Epson Stylus Photo 950

Review Date: 23rd October 2003

Conclusion

(out of 5 stars)

The Epson Stylus Photo 950 is currently the top of the range Epson A4 photo printer, and it certainly shows in the image quality and general ease-of-use. It takes a minimum of effort to create maximum effect, with fantastic prints that rival traditional prints from a photo lab.

The only thing that detracts from this impressive performance is the time that it actually takes to create a print. If you need your photos in a hurry or if you need to print a large volume in a short space of time, then you should probably look elsewhere, as the Epson Stylus Photo 950 continues Epson's reputation for slow printing times.

On the other hand, if you currently own an older Epson model, like my Stylus Photo 890, then this new printer will actually seem a lot quicker, as my 2880dpi test print showed. The 950 took 9 minutes 26 seconds to print an A4 2880dpi print, whilst the older 890 took a staggering 26 minutes 7 seconds! It will be worth some serious consideration about upgrading if you own an older model and regularly print A4 prints at the higher dpi settings.

So am I going to upgrade to the Epson Stylus Photo 950? Well, I almost certainly would if this printer used pigment inks instead of dye-based inks. I'm a lot more interested in longevity than a quick print time (although obviously both would be great!). So I'm going to wait until someone announces a pigment-ink based A4 printer, or summon up the courage to spend £500 on the Epson Stylus Photo 2100, which also has the advantage of printing up to A3. If you aren't overly concerned about print-life, however, I can highly recommend the excellent Epson Stylus Photo 950.

Related Links

Epson UK - Epson Stylus Photo 950

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