The past couple of years have been great for
Kodak, as the successes of their digital cameras have given them a nice niche in the market. It's only proper, since they've been a recognized name for cameras, film, and photo developing for quite some time. Until recently,
Kodak has stayed out of the digital picture printing arena that's been dominated by companies such as HP, Canon, and Epson. Some may have doubted the move at first, but rest-assured that the
Kodak Easyshare Printer Dock Plus has been one of the most popular, compact, 4x6" picture-printing units purchased in retail. The quality combined with the ease of use have given backbone to those intimidated with the supposed complexity of new-age digital equipment & printing. It's that easy.
Hardware
The
Kodak Easyshare Printer Dock Plus is pretty small compared to conventional 8.5x11" printers, but is larger than some (or as large as most) other portable printers and it will only print 4x6" photos. The paper-tray attachment holds up to 20 pieces of photo paper and clicks into the front of the printer unit itself. The tray has a cover that slides back a bit and opens up to load the paper, but also keeps the paper covered so particles (or liquids, solids, etc) don't get on the paper to interfere with the quality. The paper is loaded print side up, and there is an image reminding such if you look at the bottom of the inside plastic of the paper tray. Right above the tray door is an IR (infra-red) sensor that lets many IR capable electronics (phones, PDAs, etc) print their pictures directly to the unit. The right side of the printer has a lid that opens up an internal space which houses the print cartridge itself. Insertion of the cartridge is simple as it fits only one way. Removal of the cartridge is just as simple as pressing the green switch to unlock the cartridge, which springs out half an inch for easy grabbing. The rear side of the unit has connections for power and a 4-pin USB connection to the computer. The left side of the unit has a USB connection for PictBridge enabled digital cameras, A/V port for conneting the dock to a TV, and a memory card slot compatible for Secure Digital and Multi-Media flash memory cards. Connecting a digital camera through the PictBridge USB connector lets you print from the camera's memory card without the need of a computer. There is a
Kodak memory adapter that you can plug into this same port which lets you print from any flash memory card (there is a 6-in-1 and 8-in-1 reader available to purchase from
Kodak). Otherwise,
Kodak brand cameras will sit on the top of the dock to let the user print pictures from the dock. You can connect the dock to your TV with the A/V cable that comes with your
Kodak camera (if it came with one, otherwise you need to order one from
Kodak) so you can view images on your TV.
Each
Kodak camera purchased comes with a plastic insert that is used to set it comfortably on the dock. Without it, the camera won't stay perfectly without physical assistance, which tends to be a hassle. Not all
Kodak cameras will work with the dock, any many of them that do work with the dock don't need the plastic insert.
Kodak cameras that not compatible with this dock are: CX4000 series, DX4000 series, DX3000 series, LS443, and LS420 models. The plastic inserts snap easily into place, though they are a bit harder to remove if you need to switch the inserts. The only time that one would be switching inserts is when you want to use a different model
Kodak camera with the dock. The controls on the dock are very simple. One button is designed to cycle through the picture-size options. You can print 1, 2, 4, or 9 of the same picture on a 4x6" paper sheet. The main button cycles forwards and backwards through the pictures on the camera and lets you choose the number of copies that you want to print out. There is a button to cancel the current print to the left of the main button. There is a button that will auto-enhance your pictures before you print, and next to it is a button that will automatically transfer the pictures from the digital camera onto the computer, when pressed. There is also one last button that will display the photos in the camera hooked to the dock, on the television if you have the dock connected with the A/V cables. There are a few LED lights that let you know the battery charge on the rechargeable battery in the camera, if the printer unit is low on paper or the print cartridge itself. The dock doesn't have any LCD screen built in, but does use the digital camera's LCD screen to cycle through and preview the pictures that you want to print. You just have to make sure you turn the camera on when it's on the dock. Once you select the picture that you want to print & the number of copies, and then have pressed the OK button, the unit will start the printing process. You can only print one picture at a time, unfortunately. The dock doesn't allow you to flag multiple pictures to be printed automatically, so each has to be done one by one. The
Kodak Easyshare Printer Dock Plus uses
dye sublimation (thermal) method of printing it's pictures. This dye is akin to plain paper fax cartridges, but are thin sheets of color instead of a carbon film. So what you'll see is the machine pull one sheet of paper back until it sticks out the rear of the unit, and then slowly pull it forward as it layers on each color. The paper will move back and forth until the coats of yellow, magenta, blue, and then black are all applied. The finished print will land on top of the paper tray, though sometimes it doesn't always get out of the way of the next sheet being processed and can be pushed onto the floor. It takes roughly a minute and a half for each picture and can be done without a computer. Just be sure that the rear of the unit is unobstructed, else you can mar the finished print. The machine uses pretty simplistic rollers, so there is minimal worry about misfeeds or jams.
While the
Kodak Easyshare Printer Dock Plus can print pictures without the use of a computer, those who have pictures stored on their PC can still hook the dock up and print all of those. The printer uses a USB connection and is easy to hook up. Once the drivers are loaded in, you can print to the dock like you would with any other printer that would be hooked up. There is a button on the dock that will automatically transfer all the pictures on the camera onto the computer. One benefit of printing from the computer would be that you can edit or enhance the picture(s) beforehand, since there aren't any of those controls on the dock itself. One of the other benefits of the printer dock is that it will recharge any rechargeable batteries that are in the camera. The downside is that you don't get the option to discharge the batteries before fully charging them, which is recommended to do at least once a month on rechargeable batteries.
Included in the box:
• Kodak Easyshare Printer Dock Plus
• AC Adapter
• Rechargeable battery for Kodak cameras
• Welcome Kit
• CD-Rom for drivers & software
• Starter kit of print cartridge & paper (10 prints)
Software
The
Kodak software installs quickly and is easy to use. It has a clean, windowed interface that lets you sort your pictures from a nice list of sorting options, browse through all of your pictures, create albums, and also gives you upload or burn pictures/albums to a CD. There are tabs on the left side that direct you through brief steps for printing, sharing, emailing, ordering online prints, and such. Half of the options available to the user require that they create a
Kodak Ofoto account. These include the emailing and uploading options. Basically, the software (with the Ofoto account) lets you email friends and family pictures, and also lets you move pictures back and forth between your PC and online Ofoto space. The software has
very limited editing controls, so users who wish to do greater touch-ups or special effects will want to purchase software better-suited for such tasks. It does allow you to one-button adjust the exposure, brightness, contrast, color tones, cropping, and a few other fun effects.
Kodak keeps their software straightforward and simple, which is great for people new to digital imaging and don't want to deal with the hassles of complex submenus and advanced options. The software isn't mandatory, so those with better software (or maybe something else they're just accustomed to) can opt to not install and use
Kodak's stuff.
Quality
The prints that come out of this machine are outstanding. It's very easy to mistake a print that might have been developed through the typical 35mm process and the prints that comes out of the
Kodak Easyshare Printer Dock Plus. The paper feels the same as 35mm prints and won't smudge like some that would come from ink printers. Overall, the image is sharp with accurate detail and very accurate color reproduction. Holding the finished print next to the actual photo subject lets you see how you've captured a still-frame of reality; it's that good. Those who are very critical and get down to the nitty-gritty will notice that sometimes the blacks aren't quite black enough, and whites are prone to slight coloration of the color that it's adjacent to, somewhat like a halo effect of color onto the white (or a softness of edges). These effects are very subtle though and would only be noticed through scrutiny. Otherwise, the print result from this unit mimic those 35mm prints of yester-year and instantly impresses all. The image cropping done by the dock is minimal, and the perforated tabs on both ends of the picture are easy to tear off once you're done handling the photo (helps eliminate fingerprints).
Supplies & Cost of Ownership
This is where
Kodak gets you good. You can purchase
Kodak brand paper separately, though the photo kits make for easier & better quality prints. The photo kits come with both paper and print cartridge in either a 40 or 80 count package. The kit is self-consuming, so once you've used up the last sheet of paper from the kit, that also means you've used up all the print sheets in the cartridge itself. Most retails sell the 40-print kit for $24.99, which makes the cost of each print to be about
$0.62 each. The 80-print kits retail about $44.99, which makes the cost of each print to be about
$0.56 each. This is a bit on the pricier side of the printing scale, since there are many places that you can go (Longs, Walmart, Target, Costco, Walgreens, Staples, etc.) and get the same type of prints done for as low as $0.20 each. Traditional 35mm printing costs can be around a quarter per print, sometimes even less if there is a special. The trade-off from the high cost of printing with the
Kodak Easyshare Printer Dock Plus is the convenience of doing the prints at home on your own time, and without any unneeded trips and line-waits. Also, you're guaranteed the quality of the prints when you use the kits since it's
Kodak branded dye and paper. Not all places that provide a print service will use quality materials. Unfortunately, these prints will last only around 10 years or so (depending on how they're stored/displayed), so once they start to fade you'll probably want to print another again. Conventional 35mm prints can last twice as long, while prints done from quality inkjet printers can last up to 6 times as long.
Issues
So far the only serious concern that I have about the mechanics of the unit is the sensitivity of the buttons. After a period of prolonged use, the left/right/OK buttons lose some sensitivity and start to be a bit of a hassle to use. Instead of a gentle touch, a bit more of force is needed to make the command register, and sometimes it's what you want to do. You'll want to lean on the left button to scroll backwards, but instead the printer registered that you're pressed the OK button and want to print the current picture. It can be a bit more frustrating since you need to press the OK button twice when you want to print; once to select and once again to start the printing.
The only other issue (which can be remedied) is that it's hard to see the pictures that you're scrolling through if the printer is lower than chest-height. You're looking down, but the screen is displaying horizontally, so users will have to lower themselves to see the screen, or raise the hardware instead.
COMPETITION COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS
So out of all the current, portable, 4x6" photo printers, which is the best to get? Well I was curious (moreso slacking off at work, yet still being productive in the sense of valueable information) and figgured that a showdown between the top contenders was at hand. I took 3 pictures using a
Kodak Z740 digital camera at the 5 megapixel level. The pictures, combined, had a mixture of complex and simple elements, text, varying levels of contrast, bold colors, and some mixed colors as well. The pictures were taken indoors in well-lit conditions, and with perfect focus. I took the memory card out of the camera and printed the 3 pictures on five of the current, portable printers (each with their own brand supplies) that are sold on retail shelves:
Kodak Easyshare Printer Dock Plus,
Sony DPP-FP30,
Canon CP400,
Epson PictureMate, and
HP Photosmart 325. Each group of three pictures were compared to the subject of the photo and compared to each of the other prints. Basically, I was looking for anything that I could point out as a difference whatsoever. After reviewing all fifteen photos, I've been able to make conclusive observations about the photo quality of each of the printer units, which are listed below in the overall comparisons. Here's the lowdown.
Kodak Easyshare Printer Dock Plus
• Weight: 2.43lbs (38.88oz)
• Size: 13.1" x 7.4" x 3.3" (with tray)
• Image LCD Screen: No (viewed through camera)
• Flash Card Reader: Yes (SD/MMC)
• PictBridge Enabled: Yes
• Onboard Controls/Effects: No
• Print Technology: Dye sublimation (thermal)
• Colors Used: Yellow, magenta, cyan, black
• Smudge-Proof: Yes
• Picture Longevity: 8-15 years
• Photo Strengths: Photo lab quality, accurate, continuous color & detail
• Photo Weaknesses: Expensive cost of prints, subtle softness of edges (text too)
• Hardware Strength Summary: Very portable, easy operation, recharges batteries, IR port
• Hardware Weakness Summary: No picture previewing & direct printing for non-PictBridge or non-
Kodak users (or ones with models incompatible)
• Standard Cost of Print: $0.62
Sony DPP-FP30
• Weight: 2.18lbs (38oz w/o tray)
• Size: 6.88" x 2.38" x 5.38" (w/o tray)
• Image LCD Screen: No
• Flash Card Reader: No
• PictBridge Enabled: Yes
• Onboard Controls/Effects: No
• Print Technology: Dye sublimation (thermal)
• Colors Used: Yellow, magenta, cyan, black
• Smudge-Proof: Yes
• Picture Longevity: Approximately 8-16 years (based on print technology)
• Photo Strengths: Photo lab quality, accurate, continuous color & detail
• Photo Weaknesses: Light magenta hue cast over every picture (makes images look unnaturally warm)
• Hardware Strength Summary: Highly portable, accepts 2 sizes of paper
• Hardware Weakness Summary: No picture previewing & direct printing for non-PictBridge cameras
• Standard Cost of Print: $0.62
Canon CP400
• Weight: (28.9oz)
• Size: 6.73" x 4.72" x 2.1"
• Image LCD Screen: No
• Flash Card Reader: No
• PictBridge Enabled: Yes
• Onboard Controls/Effects: No
• Print Technology: Dye sublimation (thermal)
• Colors Used: Yellow, magenta, cyan, black
• Smudge-Proof: Yes
• Picture Longevity: Up to 100 years (only under certain storage conditions)
• Photo Strengths: Photo lab quality, continuous color & detail, bold blacks, sharp text & edges
• Photo Weaknesses: Photos darker overall & loses some subtle colors
• Hardware Strength Summary: Purse-sized portability (or big pocket)
• Hardware Weakness Summary: No previewing or direct printing for non-PictBridge cameras, no power button
• Standard Cost of Print: $0.55
Epson PictureMate
• Weight: 5.5lbs (88oz)
• Size: 10" x 12" x 6.4"
• Image LCD Screen: No (screen is for menu & options only)
• Flash Card Reader: Yes
• PictBridge Enabled: Yes
• Onboard Controls/Effects: Yes
• Print Technology: Ink
• Colors Used: Yellow, magenta, cyan, photo black, red, blue
• Smudge-Proof: Yes
• Picture Longevity: Up to 100-200 years (only under certain storage conditions)
• Photo Strengths: Good overall quality, low print cost
• Photo Weaknesses: Colors can muddy (yellows), blues too rich, fuzzy text, mediocre greyscale & contrast (moreso for detailed areas)
• Hardware Strength Summary: Easy loading of 6-ink cartridge, standalone printing, save pictures to external storage w/o PC, optional wireless adapter
• Hardware Weakness Summary: Huge, heavy, picture preview through proof-sheet only
• Standard Cost of Print: $0.29
HP Photosmart 325
• Weight: 2.6lbs (41.6oz)
• Size: 8.7" x 4.6" x 4.6"
• Image LCD Screen: Yes
• Flash Card Reader: Yes
• PictBridge Enabled: Yes
• Onboard Controls/Effects: Yes
• Print Technology: Ink
• Colors Used: Magenta, yellow, cyan
• Smudge-Proof: No
• Picture Longevity: Up to 75 years (only under certain storage conditions)
• Photo Strengths: Great quality, bold reds & yellows, sharp, low print-cost potential
• Photo Weaknesses: Weak printing of reflective & translucent, prints darkened very slightly
• Hardware Strength Summary: Very portable, standalone previewing & printing of all pictures, wireless, optional internal battery
• Hardware Weakness Summary: Potential (low) for paper jams
• Standard Cost of Print: $0.53
Summary
It's really hard to pick a true winner from this lot. Pick your poison. Overall,
Kodak success comes from the ease of use to print & transfer pictures for
Kodak digital camera owners and from the quality of the prints. I think that the soft edges and less-than-bold blacks are forgiven and forgotten when you see how accurate the colors are and how great the finished photo works. If you're a
Kodak camera owner and are new to and intimidated by digital photography, this is definitely a great pick for you. For those who own other brands of digital cameras that don't use the SD/MMC card, the
Kodak EasyShare is a little less convenient since you can't print directly to the unit (unless you have a PictBridge enabled camera). The IR port is a neat feature, though I'm not really sure how many products use that in favor of bluetooth wirelss. One of the big deals about these small 4x6" photo printers is the convenience. Otherwise, the only other major aspect to consider is the cost per print.
Kodak, along with Sony, have the highest cost per print when compared to other options. Those who know they will print out many pictures might want to keep this in mind, and may even consider an alternative to this unit if they can't justify the quality for the cost. If you don't care about the cost of prints or greater brand compatibility, then this is the printer for you.
Recommended Accessories:
• Kodak 80ct Photo Kit (spend less per print, don't get the 40ct)
• USB Cable (for PC printing)
• Kodak Printer Dock Travel Bag
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