A small office printer that offers some superb features
Kodak ESP Office 6150 Printer
The Kodak ESP Office 6150 is a small business printer with multiple connectivity possibilities, from wireless networking to operating as a fax machine. There’s also a built in scanner for archiving prints or copying documents as well as the opportunity for double sided printing.
The printer relies on a four colour single ink cartridge and can print an A4 photograph in around 2 minutes, which is quite slow compared to the average dedicated photo printer. Scans can be acquired at 1200 DPI simultaneously with the Kodak software creating separate files from the results. This bulk processing alludes to the printer’s main intended usage of being a small office hub rather than connected to a single computer. Both the wi-fi and Ethernet connectivity are becoming more commonplace among printers although being able to plug into a phoneline and operate as a fax is certainly more business-orientated. The likes of a 300 page auto feeder and 200 page sheet feeder aren’t particularly useful for wanting to churn out the odd photo print, nor is fax connectivity. The fact that the printer is missing a direct card reader and standard USB port for PictBridge connection is quite frustrating from this standpoint, as even small businesses would appreciate the ability to connect a USB stick or memory card.
In spite of clearly not being a photo printer in it’s primary application, the ESP 6150 still has more than enough attributes to produce a decent colour photo printout. The quality produced wasn’t quite up to the standard of a dedicated photo printer, being quite over-saturated and lacking any real depth of colour. Flesh tones showed the largest issues in the contrast, as any redder patches seemed utterly removed from paler areas. Sharpness is excellent though, showing clearly defined lines and few fuzzy edges.
Verdict
A small office printer that isn't quite up to photographic needs