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 Dye-sub printers are essential for most event photographers--with good reason. High-end dye-subs, such as Mitsubishi's new CP-9550DW ($1,895, street), are usually solidly built machines that quickly churn out tough, nearly waterproof prints. If you want to start shooting soccer tournaments or skating competitions and print your photos on the spot, this Mitsubishi makes sense.
At 11.8x12.8x14.3 inches and 37.4 pounds, it's not easy to tote. But its size and weight add up to one tough unit, and that bulk houses a lot of media. Both paper and ribbon come mounted on spools that load easily into the front of the printer, and their refills yield many prints at low cost: for 4x6s, up to 600 at just under 21 cents each; for 5x7s, 350 at under 56 cents; and for 6x9s, 270 prints at under 67 cents each.
Pros will appreciate the software that's included: In addition to basic driver software, which we installed in about 5 minutes, this Mitsubishi comes with ExpressDigital for Windows and TriPrism TEPS-X for Mac. Both software packages let you tweak and print photos, as well as organize your work based on the type of project. ExpressDigital also lets you create customized sports cards on your own, or send print orders to a lab for even lower-cost printing.
Printing is fast. In our tests, borderless 4x6s took a mere 37 seconds each, and borderless 5x7s took 55 seconds.
The color is on par with other dye-sub units. As is typical for printers that contain CMY ribbons, blacks were a bit muddy and colors were less vibrant than on most 6-color inkjets. In our color accuracy test, the Mitsubishi scored an Acceptable rating (Avg. Delta E: 12.77). That's about what you'd get from a film print, but nowhere near the Excellent rating of a printer like Canon's iP8500 (Avg. Delta E: 6.99).
Nonetheless, a few raindrops can wreak havoc on most inkjet prints; but not for prints from this Mitsubishi. If you want tough prints, and want them fast, the CP-9550DW may be the printer for you. p
Certified Test Results
Resolution: Very High (346x346 dpi).
Color Accuracy: Acceptable (Avg. Delta E: 12.77).
Shadow/highlight detail: High. Contrast: Normal.
Image quality: High (based on tests with Mitsubishi roll paper).
Print speed: Very Fast; 55 sec for 5x7, 37 sec for 4x6.
Vital statistics: Dye-sublimation thermal transfer printer (C, M, Y, Overcoat). Accepts paper rolls for 3.5x5-, 4x6-, 5x7- and 6x9-inch prints, plus 4x6 postcard stock; Hi-Speed USB 2.0. 11.8x12.8x14.3-in., 37.4 lb.
Street Price: $1,895.
In the box: Power cable, software (drivers, ExpressDigital, TriPrism TEPS-X).
For info: www.mitsubishi-imaging.com; 888-307-0388.
What's Hot:
- High price.
- Heavy, not easy to transport.
What's Not:
- Fast, reliable printer.
- Low, predictable cost per print.
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