flash slots. )
When the printer is connected to your Mac or PC, it can be used as a card reader for you to copy photos on your computer or on your computer (
Strange, not on Sony EX50. .
On the other hand, finding out the photos you are going to print becomes a problem.
Only HP Photosmart 375 of these printers ($170)
, Provides a color screen that allows you to preview your photos before you print them.
On Epson, you have to print out the contact sheet for the contents of the camera and then print the photo by number. (
Alternatively, you can mark the print-
If your camera offers this feature, there are valuable photos on the camera before removing the card. )
Canon Selphy ($165)
The Sony EX50 printer does not have a screen either, but they offer a clever solution; read on. TV OUTPUT --
Sony and Canon have a crazy idea: if a photo printer doesn't need a computer, then why put it on the table?
Put it in your TV room and the slide show is suitable for TV shows and movies, doesn't it make more sense?
The Canon Selphy and Sony EX50 printers plug directly into the TV, so you can display the photos on the screen in case of magnification.
With the slide show going on, you can use the cheers of your audience (
Or a scream of Shame)
As a prompt to click the print button, generate a 4-by-
6 print on the spot.
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This is a very eye-catching idea, but it should be noted that it takes nearly a minute and a half to print a photo, which almost brings the party to a standstill.
Concept of television-
You can continue the slide show until the photo is printed, and the connected printer will not really run.
At Sony, you can edit photos on the TV screen-
Rotate, brighten, crop, fix red-Eyes and so on--
Although you have to sit next to the printer to do this.
Canon's Selphy includes a remote control, but somehow ignores any editing control, thus wasting a huge opportunity. SPEED --The Olympus P-10 ($150)is an odd duck.
Or rather, it's a strange silver cube.
It doesn't have a card slot and it doesn't connect to the TV, but it does something that the competitors don't: it prints quickly.
It takes about 50 seconds to emerge from the top of the cube with one of the smooth, gorgeous photos.
This is surprising because P-10 is a dye-
Sublimation printer, meaning that it has to pull back and forth four times by itself, each time to add a protective layer of yellow, red, blue and clear to the photo. (A dye-
The sub-printer does not spray ink drops like inkjet.
Instead, its "cartridge" is actually a wide and translucent colored dye sheet
Covered plastic rolling through the machine. )
In theory, the benefits of dyes
The sub-printer is the perfect smooth and even tone of the color;
You don't see any separate points because there is no.
In practice, however, the ink in this review is so good that you rarely see the difference. (
Canon CP330 for $215 and Sony FP30 for $135.
Subprinters, but they are more interesting because you can see the paper coming in and out with each passing through, and its color gradually approaches the natural intent.
Olympus and Sony EX50 hide all the fun inside. )
The ad Epson falls on the other end of the scale and takes two and a half minutes for each photo.
Design and carry-
HP is so small, white and cute that you might mistake it for the first toaster for Barbie.
It is very portable and you can even power it with an optional battery.
The silver square Sony FP30 is also small, although its tightness is destroyed by the huge tongue of a carton, which is more than twice the depth of the printer.
Canon CP330, other batteries-
The power-on device, which is only slightly larger, also includes a prominent paper tray.
The relatively large Sony EX50 also has unusual designs;
Its controls are mounted on a thin edge, presumably so that you can slide the whole thing next to the TV. FEATURE MIX --
All of these candidates made gorgeous photos that were difficult to distinguish from pharmacy prints.
But when you read their specs carefully, you start to realize that you can't have everything.
Fortunately, you can have 85% of everything.
The Sony FP30 is sweet and petite for over $135. (
In the long run, though, Sony will take back your savings;
In this review, fp30 prints came in second at 60 cents per piece. )
No printer can beat the brilliance of its dye
It can also be printed out.
Of course, this machine must be connected to a computer or camera;
It has no memory-card slots.
There is also Epson PictureMate, and since there is no color screen, trying to edit or fix a photo is as easy as getting a needle in the dark. And it's slow.
But what cool features are there!
This printer can not only print directly from the camera, but also directly from the United StatesS. B.
Flash drive, CD drive, Zip drive and even Bluetooth camera (
If you purchase an optional Bluetooth adapter)--
Similarly, computers are not needed.
The photo of this printer is not only the cheapest in this competition (29 cents)
Thanks to the six different inkjet colors of PictureMate, they look sensational.
But don't miss HP Photosmart 375 if compromise is not your style.
This is a printer that can accommodate most memory cards and can be used as memory-
Card reader for Mac or PC can run on battery, contact minimum-
If you buy 280-sheet pack (29 cents)
Because it has a 2, there is no need for a TV to select and fix the photos. 5-
Incher is built inside.
Somehow, however, its price fell to the low end: $170, the same price as on the screen
Epson and Selphy are missing.
Ma Yun, advertising.
There are prints in the mail.
State-of-the-art electronic technology
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A version of this article was printed on page G00001 of the National edition on November 11, 2004, with the title: Art status;
Computers are not needed from digital cameras to printing.