Kodak EasyShare 5300 All-in-One Printer Print, Copy, and Scan (8804056) Review

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(More customer reviews)Well it started off like this. I was looking for a replacement printer for my old my reliable Canon i850. I liked the output from the i850 but I was sick of paying for the ink cartridges over and over. I was finding I would get through replacement black and color every 2 months even though I was only printing 50-60 text pages a month!!!!!!! It was time for a change.
With this in mind I started seeing and reading reviews (the few that there are) for the new Kodak line of all in ones. I had been tempted for some time by the ability to have everything (scan, copy, print and fax)in one device but I was skeptical too. I have been in the IT industry professionally for 15+ years and so have always been wary of throwing all my eggs in one basket. The reviews sounded pretty favorable with regards to meeting Kodak's claims of great ink performance for the cheap price you were paying so I decided that I would take a gamble.
I originally ruled out going for the 5500 and 5300 (didn't need the fax after all and thought I'd leave the LCD screen) and first purchased a 5100. First thing I did when I got home was unpack everything, hook it up and then proceeded to use all the sample photo paper that came with it. This was on a Friday and by the Saturday when I tried scanning for the first time it would not scan to the PC without causing an error as it was looking (and couldn't find) the temporary BMP it created in it's temp file. So with this in mind I started looking into the install, pulled everything from registry and restored my machine, still no luck. It's worth pointing out that the scanner component uses proprietary TWAIN drivers that seemed to be causing the issue. I also want to point out that my PC has been stable and not rebuilt in 3 years so has collected a lot of c**p.
I finally admitted defeat after two days solid trying to get around the problem and called (doesn't happen very often for us in IT) Kodak tech support. I was again skeptical about the support and knowledge I would receive. I have to say that my support experience with Kodak was one of the best I have come across in my 15 years and no I do not work for them. My call was answered in under 7 minutes at 11am in the morning and I was expecting the usual Tier 1 type experience. Instead I spoke with a tech called Matt who was extremely knowledgeable and in total (get ready for this) spent 2.5 hours on the phone with me going through everything from simple reinstall to disassociation of USB registry entries, manual rekeys etc. Unfortunately this did not resolve the issue so the ticket was sent to their research department.
I was a little dissuaded but wanted the printer to work so badly that I decided to stay with it for a while longer. With that in mind and knowing this was probably software/os related I decided that with all the stuff I had loaded in the past 3 years I would rebuild my PC and also take the original printer back in case of other issues. After rebuilding the PC I took the printer back (purchased from a brick and mortar) and decided I would treat myself by now upgrading to the 5300. I came home and installed the printer for the first time on my new PC and voila!! worked perfectly with all my apps including photoshop. No scanning issues at all............but then I had a print head issue (one that I have read about). I was getting a little more frustrated at this point and called Kodak in the evening (6pm). Again I got straight through and spoke with another tech who took me through printhead re-installation as he stated these had been coming loose. Still no luck and before I could say anything else the tech offered to send me a new printhead free of charge (under warranty) and also gave me a brand new set of cartridges for my troubles.
Again I decided to take the printer back and switched it for another 5300 just to be safe. I brought the new one home and it worked like a dream, no printhead issues, no scanner issues. I have been using this printer constantly for black text printing for 3 weeks now and this evening I just tested Kodaks claims of photo prints. I completed (as I type) over 128 photo pictures on 4x6 and although the tank is saying its getting low, it is still going !!!!!!!!!!. All of this for 14.99 for a color cart. I am absolutely floored. The other thing that is important to point out is although the color cart is almost out, the black has only reduced by about a thumb scratch. Thats right, you 're not losing your black cartridge like you do with HP and Canon when you print photos.
In summary (I know I've gone on long enough) I wanted to state that I don't usually write reviews. In this case I felt compelled for two reasons
1) There aren't many reviews or info sources for this printer
2) This machine truly is amazing and lives up to the claims of the manufacturer which is nice to see.
In all my years I have not come across a printer that has given this type of performance along with absolutely gorgeous looking (photo processing quality) prints. There may be a few bugs and there has already been 2 firmware releases (make sure you get these as they improve performance and reduce errors) but I'm here to tell you to hang in there with this printer as it is well worth it. As stated, after picking up the new printer and installing the latest firmware I could not be more pleased.
I cannot recommend this any stronger. Buy this today, you will not regret it. It is a new product but don't be afraid to jump in with those of us that took the gamble. It is a lot more stable now than when first released (thanks to the firmware updates) and should you have a problem Kodak support has been fantastic.
Enjoy printing again and stop worry about ink costs. 21.99 got me black and color and as stated above already completed 136 (now) prints on color alone.
Also consider upgrading to this 5300 if like me you were originally thinking of the 5100, I'm really glad I did and love the memory slots and LCD.
Enjoy the printer !!!!!!!!!!

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Kodak 8804056 5300 All-in-1 photo printer

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Kodak Easyshare CX7430 4MP Digital Camera with 3x Optical Zoom Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Kodak CX7430 Purchased: June 2004, used frequently
MOST NOTABLE FEATURE: 640x480 VIDEO+AUDIO CAPABILITY (NO TIME LIMIT)
1) Using ordinary 1800mah NiMH rechargeable AA batteries, I have been able to take video with audio at the highest quality setting for over 55 minutes (until my memory card ran out) with the LCD screen TURNED ON the entire time, and the low battery indicator didn't even appear!
2) 1GB SD cards have fallen swiftly in price and are a great addition to this camera. My 1GB Lexar SD card can record over 55 minutes of video with audio at high quality (640 by 480 pixels, 13 frames per second), and 80 minutes at medium quality (320 by 240 pixels, 20 frames per second; max time limit is 80 minutes for this setting). A 512MB SD card can record for just over 28 minutes straight (highest setting), and a 256MB SD card for slightly over 13 minutes.
3) Most digital cameras offer video capability, but limit your filming time to 30 seconds or 3 minutes per video in most cases. Those that don't limit filming time usually provide resolution nowhere as good as the CX7430's high-quality video. (Update: Canon's SD-series cameras are a major exception. Note that you will pay much more [except for the SD110] and that you will only get about 15-25 minutes of 640x480 15fps video/audio out of a 1GB SD card. The SD300's [4MP] picture quality is about the same as the Kodak CX7430's.)
4) The camera is highly competitively priced even when compared to dedicated digital video camcorders that use memory cards rather than tapes or DVDs. Both resolution and frame rate are comparable to or even better than the "digital tapeless" camcorders I have looked at on amazon (as of October 2004), and given its still photo capability the CX7430 is bargain-priced. Anyone considering buying a digital tapeless camcorder should definitely consider this camera when deciding on their purchase.
- NOTE: Videos are recorded in QUICKTIME format.PRO's:
1) Great video capability as described above. The camera's microphone is excellent--I've recorded videos in both quiet environments and an extremely loud dance club and the camera adapted perfectly to both situations--no static or undesirable anomalies (though it did not pick up much of the bass in the club, if that matters). I've even used the camera several times to record audio from my grad classes (camera simply pointed at the ceiling, medium quality video setting; I extract the audio from the file for listening).
2) Takes excellent close-up photos.
3) Photos overall are very satisfactory.
4) Compact enough to fit in an ordinary front pocket. Pretty typical size and weight for its class.
5) The LCD screen is very bright and fine for use in all but very strong direct sunlight, where the LCD image gets slightly harder to see.
6) Interface is excellent. Buttons are responsive and the mode dial is very very convenient.
7) Good start-up time, about 3 seconds and you are ready to shoot.
8) 3X zoom. Perfectly satisfactory; once you start going over 4X zoom you need a tripod to take decent photos.
9) Small speaker to hear the audio when you play back your videos.
10) Extraordinary Battery Life (see above).
11) Sturdy design. Another reviewer complained about the casing being easily scratched; I have used my camera for about 7 months now and it doesn't look a whole lot different from when I bought it. The casing/finish seems pretty normal for this type of camera.
12) Decent variety of manual options, but not enough for amatuer photography (there is no true "manual" setting).
13) Good file compression! I have seen cameras produce pictures of about the same quality (or even worse) as the CX7430 and wind up with file sizes of 1MB or more per photo. Average file size for the CX7430 ranges from 300KB to 750KB depending on the quality setting and content.
14) Fairly quick autofocus--just under one second from the time you press the picture button while the camera is pointed at an unfocused subject until the shutter closes and the picture is taken. If the subject is already in focus the picture is taken almost instantaneously.
CON's:
1) Pictures are easily blurred in some environments. See Taking Photos section below.
2) Several of the provided 7 photo settings on the dial are not worth using.
3) No case provided.
4) Videos taken in the camera's high-quality setting suffer from a very low frame rate (13fps), and the image blurs badly when you move the camera around quickly in softly-lit indoor environments. That said, the video capability is still remarkable for a camera of this type (and at this price).
5) The door covering the SD card slot and the data port is sturdy but doesn't latch very strongly.
6) Zoom cannot be adjusted while taking video. You need to adjust zoom first, then start filming. Focus also does not adjust during filming, but it's not a factor unless you begin filming a landscape and then try to take close-up video without starting a new video file.Taking Photos:
Overall, I think the CX7430 takes pictures pretty typical of a 4MP camera (they look about the same as pictures taken by a friend's Casio Elixim(?) 4MP camera), in terms of both its ability to focus properly and the quality of the photos produced.
- Close up photos are a strong point of this camera. I use it to make photo "scans" of important documents.
- Ignore the landscape, night (unless you have a tripod), and portrait settings. I haven't been to any sports events or anything similar so I haven't used the sport setting. Given the slightly blurred pictures I've gotten at football games from cameras set on Auto, this setting might be useful.
- The best pictures this camera takes are: close-ups; outdoor, well-lit environments; and photos (indoor or outdoor) where the flash has been used effectively, i.e., slightly dim environments with the subject no more than say 20 feet away depending on the lighting.
- I have not found any major problems with exposure or color-balance in the CX7430's pictures. If you want to take a picture of a sunset, however, focus the camera somewhere else first, then take the picture, otherwise the camera automatically adjusts to dilute the color of the sky (i.e., deep orange-pink becomes very light pink).
- Pictures taken indoors in low to medium lighting *without flash* bear a strong chance of blurring unless taken by very very steady hands. Pictures taken indoors outside the range of the flash (say, distance of 25 feet or more) are pretty much guaranteed to be blurred to a significant degree unless the environment is extremely well lit.
- Picture quality decreases significantly in darker environments, but this is typical of most cameras.
- Two-star quality photos are fine for almost all situations. Photo dimensions increase at the three-star setting but quality is not a whole lot better.
Other recommendations:
- Buy rechargeable batteries, they are a must for any digital camera. I suggest 1800mah (milli-amp hours) NiMH (Nickel-Metal-Hydride) rechargeables. The batteries will pay for themselves very very quickly.
- Some reviewers have liked the software included with the camera, but I usually avoid proprietary software--my understanding is that Kodak software especially is loaded with spyware/adware--and I personally have never used the software that came with the CX7430. To transfer photos, the "Microsoft Scanner and Camera Wizard" included with Windows XP has been more than adequate. (It should appear automatically when you connect the camera to your computer. If not, go to My Computer, look for the camera icon, and right click on it, then choose "Get pictures." It can also be accessed if you are using a card reader: go to My Computer, right click on the removeable drive, and choose "Autoplay," then find the wizard in the list.) The wizard lets you pick a name for the folder it will create for your photos under My Pictures, and names all of the photos and videos after the folder. I am surprised by the number of my friends who still do not use this simple, clean utility. Windows' Picture and Fax Viewer works fine for viewing photos. Editing, of course, is another matter.
- Buy a large memory card to take advantage of the camera's video features. I have gotten hours of priceless video of my friends and I studying in China. There are definitely times when still pictures just won't cut it, and even if you don't get a large memory card you will appreciate the ability to take a short clip every now and then. Memory prices have plummeted over the past year and a large card is definitely a worthy investment.
Bottom Line:
I highly recommend the Kodak CX7430. It's not a top-of-the-line model, but for those with modest photo and video needs, this is a superb value for the price.

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Kodak's EasyShare CX7430 offers high-resolution image capture with fully automatic point-and-shoot simplicity. You'll be able to print vibrant 20 x 30-inch enlargements thanks to the CX7430's resolution. The CX7430 also integrates Kodak's new camera Favorites feature for storing multiple pictures in an on-camera digital photo album. Other features include a 3x optical zoom, Kodak's new Color Science image processing, TV-quality (VGA) video capture and playback capability, an on-camera speaker, 16 MB internal memory, and compatibility with SD and MCC memory cards.
Optics and ResolutionThis camera has a maximum resolution of 4 megapixels (2304 x 1728 pixels), and it offers a 3.5 MP mode (optimized ratio for 4 x 6-inch prints), 2.1 MP, and 1.1 MP (good for emailing. The CX7430 has a Kokak Retinar aspheric all-glass lens with a 3x optical zoom (34-102mm, 35mm equivalent). It features through-the-lens (TTL) autofocus with multi-zone and center-spot selectable modes.
Movie Mode The CX7430 can capture both full-motion video with audio (20 frames per second at 320 x 240 pixels) and TV-resolution video (VGA; 640 x 480 pixels at 13 fps) with capacity dependent on available memory (16 MB internal memory included; additional memory may be added via the SD/MMC expansion slot). The included A/V cable enables you to show your masterpiece on TV quickly and easily.
More Features
1.6-inch indoor/outdoor LCD with 2x or 4x magnification
Built-in flash with auto, red-eye, fill, and off modes
White balance controls: auto, daylight, tungsten, and fluorescent
Scene modes: auot, portrait, landscape, night, close-up, sport, and movie
Color modes: Color, black and white, sepia
Click to capture time: 0.6 seconds
10-second self timer

Storage and Transfer Images can be stored within the CX7430's 16 MB internal memory, or on optional Secure Digital (SD) or MultiMedia (MMC) memory cards. It connects to Macs and Windows-based PCs via USB 1.1 connectivity.
Sharing With a touch of the red-jeweled Share button, you can store up to 100 pictures in an on-camera digital album. These pictures can then be shared anytime on the camera's large, 1.6-inch indoor/outdoor LCD screen. The Share button also allows selection of photos for printing and even e-mailing, with up to 32 e-mail addresses stored in the camera's memory.
Kodak Color Science Image Processing Chip Kodak's Color Science Image Processing Chip offers a new high-speed digital image processor, advanced algorithms, and hardware acceleration features that enable the CX7430 make simultaneous, split-second decisions to produce rich, vibrant, true-to-life colors in almost any lighting situation. Each time you click the shutter, the Kodak Color Science Chip performs an instantaneous and advanced analysis of collected scene data to identify and correct multiple factors that influence picture quality. Scene light source is detected and adjustments are made to capture bright whites and true, vivid colors under difficult lighting conditions--fluorescent, tungsten or daylight. Scene content is analyzed for luminance, focal distance, subject matter orientation and color to determine the correct exposure and capture the natural details, accurate flesh tones, and rich colors you see in your composition.
Power and Size The camera is powered by 2 AA batteries (alkaline included; NiMH rechargeables recommended). It measures 4.0 x 2.6 1.5 inches (W x H x D) and weighs 5.2 ounces without batteries.
What's in the Box This package contains the Kodak CX7430 digital camera, 2 AA batteries, USB and A/V cables, wrist strap, and custom camera insert for optional Kodak EasyShare 6000 series camera and printer docks.
Like all EasyShare cameras, the CX7430 includes Kodak EasyShare software for Windows and Macintosh systems, providing effortless digital picture transfer, organization, basic editing, sharing and printing. The software's exclusive One Touch to Better Pictures feature--which takes advantage of proprietary color technologies developed by Kodak--helps Windows OS users get vibrant, true-to-life prints from home inkjet printers, while significantly reducing the trial, error and waste usually associated with home photo printing.

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Kodak ESP 9 All-in-One Printer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First off, I ordered this printer on a home shopping network because I was so impressed with everything this printer offered. However, after I ordered it, I was really worried because of so many negative reviews, I was SO WORRIED in fact that I had just about decided that when my printer did arrive through UPS, I was going to send it back right away! Well, thank goodness I didn't do that, I decided I have 30 days to try it and if I don't like it, I can always send it back. When you first take your printer out of the box, there is alot of tape and styrofoam blocks that you have to take off and out of the printer, so make sure you get all of it, there are even some styrofoam blocks taped inside where the ink cartridges go.
Installing this printer was absolutely the easiest I have ever done on any printer. (took me less than 10 minutes!) My old HP printer took almost an hour to install! I connected my printer using my USB port first, then I also installed it using the wireless connection....everything went perfectly. Then came the printing!
I printed out 2 documents, one in color and the other in black and white, both came out perfectly. No errors in printing and the colors and blacks were perfect. I have had my printer for 3 days now and I am still printing photos, so far I have printed out about 12 4x6 color photos and about 40 black and white documents (front and back sides with the 2 sided printing option) My ink cartridges are now showing 60% full in color and 70% full in black. One thing you want to make sure of is that you use only KODAK paper because when I used my old HP photo paper, the colors were not as vivid as when I used the Kodak paper. (some of the customer complaints were about the reds not being very red and yellows not yellow) When I use my Kodak Premium Photo paper, the photos come out flawless, absolutely stunning in detail!Reds are just as red as can be!!! On my old HP paper, the photos still came out great but just not as vivid as on the Kodak paper.
One thing I did have to do is update the drivers on the Kodak website, because when I would go to print a 2 sided document (which you have to do all the necessary adjustments in the printers options menu) it would print the first side perfectly but when you turned your paper over, the text would be upside down! (hmmm!) AFTER I updated my drivers on the Kodak Website, it fixed that issue and now prints a 2 sided document like it is supposed to. The only other issue I had was when I used my "duplexer" after I updated my drivers, all of a sudden my duplexer started printing only in black and white. I tried to make the necessary adjustments in the printer menu but nothing worked. So I called tech support (which was very fast and courteous towards me, no waiting and very fast and knowledgeable about this printer) and the girl told me to go in and reset the printer to "default settings" under the configure settings menu, so I did and then the duplexer started printing in color and/or black and white like it is supposed to do!!!
Now everything is like it should be. The printer is not noisy at all while printing, it is however "a little noisy" while "spooling" or when you first turn your printer on and it performs it's usual setting up functions. Not so noisy that it bothers me in the least, but some people referred to the noise as being so terribly loud, mine is not that loud at all...yes it is a little louder than my old HP but not so loud that it is a concern. (I guess that is a big issue for some people)
The touchscreen is a very nice feature and works like a charm! The screen on the front is very clear and large and you can preview and edit your photos before you print them out directly from your printer!
Another thing that was a big complaint with alot of people is how the paper shoots out of this printer. WRONG! I don't think alot of those people even realized that when you pull out the paper catcher (which is located right above the paper drawers) there is a 3/4 inch lip or piece on the end that you have to slide up first. (I didn't even notice it there until yesterday!) It folds flat down on the paper catcher and it is hard to notice that piece at first but after I realized it folds UP and OUT, it catches ALOT of paper!!!! I printed out a bunch of documents and it caught everyone of them. Nothing flew out of my printer.
The paper drawers are really great, you can put regular printer paper in the bottom drawer and photo paper in the drawer just above it and the printer automatically knows what paper to use. The 2 sided printing is really great, it prints the first side of your paper, then sucks the paper back in and prints on the other side! (really neat feature!) It saves me alot on wasted paper too!!!
The camera card slots that are on the front of this printer is a nice feature too because as soon as you put in your SD card (or memory card) all your photos come up on the screen and you touch the arrows on the touchscreen to choose which picture you want to print and edit them if you wish and then print right off your memory card! You can even zoom in (or crop) your photos and the pictures come out really nice in your final prints! The scanner works really good - no problems at all scanning and printing, the copies come out perfectly for me!
I hope my review helps you in deciding whether or not you want to try this printer and if you have doubts, do like I did and try it first! (most stores allow you X amount of time to try it out and if you are not happy you can always return it) But truth be told, I know you will be impressed with this machine just as I am! I am so glad I tried this printer out first before relying on the negative reviews.
BUT TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE... I have only had this printer for 3 days now so if I do encounter any problems, I will update my review and let you know about it but so far so good!!!! I am highly impressed with this printer!!! The ink cartridges are so very inexpensive ($10.00 for black and $15.00 for color) and this Kodak ESP-9 prints out breathtaking photos and texts!!!

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Item #: 46031N. Kodak ESP 9 features advanced productivity and professional quality results. Print up to 2x more photos and documents for your money. Print, copy, scan and fax and save up to 50% on everything you print compared to similar consumer inkjet printers. It's the ultimate printer with unlimited productivity. Device Type: Fax / copier / printer / scannerFax Type: Plain paperDimensions (WxDxH): 17.6 in x 10 in x 17 inWeight: 21.8 lbsPrinting Technology: Ink-jet ( color )Inkjet Technology: 6-inkMax Printing Speed: Up to 32 ppm (mono) / up to 30 ppm (color)Max Fax Transmission Speed: 14.4 KbpsScanning: 2400 dpiDisplay: 3"Original Size: 8.5 in x 11.7 in (max)Original Type: SheetsDocument Feeder Capacity: 35 sheetsMedia Size: Legal (8.5 in x 14 in) (max)Media Type: Transparencies, envelopes, plain paper, labels, greeting cards, photo paperStandard Media Capacity: 100 sheetsPC Connection Availability: YesPC Connection: USB, Ethernet 10 Base-T, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11g, USB hostPower: AC 110 V ( 60Hz )Manufacturer Warranty: 1 year warranty Customers also search for: Technology\Printers and All-In-One Machines\Inkjet Printers and All-In-Ones\Inkjet All-In-One Machines Discount Kodak ESP 9 All-in-One - multifunction ( fax / copier / printer / scanner ) ( color ), Buy Kodak ESP 9 All-in-One - multifunction ( fax / copier / printer / scanner ) ( color ), Wholesale Kodak ESP 9 All-in-One - multifunction ( fax / copier / printer / scanner ) ( color ), 041771349479, 1349471, Inkjet All-In-One Machines

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Kodak ESP 7 All-in-One Printer Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)In order to keep my sanity, I disconnected this machine that was built by Kodak as an experiment on how much it takes to drive the poor purchaser insane. I'd donate it, but wouldn't sleep at night. Bought new 3/09, failed 5/09, replacement sent by Kodak 6/09.....received and disconnected 6/09. Want it?
Be careful in purchasing this. Setup was a breeze.
I thought it was a little strange when the black print would suddenly disappear. Problem solved by "cleaning printhead". Ok, must have done this several times a week.
Now, on the last cartridge install, the printer will not recognize the new cartrige. Will not print. OK, must be a bad cartridge, nope.
Chat with Kodak. After a lengthy time, it was determined that my printhead was bad. This printer is only two months old. Granted they are sending me a new one.
So, I ask whatever his name is, what the lifespan on the printheads is. His reply is 6 months. Oh goody. Printer is now going to die every couple of months needing a printhead.
Also - don't be fooled by ink savings. This sucker sucks them down.
All in all - I'm going back to my HP. A ton less aggrevating.
____________
Update - received new print head from Kodak, and printer still will not recognize the cartridges. Kodak is now sending another printer (I hope).
Please, please think carefully before you buy this. Read the reviews. Hesitate on those 5 star ones that are written quickly. Like previously said, worked great for a while, then realized what a piece of junk it truly is.
---------
Update to update....Well here we are in June 09. I still don't have the replacement printer from Kodak. After spending over an hour on chat and phone, they finally agree they received my piece of junk back and are sending a "new" one. Well, got the order via email and they are attempting to send a "certified refurbished". I didn't buy a refurbished printer, I bought a new piece of junk. If I'm going to get a piece of junk back at least it should be new and not a refurbished.
Customer Service also has a 1 star (or zero if I could). This is now going on two months and I still do not have a printer, as mine was received back to Kodak over 2 weeks ago without them sending the replacement until I called and spent MORE time dealing with this garbage.

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PRINTER, ALL IN ONE, KODAK ESP-7,

Get 17% OFF

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Kodak ESP-3 Easyshare All In One Printer (1629054) Review

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(More customer reviews)I previously owned a HP500 all in one printer before choosing the Kodak Easyshare ESP3. One reason was because the ink was too expensive and the Kodak seemed like a bargain because of the cheaper ink it offered. The black cartridge will run you $[...] and the color $[...]. I was paying around $[...] prior on ink. Making the total cost for the printer and ink around $165.00. BUT WHAT THEY DON'T TELL YOU is that this printer will only print those superior pictures on Kodak paper. It has a built in scanner that scans the back of the photo paper and automatically sets the image quality. The photo paper will run you around $9.00 bucks for regular glossy (4x6 @ 100 sheets)or the premium quality runs around the same price but you only get 60 4x6 sheets. (premium is better as it is heavier paper and doesn't fold as badly as the regular ones) Forget about using cheaper or other brands of photo paper, Kodak makes it so that they come out horrible. NOT ONLY is that a way to corner the market and make up for the cheap cost of the ink, one very very bad con is that you can forget about using regular non-photo paper. For black and white documents it's acceptable but color pictures are horrible on regular paper. Again Kodak offers something called ULTIMATE PAPER that makes the color quality acceptable. I tried using three different types of paper and only the Kodak paper was acceptable and not really good crisp bright color quality. My HP 500 was way better. This printer works as if it's already built in to work on it's own accessories and nothing else. This printer does not let you control the quality at all. It's set to AUTO PAPER even though i'm using an ultra bright white non kodak brand it will not let you adjust the type of paper you are using. So if you think that this printer is a simple easier way to go...think twice about it. For me since I like to print color copies on non-photo paper way more than print pictures I pretty much hate it because i'm limited on only using the Kodak Photo paper which is more expensive than other brands. The machine IS loud and when the paper comes out is bends, curls, or folds because the ink dries slowly on the regular paper. So expect to pay alot more for the accessories that does not come with this product because it pretty much rules out trying to use cheaper other brands. A side note: I also hate the paper tray because it's all black and makes it hard to load and the flap that holds it in place is very flimsy as if it's going to break off.
UPDATE:
Since my initial post it's unanimous: THIS IS THE WORST PRINTER EVER. I'm going to take it out in the yard and destroy it with a mallot and put it on youtube. Since I last wrote this review (I've had more time to play with it) I've had to call customer service and get new printer heads...TWICE. I just got my second printer head today and because it went out it drained the newly bought ink while I was doing their diagnostics. So now they tell me they'll have to send new ink for it tomorrow even though I had told them that it looked like it had drained the ink they said it would go back to normal. The problem was that the printer head could not detect the ink levels. I've been out of a printer for two weeks because of this. Now another day. Also when you can get customer service everytime I called I got someone from another country and you couldn't understand what they were saying half the time. It got so bad I asked them if they could tell me if there is a Kodak model other than this one that no one had many complaints on, they couldn't give me one. Also to reply to the man who said he didn't understand why I would do this and do that, it's because I use regular paper indstead of photo paper to save on the space for book scrapping, like it's really any of his business what I do with my own paper anyway. BEWARE BEWARE go with lexmark or an hp.

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Kodak ESP-5 EasyShare All-in-One Printer (8509408) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I am thoroughly impressed with the ESP-5. I was foaming at the mouth when Kodak came out with their first line of "All in One" 5300 series printers, but after having read many marginal reviews I decided to pass and fight it out with my Lexmark X7350 until the next Kodak generation arrived. I'm glad I waited and put shortly... Kodak has ARRIVED!
The Kodak ESP-5 prints great looking full frame 4x6 and 5x7 lab quality prints. The sheet feeder is both reliable and accurate. I print a lot of labels and reproducible alignment is important. The ESP-5 does a wonderful job in terms of reproducibility and color quality. The blank paper feed on my Lexmark is unreliable at BEST! The Kodak has been 100% in terms of mechanical reliability. Color rendition is basically "WYSIWYG" when compared to a calibrated monitor.
The scanner works reliably and produces great resolution scans with accurate tonal quality.
I am also thoroughly impressed with the Kodak Perfect Touch technology software included in the Kodak Home Center. The enhancements such as color restoration and sharpening work fantastic. Please look at the Humming bird picture that I took and enhanced with the included Kodak Home Center.
And last but not least is the cost of the refill cartridges. Thank goodness I'll no longer have to run down and buy another expensive Lexmark or HP ink cartridge. Kodak has a great product with a great marketing strategy... i.e. Sell a decent printer with reasonably priced inks, unlike Lexmark and HP who basically give you the printer for $40 and make their $$$$ on overpriced ink that they purposely engineer so that you can't refill and reuse them. (I still can't grasp Lexmark's and HP's "One Use" License concept...)
Simply put. As soon as you use up that last expensive Lexmark or HP ink cartridge either recycle your old printer or put it in the nearest dumpster and run and buy yourself the Kodak ESP-5!
Footnote 1: I downloaded the latest Kodak Home Center software and ESP-5 firmware upgrade before I printed my first page, so I can't attest to the original software version that came in the box. Seems like all manufacturers always have an upgraded version waiting on their website. This approach worked flawlessly for me, so I'd suggest you do the same.
Footnote 2: I'm running Windows XP (latest service pack) and have had no software problems.
Footnote 3: I am in no way associated with Kodak, Lexmark or HP. Just trying to provide an honest unbiased review based on my experiences.
Footnote 4: The ESP-5 came with an USB cable and bonus Print Artist software. Printing directly from the SD memory card slot works great.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Kodak ESP-5 EasyShare All-in-One Printer (8509408)

Click here for more information about Kodak ESP-5 EasyShare All-in-One Printer (8509408)

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Kodak ESP 3 All-in-One - Multifunction ( printer / copier / scanner ) - color - ink-jet - printing (up to): 30 ppm (mono) / 29 ppm (color) - 100 sheets - Hi-Speed USB, USB host (DE; FR; UK Version) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)*** Update February 22, 2009 ***
New rating: 1
(The Amazon site won't let me change the actual rating so the best I can do is put in this comment.)
After 9 months the printer started malfunctioning. With full ink cartridges it would print horribly as though it was out of ink. I had an extended warranty but was told they can't get parts to fix it. Fortunately I was allowed to exchange for a different make. Until now all of my comments below held true - but reliability with this unit seems to be a problem.
*** Original Review***
I have had the printer for about 2.5 months now and haven't had any problems. Had it set up and working in a matter of minutes.
Some other reviewers seem unhappy about its lack of bluetooth or that it doesn't have a USB cable in the box. This didn't bother me because I wasn't expecting it to be bluetooth compatible, and I knew it didn't have the USB cable in the box.
Pros:
- Easy set up. Installed drivers from CD, plugged in USB cable, worked like a charm.
- Prints fast
- I love having scanning and copying capabilities built in. Have used both and it worked just fine.
- Inexpensive ink
Cons:
- Louder than most printers (I have seen other reviewers comment on this as well)
- The paper tray design is a little weird. The output paper almost lies on top of the input paper. Seems to work fine for smaller print jobs but my guess is that it wouldn't for larger print jobs.
- Copying/scanning must be done one page at a time. But this is typical of most home printers.
- Would be nice to have automatic duplex printing. But most home printers don't.
So if you're looking for a high end professional office printer for high volume copying, duplex printing, etc., then this probably isn't the printer for you. If you need a decent home printer/scanner/copier it works great.


Click Here to see more reviews about: Kodak ESP 3 All-in-One - Multifunction ( printer / copier / scanner ) - color - ink-jet - printing (up to): 30 ppm (mono) / 29 ppm (color) - 100 sheets - Hi-Speed USB, USB host (DE; FR; UK Version)

Click here for more information about Kodak ESP 3 All-in-One - Multifunction ( printer / copier / scanner ) - color - ink-jet - printing (up to): 30 ppm (mono) / 29 ppm (color) - 100 sheets - Hi-Speed USB, USB host (DE; FR; UK Version)

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