Photo Review Reviews section

Epson PictureMate 500

Epson’s new PictureMate 500 rectifies the two main deficiencies we noted in the review of its predecessor, the PictureMate, in issue 19: a colour preview monitor and battery support. The new model’s flip-up 2.4-inch QVGA colour LCD screen lets users view image files before printing them. You can also zoom in on a displayed photo and print a selected area without cropping the original image.

Canon Pixma iP8500

The Pixma iP8500 is Canon’s top A4 printer and features a special print head with with 6144 nozzles and FINE (‘Full-photolithography Inkjet Nozzle Engineering’) technology. This makes Canon printers faster than most of their competitors. The 8-colour ChromaPLUS ink system includes additional red and green ink tanks that expand the colour spectrum. Dual paper trays allow different papers to be loaded simultaneously. A USB port on the front panel supports direct printing from PictBridge cameras and camcorders.

Canon Pixma iP6600D

8.5 Rating

Canon’s Pixma iP6600D is designed for digital photographers who want an easy-to-use home printer that produces sharp, detailed and colour-accurate prints with above-average durability. Designed for use with Canon’s new ChromaLife 100 inks, the iP6600D can produce prints that last up to 100 years in albums, up to 30 years in a glass frame displayed away from direct sunlight and up to 10 years unprotected – provided the prints are made on Canon’s recommended papers.

Canon Pixma iP5000

While the mid-range Pixma iP5000 doesn’t print direct from memory card, it is possible to print from a PictBridge-compliant camera via USB cable, but only at standard quality (there’s no control panel on the printer for making adjustments.)

Microsoft Wireless Optical Desktop 5000

Microsoft’s Wireless Optical Desktop 5000 was designed to provide users with quick and comfortable access to frequently-used imaging tasks such as viewing and cataloguing image files and sharing images via prints, emails and slideshows. Consisting of a keyboard and mouse plus wireless infrastructure and software, it’s an all-in-one solution that is simple to set up and use.

Epson Perfection 4490 Scanner

Epson’s Perfection 4490 Photo scanner has many of the features of the Perfection 4990 Photo model but a $300 lower price tag. For photographers, the 4490 has a moving carriage transparency unit (TPU) plus holders for 35mm and medium format films. It also comes with Digital ICE and Digital ICE Lite dust- and scratch-removal technology, the first time these facilities are offered in a mid-priced scanner. (Digital ICE is accessible in the Home and Professional modes, while Digital ICE Lite is Professional mode only.)