Digital BW, The Print

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com, "lev_baran" 
<barankin@y...> wrote:
Hi Lev, and welcome to the forum. About your points:

>>I noticed was that the forum is quite Epson-centered. So, 
> initially I had no doubt about purchasing some good ole Epson 
piece, 
> specifically 1280 as it is dirt cheap right now.

This forum is Epson oriented for the same reason the entire fine-art 
B&W printing field is Epson oriented: it was discovered several 
yaers ago that Epson prints will push pigments inks through and 
survive, while no other inexpensive printers will.

> Later I found that the printer has been on market for more than 
four 
> years, which is outrageous IMO.

The 1280 has been on the market for 4 years the same reason the 3000 
has been on the market for ten: it's a good workhorse, and fills a 
niche better than almost anything else, at least until the 2200 made 
its appearance.
>  If we had the same pace of innovations in digital cameras, we 
would 
> still pay 2K for 3 megapixels. I personally attribute this 
situation 
> to the lack of competition as Epson enjoyed a monopoly in that 
niche.
 
Admittedly Epson has a major headstart, but as I said they work. 
Epson itself has not been sitting idle: since the release of the 
1280 they have also realeased a new set of pigment inks (the 
Ultrachromes) and an upgrade for them, the 7600/9600 printers,the 
R800, the 2200, the 4000, and now the R1800 for color, and coming 
soon a whole new line of 13" thru 44" printers with 3 blacks and 
five colors to do both color & B&W in one machine. HP on the other 
hand, has just in the last year released its first real contender in 
the field, and it uses DYES. Sure they get a good rating, but not as 
good as pigments, and as you pointed out, on a very limited range of 
papers.

> As a responsible photographer I have to support competition and, 

Supporting the competition is an admirable concept, but hang out and 
do the research first-unless of course you have money to burn, in 
which case, go for it! To tell the truth I wouldn't mind some 
feedback on that machine myself, I'm still looking for a good way to 
do digital internegs, so if you buy one, keep us posted!(g)

Regards

Steve Karafyllakis