Cut bait or fish: Getting a Group Printer

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1027&message=10690640

Rick posted this a couple of days ago. Now it looks like we can get an Epson 9600 for $£3250 (around $5900). I will drive to the UK to pick it up next week hopefully.

If you are not interested in subscribing to this project, please ignore the rest of this.

The deal is that by getting a printer for the group, we gain a few things:

• Independence - When Dominic and I prepared the Photokina show, this was vital. We have requests from Sigma companies and Foveon for the Users Group to do other shows. For the full story on the run-up to Photokina, drop me an e-mail, and I will send you the Word file.

• Individual independence - Subscribers will be able to get quality prints from their X3F files at a very reasonable price. The best way to move this whole thing forward is through the images. This is a good way to get good prints without breaking the bank.

• Quality work - The wealth of information in X3F files means that relatively large prints are possible if handled correctly. Dominic (especially) and I have developed ways of producing exceptionally good prints without jaggies and other things that others have used to drive us nuts for the last two years.

The deal: Subscribers who contribute $200 will get one A2 print free plus one year of preferred pricing (about 50% off) on all of their prints irrespective of the size. All prints are done on Hahnemühle PhotoRag 308 or Mitsubishi HiTec Photo semi-matt 255; on special request, we can do glossy prints on Mitsubishi HiTec Photo glossy 255. There will be some shipping charges. Mounting is possible and extra. Another user and I are putting up 1/3 of the total cost. Those who would like to contribute but feel this is a bit steep should drop me an e-mail; in no way should someone feel left out for financial reasons.

The only catch is that if demand is overwhelming, we may have to ask for understanding on longer delivery times or fewer prints. However, I don't foresee this as being a problem.

Any surplus donations will be used to offset other costs for the users group. If you need details on what those are, drop me an e-mail, and I will send you a file on that.

We would like to move this forward. Naysayers and others who feel that this is not something for them have made their case. If there is not enough support from the group to do this, fine. I am convinced this is a good thing from which many others could benefit if they want. However, it is your choice.

--
Laurence

There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

http://www.pbase.com/lmatson/root
http://www.pbase.com/sigmasd9/root
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd10
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd9
http://www.beachbriss.com (eternal test site)

Laurence Matson said:

The deal: Subscribers who contribute $200 will get one A2 print
free plus one year of preferred pricing (about 50% off) on all of
their prints irrespective of the size.

Click to expand...

Laurence Matson said:

Any surplus donations will be used to offset other costs for the
users group. If you need details on what those are, drop me an
e-mail, and I will send you a file on that.

Click to expand...

This is a good idea for the group, but one concern here is for those of us who do not have a SD9/10 today, and later do purchase one, we are out of luck as we missed this chance of being part of the purchasing group.

Any furture plans on allowing late comers to gain the benefit of being in the group?

I am thinking of some kind of yearly "membership" to offset the discounts.

--
jc

Good point. Laurence, maybe you can sell us options, or insurance policies, so that we can balance and mitigate any adverse consequences of our decisions. And what do the CCRs say? What's the owner's association fee and management fee?

Oh, never mind. Sign me up for a share and I'll take my chances. I'll email you...

j

Jimmy Chen said:

Jimmy Chen said:

The deal: Subscribers who contribute $200 will get one A2 print
free plus one year of preferred pricing (about 50% off) on all of
their prints irrespective of the size.

Click to expand...

Jimmy Chen said:

Any surplus donations will be used to offset other costs for the
users group. If you need details on what those are, drop me an
e-mail, and I will send you a file on that.

Click to expand...

This is a good idea for the group, but one concern here is for
those of us who do not have a SD9/10 today, and later do purchase
one, we are out of luck as we missed this chance of being part of
the purchasing group.

Any furture plans on allowing late comers to gain the benefit of
being in the group?

I am thinking of some kind of yearly "membership" to offset the
discounts.

--
jc

Click to expand...

This sounds very interesting - do you already have some idea what a 50% reduction in prices would translate into for say a 10-12" or 14-19" print?
Would the shipping cost be be from Switzerland?

Thanks

Guete Tag

George

I wonder what Brendon looks like in A0.........

Laurence Matson said:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1027&message=10690640

Rick posted this a couple of days ago. Now it looks like we can get
an Epson 9600 for $£3250 (around $5900). I will drive to the UK to
pick it up next week hopefully.

If you are not interested in subscribing to this project, please
ignore the rest of this.

The deal is that by getting a printer for the group, we gain a few
things:

• Independence - When Dominic and I prepared the Photokina show,

this was vital. We have requests from Sigma companies and Foveon
for the Users Group to do other shows. For the full story on the
run-up to Photokina, drop me an e-mail, and I will send you the
Word file.

• Individual independence - Subscribers will be able to get quality

prints from their X3F files at a very reasonable price. The best
way to move this whole thing forward is through the images. This is
a good way to get good prints without breaking the bank.

• Quality work - The wealth of information in X3F files means that

relatively large prints are possible if handled correctly. Dominic
(especially) and I have developed ways of producing exceptionally
good prints without jaggies and other things that others have used
to drive us nuts for the last two years.

The deal: Subscribers who contribute $200 will get one A2 print
free plus one year of preferred pricing (about 50% off) on all of
their prints irrespective of the size. All prints are done on
Hahnemühle PhotoRag 308 or Mitsubishi HiTec Photo semi-matt 255; on
special request, we can do glossy prints on Mitsubishi HiTec Photo
glossy 255. There will be some shipping charges. Mounting is
possible and extra. Another user and I are putting up 1/3 of the
total cost. Those who would like to contribute but feel this is a
bit steep should drop me an e-mail; in no way should someone feel
left out for financial reasons.

The only catch is that if demand is overwhelming, we may have to
ask for understanding on longer delivery times or fewer prints.
However, I don't foresee this as being a problem.

Any surplus donations will be used to offset other costs for the
users group. If you need details on what those are, drop me an
e-mail, and I will send you a file on that.

We would like to move this forward. Naysayers and others who feel
that this is not something for them have made their case. If there
is not enough support from the group to do this, fine. I am
convinced this is a good thing from which many others could benefit
if they want. However, it is your choice.

--
Laurence

There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

http://www.pbase.com/lmatson/root
http://www.pbase.com/sigmasd9/root
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd10
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd9
http://www.beachbriss.com (eternal test site)

Click to expand...

--



http://www.chunsum.com
http://www.foveonx3.org
http://www.pbase.com/chunsum
http://www.pbase.com/sigmasd9

The prints were superb! I think Carl had a medium res one that was blown up to/or past A3 and it looked very very good.

Now about money, we need a way to transfer it. I believe David Hughes was s going to set u a link on is set up on the FoveonX3.org site but I looked and didn't see it. We need a response from David (or Laurence).

Rick

Laurence Matson said:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1027&message=10690640

Rick posted this a couple of days ago. Now it looks like we can get
an Epson 9600 for $£3250 (around $5900). I will drive to the UK to
pick it up next week hopefully.

If you are not interested in subscribing to this project, please
ignore the rest of this.

The deal is that by getting a printer for the group, we gain a few
things:

• Independence - When Dominic and I prepared the Photokina show,

this was vital. We have requests from Sigma companies and Foveon
for the Users Group to do other shows. For the full story on the
run-up to Photokina, drop me an e-mail, and I will send you the
Word file.

• Individual independence - Subscribers will be able to get quality

prints from their X3F files at a very reasonable price. The best
way to move this whole thing forward is through the images. This is
a good way to get good prints without breaking the bank.

• Quality work - The wealth of information in X3F files means that

relatively large prints are possible if handled correctly. Dominic
(especially) and I have developed ways of producing exceptionally
good prints without jaggies and other things that others have used
to drive us nuts for the last two years.

The deal: Subscribers who contribute $200 will get one A2 print
free plus one year of preferred pricing (about 50% off) on all of
their prints irrespective of the size. All prints are done on
Hahnemühle PhotoRag 308 or Mitsubishi HiTec Photo semi-matt 255; on
special request, we can do glossy prints on Mitsubishi HiTec Photo
glossy 255. There will be some shipping charges. Mounting is
possible and extra. Another user and I are putting up 1/3 of the
total cost. Those who would like to contribute but feel this is a
bit steep should drop me an e-mail; in no way should someone feel
left out for financial reasons.

The only catch is that if demand is overwhelming, we may have to
ask for understanding on longer delivery times or fewer prints.
However, I don't foresee this as being a problem.

Any surplus donations will be used to offset other costs for the
users group. If you need details on what those are, drop me an
e-mail, and I will send you a file on that.

We would like to move this forward. Naysayers and others who feel
that this is not something for them have made their case. If there
is not enough support from the group to do this, fine. I am
convinced this is a good thing from which many others could benefit
if they want. However, it is your choice.

--
Laurence

There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

http://www.pbase.com/lmatson/root
http://www.pbase.com/sigmasd9/root
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd10
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd9
http://www.beachbriss.com (eternal test site)

Click to expand...

--
Stuck In Paradise

http://www.lightreflection.com
http://www.silveroaksranch.com
http://www.pbase.com/rickdecker
http://www.pbase.com/sigmasd9/user_home

Laurence Matson said:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1027&message=10690640

Rick posted this a couple of days ago. Now it looks like we can get
an Epson 9600 for $£3250 (around $5900). I will drive to the UK to
pick it up next week hopefully.

If you are not interested in subscribing to this project, please
ignore the rest of this.

The deal is that by getting a printer for the group, we gain a few
things:

• Independence - When Dominic and I prepared the Photokina show,

this was vital. We have requests from Sigma companies and Foveon
for the Users Group to do other shows. For the full story on the
run-up to Photokina, drop me an e-mail, and I will send you the
Word file.

• Individual independence - Subscribers will be able to get quality

prints from their X3F files at a very reasonable price. The best
way to move this whole thing forward is through the images. This is
a good way to get good prints without breaking the bank.

• Quality work - The wealth of information in X3F files means that

relatively large prints are possible if handled correctly. Dominic
(especially) and I have developed ways of producing exceptionally
good prints without jaggies and other things that others have used
to drive us nuts for the last two years.

The deal: Subscribers who contribute $200 will get one A2 print
free plus one year of preferred pricing (about 50% off) on all of
their prints irrespective of the size. All prints are done on
Hahnemühle PhotoRag 308 or Mitsubishi HiTec Photo semi-matt 255; on
special request, we can do glossy prints on Mitsubishi HiTec Photo
glossy 255. There will be some shipping charges. Mounting is
possible and extra. Another user and I are putting up 1/3 of the
total cost. Those who would like to contribute but feel this is a
bit steep should drop me an e-mail; in no way should someone feel
left out for financial reasons.

The only catch is that if demand is overwhelming, we may have to
ask for understanding on longer delivery times or fewer prints.
However, I don't foresee this as being a problem.

Any surplus donations will be used to offset other costs for the
users group. If you need details on what those are, drop me an
e-mail, and I will send you a file on that.

We would like to move this forward. Naysayers and others who feel
that this is not something for them have made their case. If there
is not enough support from the group to do this, fine. I am
convinced this is a good thing from which many others could benefit
if they want. However, it is your choice.

--

Click to expand...

I'm in, but where do you commit yourself finally. Why not use paypal and email paymen? It's an extra expense of 4% on the 'seller side' I think but it's real easy. The Japanese M42 adaptor guy used it too, eventually.

Now I worry if I have anything worth printing ... and will I ever get them up hanging like all the other pictures.....? Well, never mind...

ole thofte

--
http://www.pbase.com/thofte

Laurence Matson said:

• Quality work - The wealth of information in X3F files means that

relatively large prints are possible if handled correctly. Dominic
(especially) and I have developed ways of producing exceptionally
good prints without jaggies and other things that others have used
to drive us nuts for the last two years.

Click to expand...

I would like to empasize this point. While you might be able to go here or there for large prints from other places, the benefit of chipping in on this is that you get someone operating the printer who knows exactly how to work with SD9 images. If you read the document on Photokina printing Laurence was mentioning, one of the things that stands out is that a commercial printer that Sigma had first selected could not even come close in quality to what Laurence & co were outputting (by Sigma's own judgement, not jut Laurence).

Every SD9/SD10 owner should try at least a few very large prints - it's really spectacular to see some of your work in a very large size and really be able to appreciate so clearly how much detail the cameras capture.

--
---> Kendall
http://www.pbase.com/kgelner
http://www.pbase.com/sigmasd9/user_home
Alaska gallery: http://www.kigiphoto.com/alaska

Laurence Matson said:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1027&message=10690640

Rick posted this a couple of days ago. Now it looks like we can get
an Epson 9600 for $£3250 (around $5900). I will drive to the UK to
pick it up next week hopefully.

If you are not interested in subscribing to this project, please
ignore the rest of this.

The deal is that by getting a printer for the group, we gain a few
things:

• Independence - When Dominic and I prepared the Photokina show,

this was vital. We have requests from Sigma companies and Foveon
for the Users Group to do other shows. For the full story on the
run-up to Photokina, drop me an e-mail, and I will send you the
Word file.

• Individual independence - Subscribers will be able to get quality

prints from their X3F files at a very reasonable price. The best
way to move this whole thing forward is through the images. This is
a good way to get good prints without breaking the bank.

• Quality work - The wealth of information in X3F files means that

relatively large prints are possible if handled correctly. Dominic
(especially) and I have developed ways of producing exceptionally
good prints without jaggies and other things that others have used
to drive us nuts for the last two years.

The deal: Subscribers who contribute $200 will get one A2 print
free plus one year of preferred pricing (about 50% off) on all of
their prints irrespective of the size. All prints are done on
Hahnemühle PhotoRag 308 or Mitsubishi HiTec Photo semi-matt 255; on
special request, we can do glossy prints on Mitsubishi HiTec Photo
glossy 255. There will be some shipping charges. Mounting is
possible and extra. Another user and I are putting up 1/3 of the
total cost. Those who would like to contribute but feel this is a
bit steep should drop me an e-mail; in no way should someone feel
left out for financial reasons.

The only catch is that if demand is overwhelming, we may have to
ask for understanding on longer delivery times or fewer prints.
However, I don't foresee this as being a problem.

Any surplus donations will be used to offset other costs for the
users group. If you need details on what those are, drop me an
e-mail, and I will send you a file on that.

We would like to move this forward. Naysayers and others who feel
that this is not something for them have made their case. If there
is not enough support from the group to do this, fine. I am
convinced this is a good thing from which many others could benefit
if they want. However, it is your choice.

--
Laurence

There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

http://www.pbase.com/lmatson/root
http://www.pbase.com/sigmasd9/root
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd10
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd9
http://www.beachbriss.com (eternal test site)

Click to expand...

And I will pay my share as soon as a way to do so is set up.

The key for me is having someone who knows how to print our pictures and cares about quality. Perhaps I could find someone local to do custom printing and "train" them, but that process takes time and is chancy at best. And even if I were a "volume" customer such custom service is expensive.

This is a great bargain for us all, and far from being a great advantage to Laurence and Dominic it will be another burden and labor of love that they will assume for all of our benifits.

Pete

Rick, there is a link to PayPal on http://www.foveonx3.org that will go directly to Laurence. Upper right hand corner. This is a direct link towards Laurence and anything submitted would be placed in this repository managed by Laurence. This would be a great way of supporting this, know exactly where the funds would go.

I think this project is a terrific one, especially given the tremendous expertise acquired by Laurence and Dominic. That is priceless. I've got a couple considerations, sigh, in that I have an Epson printer, and have a terrific print shop down the road who perform great upsized images for a lot of pro photographers around the country, and worst of all... we are progressing with the digital frame and outputs and presentations are tremendous, so much so printing is somewhat oof an exception on my radar. The rule is towards the frames.

Anyway... the will round with Laurence about the PayPaly link on the site, but it is linked and tested, and ensures monies are allocated to the right place.

david

rick decker said:

Now about money, we need a way to transfer it. I believe David
Hughes was s going to set u a link on is set up on the FoveonX3.org
site but I looked and didn't see it. We need a response from David
(or Laurence).

Rick

Laurence Matson said:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1027&message=10690640

Rick posted this a couple of days ago. Now it looks like we can get
an Epson 9600 for $£3250 (around $5900). I will drive to the UK to
pick it up next week hopefully.

If you are not interested in subscribing to this project, please
ignore the rest of this.

The deal is that by getting a printer for the group, we gain a few
things:

• Independence - When Dominic and I prepared the Photokina show,

this was vital. We have requests from Sigma companies and Foveon
for the Users Group to do other shows. For the full story on the
run-up to Photokina, drop me an e-mail, and I will send you the
Word file.

• Individual independence - Subscribers will be able to get quality

prints from their X3F files at a very reasonable price. The best
way to move this whole thing forward is through the images. This is
a good way to get good prints without breaking the bank.

• Quality work - The wealth of information in X3F files means that

relatively large prints are possible if handled correctly. Dominic
(especially) and I have developed ways of producing exceptionally
good prints without jaggies and other things that others have used
to drive us nuts for the last two years.

The deal: Subscribers who contribute $200 will get one A2 print
free plus one year of preferred pricing (about 50% off) on all of
their prints irrespective of the size. All prints are done on
Hahnemühle PhotoRag 308 or Mitsubishi HiTec Photo semi-matt 255; on
special request, we can do glossy prints on Mitsubishi HiTec Photo
glossy 255. There will be some shipping charges. Mounting is
possible and extra. Another user and I are putting up 1/3 of the
total cost. Those who would like to contribute but feel this is a
bit steep should drop me an e-mail; in no way should someone feel
left out for financial reasons.

The only catch is that if demand is overwhelming, we may have to
ask for understanding on longer delivery times or fewer prints.
However, I don't foresee this as being a problem.

Any surplus donations will be used to offset other costs for the
users group. If you need details on what those are, drop me an
e-mail, and I will send you a file on that.

We would like to move this forward. Naysayers and others who feel
that this is not something for them have made their case. If there
is not enough support from the group to do this, fine. I am
convinced this is a good thing from which many others could benefit
if they want. However, it is your choice.

--
Laurence

There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

http://www.pbase.com/lmatson/root
http://www.pbase.com/sigmasd9/root
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd10
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd9
http://www.beachbriss.com (eternal test site)

Click to expand...

--
Stuck In Paradise

http://www.lightreflection.com
http://www.silveroaksranch.com
http://www.pbase.com/rickdecker
http://www.pbase.com/sigmasd9/user_home

Click to expand...

--
Take great shots.

Support - http://www.foveonx3.org
Digital Frame - http://www.giphantie.com
Gallery- http://david.oldcolo.com/gallery/sd9
Pbase - http://www.pbase.com/sigmasd9/david_hughes_sd10

David Hughes said:

Rick, there is a link to PayPal on http://www.foveonx3.org that will
go directly to Laurence. Upper right hand corner. This is a
direct link towards Laurence and anything submitted would be placed
in this repository managed by Laurence. This would be a great way
of supporting this, know exactly where the funds would go.

I think this project is a terrific one, especially given the
tremendous expertise acquired by Laurence and Dominic. That is
priceless. I've got a couple considerations, sigh, in that I have
an Epson printer, and have a terrific print shop down the road who
perform great upsized images for a lot of pro photographers around
the country, and worst of all... we are progressing with the
digital frame and outputs and presentations are tremendous, so much
so printing is somewhat oof an exception on my radar. The rule is
towards the frames.

Anyway... the will round with Laurence about the PayPaly link on
the site, but it is linked and tested, and ensures monies are
allocated to the right place.

david

Click to expand...

David,

I just made my payment using your paypal link. It came up in German, but if you click on the USA under coutry selection it converts to English, for those of your who are not English-Deutsch bilingual.
Pete

Please include me also for the basic $200. This is a good thing!

John Elliott

Laurence Matson said:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1027&message=10690640

Rick posted this a couple of days ago. Now it looks like we can get
an Epson 9600 for $£3250 (around $5900). I will drive to the UK to
pick it up next week hopefully.

If you are not interested in subscribing to this project, please
ignore the rest of this.

The deal is that by getting a printer for the group, we gain a few
things:

• Independence - When Dominic and I prepared the Photokina show,

this was vital. We have requests from Sigma companies and Foveon
for the Users Group to do other shows. For the full story on the
run-up to Photokina, drop me an e-mail, and I will send you the
Word file.

• Individual independence - Subscribers will be able to get quality

prints from their X3F files at a very reasonable price. The best
way to move this whole thing forward is through the images. This is
a good way to get good prints without breaking the bank.

• Quality work - The wealth of information in X3F files means that

relatively large prints are possible if handled correctly. Dominic
(especially) and I have developed ways of producing exceptionally
good prints without jaggies and other things that others have used
to drive us nuts for the last two years.

The deal: Subscribers who contribute $200 will get one A2 print
free plus one year of preferred pricing (about 50% off) on all of
their prints irrespective of the size. All prints are done on
Hahnemühle PhotoRag 308 or Mitsubishi HiTec Photo semi-matt 255; on
special request, we can do glossy prints on Mitsubishi HiTec Photo
glossy 255. There will be some shipping charges. Mounting is
possible and extra. Another user and I are putting up 1/3 of the
total cost. Those who would like to contribute but feel this is a
bit steep should drop me an e-mail; in no way should someone feel
left out for financial reasons.

The only catch is that if demand is overwhelming, we may have to
ask for understanding on longer delivery times or fewer prints.
However, I don't foresee this as being a problem.

Any surplus donations will be used to offset other costs for the
users group. If you need details on what those are, drop me an
e-mail, and I will send you a file on that.

We would like to move this forward. Naysayers and others who feel
that this is not something for them have made their case. If there
is not enough support from the group to do this, fine. I am
convinced this is a good thing from which many others could benefit
if they want. However, it is your choice.

--
Laurence

There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

http://www.pbase.com/lmatson/root
http://www.pbase.com/sigmasd9/root
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd10
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd9
http://www.beachbriss.com (eternal test site)

Click to expand...

John Elliott said:

John Elliott

Laurence Matson said:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1027&message=10690640

Rick posted this a couple of days ago. Now it looks like we can get
an Epson 9600 for $£3250 (around $5900). I will drive to the UK to
pick it up next week hopefully.

Laurence
Richard wrote:

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

I think this is a good project but I'm unable to contribute finacialy with the perchase. The camera cost me an arm and both legs as is. I will stay tuned and may be able to contribute at a later date.
--

Soon! Oh Soon the light. Ours to shape for all time, ours the right. The sun will lead us, our reason to be here.

David Hughes already posted this, but I thought I'd make it a little more obvious from the main thread - you can go to http://www.foveonx3.org and click on the "PayPal Donate" button in the upper right section of the screen. I just sent in my contribution.

Thanks David for testing the link and making sure it was all set up (and of course for hosting the site!).

--
---> Kendall
http://www.pbase.com/kgelner
http://www.pbase.com/sigmasd9/user_home
Alaska gallery: http://www.kigiphoto.com/alaska

I think I might be very interested in contributing to this as well, just have a few questions as I am new to this. What are the printing size capabilities of this printer? I unerstand it can print very large prints but what about odd shaped photos that have been cropped to create a certain effect? like I have seen a couple posts where where others as well as myself have tried to create a panoramic effect. Can these types of prints be made with this printer as well? If so what are the limitations on dimentions? I only ask because I have done it before and probably will in the future create panoramics and would love the ability to print at the qulity level that everyone here has attested to.

Also, what about pricing? i have seen the posts that talk about discounts for those who go in initially, but noone has spoken of actual pricing for different size print. Just curious. Also, shipping cost as most of us live in different parts of the orld from where the printer will be located. I will be living back in germany by the time I will be ready to start getting prints done, and my shipping costs may be lower to there than to those who live in the states or other countries.

Last thing, what about those who may be getting prints done for sale? Is this strictly going to be for those getting prints done for themselves cause im not sure about what would happen if someone was trying to get large volumes of prints done by just you two. Im not really thinking of this last question for myself as I have never sold anything to anyone and dont think that will be something that will happen with my stuff in the near future. Just throwing out a possibility of something that might come up for other SDs users. Especially as more and more people are hearing about these cameras it may come up where some professionals may want their work for sale printed by those who really know what they are doing. Ok ive babbled on long enough.

I've got to think about this a bit, Laurence. I really can't afford $200 right now. What is the cut-off date?

Also:
1) Any idea yet on what S&H might be to the states?
2) 50% off sounds sweet, but what is the price?

3) I don't think "a year" is a fair way to set up the offer. Couldn't it be for a set number of prints? I would think that might be easier to manage for you, anyway.

If you could, please address these issues. Maybe it would help me decide.

Thanks a lot!
-pvs

Laurence Matson said:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1027&message=10690640

Rick posted this a couple of days ago. Now it looks like we can get
an Epson 9600 for $£3250 (around $5900). I will drive to the UK to
pick it up next week hopefully.

If you are not interested in subscribing to this project, please
ignore the rest of this.

The deal is that by getting a printer for the group, we gain a few
things:

• Independence - When Dominic and I prepared the Photokina show,

this was vital. We have requests from Sigma companies and Foveon
for the Users Group to do other shows. For the full story on the
run-up to Photokina, drop me an e-mail, and I will send you the
Word file.

• Individual independence - Subscribers will be able to get quality

prints from their X3F files at a very reasonable price. The best
way to move this whole thing forward is through the images. This is
a good way to get good prints without breaking the bank.

• Quality work - The wealth of information in X3F files means that

relatively large prints are possible if handled correctly. Dominic
(especially) and I have developed ways of producing exceptionally
good prints without jaggies and other things that others have used
to drive us nuts for the last two years.

The deal: Subscribers who contribute $200 will get one A2 print
free plus one year of preferred pricing (about 50% off) on all of
their prints irrespective of the size. All prints are done on
Hahnemühle PhotoRag 308 or Mitsubishi HiTec Photo semi-matt 255; on
special request, we can do glossy prints on Mitsubishi HiTec Photo
glossy 255. There will be some shipping charges. Mounting is
possible and extra. Another user and I are putting up 1/3 of the
total cost. Those who would like to contribute but feel this is a
bit steep should drop me an e-mail; in no way should someone feel
left out for financial reasons.

The only catch is that if demand is overwhelming, we may have to
ask for understanding on longer delivery times or fewer prints.
However, I don't foresee this as being a problem.

Any surplus donations will be used to offset other costs for the
users group. If you need details on what those are, drop me an
e-mail, and I will send you a file on that.

We would like to move this forward. Naysayers and others who feel
that this is not something for them have made their case. If there
is not enough support from the group to do this, fine. I am
convinced this is a good thing from which many others could benefit
if they want. However, it is your choice.

--
Laurence

There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

http://www.pbase.com/lmatson/root
http://www.pbase.com/sigmasd9/root
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd10
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd9
http://www.beachbriss.com (eternal test site)

Click to expand...

--
Wait ... I'm confused. No wait ... maybe I'm not.

I'm more than sure that yor prints would be a lot better than the ones I get from the USA digital labs...and I'm willing to pay for the better quality.

Bottom Line is someone will have to publish a price list for printing & shipping.

Mike

Laurence Matson said:

http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1027&message=10690640

Rick posted this a couple of days ago. Now it looks like we can get
an Epson 9600 for $£3250 (around $5900). I will drive to the UK to
pick it up next week hopefully.

If you are not interested in subscribing to this project, please
ignore the rest of this.

The deal is that by getting a printer for the group, we gain a few
things:

• Independence - When Dominic and I prepared the Photokina show,

this was vital. We have requests from Sigma companies and Foveon
for the Users Group to do other shows. For the full story on the
run-up to Photokina, drop me an e-mail, and I will send you the
Word file.

• Individual independence - Subscribers will be able to get quality

prints from their X3F files at a very reasonable price. The best
way to move this whole thing forward is through the images. This is
a good way to get good prints without breaking the bank.

• Quality work - The wealth of information in X3F files means that

relatively large prints are possible if handled correctly. Dominic
(especially) and I have developed ways of producing exceptionally
good prints without jaggies and other things that others have used
to drive us nuts for the last two years.

The deal: Subscribers who contribute $200 will get one A2 print
free plus one year of preferred pricing (about 50% off) on all of
their prints irrespective of the size. All prints are done on
Hahnemühle PhotoRag 308 or Mitsubishi HiTec Photo semi-matt 255; on
special request, we can do glossy prints on Mitsubishi HiTec Photo
glossy 255. There will be some shipping charges. Mounting is
possible and extra. Another user and I are putting up 1/3 of the
total cost. Those who would like to contribute but feel this is a
bit steep should drop me an e-mail; in no way should someone feel
left out for financial reasons.

The only catch is that if demand is overwhelming, we may have to
ask for understanding on longer delivery times or fewer prints.
However, I don't foresee this as being a problem.

Any surplus donations will be used to offset other costs for the
users group. If you need details on what those are, drop me an
e-mail, and I will send you a file on that.

We would like to move this forward. Naysayers and others who feel
that this is not something for them have made their case. If there
is not enough support from the group to do this, fine. I am
convinced this is a good thing from which many others could benefit
if they want. However, it is your choice.

--
Laurence

There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

http://www.pbase.com/lmatson/root
http://www.pbase.com/sigmasd9/root
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd10
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd9
http://www.beachbriss.com (eternal test site)

Click to expand...

The Paypal link at http://www.foveonx3.org works.

Pricing: To be very honest, we are not quite sure. The current price of an A2 fine art print (glicee or whatever in the States) is €80 here in Switzerland and from most private shops in the German-speaking area. We looked into this pretty carefully before Photokina. Since I don't have their overhead and other pressures, we would do prints for users at €40.

Shipping: Prints would be sent flat or reverse-rolled on a tube in a box. They cannot be sent in mailing tubes. All prints on Hahnemühle are lacquered (invisible) to protect the surface but they are still delicate (like charcoal drawings, but not that delicate). They are shipped insured at no extra charge. The cost of shipping is something I have not been able to get an absolute answer on. I will have to actually pack one up and ship it today to get that. From past experience, Priority Mail (3-7 days to the States) is reasonable. For a single A2, shipping to the States would be aound $14 (Sfr 19) and Europe, €10 (Sfr 13). A0 is a bit more: Sfr 33 for neighboring counties to Switzerland and Benelux, Sfr 38 for the rest of Europe and Greenland. A0 to the States would be Sfr 46. These prices are for a single package. A couple of more prints per package will not increase the price because we would not surpass the weight threshold.

Later subscribers: I have no problem with this if others don't. The idea is to distribute and not restrict benefits to users of the SD9, SD10 or SDxx.

Derivatives and junk bonds: On the advice of my financial "adviser" Rick (Lawn Chair) Decker, I have invested heavily in Canon and Sony to get a nutritional and colorful element into my portfolio. This should go junk in a couple of years. You are welcome to them if you feel you can derive any value from them.

Print size and price: The major difference among the smaller (A3 and A0) sizes is material costs. Smaller prints therefore will cost a modest amount less. Larger prints (A0) can get very interesting however. Not only are materials much more, but printing time can be long. If you are after an A0 or so, I propose we get the raw file first to see whether it will go there. Then we will work out something that is bearable for all. For a rough approximation, just scale up the cost of an A2.

--
Laurence

There is a tide in the affairs of men,
Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune;
Omitted, all the voyage of their life
Is bound in shallows and in miseries.

http://www.pbase.com/lmatson/root
http://www.pbase.com/sigmasd9/root
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd10
http://www.pbase.com/cameras/sigma/sd9
http://www.beachbriss.com (eternal test site)

Laurence Matson said:

Pricing: To be very honest, we are not quite sure. The current
price of an A2 fine art print (glicee or whatever in the States) is
€80 here in Switzerland and from most private shops in the
German-speaking area. We looked into this pretty carefully before
Photokina. Since I don't have their overhead and other pressures,
we would do prints for users at €40.

Click to expand...

I thought that since us Americans have crazy odd paper sizes, and do not really deal with more civilized sizes regularily, a comparison would be helpful. The first table on this page:

http://home.inter.net/eds/paper/naukeupaper.html

Will help you understand what sizes A0-A5 really are - a helpful thing to remember is that A5 is the smaller size, and each step is twice as large as the one before. So one A0 paper can be slit exactly into two A1 sheets, and so on.

As a baseline, the A2 size is 16 1/2 x 23 3/8. A2 may sound small becaue, well, it has a 2 - but as you can see it's already pretty large!

Hopefully that helps.

--
---> Kendall
http://www.pbase.com/kgelner
http://www.pbase.com/sigmasd9/user_home
Alaska gallery: http://www.kigiphoto.com/alaska

Kendall Helmstetter Gelner said:

David Hughes already posted this, but I thought I'd make it a
little more obvious from the main thread - you can go to
http://www.foveonx3.org and click on the "PayPal Donate" button in
the upper right section of the screen. I just sent in my
contribution.

Thanks David for testing the link and making sure it was all set up
(and of course for hosting the site!).

--
---> Kendall
http://www.pbase.com/kgelner
http://www.pbase.com/sigmasd9/user_home
Alaska gallery: http://www.kigiphoto.com/alaska

Click to expand...

As of last night I am unable to get through to the FX3 site. I have been always able to get to it before. If we could have the direct Pay-Pal link listed here it may help some of us.
--
Fred R. Elias Jr.
Warren, MI.
[email protected]