Printer (Canon Selphy etc) as Polaroid substitute

Hi

Is anyone using a portable printer like the Canon Selphy to produce hard copies on set?

I've been using a D700 for the last few months, but I come from a medium format film background and I miss having little prints (i.e. polaroids) to pass around.

No, I don't have a laptop - I'm waiting for Apple to release something appealing - i.e. small, and not shiny.

Cheers

Elliot

Hi,

Yes I'm using selphy printer and really like it.

I'm using them mainly on holiday. Last year I've been 2 month in cambodia and I think I gives about 1000 print, this year I've been 1 month in mongolia and I give about 250 prints.

That's realy magic and it's the best idea I find for my trips. It's very great to be able to gives gift to people I meet.

Only problems is that once you start it's difficult to stop (everybody want his print) and the speend is very slow (they say 1 minute for 1 print but it's more like 2. So 10 print = 20 minutes...)

I always buy the one for which you can have a battery to be sure to be independant and able to print everywhere. I just bought a second battery because it only last about 30 print.

Other problem is after each travel I must buy a new one and I consider the printer as discardable because of the dust, I think it's my fifth printer. I always buy the cheapest printer as all the gadgets (screen, bluetooth...) are not needed.

The quality is really very good and the print are really very strong (waterproof and plastified).

Great reply - thanks Bilou.

I was also thinking of using a Selphy printer when travelling.

Here's a video clip of the printer working. It looks great!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNgX4U9lCCI

Which model should I buy? The Selphy 750 in the video clip? I definitely need battery power.

Do you connect your camera directly to the printer with a cable? Or is it best to insert the CF card into the printer. (I'm using a D700).

Cheers

Elliot

• These printers caught my eye recently when travelling in China. In popular tourist spots photographers were selling instant snapshots to poor Chinese tourists who didn't have cameras. It all seemed like quite a slick operation.

Yes, the selphy 750 will be fine as it have an optional battery pack.

Just be aware that the battery is not included and that the prints are more expensive than traditional prints.

But now, as I consider those printer as discardable (at least when I take them on vacation in very dusty places) I tend to buy the cheapest model I can find as long as it's possible to attach the battery.

I've had CP300, CP600, CP740, and CP750... I don't really see big difference between them so I tend to search for cheap old model on EBay a few week before leaving and if I can't find one, well I still could just go to the store.

I always use USB cable because I don't want to remove the card from my camera, I don't care for the LCD or retouch options in the printer as I have more options with my camera. The only thing that I could think as usefull is the integrated USB cable (my CP600 didn't have one, so as I tend to always forgot things, one day I wasn't able to give a promised print because I forgot that damn cable. But if you're from the carefull guy type it's no problem).

The quality from those little printer is really great and as the resolution is low it can hide some image quality problem (I've printed a lot of pictures to discover after that I got a problem with my lens and that most where out of focus but taht was no noticable on the prints)

But the real bonus is that the print have a final protective layer that's water and tear proof and the back is like a poscard. It always fun to ask people to try to tear the small side of the print (that you can detach). The trick is to use fingernails and go for the side with serrations

Speaking of polaroid something was funny, most of the times when I gave a print people where just waving them just like a polaroid and it's true that everytime I met polaroid shooters they where highly interested in the printer.

Here's some sample of my printer in use
http://rapidshare.com/files/194415804/cambodge.rar

So yes, definitely take it on vacation especialy if you go out of the big cities it was really the best idea I got for my travels. It's like a little touch of magic especially with the children and when they saw the (pretty ugly) yellow print transforming in colorfull prints.

Hi Billou

Thank you for your thorough and enthusiastic response. (You're not working for Canon are you?!)

I went to your download link, and managed to have a look at the two jpegs (Quicktime on my mac is having problems with the video files). The two images are delightful and have sold me on the Selphy.

I'll buy a new Selphy to start out, and then, if I wear it out, I'll follow your advice and buy replacements secondhand on eBay.

Thanks

Elliot

Hi,

No, I don't work for canon but, well, even if I have nikon (recently go for the D700 and 24-70 from my D80, I'm in heaven !!!) I like their printers... ;-)

When I buy printers on EBay I buy new but old models (if I can find). I'm indeed a bit reluctant on buying secondhand.

I think that if you're a bit more carefull than me (I succeded to break my sb800, my tripod, my tamron 17-50, my remote trigger, my camera bag, my GPS...) you could make your printer lasting a bit longer than me, be carefull about dust and I think it will be OK.

Enjoy.

I wonder if anyone is using Fuji ASK 4000 dye sublimation thermal printer? I believe it can go up to 203 x 305 mm (8 x 12 inches),...