New toy - Printer

[Greg_Nuspel]

I picked up an Epson 3800 printer this week and oh boy is it ever wonderful. Making prints that match your monitor, just too cool. One problem is I discovered Ilford Galerie Gold Fibre Silk, expensive but wow. I've printed a few 13"x19" prints and they just pop. :goodvibes

[Mad Aussie]

Sounds awesome.

[JAS_Photo]

Very cool! I have the Canon pro9500 which I bought on sale a while ago. I have been using different Hahnemuhle papers. The textured ones give a very painterly, arty effect. The fine art baryta gloss is quite lovely. I printed up a couple of the photos from the Happy Days thread using it and was very pleased with the results. The largest size I have used is 11 X 17 though as the 13 X 19 is rather expensive. :)

Here is a further link: http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/printers/baryta.shtml That Ilford paper does sound nice.

[F8&Bthere]

Congrats!

I've been soooo tempted to do this too. For a long time I was eyeballing the Epson R1900. But even though I haven't done enough research and number-crunching... I just keep thinking that the cost per print with good paper, ink and all, that it'll be crazy expensive- unless I was going to either a) sell prints b) hang them on my walls or c) use for a pro portfolio or exhibit. For me it's d) none of the above. Besides I've already blown my budget on other things =kick-a$$ digital darkroom (and I just had to add on a Nikon factory demo SB-800 from the US for good measure since they are long discontinued and disappearing fast. And I can't believe I paid more for it than they cost when they were on the market....stupid supply and demand! I just refuse to pay $600 for that nice-but-monstrous SB900.)

[Greg_Nuspel]

I went for the 3800 because it's ink was in a reasonable size cartridge, not so big it will dry out and not so small it cost double to refill. Also I've been very happy with the prints I've made so far.

I did get a SB-900. A very kind uncle with no children gave me some fun money and I'm having fun ;)

[F8&Bthere]

ahhh, yeah I feel like a nimrod paying US$399 for a factory demo SB800 when they were only around CA$350 brand new with Nikon Canada warranty a year or two ago... but I saw some photos comparing the SB900 to SB800 in size and I'm a guy who normally like things that are compact- if I'm not sacrificing anything else major. Then I checked the price of the SB900 at vistek online and it was $599, and the CA/US exchange rate is low again, so it was just enough to push me off the fence. Of course in the end (exchange, shipping etc) I probably only saved $100 or so getting the older model, and it was exactly that thinking that got me to buy the SB600 instead of the 800 in the 1st place (irony in that SB600 hasn't been superceded by a new model and is still available today at same price as it was then).

It's just like all my lens buying habits- should've just done the right thing in the first place, which usually involves not thinking too cheaply!

Wish I had a nice generous uncle like that!!!!

[JAS_Photo]

Well, it's Art Walk this weekend in Calgary so a visit to some galleries to see what they are showing in the line of digital media would be interesting. Well that and any other kind of art as well. :)

[tirediron]

Congrats - new gear is ALWAYS good!