Dannynys,
When you send the photos direct off the camera to the printer (home or photo shop) the results is so-so, any brand, any make and any model.
What makes some cameras stand out is that the straight off the camera image is already good. I bought the S602 for that reason.
Secondly, with a little processing in our digital darkroom (PC), the images can be way enhanced. Here is again depending on camera model. Some model produces images good enough to be enhanced much, and still be nice coloured and sharp. Again the S602 has not failed me.
Next is the print, home inkjet printers will need to be in the range of 1200dpi to achieve (smooth image), while photo shops/labs print at 300dpi. The built in image processor to the lab machines can actually stretch a 150dpi image to 300dpi quite decently. In anycase, you don't look at 8R photos using a microscope, you view at arm's lenght away. You said that you do not like the 4R prints from Fuji, which camera, and what was the original image size? Or was it scanned from film or paper?
TME's list of 3MP cams include both consumer and prosumer cams. A 3MP photo from a prosumer cam will beat a 5MP image from a consumer cam. Better colours, sharpening, JPEG compression, etc.
Finally, (I can see the long discussion coming up), I prefer Fuji prints to Kodak print, anytime. I have printed several photos in parallel to Fotohub (Kodak) and Colourlab (Fuji). I gave those photos to various people I know to select their prefered image among the two, and I have 95% selecting the Fuji prints.
When you send the photos direct off the camera to the printer (home or photo shop) the results is so-so, any brand, any make and any model.
What makes some cameras stand out is that the straight off the camera image is already good. I bought the S602 for that reason.
Secondly, with a little processing in our digital darkroom (PC), the images can be way enhanced. Here is again depending on camera model. Some model produces images good enough to be enhanced much, and still be nice coloured and sharp. Again the S602 has not failed me.
Next is the print, home inkjet printers will need to be in the range of 1200dpi to achieve (smooth image), while photo shops/labs print at 300dpi. The built in image processor to the lab machines can actually stretch a 150dpi image to 300dpi quite decently. In anycase, you don't look at 8R photos using a microscope, you view at arm's lenght away. You said that you do not like the 4R prints from Fuji, which camera, and what was the original image size? Or was it scanned from film or paper?
TME's list of 3MP cams include both consumer and prosumer cams. A 3MP photo from a prosumer cam will beat a 5MP image from a consumer cam. Better colours, sharpening, JPEG compression, etc.
Finally, (I can see the long discussion coming up), I prefer Fuji prints to Kodak print, anytime. I have printed several photos in parallel to Fotohub (Kodak) and Colourlab (Fuji). I gave those photos to various people I know to select their prefered image among the two, and I have 95% selecting the Fuji prints.
