Customer Reviews

Sony DPP-SV77 Digital Photo Printer with Fold-up Monitor

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought the DPP-SV77 because I wanted a way to take my digicam media (CompactFlash) directly from the camera and make prints without using a PC. While the DPP can be connected to a computer, the built-in LCD makes this really unnecessary.

Overall, I really like the printer, and will use it a lot to run out copies from my digicam. High points are of course print quality (which while somewhat oversaturated is definitely pleasing) and ease of use.

I found the passive-matrix LCD screen less than great; it has a slow refresh time and isn't optimal for evaluating the exposure quality of a photo. For this reason, I consider the built-in image editing tools a waste of time (and expensive paper); better to get the exposure right using your PC's image editing software.

The printing process also "feels" a bit rickety; the paper goes through four cycles (yellow, magenta, cyan, and an overcoat) and pokes out of the front and back of the printer each time; be careful not to touch it before the print is done. And there are various grinding and clicking noises during the (roughly 2 minute) print cycle that seem at odds with a modern electronic product (inkjets and laser are much quieter).

Nevertheless, the output looks great. You can print either glossy or textured prints, and the borderless option is indistinguishable from a processed film print you'd get at Wal-mart (except that the DPP output will probably be sharper and have better color).

I use a four megapixel camera at full resolution with this printer (roughly matching its maximum 2418x1612 resolution). I did note that the 4x6 aspect ratio (1:1.5) was somewhat longer and narrower than the photos I had taken (1:1.33), and the top and bottom of the picture were cut off upon output. Watch for this, as no warning is given on the screen of any mismatch between aspect ratios.

I also tried output from a 2mp camera, and while the shots were softer they still look very, very good.

Media (paper and dye-sub ink come bundled) is expensive, about seventeen bucks on average for a 25-pack of 4x6 materials. Interestingly, the paper was much cheaper in Japan (ten clams per pack or so), and I have seen ten-packs on e Bay where the price is as low as seven or eight bucks.

Overall, this printer is ideal if you don't want to have to be connected to your computer to output prints from your digipics. This frees you to do things like bring the camera and printer to parties for instant-gratification output. If you are okay with a stationary printer dependent on the PC, I would go with one of the cheaper Sonys with the same print engine and no LCD display.

If you enjoy printing photos at home from your digital camera, then the Sony Digital Photo printer is a must! I purchased this item a few days ago and have come to the conclusion that the pros definitely outweigh the cons. The PROS: (1) According to Sony, pictures will not fade or yellow for at least 100 years (ink jets do not even come close to this timeframe); (2) Beautiful pictures that rival (even beat) those developed at a photo lab; (3) Pictures will not be ruined if they accidentally get wet - they are protected by a special laminate coating process; (4) Printer was very easy to use and set-up (if you have Windows XP, make sure you download and execute the XP driver from the Sony website despite the fact that the read me file on the CD-Rom says XP drivers are included). The CONS: (1) Print speed is slow - about two minutes for a 4x6 photo; (2) The Sony 4x6 photo paper is rather pricey ...(3) The printer will only print 4x6 and 3.5x4 photos - another printer is needed for other print jobs. One more thing to mention....you can use a Compact Flash Card with this unit but you must purchase a PCMCIA card adapter ....In closing, I must say that I am extremely satisfied with this printer and do not regret this purchase!!

I now have three photo printers, including the HP 1315, which prints 8X10s with great fidelity. But all things considered this is the best photo printer I own.

Why?

The answer lies in the process. The finest commercial printing establishments use dye sublimation printers. These prints are a smoother and more stable. In short it was worth the higher cost of the printer.

What about the printing costs? In a sense it is more economical than ink jet printers. One ribbon per paper pack means no doubt that the printer will properly color the picture because there is always enough dye for each print.

Paper and ribbons are affordable, and the paper comes in several formats, though none is larger than 4X6.

The Sony Digital Photo Printer -- with its dye sublimation technology -- easily prints the most oustanding digital photos I've ever seen. The photos are borderless, waterproof and archival! And the colors are more vibrant than any ink jet photo I've ever made.

As a comparison, I also have a HP PS 100 and PS 1315, both of which make excellent 4x6 prints. But the Sony -- in terms of image quality -- easily blows them both away!

The printer uses (Sony branded) 4x6 paper (and printer ribbons) which are available from many sources, (such as Amazon.com, Best Buy and Staples). The printer uses heat to transfer the ink from the ribbon to the paper. I don't quite understand how it works. I just know that it makes fantastic photos!

The colors are so dramatic and intense, my friends and family can see the difference -- immediately -- when I show them my pictures.

The built-in fold-up monitor is also very useful in helping me to find just the image I want to print. I've been extremely happy overall with my Sony Digital Photo Printer.

For the best 4x6 photos -- bar none(!) -- this is definitely the printer to get!

We use this printer as a standalone photo printer with our Sony digital camera and 128 meg memory stick. Well worth the investment. Photos are professional quality. Yes, the paper is expensive, about 50 cents a photo more or less. You get a new cartridge with each box of 25 photos. Printer is a little slow but it really is like having a photo lab in your house. It's the first photo printer the rest of the family can use without dragging me over to the computer. That alone makes it worth it.

I bought the Sony Digital Photo Printer (DPP-SV77) about a year ago with the intention of using it for all my
photo printing. It is easy to use, compact, and fits anywhere. It produces a great looking photo. The photos that measure 4 by 6 inches are perfect for printing postcards or borderless prints.

Negatives: It prints too slow, and it's hard to find the glossy sheets of printing paper/print cartridge packets
that are much too expensive. I'm wondering if they are becoming obsolete??

This makes nice quick photos, but for enlargements and other custom work, this will not be the one to use.

I give this product 4 stars, deducting one star because of the negatives.

We bought the DPP-SV77 because we recently had twins and wanted to make photos available immediately for friends and family. Our printer for our PC just wasn't up to the job. This printer has some legitimate problems but does a credible job if you don't mind some oversaturation on your color prints. The machine tends to put way too much red in photographs especially caucasian skin tones. Where the machine really shines is the black and white mode. Beautiful pictures! Great contrast, and an accurate grey scale. I also really like the ability to make wallet size prints. The manual is pretty exhaustive, to be honest I never read it. We use a sony digital camera with memory stick so compatibility is smooth and effortless. The controls are very intuitive and I found that while the flip up monitor wasn't terribly bright and often misleading (some menus are difficult to read, the colors on the monitor don't reflect your end result) it was still nice not needing to be hooked up to a PC. Overall, it was worth the money for us, it does what we wanted it to do. However, because of the color "problem" and the fact that there is a finite size you can make a print (4 X 6) if I take some really good color pictures that I want to blow up or frame I'll be taking my business to a professional printer.

This is one of the easiest electronic products to use from the many that I have purchased. You plug it in and put in your digital cameras photo stick and it does the rest. The photos appear on the screen and you can scroll through them and when you see the one you want to print you hit the print button and it does the rest. The photo quality is very good and the best part is you don't have to take rolls of film to the store and then wait for your pictures to be developed. You can enjoy them immediatly.

In my book, if you deliver a product that works you've hit the target. If it doesn't work out of the box then you get to test the support system -- in this case, Sony gets an "F". I have a Dell with Windows ME (original OS install - seemed to matter to Sony support). I used the installation disk that came with the photo printer and it didn't work (no release notes). The "readme" instructions said to do the installation differently -- that didn't work. Looked at the Sony support web site and found no information. Called Sony support after spending four hours trying to make it work. They told me to download an update for a different printer model and that would solve the problem. It didn't. I called Sony support back again and they told me this printer was not compatible with Windows ME. I told them where in THEIR manual they would find installation instructions for Windows ME. They suggested that I call Dell for a firmware update. And so on! If you only use the photo printer as a standalone device and have compatible media it produces an excellent picture. If you intend to connect it to your computer I'd look for a different manufacturer's solution.

This printer is definetly worth it!1 It prints amzing pictures.