Event Printer

[robert_meyers]

Hey all,

 

I am looking at some simple and low end event photography. Now I

have a fairly locked price for prints, and I was wondering what all

of your opinions are on this one. I am looking at the Kodak 1400 vs.

the HiTi 730GALA. Their prices are a wash, so they seem to both fall

into my initial price point (ok, probably could be stretched, but

doesn't look like it needs to be). Decisions, decisions? one must

be made.

 

Now onto the specifics.

 

The 1400 does 8x10s, but it leaves a border (something that actually

kind of irritates me, and I will not have time to trim, and

something two other people absolutely thinks looks very

unappealing). I do like the Kodak paper name on the back... it

makes it more like a traditional photo. Now my issues are as

follows. The paper would need to be trimmed (which takes time).

The cost per print is 75% higher (while for many events the price

would be about the same). Any camera would require the photo would

need to be cropped to 8x10 (which takes some time). Folders hard to

find for untrimmed photo (though I have found them down to about a

dollar a piece so far). And lastly, as these would be onsite, I

would need to come up with case. Now, due to the cost, I would need

to sell 10% more prints from the Kodak to reach an equal profit

level compared to the HiTi.

 

The HiTi 730GALA does a format of 6x8 (a little small, envision two

stacked 4x6s). The good things here are as follows. A carrying case

is available from the manufacturer, so, it is somewhat designed to

be moved. The prints are borderless. I can get the cost per print

under $0.90/print. Photo folders and mattes are widely available

(with mattes fitting in a 8x10 frame), and about half the cost. The

format is 4/3, and I use 4/3 digital cameras (Olympus E-1), so no

cropping is necessary. And some things that are neat, but I am not

sure how much I would really use. The printer can print unattended

and without computer. Even without a computer you can add an

automated border or watermark addition (such as Bill and Jenny?s

Wedding). The problems are that is is a smaller format. It does

not use a well known branded paper. It is also not a known brand

printer on-site.

 

Now, the questions are, is the odd looking 8x10 from the 1400 easier

to sell than a traditional looking (though weird size) 6x8?Due the

benefits of the HiTi outweigh it?s own cons and the pros of the

1400? And some general comments, if you have them, would be

appreciated.

 

Oh, and I already have discounted the InkJet, simply due to the fact

many people are misinformed on them (and would thereby hurt sales).

 

Thoughts?

 

Thanks all!

 

Rob.

[lex_jenkins]

I've also considered one of the HiTI's because of their claims that the finished prints have a more durable surface, and because the units intended for portability seem better designed than those offered by Epson and HP. Olympus printers may be about equal in portability.

 

I'm not sure how much name recognition or lack thereof would matter. The HiTI's look very much like a "pro" unit which might dispel most doubts. They don't look anything like the typical Epson, HP, Lexmark, etc., inkjet printer.

 

My main concerns would be:

 

1. How well does the printer handle color fidelity, considering there's no computer interface to handle the tweaking?

 

2. How reliable are the printers?

 

3. What's the company's reputation for customer support?

[joanna_fassinger]

Well I was in your shoes a few weeks ago, and ended up getting the 730ps. I used it this past weekend to print dance portraits, the customers were very happy with the quality, they liked watching the photograph go in and out of the machine and see all the different colors get put on. I paid for the printer that night also. I ultimately went with the hi-touch because it could read right from the camera, but this is slow, it takes about 3 minutes to read from the card and print. It is considerably faster though when hooked up to a computer. I also found CHEAP packages of ink and photo paper at www.thenerds.net

A 6x8 package is 20 some dollars, that equals 66 cents a print, not bad! The other packs are even cheaper too. I also bought my printer from them, excellent service. I am impressed with this printer overall, I wish it printed 8x10s, but supposedly they are working on a new model capable of that, so when and if that comes out I definaly will pick it up. www.dpreview.com has a thread on photo printers, with lots of info on these 2 models. Also, hi-touch is offering a $50 rebate right now on the 730, go check their website out. Hope this helps!

[robert_meyers]

Thanks for your help!

 

Way to many thoughts on all this... just trying to chose the right printer.

[lex_jenkins]

The main problem I'm having is that there are way too many Hi-Touch models. I don't plan to use a printer at home on on location very often for making prints anyway - I usually prefer to burn a disk and take it to the lab - so maybe I'll just try one of their cheaper models and see if I like the print quality.

 

Ideally, I'd like one that also burns CDs or even DVDs as the files are being transferred from the media card, after which point the prints would come off the disk rather than my media card. Then I'd feel more comfortable about leaving the printer in the hands of a family member or friend to babysit it while I continue shooting. Hi-Touch might already offer such a thing but I haven't finished reading the specs for all their different models.