Sree's Thoughts on Digital Printing
Thursday, Jan. 30, 2003

If you got a new digital camera for the holidays, you are not alone - several million cameras were bought at the end of last year. But like others, you, too, may have not yet printed any photos, because it seems so complicated. I know several people who have been shooting like there's no tomorrow, and then storing all the files on their PC like there's no way to print. In fact, the problem is there are too many ways to print.

Decide which of these works best for your digital lifestyle.

TRY AN ONLINE SERVICE: Instead of printing from the camera, you can upload the photos to an online service and the photos will be printed and snail-mailed to you. One advantage is that if you put your photos online and let your relatives know, they can choose which ones they want and pay for the printing themselves.
Options include:
Shutterfly.com
oFoto.com
Snapfish.com
Webshots.com
Epinion's ratings of online photo services

BUY A PHOTO PRINTER: Many people nowadays are investing in their own specialized photo printers. They look like traditional desktop printers, but use special paper to print photos well. Of course, the major drawback is the repeated ink and paper costs, which can run you hundreds of dollars a year if you print a lot. The one piece of good news is that the prices of printers have come down dramatically, with some excellent machines selling under $200 each.
Options include:
HP
Epson
Epinion's ratings of photo printers

GO TO A PHOTO KIOSK: For those who only occasionally print photos, a nice solution is to use to a photo kiosk. Sony has introduced a new easy-to-use kiosk -- called the PictureStation Digital Photofinishing System -- that I tried out at B&H Photo Video on 9th Ave and 34th St in Manhattan. It's a terrific device that Henry Posner of B&H says has been very popular with customers, especially because you get your prints in minutes, not hours. I asked him to describe what kind of person would want to use a kiosk and here was what he said: "A person with a limited budget or limited space, or a person who is not a major user, but the occasional snap shooter, like my mom for instance. This is a far more convenient and cost-effective way to get the occasional print from the camera. Or for my brother, who is a power user with his computer, but with the exception of the occasional print for mom and dad's scrapbook, he doesn't need prints. For him to invest in all that hardware to make a print once or twice a month doesn't make sense." B&H charges 75 cents a 4"x6" print, with discounts for bulk printing. Sony's kiosk can print upto 8"x10", though B&H currently only does 4"x6".

Think of the Sony product as an ATM for digital photos. You can find a retailer near you at Sony.com/digitalphotography by entering your zip code. Watch for it be in hundreds of locations throughout the country.

In the meantime, here are some of the NY-city based locations:

B&H Photo
420 Ninth Avenue
New York, NY 10001
Phone: 1-800-606-6969

Sony Style New York
550 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10022
Phone: 212-833-8800

SIL Inc.
1650 Richmond Avenue
Staten Island, NY 10314
Phone: 718-761-3623
Fax: 718-983-8455

Sony Electronics
Woodbury Common Premium Outlets
147 Marigold Court,
Tenant C7-9
Central Valley, NY 10917
Phone: 845-928-5114

Imperial 30 Min Photo
41-10 A Main Street
Flushing, NY 11355
Phone: 718-321-1940

Lily 1 Hour Photo
4317 18th Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11218
Phone: 718-854-3608

Town & Country Photo
106 Park Place
East Hampton, NY 11937
Phone: 631-324-4048

Embassy One Hour Photo
72-26 Austin St.
Forest Hills, NY 11375
Phone: 718-261-1684

C/J Gift Shop
234-238 Canal Street
New York, NY 10013
Phone: 212-343-3939

Rozafa Studio
758 Lydia Ave
Bronx, NY 10462
Phone: 718-863-8796

Instant Memories
36-07 162nd Street
Flushing, NY 11

Eastern Photo Lab
88 E Broadway Ste 142
New York, NY 10002
Phone: 212-966-6562

 

Write to techguru@sree.net and let me know your thoughts.