Olympus Camedia P-400 Digital Color Photo Printer
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $399.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

The Olympus Camedia P-400 uses advanced dye-sublimation technology toprint an extremely sharp image on high-quality photo paper. The result looks andfeels like a traditional photograph. The P-400 also accepts a digital camera'sSmartMedia or PC Card directly, and it has USB and parallel interfaces for easyPC connectivity.

Weighing over 30 pounds, constructed of heavy plastic, and accented with metalcontrols, the Camedia P-400 impressed us with its sturdy design right out of thebox. To test the printer, we captured photos on a 16 MB CompactFlash card,placed the card in a CompactFlash-to-PCMCIA adapter (not included), and insertedthe adapter in the printer. (Our evaluation model came with the P-RBN photo inkcartridge already installed, but it is easily replaced through the front accesspanel. Also, our unit did not include driver software, so we were unable to testPC functionality.) Using the menu-driven LCD, jog dial, and arrow keys, wespecified our paper type (A4), input source (PC Card), and output photo size (8by 10 inches). We pressed the Print button, and after 2 minutes and 58 secondsthe P-400 rewarded us with a beautiful 8-by-10-inch photograph.

The Camedia P-400's color was very natural, not neon bright or oversaturated,and its tinting was slightly cool (more blue than red). Resolution was only 314dpi, but the dye-sublimation technology showed no visible grain. The resultswere better than many we've seen from 1,200 dpi ink-jet printers. We alsoprinted a slightly soft photograph and then used the printer's sharpeningfunction in an attempt to improve it. Unfortunately, unwanted pixelationincreased along with any positive sharpening affects. Printing speed was slowbut steady at 2:58 for each 8-by-10 print. Several minutes were required toprint one index/proof sheet of 20 photos, with nearly all of that time spentprocessing the CompactFlash card's data, not actually printing.

With only a casual glance, we could have easily mistaken the P-400's output ascoming from a photo lab. Only close scrutiny revealed minor pixelation, whichreflected the limit of our digital photo more than that of the printer. Theinitial cost is high, and the dye-sublimation ink cartridges and photo paper areexpensive; but if you can afford it, the P-400 Camedia makes a fine companionfor your digital camera. --Mike Brown

Pros:

• Easy walk-up printing of digital photos
• Prints have the look and feel of traditional photos

Cons:

• Substantial cost for consumables
• Not for general-purpose printing

... Read more

Features

• Professional-looking, continuous-tone, dye-sublimation prints, up to 8 by 10 inches
• Prints directly from SmartMedia and PC cards
• LCD preview and information screen
• USB and parallel interfaces
• Prints up to 50 copies at a time

Reviews (30)

Simply Amazing!
Got this printer for $199 new (plus tax).This is the only printer I have ever used that literally is plug and play.No tweaks or fiddling with settings (though the option to do that is available).Right out of the box it prints so good you'd think you were in a Kodak or Fuji lab.I've shot photos with Lumix LC5 and Lumix FZ20 and the prints are spectacular.The trickiest part was loading in the new film, after using up the sample film that came pre-loaded.It took a couple minutes to read the directions.Someone else commented about this and gave the printer a "1" rating.Big deal.After you install the film once, you've got the idea.

I ordered supplies on Amazon.com and the per print cost goes down to $1.58 total.Ya can't do better than that at Costco or Sam's club.Think about it.An 8x10 in 90 seconds for $1.58.Best deal on the market.

Only the best will do.
Nestled upon my desk between a new Brother HP-1440 laser and a recently purchased Epson 960 CD printer, is a three year old Olympus P-400. Fast high quality text print-outs are routed to the laser printer, and the Epson is used for the specialty printing of card stock, CDs, and DVDs, but all photographs are created from the P-400, whether in color or black and white.

I originally purchased the P-400 for one simple reason; I wanted the highest quality prints possible of family members and for my wedding video service. The Olympus P-400 has never disappointed my highest expectations.

Most of us are familiar with how bubble-jet printers create dotted print-outs, which from a distance may look OK, but when viewed up-close the actual quality is not as good as hoped for. I have used a magnifying glass on print-outs from the P-400, and not only are there no dots, I actually do believe I prefer the P-400 print-outs over normal photographs. The P-400 print quality *is* that good. In my region of the world, film developing businesses on occasion ruin whole rolls of film, and so rather than my investing time and money into developing equipment to ensure quality photos, I can now get the prints I want, the size I want, and the quantity I want at any time I want.

The paper used in the P-400 is thick, very similar to normal photographs, and instead of the photographs having a brand name on the back side such as "Kodak", it reads "Olympus". The finished photograph also automatically receives a clear protective high gloss coating that does make the print feel and appear to be a developed photo. Unless a person has considerable experience with photography, they will not be able to tell the difference between a regular photo and one printed from the P-400. The actual cost per print-out is around $2.00 (paper and ribbon costs combined), which is not bad at all for an 8x10 or four 4x5 photographs. Advertised life of prints is about the same as regular photographs, around 50 years or more, which is far better than just a year or two with bubble-jet printers.

Changing the ribbon and paper is fast, clean, and very easy. Software installation is also quick and uncomplicated. The user friendly printer actually is a `plug and play'.

Though the P-400 has a normal printer parallel port, I highly recommend only using the USB port. The time required to transfer data from the computer to the printer usually only takes several seconds per photograph while using the USB, but it may take minutes through the LPT1 cable. With about two minutes from clicking "print" to receiving a finished 8x10 photograph, the speed is more than pleasing. The printer is fast enough and simple enough that I have not yet found a need to use the Smart Card slot nor even any of the other console controls. Through use of most any photo or graphics program, print-outs are as easy as `view and print'.

The only problem I have encountered was when the printer was new and the plastic ribbon roll rod would occasionally bind in the ribbon holder slot (caused by too tight of tolerances). I was able to trim off the holder's excess plastic to allow the ribbon to turn more freely, and after speaking to the Olympus technical support describing the problem and remedy (of which they were appreciative for the information), surely the new models will no longer have similar minor problems.

Three years ago I paid over one thousand dollars for the P-400 on sale, and I have never regretted the cost. Recently I was able to print-out numerous specially-formatted 8x10 copies of my daughter's college graduation, which if done through a photographer would have cost me more than the price of the printer. Today's prices are very reasonable, enough that my wife has begun saying she wants one for herself. In our high-tech low-cost society, not many items produce true quality results, but the Olympus P-400 is one product that actually does live up to our best expectations. Highly recommended, I know of no better desk-top photo printer than the Olympus P series.

Great photo printer for the commited digital photographer
I've been printing 3.2 megapixel images on this and they're virtually indistinguishable from a "real" photo, even at the 7.64x10" full size (7.7 megapixel as advertised in the printer information) resolution. Don't believe the inkjet monkeys who tell you that an inkjet can produce comparable prints - they can't.

I chose this printer over the others available because of the size it is capable of printing, the better color-handling (for instance, the sony dye-subs tend to skew towards overly bright and red tones), and the recommendations of hard-core photo people.

Things you should know about this printer: when all is said and done, you can find this printer for under three hundred, and 100 prints are going to run you about a buck sixty five each (for a single 8x10) if you shop around. If you want smaller, cheaper photos, just print two or four up on a sheet, get 4 prints out of it on a sheet for about 40 cents each. Get out the scissors, and enjoy. Horray.

The printer has been having EXTREME difficulty printing directly from a smart media card - I don't like printing two-dollar blank pages - I've only had consistent success printing via USB connection to my 'puter, but it's a lot faster than printing from the smart media card anyway, so no real loss there - just something to keep in mind.

Reviewers have noted that the ink ribbon can be difficult to install. I don't really agree - olumpus' packaging makes this a straight forward procedure - it's just a little more work than the plug-in-the-inkjet-cartridge laziness we've all become accustomed to.

The printer is rather large and heavy, but you have to understand this was really initially intended as a professional's printer. It is solidly built, has a real feeling of quality construction. Just make sure if your living space is small that you've hollowed out a suitably sized location - think of it like a 16" monitor and you're working along the right lines size and space-wise.

For those with a mac (like me - running OS X 10.3), Olympus is seriously lagging on making a compatible driver. I wrote them and got a swift but lackluster response (no deadline for producing a driver). After printing several blank pages directly from my memory card and freaking out, I found the solution: do a google search for "Gimp-print," an open source & free driver bundle for the mac that runs under 10.3, and powers this printer just fine (so far - haven't tested with photoshop yet - only iPhoto, but I suspect it'll do just fine). It's free. Yay. Problem solved, no thanks to Olympus.

For those of you looking at this printer vs the P-440, the newer version of this printer, the differences are relatively minor (though the 440 does do TRUE 8x10 prints). They use the same paper and ink ribbons, so presumably olympus has a vested interest in continuing to make consumeables for this hardware.

Driver bitterness aside, the quality coming out of this printer had me jumping up & down once the photos started coming out. I'm really pleased, and the overall quality of the prints is enough to let me overlook the negatives, which have all been temporary. ... Read more

Asin: B00004Y7KO
Subjects:  1. Printers    2. Digital Camera (Photo) Interface, Printing    3. Video capture device, devices    4. Mac, Macintosh Compatible (Compatibility)    5. P330, Mac, Macintosh    6. Photo Printer (Photo Printing)   

Olympus P-RBN Photo Cartridge for P-400 Printer
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $59.99
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Editorial Review

The Olympus P-RBN photo cartridge is for use with the Olympus P-400printer.This precision refill cartridge supports 50 sheets of full-size, photoalbum, index, or card prints for up to 16.7 million colors.Its high-qualitydye will not smear or run, producing vivid prints for your high-resolutionphotographs. ... Read more

Features

• Photo quality dye cartridge for use with the Olympus P-400 printer
• Capable of 16.7 million colors
• 1 color cartridge supports 50 sheets of full size, card, photo-album or index paper printing
• Supports high-speed printing
• 314 dpi continuous tone

Reviews (1)

This is what you need for your P400
This is pretty much the only available product to use with your Olympus P400 Dye Sub printer but its well made and produces beautiful UV protected/overcoatedA4 prints in about 90 seconds a pop. The P400 is pretty much THE advanced amateur Dye sub printer, the only competition that I know of being the Kodak 8500 which produces prints a fraction of an inch bigger (smaller border) but tends perhaps to wash out the highlights a little,
(...). ... Read more

Asin: B00004Y7KP
Subjects:  1. Cameras (Camera)    2. Sheets    3. 200510    4. Printer Inks (Ink, Toners, Toner, Cartridges, Cartridge)    5. Printers (Printing)   

Olympus A4 Standard Gloss Photo Paper for P-400 (25-Sheets)
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $29.99 -- our price: $24.84
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Olympus A4 standard-dye photo paper for the P-400 offers the look andfeel of professional photos, with unparalleled image quality and superiorfinish.It dries instantly for smearproof results and is also water resistant.The heavy, bright white paper is the ideal choice for displaying your mostimportant photos.

This paper is compatible with the Olympus P-400 photo printer. The packageincludes 25 photo-finishing papers of 8.5 by 11 inches. ... Read more

Features

• Dries instantly, smearproof, and water resistant
• Includes 25 pages of 8.5 x 11-inch paper
• Standard dye-sublimated paper
• Compatible with the Olympus P-400 printer
• Heavy, bright white paper

Reviews (5)

New user
I just got my P-400 printer.Using XP operating system I found that they have not got a good print driver as yet but will sometime this spring.The print is beautiful.I still have much to learn about lightening the print. It seems to print on the dark side. Big drawback is the 7.64 x10 print rather than 8x10.It just barely covers under a frame and much harder to trim.I would like to know where the viewer from Olympia, WA gets their paper for 19.95 and ribbon for 39.95.Please write and let me know.Does anyone have a good price on these items?I want to keep costs down as I do a lot of printing. I am having trouble getting the USB port to print.It must be something I just don't know.I would not be worried about showing these prints to any customer. creativeimages2@earthlink.net.

Excellent buy
Everything as listed! No problems! Will buy through them again

Great paper for great photo printer!
Great paper and picture output.... I have just begun using them to replace "traditional" prints and am very satisfied with the prints it makes.Only complaint was no variation yet available in paper types, ie semi-gloss or matte... ... Read more

Asin: B00004Y7KQ
Subjects:  1. Cameras (Camera)    2. Sheets    3. 200510   

Belkin F3U133-06 USB Device Cable (6 FT)
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $9.99 -- our price: $6.02
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

A premium quality USB A-B device cable ... Read more

Features

• Warranty: Lifetime
• Universal 20/28 AWG construction, double shielded
• Gold-plated copper contacts ensure no data-loss
• 20 AWG power conductors to support 12-Mb data rate
• Minimizes cross-talk and ensures high-speed transmission

Reviews (46)

Exceptional Quality at Low Price.
This is a good USB cable.It is compatible with both USB 1.0 and 2.0 ports.It is long enough to give great flexibility with arraging whatever it needs to be connected to.The price is extremely good (even though amazon.com changes it every now and then) for this cable.It is way more expensive in stores.And getting a Belkin product for such a low price is excellent.This is totally worth the money, and is a great buy if you need a USB cable.

... your basic cable.
It's cheap, it works.What more could you want from a cable?

This is a USB 1.0 AND 2.0 cable.
The product description doesn't state this, but this is a USB 2.0 cable meaning you get access to all the extra speed USB 2.0 offers.It's also backward compatible with USB 1.0.

The cable is dark grey (it matches the 2004 model Dells nicely), very sturdy, and has a great solid connection when plugged in.

The price is low, the quality is not. This is an excellent value. ... Read more

Asin: B00000J1TX
Subjects:  1. Cables - Computer    2. F3U13306    3. Expansion (Expansions, Controller, Controllers, Card, Cards)    4. USB Interface (Universal Serial Bus Interfaces, Ports, Port, Connection, Connections)    5. USB Cable (Cables)    6. Accessories (Accessory)   

Canon PowerShot Pro90 2.6 MP IS Camera Kit w/ 10x Optical Zoom
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $999.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

• 2.6 megapixel CCD creates 1856 x 1392 pixel images for prints at sizes up to 8 x 10
• 10x optical and 2x digital zoom lens with optical image stabilization and autofocus
• Included 16 MB CompactFlash cards holds 17 photos at default settings
• Connects with Macs and PCs via USB port
• Uses proprietary Canon rechargeable lithium ion battery, included

Reviews (18)

potential user
i am in love with the elegant design of the camera. the technical data is superb.i hope and wish to own this camera for business purpose.

Zoom Delight
The Canon Pro 90IS Digicam has basically been everything I wanted in a "Super Zoom" all-in-one SLR style camera. The Image Stabilized 10X Optical Zoom is great and has given me opportunistic shots that I would have missed either due to the need for a tripod mounted shot with my A40 or acceptance of a blurred image! Focusing problems, slow lag times and short battery life have been a few problems I'm learning to overcome. Even though it was discontinued,I still made the purchase for the overall features and have obtained some great pictures.Although most of my picture portfolio (torretab) was taken with the Canon A40, my Pro90 gallery can also be seen at Webshots.

I am disappointed that Canon seems to have chosen to not to upgrade this camera. As a new user of the Pro90 and relatively newcomer to digital photography,I need to experiment and find solutions to the quirks of the Pro90. Thanks to all who have posted comments here. Your successes (& failures) help a great many of us!

This cameras astounding!!!
I recently recieved this camera and i love it! I prevouisly owned an Olympus D-360L, which was a great first camera. This camera is an amazing upgrade. The only negative, that i have encountered, and it is not a big one, is slow start up time from when you first turn on the camera to when it acutally starts working. The zoom is great, the features are easy to use and the battery is long lasting. The dials that control the camera make it much easier to change between features then on cameras with complicated menus. I purchased a 64 mb. card, which also increases this cameras versitility. I love this camera, and it takes great pictures. I also use it wiht a P-400 printer, and the prints look great. ... Read more

Asin: B000059MTS
Sales Rank: 5159
Subjects:  1. Digital Camera (Cameras)    2. Photograph (Photography)   

Canon BP511 1100mAh Lithium Ion Battery Pack for Select Digital Cameras and Camcorders
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $70.99
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Features

• Keep a spare battery ready to capture once in a lifetime shots
• Rechargeable lithium-ion battery
• Compatible with Canon EOS 10D, D60, D30, Pro90 IS, G1, G2, G3 and G5 models

Reviews (20)

Product swap by RitzCamera
Like Tushar I too ordered this battery from RitzCamera, at $69 without shipping charges, only to be shipped the BP511a which can be bought online in a number of places for $49. Appears to be a pattern of deceptive practice.

Don't buy BP-511 From RitzCamera
I bought these batteries from RitzCamera.com, via Amazon, or at least I thought I did. Ritz actually sent me the BP-511A batteries. For these, I ended up paying $69+$6.95=$75.95. But, amazon sells the same for $49 with free shipping.

RitzCamera is indulging in deceptive marketing and cannibalizing amazon's sales.

Good Power Output
This battery can last a long time as long as you don't keep the LCD screen on to long, and depending on your usage of flash photography. You might want to keep a spare around!! ... Read more

Asin: B000050MJF
Sales Rank: 390

Tiffen 58mm Photo Essentials Filter Kit
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $69.99 -- our price: Too Low To Display
(price subject to change: see help)
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Editorial Review

The prepackaged assortments provide a range of artistic possibilities. ... Read more

Features

• UV protector
• Circular polarizer
• 58mm diameter
• 812 color warming filter

Reviews (8)

Good price, but not great quality
I am not impressed with Tiffen filters I got in this set.The finish of the rings are poor.Despite of previously poor reputaion, I recently purchased some 67mm Quantaray filter from the local Ritz Camera store which are of much better quality compared to this set of Tiffen filters.I never got Tiffens before, had good experience with Hoyas.I will probably stay with those from now on.Now come to think of it, Ritz camera indicated the Quantaray they had were made by Hoya.
The glass on all the filters are quite a bit more reflective compared to the Hoyas and the Quantarays.Not a good sign.
The circular polarizer had some smudges and some lense swirl that after 10 sheets of lense tissue and quite a bit of cleaning solution failed to be fully cleared off.Quite frustrating.All of the filters came with lint and a few little smudges on them, not sure if the store handling or the manufacturer handling was to blame, but none of the other filters I got before had this kind of problem right out of the box.
The set might be cheap, but it sure is for a good reason.

Good Quality filters
I am starting my career as a professional photographer, and I haven't had any problems with these filters. They come in a nice case, and are easy to attach to my lenses.

Poor Quality Filters
The filters that I got are poorly finished.The 812 filter has a smudge on it, while all 3 filters don't screw on properly on my lens.All filters come off EASILY.They are totally useless.I suggest that you buy filters in a real store so you can try them on your lens. ... Read more

Asin: B00004ZCKZ
Subjects:  1. Filter (Filters)    2. Tiffen (Tifen)   

SanDisk 64 MB CompactFlash Card
Average Customer Review:
Electronics
list price: $75.00
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Editorial Review

The size of a matchbook and weighing only half an ounce, the 64 MBCompactFlash card from SanDisk is an ultrasmall removable data-storage system.CompactFlash has built-in, industry-standard compatibility because the 50-pincard can easily be slipped into a passive 68-pin Type II adapter card that fullymeets PC Card electrical and mechanical specifications.

Expanding functionality and allowing products to be smaller and lighter,CompactFlash has been designed into more than 200 mobile products includingdigital cameras, PDAs, Handheld PCs, personal communicators, medical monitors,and audio recorders.

The SanDisk 64 MB CompactFlash card comes with a 5-year warranty. ... Read more

Features

• 64 MB CompactFlash
• Removable data storage system
• Ultracompact
• Industry-standard compatibility
• For use in digital cameras, PDAs, HPCs, personal communicators, and MP3s

Reviews (16)

It works.
What do you say about a CF card?
It works.
No problems.

Excellant Value
With the drop in prices on memory cards this is an excellant choice for users of digital cameras and memory hungry devices. I enjoy the ability to shoot over 400 pictures on highest resolution and not worry about not having enough memory. A real bargine at this price.

Very Good
Used this for the first time in my camera on my vacation to CUBA and took 759 beautiful photos. I was amazed at the quality in such a small card.Good ONE.Good price too. ... Read more

Asin: B00004T3F8
Subjects:  1. Computer Memory    2. Memory Cards    3. Compact Flash    4. Flash Memory (Flashcard, Flashcards)    5. Compactflash (Compact Flash)