Digital Camera News and Reviews

Canon PIXMA iX6550

Canon has announced a new A3+ printer called Canon PIXMA iX6550 / iX6540. Canon says that this is their most compact A3+ printer in the PIXMA line. It is 30% smaller than its predecessor the iX4000, and is targeted at more advanced users wanting high quality photo prints in large size.

The printer is called Canon PIXMA iX6550 in Europe and iX6540 in Middle East and Africa. The PIXMA will be released in March 2011.

Press release:
Compact, stylish and versatile – Canon launches the new PIXMA iX6550
LONDON, UK, 7 February 2011 – Canon today announced the launch of the most compact A3+ printer in its PIXMA range. With increased speed and advanced software, the affordable PIXMA iX6550 is approximately 30 percent smaller than its predecessor, and features a stylish design requiring minimum desk space.

Replacing the PIXMA iX4000, the PIXMA iX6550 is ideal for advanced home and office users looking for superb quality when producing photos or documents; offering complete functionality for everyday business tasks including printing large spreadsheets, newsletters and schedules.

Advanced print quality
The PIXMA iX6550 includes 5 Single Inks which are individually replaceable to optimise ink usage and features a pigment black ink for crisp, sharp text. The PIXMA iX6550 uses dye inks to produce exceptional quality photos with minimum 1 picolitre ink droplets, and maximum 9,600dpi print resolution. For document printing, the PIXMA iX6550 has impressive ISO ESAT speeds of approximately 11.3ipm in mono, and 8.8ipm in colour. It can produce a photolab-quality 10x15cm borderless photo print in approximately 36 seconds[1].

Practical solutions and software
Featuring a range of superior software, the PIXMA iX6550 is a versatile and creative option for users looking for advanced functionality. Easy-WebPrint EX plug-in offers smart, yet simple web printing, allowing users to clip, combine and print pages from multiple websites. Users of the PIXMA iX6550 also have access to Solution Templates, allowing small businesses to download and customise general notices, menus and point of sale material. The templates are compatible with Microsoft Word and help create quick and professional looking documents. The enhanced Canon Easy-PhotoPrint EX makes printing photos and more creative content easy and has the benefit of direct access to Flickr®.

Canon’s unique Full HD Movie Print enables users to print images by selecting a single frame from a full HD movie captured on select Canon Digital SLR or Canon Digital Still Cameras.

With use of genuine inks the PIXMA iX6550 features ChromaLife 100+ for long lasting beautiful photos and customers can also access CREATIVE PARK PREMIUM to print and use a range of high quality professional content, including exclusive images from recognised artists.

Availability
The PIXMA iX6550 is available across Europe from March 2011.

PIXMA iX6550 – key features:
* Ultra compact and stylish A3+ printer ideal for home or small offices
* Photolab-quality prints with minimum 1picolitre ink droplets and up to 9600dpi
* 5 Single Ink Tanks minimise waste and print costs
* Efficient document print speeds – ISO ESAT 11.3ipm for black and 8.8ipm for colour
* Print high quality 10x15cm borderless photos in approximately 36 seconds
* Create professional marketing materials with Solution Templates
* Print quality photos from movies captured with select Canon cameras using Full HD Movie Print
* Efficient web printing with Easy-WebPrint EX
* Access exclusive professional content with CREATIVE PARK PREMIUM
* ChromaLife100+ for long lasting beautiful photos

Brother MFC-J6710DW

About.com has reviewed a multifunction printer from Brother. The printer is called Brother MFC-J6710DW and is able to print, copy, scan and fax. The manufacturer claims that the inkjet printer is able to print up to 35 pages per minute.

Some key features for the Brother MFC-J6710DW printer:
-Print speeds up to 35 pages per minute in black and 27 pages per minute in color
-Built-in duplex printing
-Able to print, copy, fax and scan
-Dual paper trays for total capacity of 500 sheets
-Wireless and ethernet connectivity
-3.3″ widescreen color LCD display

About.com ends up giving the MFC-J6710DW an overall score of 3 out of 5 possible stars. On the positive side the printer is easy to use, has wireless printing, quite a bit of capacity and it is relatively fast. On the negative side we find aspects such as big size and the blacks don’t print deeply at normal quality. If you need larger prints and wireless printing this might be your choice for a smaller office environment.
Read the full review of the Brother MFC-J6710DW All-in-One multifunction printer here.

Ricoh G700

CNET UK has tested a rugged digital camera from Ricoh called Ricoh G700. The G700 has over 12 megapixels and is able to withstand drops from up to 2 meters and you can take pictures with it under water.

Some key features for the Ricoh G700:
-12.1 megapixel image sensor
-5x optical zoom lens (28-140mm)
-3″ LCD screen
-Withstand a drop of up to 2 meters
-Water-resistant to a depth of 5m
-Records 720p HD videos

CNET UK ends up giving the Ricoh camera a mediocre review with an overall score of 3 out of 5 possible stars. On the positive side the reviewer finds aspects such as that it is weather resistant, useful zoom range and ease to use, but there are some negative points to including high price tag, the image quality could be better and the camera is not for everyone. If you are often taking photos in ruff conditions this might be a camera for you, but you should take a look at other other rugged cameras on the market.
Read the full review of the Ricoh G700 rugged digital camera here.

Dell 2355dn

Trusted Reviews has tested a multifunction mono laser printer from Dell. The printer is called Dell 2355dn and is able to print up to 35 letter-sized pages per minute, or so Dell claims. Let us hear what the reviewer thinks about this Dell laser printer.

Some key features for the Dell 2355dn:
-Print speeds up to 35 letter-sized pages per minute
-600×600 dpi print resolution
-80,000 maximum monthly duty cycle
-4.3” color LCD touch screen
-50 sheets Automatic Document Feeder (ADF)
-50-sheet multi-purpose tray

Trusted Reviews ends up giving the 2355dn an overall score of 8 out of 10 possible points. The printer scores highest on features, almost as high on print speeds and value for your money, while the Dell scores a little lower on print quality. Overall the printer is fast and has low running cost so if you are looking for a mono laser for the office, this Dell printer might be your choice.
Read the full review of the Dell 2355dn multifunction mono laser printer here.