Sony S-Frame DPP-F700 review

This photo printer doubles up as a digital photo frame

Reviews
By Michael Browne
published
Sony S-Frame DPP-F700
If you are limited on space then the Sony S-Frame DPP-F700 is a great choice

TechRadar Verdict

Pros

  • +

    Decent quality prints

  • +

    Doubles as digital photo frame

  • +

    Compact

  • +

    Memory card reader

Cons

  • -

    Limited to 4 x 6 prints

  • -

    Not as good as a dedicated photo printer

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The Sony S-Frame DPP-F700 is something completely different in printer designs.

Consisting of a 7-inch digital photo frame with 1GB of internal memory, enough to store up to 2000 photos, it's backed by a 4 x 6-inch dye sublimation printer.

The idea is that should someone take a fancy to one of the images you're displaying, printing it out is as easy as adding the paper cartridge.

While you are limited to 4 x 6-inch shots, the built-in software allows you to print ID-photo size, index prints and even add a calendar to your favourite shots.

This may be a Sony product, but there are a host of connections on the side, allowing you to add everything from Sony Memory Stick cards through to standard SD and even xD-Picture cards. In terms of design, you'll fi nd this is a small but rather boxy affair.

7-inch LCD

The 7-inch photo frame has a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels and images look sharp. To the right of the screen touch-sensitive controls are in place, which disappear when not being used. These are also mirrored on a small and neat remote control.

When you wish to use it in frame mode, you can add a small metal leg that raises the screen to a more upright angle. However, you can't print with this leg attached, as you need to manually affix the printer tray. Thankfully, the dye sublimation print cartridge stays inside once you've fitted it.

A single cartridge with 40 sheets of paper costs around £15 (inc. VAT), which works out at a little less than 38p per photo, which is good value for money.

Image quality can't compare with the full-blown photo printers here, but the 800 x 480dpi (dots per inch) printouts are certainly on par with images from a shop.

The Sony S-Frame DPP-F700 can't really compete with full-sized photo printers, but it's not intended to. Very much ahead of its time, it will appeal to those with limited storage space and who like the idea of printing out occasional images when it takes their fancy.

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Michael Browne