epson photo printers

[Scottie]

I am looking to purchase a photo quality printer and would like some feedback and opinions. I love my D-30 and would like to start printing my own photos all sizes.. I am looking at the Epson 2200, (2100 in the UK) any opinions or advice would be much appreciated..

Thanks,

Scott

[Mike K]

The Epson 2100/2200 sounds like a real winner:
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/printers/Epson2200.shtml
Another one to consider for the 13" wide format is a Canon S9000
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/printers/s9000.shtml
The only real issue to getting great prints is color calibration of your monitor/printer/paper combination. I have an Epson 1270 for several years and have been very happy with the print quality. Calibration is another complex issue....
Mike K

[oops]

Scott,

Like Mike K, I was intrigued by the "luminous" review of the Epson 2200. And, like Mike, I have struggled to match my print to my computer screen. We will all look back on this problem in the next 5 years and laugh at the "cave printers" we used to use.

For now, the type of ink and how long the image will last is a biggie. Epson has this down (they claim) but nobody has a time machine to check this out.:)

If I were a pro selling wedding pics I would opt for the best looking print or let the commercial printers make the investment. This would give the best "up front" quality for the sale and the average marriage lasts far shorter than the image, so image "fade" could be a real selling point!8) (Kinda kidding here.)

For the serious amateur taking pictures of the kids or grandkids, realize you are only behind the lens at that moment in time once. Image fade over time just isn't an option, IMHO.

[juras1]

Scott, I just got a D60 myself- love it. I have an Epson printer (had a HP photosmart). This was before the 2200. I had to choose between the 1280 (with a little bit better red color saturation) and 2000P w/ 200-year prints. I finally decided no-one will remember me in 200 years, so I went for the 1280, and have not regretted it. But what they say about the 2200 seems like a real winner- I'd buy that if I didn't have the 1280.
It seems to me HP is good at photos, but Epson takes it more seriously. Just their broad selection of papers- w/o pigments I can get Colorlife papers that will last 25 yrs. w/ dye. Also, just the way they package their papers you can see they're more serious.
I think the 2200. But if not, I'd still make it an Epson printer choice.
Alfred

[gorham]

If you're looking at all the available choices, I'd recommend a look at the Canon S900 and S9000. I have the former and am constantly amazed by the quality of the output. My photos are better than any I ever had printed from film and as an everyday text printer it's excellent too. Best of all, it has six individual ink tanks and a gauge that let me know the level of each of them. Also excellent diagnostics and maintenance functions. I believe the S9000 has the exact same features except that it allows for larger print sizes.

FWIW

Gorham.

[yavor73]

Scott-
No matter which workflow you use to produce great prints on the Epsons (I use a 1270), you cannot get the ultimate results unless you use Qimage. You can get close, but the interpolation routines on Qimage produce
an order of magnitude better prints on the Epsons.
After I tried it, I was sorry about all the paper I had "wasted" in prints which I formerly thought were decent.
Deeper colors, sharper and tighter grained...Photographs.

have fun-
Bob

[Morden]

If you're looking at all the available choices, I'd recommend a look at the Canon S900 and S9000. I have the former and am constantly amazed by the quality of the output. My photos are better than any I ever had printed from film and as an everyday text printer it's excellent too. Best of all, it has six individual ink tanks and a gauge that let me know the level of each of them. Also excellent diagnostics and maintenance functions. I believe the S9000 has the exact same features except that it allows for larger print sizes.
I would agree. I have an S9000, and the quality of output is superb. Furthermore, consider this; the S9000 prints an A3 photo in around 4 minutes. That speed was a major deciding factor when I was looking to buy a new printer.
I am not dissapointed!

[redbutt]

As someone who has and uses an Epson 2200, I can highly recommend it. You won't believe the quality that this printer produces.