Digital cameras have proved to be wonderful tools for both amateur and professional photographers alike. They provide instant photos which can be viewed on the camera or on a computer with no film needed. Yet, we are creatures of habit, and we are in the habit of looking at photographs on paper. Having photos printed professionally takes time. Although quality is always improving, photos printed on most of today’s ink jet printers are not professional quality and can fade quite quickly. Enter Sony with their dedicated photo printer, the DPP-EX7.
Although dedicated photo printers have been around for awhile, this printer is the first to combine ease of use, a workable LCD screen, and excellent output in a small footprint, portable package. The DPP-EX7 makes it possible to take the printer along with you to have instant photo prints. The quality of the prints rivals that of professional developing, and no computer is necessary.
Both set up and use are easy. Just plug the printer in, insert the paper and the ribbon, open the LCD screen, and press the power button. After you take your digital photos, you simply insert your camera’s memory card into the printer and the photos appear on the printer screen. The printer can accept a memory stick without adapter. Any other type of memory, like compact flash, will need an inexpensive PC Card adapter.
Of course, the printer can also be attached to a computer (PC or Mac) by USB cable so you can print directly from the computer. But the real beauty of this printer shines through when it is used as a stand-alone photo printer. Once the photos thumbnails appear on the printer’s 2.3 by 3.1 inch LCD screen, you use the included stylus (a finger also works) to choose the photo you want to print. If your photo is perfect, you simply press the Print button and 60-90 seconds later are presented with a photo quality print. If your image isn’t perfect or you want to enhance it, you can choose to Edit, Adjust, or Filter the photo. The Edit choice allows you to rotate, pan in or out, and adjust the center of the photo. I found this tool wonderful for creating close ups and changing the focal point of the photo. The Adjust choice lets you control brightness, saturation, and sharpness. The Filter choice allows you to change the photo to black and white or sepia-tones. It also has a very cool Paint choice that makes the photo look like it is hand-painted. While not for all photos, on the right picture, this option is, in fact, really great.
This printer also has an option called Creative Print, which has built-in templates for making your photos into greeting cards, stickers, and calendars. This option has tools for drawing, inputting text, rubber stamping and making cutouts. You can even choose borders, and glossy or textured finishes.
The DPP-EX7 uses dye sublimation print technology for continuous tone pictures with 16.7 million colors. Combined with a 400 by 400 resolution, it produces excellent photos. Sony also coats the pictures with a Super Coat 2 lamination process that seals the dyes into the print media. This helps protect the prints from fading and produces an archival life that cannot be achieved with ink jet printers. Paper is available in 3.5 x 4 inch, or borderless 3.5 x 5 inch, and 4 x 6 inch. Stickers are also available. Since a ribbon is included with each paper pack, it is easy to determine the exact cost of the consumables, and to have the ink and paper ready at the same time. Although costs always vary, at the time I write this, a 25 print package of 4 by 6 inch paper with ribbon was available for $15.95, a 75 sheet package was $39.95. At $.53 to $.64 a picture, the quality and convenience will be worthwhile for many.
What’s not to like? While the editing and adjusting choices are adequate, a few more, like removing red eye would be welcome. Also inputting text on cards is not intuitive. It took me awhile to figure out how to do it, and I am still having trouble making the text the size I would like it to be. However, for the quality of the output and the functionality of this printer, these are minor complaints.
Stylish appearance, portability, quality output, stand-alone operation, and ease of use make this printer an amateur photographer’s best friend.
