Capturebuzz

Sony has introduced two lightweight, portable photo printers with built-in carrying handles and the ability to print pictures in less than a minute. The DPP-FP90 and DPP-FP70 PictureStation photo printers also offer extensive editing capabilities with a one-button print process and simple set-up for operation. The DPP-FP90 printer has a 3.6-inch LCD screen that tilts and adjusts for easy viewing. The DPP-FP70 model features a 2.5-inch built-in non-adjustable screen. Both photo printers offer the Auto Touch-up feature that corrects common picture problems like exposure, focus and red-eye.

All PictureStation photo printers use dye-sublimation technology that ensures a continuous color tone for each print. Prints are sealed with SuperCoat 2 laminate, a durable coating that protects photos from fading and makes them resistant to water, heat and fingerprints.

Both printers are compatible with most PictBridge-enabled cameras. Optimized for Sony’s Cyber-shot and Alpha D-SLR cameras, each printer can access the MakerNotes in the picture files created from Sony digital still cameras and use this data to create the best print based on the settings used when the photo was taken. Direct printing is also possible from a Memory Stick, USB flash memory device or connected USB hard disk drive.

Main Features

• Extra-large 3.6-inch tilt screen (DPP-FP90 only)
• Dye-sublimation technology
• PictBridge direct-printing capability
• CF card, SD, card, and Memory Stick slots
• BIONZ processor for super-fast, high-resolution printing
• Sony TruFast technology delivers 4 x 6″ print in 45 sec
• Face Detection and one-touch correction of red-eye, backlight/contrast and soft focus

An Auto Touch-up button corrects the exposure of a face if it is over- or under-exposed without affecting the exposure of the background. This same button also gives users the ability to sharpen out-of-focus images by creating several simulations of camera lens movement, checking the contrast of each simulation and then selecting the best simulated image to improve the original photo for printing.

New in these two printers is the superimpose mode that personalizes photos by superimposing a special message. You can select from pre-set phrases, such as “happy birthday”, “thank you” and “congratulations”. You can also customize the color and placement of the superimposed text by using the cursor buttons on the printers. Additionally, a ‘filter feature’ on both printers offers six options for modifying digital images before printing. The cross filter can make the lights in a photo more dramatic, while the partial color filter lets you highlight the subject of a photo in full color and remove color in other areas of the print.

Pricing and Availability

The Sony DPP-FP90 and DPP-FP70 printers will be available in late March for a price of $200 and $150, respectively (US MSRP). The SVM- F40P, SVM-F80P and the SVM-F120P print packs are available for about $20, $30 and $35, respectively.