Frontier-S DX100

[dragon_fly1]

<p>I am looking for real world experience / comments on the Fuji Frontier-S DX100. I am considering to get one for my event photography business instead of relying on minilabs. Worth it?</p>

[savagesax]

It's ink based. So there's always that problem of clogged ink jets and having to change ink in the middle of the job.. The cost is about $2500

plus. This printer also weighs about 60 pounds before you pack in up in some sort of rolling case for protection. So add another 15 to 20 pounds to that.

 

You may want to check out dye sub printers also. Sometime way less expensive, they often print faster, and no ink

to mess with.

 

A lot of local guys in the Los Angeles area are using DNP printers. There's several size printers. The 4X6 printers can make a print in 12 seconds. The 8X10 printers can make a print in about 45 seconds. The weight of these is at least half of the Frontiers.

 

There are of course other brands of dye sub printers to look at.

[savagesax]

The reason for writing about the speed is the Frontier is much slower when printing. Also when buying the DNP

8X10 printer, actually it's an 8X12 printer. my fault, it can also print other sizes such as wallets to 5X7's. You can do

combo's on one sheet of paper such as 1, 5X7 and 4 wallets. The key here is the faster speed and no ink,

compared to the Frontier, plus the cost is so much less. At least half the cost of the Frontier.

[Bill C]

I don't know that printer, but I concur with Bob. Dye sub printers are good for rapid delivery because they're completely dry and ready to

handle straight out of the machine. The main downsides are very limited choice of surface finish, and susceptibility to dust. A small dust

partile on inkjet paper gets sprayed over; with dye sub it leaves a small white (or colored) fleck.

 

I'd be looking at the DNP machines too.

[dragon_fly1]

I have to look into it but I think the print cost is a lot

higher with dye-sub in general.

 

Another question. I understand that the DNP can

print matte finish without having to buy separate

matte media; instead it uses a thermal process to

turn the finish to matte. Correct? If so, does the

matte finish look good?

 

Also, what do most people interface it with?

Lightroom?

[pete_s.]

<p>Here are the specifications for that printer:<br>

http://www.fujifilmusa.com/products/photofinishing/digital_lab_solutions/frontier_s_dx100/index.html#specifications</p>

<p>It says 360 4x6" per hour. That's 6 prints per minute. So one print takes 10 seconds. That's sounds pretty fast to me.</p>

[dragon_fly1]

<p>@Pete, Thank you for the reply. I know the spec. and have read quite a few reviews. But I am more interested in real world experience which can be quite different from advertised/published material.</p>

[Bill C]

[Dragon fly]Another question. I understand that the DNP can print matte finish without having to buy separate matte media; instead it uses

a thermal process to turn the finish to matte. Correct? If so, does the matte finish look good?]

 

Hi, I've not seen it, but am guessing that it's much like the recent Sonys. They do a sort of dithering effect on the overcoat layer. The only

such effect that ever really impressed me was the recent Sony DR80 (I think that was the model). That one looked really good, so perhaps

DNP is using the same method. Remember that the surface doesn't really have a physical texture,

 

More than likely, if you have a contact, they'll send you a sample.

[dragon_fly1]

<p>I went to a local mini lab that had a Sony UP-DR150 dye-sub printer. Ordered a matte, a textured and a glossy finish of the same picture. I can't hardly tell the difference. The matte is not matte at all IMO. It's just ever so slight less glossy. Same for the textured finish. Very disappointed. Hope the DNP printers give better result.</p>

[Bill C]

Yep, I've seen all of the pro-level Sony dye subs since the 1990s or so, and the DR-80 (again, I THINK this was the model),

was the only "matte" surface that impressed me. Again, there is no physical texture, only the appearance.

 

So again, if you have a DNP contact, see if they know (many of the US Sony printer staff moved over to DNP).

[savagesax]

Well Bill is surely correct. DNP makes paper now for a lot of the older printers. I still have a Kodak 9810 printer, but

sadly they don't support this, meaning that the printer has been discontinued. It's now a 60 pound paper weight. I'm

pretty angry with Kodak and I wish that DNP would make paper for this printer. I personally feel it was the best dye

sub printer on the market at one time. The colors were amazing for portraits. It was a slower printer compared to the

DNP printers and the paper was about 50 cent per sheet more expensive. Hope this helps!

[dragon_fly1]

<p>DNP is sending me some sample prints. Hopefully their matte finish look better that I one I've seen from the Sony. Many of my clients like the matte finish.<br>

Still, I would love to hear from anyone who use the Fuji in the field.</p>

[Bill C]

I guess there are no further replies coming. Well there was a guy here about a year ago that said he had one. See http://www.photo.net/digital-darkroom-forum/00cqPN (if the link works). You might try a message to him, or perhaps one of his posts might refer to his website.

 

Personally, as an individual, I would try to stay away from newer products like this, especially if they don't have an established user base.

I've worked with this sort of thing in the photo industry, and the new gear always has "teething" issues. As a large company, we were happy

to work through this sort of thing because it often gave us an edge. But as an individual, you probably don't want the hassle - your goal is to

just sell prints.