PMA 2005: CNET covers the show

There's little in the way of middle ground for this year's photo printer announcements: you have a choice of enthusiast/entry-level pro models capable of B-size output or models for snapshot photographers that print at 4x6 or less. And it looks like the trend for 2005 is the ability to print directly from camera phones, though it'll be interesting to watch manufacturers try to wade through the IrDA standards. We're disappointed that Epson still hasn't announced the long-awaited successor to the Stylus Photo 2200, but the R1800 will probably fill the needs of many of enthusiasts. And HP's first stab at a real enthusiast printer--previous models fell short when it came to color management and paper handling--has a lot going for it, at least until you look under the hood and see the typical three-colors-in-one inkjet cartridges.

Model	Price & availability	Specifications	Special features
Epson Stylus Photo R1800	US$550 (S$949) March 2005	13x44-inch or smaller prints; 5,760x1,440 CMYKRB pigment inks plus Gloss Optimizer; rated speed of 111 seconds for 11x14	This medium-format version of the R800 should please all but black-and-white fans--no photo gray inks, as with the Stylus Photo 2200. It prints on optical discs, though.
Canon Selphy CP-600	US$250 (S$449) April 2005	3.9x7.9 and smaller prints; 300dpi CMY dye sublimation; rated speed of 63 seconds for 4x6	Zippier printing, an optional battery pack, and camera phone support via IrOBEX are the highlights of this snapshot printer.
HP Photosmart 8750	US$500 (S$849) April 2005	13x19 inches or smaller prints; 4,800x1,200 nine-color (CMYKB, light CM, two gray) dye inks; rated speed of 29 seconds for a 4x6	HP's first true enthusiast photo printer has great specs, including built-in networking and a straight-through paper path. Unfortunately, it doesn't use individual ink tanks.
HP Designjet 90	US$995 (S$1,649) Summer 2005	18x24 inches or smaller prints; 2,400dpi, six-color (CMYK, light CM) dye inks; rated speed of 4 minutes for 11x17	The low end of HP's true pro graphics printer line, this is where individual ink tanks suddenly become more efficient.
Fujifilm Digital Mobile Printer MP-70	US$100 (S$169) Summer 2005	3.4x2.1-inch prints; 254dpi RGB prints; rated speed of 20 seconds	A handheld photo printer designed specifically for printing images from a camera phone via IR. At launch, it's compatible with selected phones from Nokia, Siemens, and Sony Ericsson.
Sony PictureStation DPP-FP50	US$200 (S$349) May 2005	4x6-inch; 300dpi CMY dye sublimation; rated speed of tk seconds	A redesigned, more fully featured version of the DPP-FP30, this model includes SD and CompactFlash slots in addition to Memory Stick and a wireless remote.

PMA 2005: what to expect at the show