Comparing instant photo kiosks to minilabs

Raleigh TV station WRAL is carrying this article about Consumer Reports weighing the pros and cons of instant photo kiosks versus in-store minilabs. They report:

Consumer Reports tested to find out where you can get the best prints. Testers put images onto memory cards and sent them to 15 people around the country.

"They sent them out to different labs and kiosks, and then we collected the images and evaluated them for print quality here," said Kerry Allen of Consumer Reports.

Testers found the stand-alone kiosks that use Fujifilm processing were disappointing. The best results were from Fujifilm minilabs. They consistently returned very good prints. Plus, they cost the least with as little as 17 cents for a 4x6 photo.

If you're looking for good-quality digital prints from a store, Consumer Reports said try a minilab that uses Fujifilm processing. You can find them at many stores, including Costco and Wal-Mart.

Consumer Reports said Kodak is in the midst of converting its minilabs to a process called PerfectTouch, which it has been using with its online printing service. Consumer Reports has found PerfectTouch consistently delivers very good prints.

Click here to view the full article.