f16sunshine
Moderator
Seeking your comments and experiences.
Lots of positive reviews. Not a single comment on B+W prints.
Have you printed any B+W ??
Any comments on your results?
Issues, color casts, Poor black/shadow tones, unusual ink/dye usage ??
Thank you!
Lots of positive reviews. Not a single comment on B+W prints.
Have you printed any B+W ??
Any comments on your results?
Issues, color casts, Poor black/shadow tones, unusual ink/dye usage ??
Thank you!
f16sunshine
Moderator
Bumping this. Hoping the crew here can help me find some info.
I'm not looking for world class performance from this thing obviously.
It would be to give folks a print at events etc..
Thanks!
I'm not looking for world class performance from this thing obviously.
It would be to give folks a print at events etc..
Thanks!
Vince Lupo
Whatever
Andy, I bought a CP910 earlier this year for my annual 'wander' through New Mexico. I bought it so that I'd be able to make prints on the spot for people I might meet and photograph (thought it would be better than the 'give me your email address and I'll send you a copy' routine). It proved to be a great ice-breaker, and all of a sudden I was everyone's best friend wherever I went and photographed.
Originally, I bought the Fuji Instax SP-1 mini printer (partially for its size, partially for its compatibility with the Fuji X100T), and after having had it for a month, I sent it back to B&H for a full refund. The image quality was so horrible, and the print so minuscule, that I felt embarrassed to hand one to somebody. Plus, at $172, I didn't think it was worth it. The CP910, however, is much less expensive, and the paper/ink cartridge is much cheaper, but add in the battery kit and you're up to almost $200 total. Plus, it is physically larger than the SP-1, but I'd gladly sacrifice a bit of extra bulk for a bigger, better photo.
Speaking of the photo, you wanted to know about black and white. Well that's pretty well all I used it for, and I have to say that the quality is quite good. It's not 'fine art' quality, but for something that you might give to someone, it looks pretty darned good to me and you won't have to make any apologies for it. The actual printing process is even entertaining to watch -- it's dye-sub, so it lays the image down in layers of colour. The print is pulled into through printer from the tray, and it prints the first layer (yellow, I think?), then it pulls the paper back in and prints the cyan, then back again for the magenta, and then finally the black. At first you wonder how the heck this multi-layer process will result in a black and white print, but sure enough it does. I think the total time for it to make a 4"x6" is about 40 seconds.
The printer itself has limited adjustments -- I think there's a brightness adjustment, and a couple of other things that I can't remember offhand. I found that it did print a bit darker sometimes, so I'd have to make use of that brightness adjustment to approximate what the photo looked like on my camera's LCD screen. As a result, the first print might be the 'test' print, and then the second one was the 'final'. So you might waste a bit of paper from time to time.
Two final advantages that this printer has over the SP-1: It has an SD card slot, and it has a USB outlet. So not only can you print directly from the card (make sure you are also saving your pictures as JPEGS in your camera), but you can hook it up to your laptop, make image adjustments in PhotoShop, and then print. Normally I was printing directly from the SD card from my Leica Monochrom, but occasionally from my X100T. Had I been using the SP-1 printer, I would not have been able to print from the SD cards, though it did offer good Wifi connection to the X100T.
All in all, I am very pleased with the CP910, and would recommend it for decent black and white 4"x6" prints.
Oh one final thing about ink/paper usage -- when you buy a pack of paper, it comes with an ink cartridge, and it's enough to print that pack of paper (nothing more). If you buy the large box of paper (the 108 pack), it will come with three cartridges -- each cartridge can print 36 prints.
Originally, I bought the Fuji Instax SP-1 mini printer (partially for its size, partially for its compatibility with the Fuji X100T), and after having had it for a month, I sent it back to B&H for a full refund. The image quality was so horrible, and the print so minuscule, that I felt embarrassed to hand one to somebody. Plus, at $172, I didn't think it was worth it. The CP910, however, is much less expensive, and the paper/ink cartridge is much cheaper, but add in the battery kit and you're up to almost $200 total. Plus, it is physically larger than the SP-1, but I'd gladly sacrifice a bit of extra bulk for a bigger, better photo.
Speaking of the photo, you wanted to know about black and white. Well that's pretty well all I used it for, and I have to say that the quality is quite good. It's not 'fine art' quality, but for something that you might give to someone, it looks pretty darned good to me and you won't have to make any apologies for it. The actual printing process is even entertaining to watch -- it's dye-sub, so it lays the image down in layers of colour. The print is pulled into through printer from the tray, and it prints the first layer (yellow, I think?), then it pulls the paper back in and prints the cyan, then back again for the magenta, and then finally the black. At first you wonder how the heck this multi-layer process will result in a black and white print, but sure enough it does. I think the total time for it to make a 4"x6" is about 40 seconds.
The printer itself has limited adjustments -- I think there's a brightness adjustment, and a couple of other things that I can't remember offhand. I found that it did print a bit darker sometimes, so I'd have to make use of that brightness adjustment to approximate what the photo looked like on my camera's LCD screen. As a result, the first print might be the 'test' print, and then the second one was the 'final'. So you might waste a bit of paper from time to time.
Two final advantages that this printer has over the SP-1: It has an SD card slot, and it has a USB outlet. So not only can you print directly from the card (make sure you are also saving your pictures as JPEGS in your camera), but you can hook it up to your laptop, make image adjustments in PhotoShop, and then print. Normally I was printing directly from the SD card from my Leica Monochrom, but occasionally from my X100T. Had I been using the SP-1 printer, I would not have been able to print from the SD cards, though it did offer good Wifi connection to the X100T.
All in all, I am very pleased with the CP910, and would recommend it for decent black and white 4"x6" prints.
Oh one final thing about ink/paper usage -- when you buy a pack of paper, it comes with an ink cartridge, and it's enough to print that pack of paper (nothing more). If you buy the large box of paper (the 108 pack), it will come with three cartridges -- each cartridge can print 36 prints.
MiniMoke
Well-known
I quite like my CP910 too.
It makes OK prints that are finger-safe as soon as they leave the printer.
I just use it at home, so no expensive battery pack, but you can always take the transformer with you. As long as you find a power outlet you'll be fine without the battery pack.
Color prints are quite nice, on a par with cheap lab prints - no fine art output here!
B&W is a mixed result - I had very nice B&W prints at first, but some later ones came out with a slight (but convincing) sepia colouring. Not sure why for the moment, the settings seem to have been right.
I can recommend the CP910!
It makes OK prints that are finger-safe as soon as they leave the printer.
I just use it at home, so no expensive battery pack, but you can always take the transformer with you. As long as you find a power outlet you'll be fine without the battery pack.
Color prints are quite nice, on a par with cheap lab prints - no fine art output here!
B&W is a mixed result - I had very nice B&W prints at first, but some later ones came out with a slight (but convincing) sepia colouring. Not sure why for the moment, the settings seem to have been right.
I can recommend the CP910!
Vince Lupo
Whatever
Frank is right -- you don't need the battery pack, unless you can see yourself using it in locations that don't have electrical outlets. I added the battery pack to my kit because I knew I was going to be in places that might not have easy access to electrical outlets. I was printing in places as varied as outside in the February chill of northern New Mexico, as well as in a muddy parking lot in the central part of the state, so it definitely came in handy for me.
f16sunshine
Moderator
Vince, Frank
Thank you very much for your input.
I'm just going to go for it.
If the B+W's are as good as the color in that modest size then it will do.
It's nice having a print to hand people at events.
I mostly shoot in color for these things but, when the light is lo sometimes B+W really helps clean up noise (mask it).
I'll get the battery pack straight away.
I've been playing with a Polaroid Zip for just a week now.
I'm loving having the wireless printer at the fingertips.
The Canon will be more for work type shoots. The Polaroid is great for fun or trips out with friends and the kids
Cheers!
Thank you very much for your input.
I'm just going to go for it.
If the B+W's are as good as the color in that modest size then it will do.
It's nice having a print to hand people at events.
I mostly shoot in color for these things but, when the light is lo sometimes B+W really helps clean up noise (mask it).
I'll get the battery pack straight away.
I've been playing with a Polaroid Zip for just a week now.
I'm loving having the wireless printer at the fingertips.
The Canon will be more for work type shoots. The Polaroid is great for fun or trips out with friends and the kids
Cheers!
emmef2
Established
I have the 910 and it's a very good printer as long as you do not expect too much color fidelity. For the same reason black and white prints have a color cast. Canon does not make color profiles for this printer, but I found a couple ones on the internet, one of them actually gives greater fidelity and more neutral black and white prints
I am very satisfied with the results and beside that it is a printer nice to use because you never run out of ink while printing and dye sublimation does not have all the ink management issues inkjet printers have
I am very satisfied with the results and beside that it is a printer nice to use because you never run out of ink while printing and dye sublimation does not have all the ink management issues inkjet printers have
MiniMoke
Well-known
Good to know,
Where dud you find the color profiles?
Thanks !
Where dud you find the color profiles?
Thanks !
emmef2
Established
it's an italian forum but you can find the links towards the end
https://www.nikonclub.it/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t54764.html
https://www.nikonclub.it/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t54764.html
MiniMoke
Well-known
emmef2
Established
I retrieved the original links in english I found where I got the two profiles I use
http://www.frozentimes.net/dark-and-flat-photos-when-printing-via-canon-selphy/
So far on my CP910 the 720 one has more accurate (but not netral) color rendering compared to the other one and the color printer management.
It seems dye sub inks batches are not too consistent so you might experience different results
I usually print through the printer driver but I use the 720 color profile when I need more accuracy or for grayscale images
I hope you will find it useful
http://www.frozentimes.net/dark-and-flat-photos-when-printing-via-canon-selphy/
So far on my CP910 the 720 one has more accurate (but not netral) color rendering compared to the other one and the color printer management.
It seems dye sub inks batches are not too consistent so you might experience different results
I usually print through the printer driver but I use the 720 color profile when I need more accuracy or for grayscale images
I hope you will find it useful
MiniMoke
Well-known
I decided to offer my CP910 to my mother to easily print out her iPhone pictures...... I am finally disappointed in this printer. Color is quite OK but I am unable to get REAL B&W out of it..... rather tones on brown and sepia....
I'll stick with my old Canon Pixma ip4200 (10 years old just now) and as soon as the ink runs out I'll get a Pixma ip7250 for 56€ on Amazon.... I think it's one of the best deals around!
Any other ideas???
I'll stick with my old Canon Pixma ip4200 (10 years old just now) and as soon as the ink runs out I'll get a Pixma ip7250 for 56€ on Amazon.... I think it's one of the best deals around!
Any other ideas???