Small (4x6) photo printers

[Liz]

Does anyone know or have any experience using the Canon mini (4x6) printers that print directly from your CF card? If so I'm interested in finding out about just 3 things:
1) Quality of prints, 2) approximate cost of each print (including paper) and 3) life expectancy of the printer.

I have a friend who has a large family and only gets 4x6 prints for the most part. She likes good quality "snapshots." She would love one if they would be worth the cost of < $200.

Thanks
Liz

[Steve Lutz]

I have the Canon CP-200, which is a 4x6 only printer. It will print from a computer, or from a Canon digital camera. It won't print "direct" from a CF card. The prints are excellent. Sharp, colorful and nice and bright. It is a dye sublimation printer, not an ink jet, and the 4x6 goes through the printer 4 times before the print is done. (Three colors, red, yellow, blue, and a protective overcoat on top.) It takes about 80 seconds to do one print.

The prints are smudge and water resistent. The clear overcoat allows water drops and fingerprints to be wiped right off with no damage to the print. The print supplies consist of 36 4x6 print cards (they can be used for postcards too), and one print cartridge. You use the print cartridge for the 36 prints, then throw it away, and put in a fresh cartridge from the new box of print supplies. The card and print cartridge cost $20. That works out to 56 cents a print.

That is expensive per print, but since you only print the ones you want, it saves on wasted shots, prints that get thrown away, etc.

I use my Canon CP-200 exclusively now for 4x6 prints, since the quality is far superior to drugstore prints. For best results, the shots should be manipulated in Photoshop, but straight out of the camera they are pretty good.

I bought my printer last December, and have no regrets.

[Liz]

Great explanation thanks.........I'll give my friend the info. 56 cents doesn't seem too steep. However, I'm surprised they won't print from the card. That, I think, would be the only downside.

Where have you been? You're always missed around PR when you're not around. At least I haven't seen you, but I don't go into all the forums.

Have you gotten any new lenses or cameras lately? I recycled my lenses. I now have less equipment, but better glass. I got the Canon 17-40 about a month ago, and I love it. It's been on my camera ever since I got it. Awesome, sharp, great colors, nice zoom, nice wide angle for a change.

Good to see you. And again, thanks for taking the time to give all the information.

Liz

[Steve Lutz]

I haven't been around much, that's true. But, I have been taking lots of photos! Here's where they can be found:
http://stevelutzphoto.smugmug.com/

I like the Canon CP 200 a lot. Excellent quality and very convenient. I even got a free carrying case for it, since I bought it during some promotional event. Pictures straight from the camera can be fun at parties. People like getting their picture right away.

One thing, though, it has a tendency to overheat if you run too many prints too quickly. A little warning box will say, "Printer is too hot. Printing will resume when the printer cools down."

Other than that, I am completely satisfied with it. Good luck to your friend on her search!