Kodak EasyShare Printer Dock Plus Photo Review

Bottom-Line: If you need an affordable, versatile, portable photo printer for your Kodak digital camera, look no further then the EasyShare Printer Dock Plus.   

Before deciding on a new digital camera I did a considerable amount of research on the entire line of Kodak digital camera's and printer dock's before I decided to put the EasyShare CX-7530 and the EasyShare Printer Dock Plus photo printer on my Christmas wish list two years ago.  Kodak has long been a leader in photographic technology, and they have a fairly diverse lineup of digital cameras to fit any budget; almost too diverse.  But the company thankfully only offers four models of printer dock. 

Speaking of printers, I knew I wanted a stand alone photo printer, a printer I could print pictures from independent of my computer.  Not only that, but I wanted a printer capable of not only mating with the camera, but one also capable of accepting a SD (Secure Digital), Multimedia Media Card (MMC) memory cards, and USB flash drives.  I also wanted a printer that would accept input from PICTBRIDGE-enabled cameras (direct printing).  And finally, I wanted a photo printer with a small footprint and I wanted to be able to print from my computer if need be.  The Kodak EasyShare Printer Dock Plus photo printer fit my criteria perfectly.   

Installation & Standalone Usage

The first thing that will strike you-I know it struck me-about the brushed silver EasyShare Printer Dock Plus is the diminutive size of the box; it will literally sit comfortably in my hand with very little overhang.  That is, without the printer tray installed.  The install process for stand alone operations is relatively simple.  The digital camera sits on top of the printer dock within a universal plastic insert that comes with the printer; simply snap it into place. 

Next, I installed the printer's color cartridge into the right side of the EasyShare Printer Dock Plus; the opening is covered by a hinged access door that fits snugly into place.  As per instructions, I tightened the spool before inserting the cartridge.  The EasyShare Printer Dock Plus shipped with a combination of 10 sheets of photo paper and a color cartridge to get you started.  Kodak sells Color Cartridge and Photo Paper kits containing 40 sheet of photo paper and a color cartridge good for 40 prints. 

You install the photo paper in the included paper tray that slides into the front of the printer.  When not in use the paper tray should be removed and the door to the tray opening closed to prevent dust from collecting inside.  The paper path takes the paper trough the printer and out the back of the unit via a thin horizontal slot.  The paper passes through printer four times per picture, so care must be taken to install the printer in a space where the back has plenty of clearance. 

The left side of the printer is where all the goodies are; i.e. SD/MMC slot, A/V Out, USB port, and PictBridge port are located behind an easy access door.  The back of the printer is bare except for the aforementioned paper path slot at the bottom, as well as a power connector and USB port for connecting to a computer.  Note: there is no power switch; a confusing omission, but I simply remove the power cord from the power jack when the EasyShare Printer Dock Plus is not in use.

Kodak EasyShare System

The Easy Share system is a seamless integration between camera and printer, which allows one to print professional grade borderless 4x6 photos without the a computer middle-man.  The digital camera-in my case the EasyShare CX-7530-sits on top of the EasyShare Printer.  Once you are done taking pictures, you place the camera on the EasyShare Printer Dock Plus and push the larger silver EasyShare button and start printing. That's it.

On the top of the EasyShare Printer Dock Plus is the heart of the EasyShare system; there are a plethora of the (green LED backed) buttons needed to produce outstanding prints.  Here as well is the port upon which a Kodak CX/DX/LS digital camera can be placed and recharged.  Once a camera is placed on top of the EasyShare Printer Dock Plus it affords you access to all of the pictures therein, whether they are stored in the camera's internal memory or stored on an SD memory card.  The current picture is displayed on the camera's view screen.  With the 4-way control button situated in the center of the printer dock, you can scroll left and right to choose which picture you want to print, and up and down to denote the number of copies wanted.

Computer Usage                  

The CX-7530 ships with Kodak EasyShare software.  The EasyShare software' functionality is rudimentary at best, but the software must be loaded before you connect the EasyShare Printer Dock Plus to your computer the first time.  Once I plugged the EasyShare Printer Dock Plus into an available USB port, Windows XP automatically detected the printer and installed the drivers for it, and placed an icon for it under Windows Printers & Faxes as is any normally installed printer.  Windows XP also detected the printer dock's SD/MMC memory card slot; however it will not see the actual card when inserted. 

I found the EasyShare software hard to navigate at first, but once I got the hang of it, it was easy enough to use.  The pictures stored in the camera are transferred via the EasyShare software, to the computer for viewing, storing, editing, or printing.  Like I stated above, the software's functionality is rudimentary at best and you may want to get a third party image editing software package if you want to do serious image editing;

On the plus side you can now utilize the EasyShare Printer Dock Plus as you would any other printer and print pictures already stored on your computer on it, via the EasyShare software.  Also, once attached to a computer, you can push the Transfer Button/light on the EasyShare Printer Dock Plus front panel and transfer pictures from the camera into the software interface. 

Alternatively, you can initiate the transfer process via the EasyShare software.  Transferring 1.5MB + pictures over a USB 2.0 connection does not take long; I was able to transfer some 25 pictures from my CX-7530, all taken with the highest resolution in under three minutes, which I do not think unreasonable. 

Once transferred to the computer, picture can be edit, enhanced etc. and then sent back to the printer for printing.

Print Quality

Prepare yourself to be dazzled!  Both my wife and I were stunned by the quality of print this little printer is able to produce.  Except for some blue tinged white areas, we have complaints about the output of the EasyShare Printer Dock Plus.  The pictures are bright, crisp, and sharply detailed.  The colors are rich and vibrant and as good as anything from a professional photo finishing establishment.

My Viewpoint

The Kodak EasyShare Printer Dock Plus is the prefect companion to my CX-7530 digital camera.  I am enamored with the functionality of this small standalone unit; its ability to accept input and print from a variety of different sources make the EasyShare Printer Dock Plus a cost effective (199.95 retail) printing solution.  And the machines seamless integration with the entire line of Kodak EasyShare cameras ensure that no matter which camera you choose, the EasyShare Printer Dock Plus will fit your needs. 

The addition of wireless/Bluetooth functionality only adds to the versatility of this must have camera accessory.  If you need an affordable, versatile, portable photo printer for your Kodak digital camera, look no further then the EasyShare Printer Dock Plus.