Ive had just enough of all our crappy labs around us - the prolabs are really $$ especially when I give my clients over 400 6x4"prints (considering proof books)

Ive never been happy with the colours of the places around me - the images are flat, unsaturated exactly what I DONT want my images to look like.

We spend so much $$ on petrol and TIME running around getting prints done Ive been considering buying a Dye-Sub printer which I can run reprints and proof prints out of.

Anyone got one or could advise on them? I dont really like the idea of using a 17" inkjet and cutting up every 6x4"I take...

Thanks!

Jonathan

I think I still have mine. It's a Camedia/Olympus P-400. Haven't used it in ages. Don't know what it'd cost to send it to you. And you need to make sure you can get the printing supplies in your area. Not a slam against wherever you are, I just know that some folks claim they have a hard time acquiring the supplies. Do some research and tell me what you think.

Ill check it out - thanks Ginger! - What is the quality like? comparable to most labs output?

I use a Sony UP-DR150.
Prints 4x6 in 7 seconds and 6x8 in about 13 seconds.
Print Quality is pretty fine in the midtones, but on the upper and lower end you will loose some.

I'd have to agree as far as my dye sub goes....I always felt it was fine for proofs, but I did not want to sell the prints. ('course I don't like the idea of selling inkjet prints either.)

*standing back in case of flame*

I have a Olympus 400 as well. The only time I use it these days is I make covers that I insert in my DVD cases for my client's slideshow. It just saves me the trouble of having a lab print a single image. Like everyone else I don't think I'd trust it for all my needs.

You can still find ink and paper for it on Ebay but if you were going to jump in I'd look at getting something newer. The kodak ones you can buy rolls of paper for them from B&H and print a lot faster.

Many of the digital photo booths use them because of their speed.

If the price of the pro labs are prohibitive, I'm thinking that the cost on the dye-sub printer will be even worse unless you can buy the paper and ribbon cartridges in bulk and hopefully save some that way. Have you checked into that yet?

Good luck!

We have a Sony UP-DR150, too. Fantastic printer. They've replaced it with the UP-DR200 which is way cooler. You can actually get a Luster "texture" on the paper and looks wonderful! The media is cheaper, too. If we could, we'd replace our DR150 with the DR200 in a heartbeat.

If I were you, I'd definitely look into it. And it'll work on anything from 100-250 volts (or so).

Yeah I Was looking at the Fuji ASK 2000 except Id like to find one that does Matte. The Sony ones does matte but the media seems $$ in comparison. Also does the son'y have 'prints by sony' on the back of their paper?

Do you like the print quality of the DR200 Adam?

I do have a Canon Es1. It's a great little printer. The ES2 is not available. It's one of the most straightforward and simple portables you can get in my op. Slap a cartridge of 50 4x6 prints in and your ready to go. No computer needed, just load a mem card. You can use a computer if you want of course.

Technically it may not be a dye sub.The packs have paper and ribbon all in one. No trays, or loose items. I have one in a bag that I take to my wedding for on site prints. People are always impressed, and always like to watch it print. a 4x5 costs about .25 cents

On the other side of the coin my Canon Pro900 inkjet does great 4x6's as well. Probably even cheap. Not portable, but it prints up to 13x19 stunning prints, and only costs around 400. You'll start doing most your prints in house.

Check out this Video on the ES2

Gav

Just to clarify, these Sony printers are not in the least portable. We take it to events, yes, but at about 70 pounds, we transport it with a dolly. Gavin's comment about portable dye-subs got me thinking. We used to use three or four Canon portable dye-sub printers, but they're awfully slow and they overheat quickly. They're fine for 5 or six prints in a row, but any more than that, they overheat.The media does say "print by Sony" so if that's a turn-off, be aware. I know it does on the DR-150. The only time I've seen prints from the DR-200, it was blank on the back, but it hadn't been released yet, and the final media wasn't available, either, so I don't know for sure.The print quality was incredible. The DR-150 has a resolution of 340 dpi (or so), which is higher than most labs (remember, it's a continuous-tone image, like pixels on a monitor). Very nice.

Hi,

the new Paper for the UP-DR150 has a blank backside.
No more "printed by sony".
I have tested the UP-DR200 and i see no reason to switch to the new model.

I take one of my UP-DR150 to every wedding for guestbook photos.
I leave the printer in my car and i always bring a very very long cable with me to get the power into my car.

Innovatronix has a batterypack for the Sony SnapLap. I am not sure if this works for the UP-DR150. I ll find out at the photokina this year.

Cheers
Juergen

I also have the Olympus P-400 (bought when I got the E-10 in 2001). I never use it anymore except for DVD jacket inserts (primarily because I have plenty of dye-sub paper left). Otherwise I'm probably gonna have to moth-ball it...the paper and the ribbons just cost too much compared to my local pro lab that can do 8x10's under $2 (the dye sub fixed costs START at $2 per 8x10).

We have a hiti 6x9 printer for on location printing only.

We used to print in-house. We quickly learned that we are NOT a lab, nor do we want to be.

Don't do it to expect to save money, either. Even if you save a few pennies per print (which I doubt - mpix has .19 cent 4x6 uncorrected proofs, .29 cent corrected proofs on kodak endura, I'm sure there's somewhere similar in Austrailia) - you're looking at quite a volume to make it up. Don't forget wear and tear, shipping on the supplies, and most importantly, YOUR TIME. If you spend 4 hours printing, and save $20, is that really worth it?

If you want to use your inkjet, get 8x10 paper, take it to a local print shop (Kinko's here in the states) and have them trim it. You can get 3 4x6s on a sheet. Print your proofs with a 1/4" border, and you can just load it up. (Printing full bleed can cause some issues on most inkjets, you get some bleed to the back - plus it takes MUCH longer to print.) Some epsons can take rolls and have a built in (or optional) cutter - maybe that's an option too? You'll get a wider gamut than dye sub, easier to find supplies, etc.

Just some thoughts!

Shan
Shan

One of the only prolabs here in Australia that I have come across charges $1.20-$2.00 per 6x4"print colour corrected. Even their uncorrected prints at 6x4" are .70c. Postage is from $20. It is not viable to send off say 2x 6x4" prints from a pickpic order... Id lose money!

There is nowhere local that does a good job.

My local labs charge around .30c but they suck. They are flat, muddy prints which are not the 'vibrant' prints I need.

Its more than saving pennies (a 6x4 from my own dye sub would cost about 23c) its saving time, petrol, and my wife's down-time running around getting sub-standard prints from the local labs.

Ive been investigating a new dye-sub printer the Mitsubishi CP9600DW which prints at 600dpi and does 4x6", 5x7" and 6x9". I have some samples being sent in the mail from this unit. It is supposed to be the best quality on the dye-sub market. Although it doesn't do matte prints (only looks like the SONY's do).

Hmmm!

Jonathan

Forget about the "matte" prints of the Sony. It is kind of a marketing gag.
If you use mate vs. glossy vs. textured you have to take a very very very close look to see a difference at all:-)

I agree with you on this regarding the UP-DR150. I thought the printer was broken because it was so hard to see.

But on the DR200, the matte looks amazing. Really amazing. Just like a luster finish print from a regular lab. That's what had us so excited about it. The "non-matte" of the DR150 is the only thing I don't like about that printer.

There are many dye sub printers out there. Copal, Shinko, Sony, Olympus, Canon...the list is endless, and the media prices are about the same. Controlling colors is OK, but contract can be a little difficult.
I currently use a Shinko CHC-S1245 is can print an 8x10 sheet in about 20 seconds. The printer lists for about $3K, however, I used to work for the Japanese company in the US that imports them.
They just released the Mac driver for both of their printers (6" and 8"), so I can print raw files right from Lightroom.
No mater which printer you use, the price per print will be with-in pennies of each other.
An 8x10 Dye Sub is about $1.25 your cost, Sounds strange, but the 5x7 pricing is bout the same cost per print.
Here is my suggestion for lab prints...Talk to the lab owner and let him know what you are looking for...He may be able to give you a profile that will work for sending images over FTP.
Here in the states, you can get un-corrected 4x5 lab prints for about $.50 - $.65 each. Being from the industry, I know the capabilities of all the current Professional laser to photo paper equipment; Noritsu, Fuji, Konica or AGFA. They all have the ability to produce amazing photos, it's up the lab to make sure they are balanced and that you are using the correct profile.
Any questions, let me know...

John

We ended up ordering the Sony DR-200. Its ongoing costs looked less than the Mitsubishi CP9600DW and when you included media for that printer - it took it to about $5000 (verse $3000 for the sony)

We'll see how happy we are with it after flogging it with our weddings coming up!

J