Two digital photo frames that try to do more

The creep of convergence—that is, of devices that take on extra tasks once done by separate, standalone units—has now reached the digital photo frame, with mixed results. Yesterday, we blogged about the Sony DPF-V700, $189, a decent-performing 7-inch frame that's also a fine slide-show player for your HDTV. Today's post covers two more attempts to integrate a digital photo frame with another device: the SmartParts SP8PRT, $279, an 8-inch frame with a built-in printer, and the GE 27956FE1, $130, a 7-inch frame with a built-in cordless phone.

Both are the first of their kind that we've seen and tested in our labs. And an electronic picture frame that does more than just show off digital photos might sound cool—and a seemingly perfect gift for Father's Day or recent graduate.

Unfortunately, neither the SmartParts or the GE digital picture frame fulfills the promise of convergence.

PMA2008: Two serious printers for serious photographers

HP and Epson, as well as other printer manufacturers, showed a variety of printers, from the very inexpensive snapshot models to very large-format models costing thousands. Two in particular caught my eye: The Epson Stylus Photo R1900 (right) and the HP Photosmart Pro B8850 Photo (below). (Click on the images for a closer look.)

The pair have several things in common. Both were announced in January and are targeted at the advanced amateur, one who most likely owns a digital SLR and wants to get the most from those photos. Both can print up to 13- x 19-inch prints (or longer panoramas). They each use an 8 pigment-based cartridge system, as opposed to a dye-based one, since the longevity of pigment is supposedly twice as long. Both are priced around $550. And from the specs and product demos, both offer quite a variety of printing options that will be quite exciting for most any photographer, from the ability to print on paper of varying texture to traditional black-and-white prints.

One of the improvements on the Epson R1900, the successor to Epson's R1800, is (according to Epson) enhanced gloss in the ink, making it much smoother than the R1800's gloss coating. The ink set itself has also undergone an overhaul: the new Ultrachome Hi-Gloss 2 ink set now includes a new red and orange cartridge, which Epson says offers more accurate facial color tones. Epson's also says that it has improved the printer's speed, which can now produce photos (in the highest quality mode) from 37-41 percent faster than its predecessor. Among other improvements on this model are two USB 2.0 ports. (The new HP printer includes one port.) The R1900's highest resolution is 5760 x 1440 dpi.

The HP Photosmart Pro B8850 Photo printer (left), which has a maximum resolution of 4800 x 1200 dpi, is roughly the same size as Epson's R1900, although a bit heavier. Like Epson, HP claims that its new-pigment based inks are more water-resistant and resilient than dye-based inks from previous printers. HP claims to have a better color system for handling black-and-white prints, since it includes not only matte black and photo black ink cartridges (as does Epson), but also a light gray cartridge (Epson does not have a gray cartridge).

HP also said that they've worked with Adobe and other software companies to make the B8850 (and its driver software) integrate more seamlessly with image editing programs like Photoshop CS3. For many photographers, color management can be tricky and time-consuming HP claims that they've reworked their system to make that easier, too.

To show the value of using its branded inks, HP offers an online demo showing the effects of aging on two versions of the same photograph: one using HPs inks, the other a third-party ink. You can upload your own image to see how it might age. It's an intriguing visual demo on how digital color photographs can age and fade.

The Epson R1900 will be available later in February, the HP PhotosmartPro B8850 in April.

—Terry Sullivan

PMA 2008 Preview: What's incoming in cameras and more

Each year, camera enthusiasts and pros wait to see what the major camera manufacturers will introduce at the annual Photo Marketing Association trade show (PMA), which will take place this year in Las Vegas from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2. And while some companies opted to unveil some products at CES, just three weeks ago, most have chosen to stick with PMA08 to introduce not only cameras, but also lenses, printers, software, and photo accessories.

Starting Wednesday, I'll be at the show, posting the latest news about cameras and related products and services to this blog.

Although I expect a few surprises at the show, some developments and trends are already evident. Here's what I expect to see, by camera type or technology:

CES 2008: Green gains, but only so far…

This year's Consumer Electronics Show proclaimed itself the world's first carbon-neutral trade event, proudly detailing how it required suppliers of everything from displays to disposable plates to choose environmentally benign options. This was also the greenest CES ever in terms of what participants were shown and invited to discuss.

But a greenfest it wasn't. At best, environmental issues rose from the near-invisibility of past shows to a scattered presence on the show floor, with the occasional green or brown sign carrying a corporate pledge or strategy. The conference program featured a day of modestly attended panel discussions on environmental issues, in the farthest reaches of the Las Vegas Convention Center's cavernous South Hall. A few other green-themed sessions dotted the calendar.

I attended as many of those events as I could and chatted afterwards with some of the panelists, who included manufacturers, mostly from big companies such as HP, Sony, and Panasonic, and regulators but not environmentalists (organizers say they tried without success to get environmental groups to participate).

Here are some of the promising developments I heard:

Energy Star designations will improve and expand. As we'll report more fully in a few weeks, when our annual TV feature-content posts to ConsumerReports.org, a flat-panel TV can easily consume $50 or more of power a year, possibly as much or more than your fridge. Many plasmas and LCD sets now bear Energy Star labels, but the current requirements reflect only power consumption in the standby mode—which is many times less than sets consume during the eight or so hours in which they're on in an average home. Energy Star's administrator, Katharine Kaplan, says a new TV standard will be finalized next month that reflects power when the set is on. She also said that standards would be similarly upgraded for printers and some other gear in 2008.