Entered CNET Catalog: 10/04/2001
SKU: 0074100175289
Manufacturer: Polaroid Corp.
Manufacturer description
Polaroid P-500 printer is the simplest way ever to create prints directly from your digital camera. It is the first truly mobile photo printer! The P-500 allows you to print photographs anywhere, anytime without a computer. Simply insert a CompactFlash or SmartMedia card (with included adapter) directly into the printer, choose only the image or images you want to print, and push a button for instant full color prints in about 20 seconds. The new Polaroid P-500 printer uses Polaroid Type 500 instant film - therefore there is no need to buy batteries or use an external power cord. The P-500 automatically resizes JPEG files from any brand of digital camera to create great prints. The P-500 even supports DPOF image file formats.Product summary
The good: Fast print-to-print time; simple operation; powered by the film pack's internal battery.
The bad: The small, 2-by-3-inch print size may be a bit too tiny for some; indexing prints is not always easy.
The bottom line: Lightweight and always juiced up, this portable printer is a take-me-along, must-have accessory that's fun and easy to use.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 03/05/2001
Cheap and easy
Weighing just more than a pound, the P-500 costs $249 and outputs an image size of about two by three inches. Since the P-500 uses Polaroid Type 500 instant film, which has built-in battery power, there is no need for supplementary batteries or an external power cord to run the printer.
Operating the P-500 is also as simple as pie. Just open the film compartment, insert the film pack, snap the door shut, and hit the On button, which will instantly eject the pack cover. Next, open the sliding side door, insert a CompactFlash Type I or a SmartMedia card (using the included adapter) and you're ready to print. The P-500 outputs only images shot in JPEG, so if you're shooting in TIFF or other formats, consider yourself warned.
If available, you can use your digicam's DPOF (Digital Print Order Feature) to select the photos you want to print, but this entails working through your digital camera's LCD menu, which may take some time. You can also make a note of the shot number in the camera's LCD monitor for input to the P-500, but that won't work if the printer doesn't support your digicam's file numbering system, which is the case for a small minority of digicams.
Not to worry, though, the P-500 offers an ingenious alternative: its easy Lock feature (this setting, which can be found on most cameras, prevents your favorite photos from being erased). With it, the printer searches for each locked print and outputs those images directly to the printer--simple, straightforward, classic Polaroid.
Prints in no time
The P-500 can shoot out a print every 45 seconds, and the ejected images develop outside the printer in three minutes, just like all Polaroid film. You can queue images in any order, print multiple copies, even cancel printing in midstream. Overall, the exposure and color were excellent, with sharpness equal to that of a standard Polaroid photo.
While putting the P-500 through its paces, we never once ran out of power and found it nice to know that we could use the P-500 anywhere in the world without worrying about supplies, batteries, or issues with the local voltage. The included shoulder strap further attests to this printer's go-anywhere ruggedness.
The Polaroid P-500 is a great, little, self-powered portable printer if you're looking for one. And even if you aren't looking for one, once you see this tool in action, it's bound to become a permanent part of your digital arsenal just because it's so much fun to use.
