# Field printer for 5D3?



## Grumbaki (May 28, 2013)

I'll be soon going on a field trip and I'd like to add a "polaroid like" printer to my "get friendly with the locals" arsenal.

Of course I've seen the polaroid G10 but I wonder if forumers have another suggestion 

Only spec I look for outside of IQ is actually battery life as electricity access will be quite random.


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## Grumbaki (May 30, 2013)

130+ views and no answer?

I'm sure I'm not the only one willing to break the ice...?


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## danski0224 (May 30, 2013)

Would a Selphy work?

I looked into truly portable printers a while ago for printing documents, and the choices were very limited. Pretty much the Panasonic Pocket Jet and a portable HP inkjet were it.

Both require a computer, but the addition of WiFi and Bluetooth in these portable printers could make a difference, if your phone or tablet device can communucate with the camera and the printer. My phone can print, but very few printers will work with it.

I've never looked into printing directly from the camera.


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## bbb34 (May 30, 2013)

A few years ago my wife bought us a little Selphy (CP 530) printer, because it was dirt cheap. She didn't know about the consumables. I thought that I would never ever use it, but quite wrong. I use it every here and then when I spontaneously want to give away pictures to visitors without launching a computer. I also took it along on some vacations. That was by car, certainly not when backpacking.

The little Selphy is light, reasonably small, but it has an external power supply. Consumables are expensive, but it does not matter when the quantities are small. The quality of the prints is pretty decent, but that is relative to what you expect, of course.

And yes, i am printing directly from G7, 50D and 5D3.

cu,
bbb


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## Grumbaki (May 31, 2013)

External power is an absolute negative point as I'll really be on the field. Quite litterally as I'll be travelling to small villages of Sichuan (China) where power isn't garanteed. Plus it's really to be used as on site when poeple engaged in discussion before/after i take their pic. My usual urban routine of "gimme your email adress" wont work.

Non direct (5d3 to printer) printing is also a big minus. I will probably carry an iPad (also an Ice breaker by showing picture of my french hometown, among other utilities) but it adds a link in the power hungry chain. And processing time, kinda needs to be spontaneous.

Price of consummable are not at all an issue. Not only as I'm willing to pay for utilitarism purpose (ice breaking is key to get stories) but generally chinese poeple are very welcoming, their hospitality way offsets whatever I'll spend on ink and paper.

Thanks for pointing it out tho. I guess I'm stuck with polaroid if no one emerges with an idea.

EDIT: just FYI, Selphy got pictbridge so you can print directly from 5d3 
EDIT2: and there is a model with battery. Now we might be onto something. thanks guys!


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## privatebydesign (May 31, 2013)

Take a look at the Epson PictureMate, I used one a while ago to do exactly what you want. Mine came in a custom bag with battery and charger, and the paper pack also had the ink for those prints with it. It worked very well with 4x6 prints.

It was a cool little device, though I suspect several generations off the current new ones, and I only recently donated it to a club for their use.

Edit: you can print direct from the camera or via the various card slots on the PictureMate. The battery is an optional extra now too, but the paper and ink still comes together as a pack.


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## Grumbaki (May 31, 2013)

Thanks private but yeah, Selphy 900 is 2012 and 99$ while picture mate is 2010 and 299$. Longer product renewal might mean that Epson is less interested by this niche thus more prone to forget it...and this small machines are tied to proprietary stuff that no one else will manufacture as it's niche.

Other point is that Picturemate is way bulkier, that's why i ruled it out in the first place. I will litteraly be running the "print shop" from my backpack. Right now a Polaroid G10 (internal battery, very slim and light) with Slephy IQ would get my cash.


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