I was certainly surprised when the Epson P600 arrived. It’s big, and it came with a box full of ink cartridges and paper – both sheets and rolls. I couldn’t wait to plug it in and get it started.
As with any new device, especially as I’m not familiar with some of the advanced features of photo printers, there was a lot to learn. Even figuring out which side of the paper is the printing side is new. Things didn’t seem to go well at first – I had trouble getting the Mac driver installed – but once I’d overcome the initial hurdles, it quickly turned into a rewarding exercise.
The generous supply of paper and ink gave me the freedom to try things that I might not have under other circumstances – multiple prints with slight modifications in settings, or with different paper types. The paper and inks are not inexpensive, and I wasn’t really able to calculate even an estimate of cost per page, but my observation is that cartridges actually last quite a long time – even when the display seems to show very little ink remaining, there were many prints left to go.
However, if you’re concerned about cost this might not be the right printer. I don’t want to suggest that it’s a “money is no object” device, but a few pennies/dollars spent on test prints to get the settings – either in Lightroom or in the printer – just right is worthwhile to achieve a high quality image. After all, it’s not just the cost of the print – there are also the costs of mounting or framing to consider. The P600 will reward that diligence and attention to detail with stunning images.
The manual suggests that the paper be handled with gloves, which is why I’m wearing cotton gloves for many scenes. I hadn’t really used gloves since I stopped handling film. They’re becoming increasingly difficult to purchase. I found a few pairs at Downtown Camera in Toronto. The images were plac mounted by Costco. If I wasn’t in a hurry, or if I was being more finicky, I’d take them to Toronto Image Works.
My thanks to Epson and to Media Profile for suggesting this product for review, and their assistance during the evaluation period. The opinions are my own. Note that I’m not an employee of Epson or Media Profile, I was not compensated for this review and neither Epson or Media Profile was given the opportunity to review the post or the video prior to release. Although it’s still under consideration, I do not own this printer.
The video was recorded using a Sony NEX VG20 (on camera) and aSony A6000 (product shots) digital cameras. Manfrotto tripods, Lowel lighting. On camera mic is a Sennheiser EW2 wireless kit, voiceovers recorded with a Rode NT-USB. Edited on an iMac using Final Cut X.
