Outstanding 4X6 Photo Printer
Pros:
Small, economical and easy to use features are best for the casual photographer.
Cons:
Printer prints relatively slow, precluding high volume print jobs; troublesome software installation.
The Bottom Line:
I would enthusiastically recommend this printer for anyone who needs to print small numbers of photos. Its ease of use makes it a snap for the casual photographer.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I am no expert in photography but realized that it was time to update to a digital camera. After shopping on-line and reading these pages I opted for the HP 385/M525 bundle offered through Best Buy.
I was surprised at the compactness of the printer and worried that it might prove fragile. No cause for worries up to this point. The printer works great and is surprisingly easy to use. I even found the HP M525 camera easy to use, though I miss not having a viewfinder on the camera. The trend seems to be that many digital cameras makers are omitting viewfinders in their less expensive models, and that is too bad. Still, the HP is easy to use in most lighting conditions, though the screen is tough to see in bright sun.
Picture quality of the camera-printer combo has been sharp and clear, with a very good telescopic function. I was able to photograph some wildlife right in my backyard with amazing clarity from my closed glass sliding door. Using the telescopic feature I picked up some amazing detail on small reptile sunning himself on top of my patio wall.
The printing of the photos was very good, though the printer is not the fastest. The printer comes with about 100 sheets of high quality photo paper, a very reasonable amount for my initial use. The photo paper is widely available. Printer controls are very easy to operate; there is a flip up LCD display on top of the printer that shows ink level and permits some basic editing. The printer accepts most common data cards.
On the camera I had some concerns about the battery life. The M525 can take common AA batteries, but their life is limited to about 80 shots. Fortunately there are AA lithium batteries readily available that can extend battery life to 400+ shots.
I had some trouble loading the software that goes with the printer and had to delete the installation and reinstall on my PC, which is a new HP Media Center model. That whole process was a bit annoying but I did manage to complete it satisfactorily.
This photo printer is best suited for the weekend/holiday photographer such as myself. Printing high volumes of photos would require a different printer. The package advertises a printing cost of $0.24 per page; that seems about right. The HP 97 ink cartridge that the PS385 takes is common and not outlandishly priced, making the machine attractive to users such as myself.
