The Sony DPP-FP30 photo printer outputs prints that can rival some of the best photo labs. The printer's upfront cost is reasonable, but the cost per print may put a dent in your budget.

The Sony DPP-FP30 photo printer is easy to set up and use, mainly because there aren't many controls to fiddle with or options to choose from. There's no LCD display for viewing or editing photos, no option to crop photos or eliminate red eye, and no buttons for selecting the number of photos or thumbnails per page. Although there are very few controls, there are plenty of blinking lights to keep you informed of the printer's status (standby, ready to print, printing, error).

If you're printing from a PC, you can use the bundled PictureGear Studio software to select print size, border or borderless, and landscape or portrait orientation. You can also perform minimal editing tasks, including reducing red eye and adjusting color balance.

Thanks to its compact size (without the paper tray, it's hardly bigger than a thick paperback, although at just over 2 pounds, it's definitely heavier), the Sony DPP-FP30 also makes a great mobile photo printer. You can easily tuck it into a suitcase or briefcase and still have room for clothes and paperwork.

Oddly, for a photo printer that's designed to double as a mobile unit, the DPP-FP30 doesn't include any memory card slots, although it can print directly from PictBridge-compatible cameras.

The DPP-FP30 photo printer prints two paper sizes (4X6-inch and 3-1/2X5-inch) at 300 dpi. Print speeds are fairly quick, about 90 seconds from a PC and about 2 minutes from a digital camera.

The cassette 20 sheets of paper, and it doubles as the output tray. Sony's SuperCoat 2 lamination technology puts a protective coating on each print as the last part of the printing process. The package includes a power adapter and cord, a starter pack of 4X6-inch paper, a paper tray, and software on CD-ROM.

The image quality of the Sony PictureStation DPP-FP30 photo printer is stunning, with vivid, true-to-life color and crisp detail.

Pro:  Compact, lightweight, and easy to use. Excellent output. Prints directly from PictBridge-compatible cameras and camcorders, as well as desktop and laptop computers.
Con:  High per-print costs. No memory card slots. Limited print sizes.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Sony Electronics
3300 Zanker Road
San Jose, CA 95134
800-236-1877
http://www.sonystyle.com

Warranty
1 year limited