Is buying a photo dock printer really worth the price?

I am thinking of getting a photo dock printer and just print pics from my digital camera at home. Is this really cheaper in the long run than getting film and having it developed? I mean, with the printer dock, you have to figure in the price of the camera, printer dock, paper, ink, etc. Is it cheaper and better in the long run?

Overall, printing from digital cameras is cheaper simply because you do not have to print them to find out if they are any good. Just look on the camera or computer and only print the good ones! And of course, there is no film or developing cost.

Printer docks can be a convenience for digital cameras, but the printing cost is high, you are usually limited to 4x6's, and you are usually restricted to Kodak cameras.

Regular sized photo printers eliminate the restriction on size and camera brand, but still cost more to use than professional photo processing.

Photo printing at home costs 30 to 40 cents for a 4x6. This counts ink and paper. Most photo processing shops charge near 20 to 25 cents or less. (Plus gas and time to go get them etc.)

Large prints are usually cheaper at home $1.50 to $2.00 for an 8x10. Several dollars at a shop.

So you have to choose the best combination for you.

Good Luck

You can also just get a digital camera and Photo Paper ... and print it off a regular printer.

You will find the cost is not equal to the reward of getting it.

or burn it to a CD and take it to your local Photoshop. WAY cheaper

The only good thing about a photo dock is the convienence and quickness to get your photos. The paper and the ink is too expensive, I would never buy a photo dock. I do all my photos online to crop, add frames, add colors and a lot of other tricks to the pix, plus I like getting mail.

It's better in the long run in that you can store your photos for as long as you want on the computer before printing them off. That comes in way handy when you're on vacation and want to take 50 million pictures. If I were you, I'd invest in a photo printer as opposed to a photo dock printer. You can still use it for other things.

It is cheaper to develop your own film compared to buying a printer and printing youself.

I think you can get a 4R size photo developed for as little as 10cents (if you develop in bulk). This is much cheaper than buying a printer and printing yourself.

Cost of the printer aside, buying good photo quality paper will cost you around 40 cents per 4R sheet. That exclude the cost of ink. Assuming you buy original fade resistant int, that will cost you a further 20 cents per 4R print? So ink and paper alone will cost you around 60 cents per 4R sheet. That is much more expensive than developing 4R prints (either online or through film shops).

To conclude, it's cheaper to develop prints at stores. Unless you are willing to pay a high premium for the convenience of printing photos as and when you like (with a photo dock printer), stick to the traditional way of developing prints. Hope this helps!

EDIT:
To save in the long run, it pays to invest in a digital camara, and develop only the pictures you need at shops (digital cameras give you the freedom to do so), but it is definitely more expensive to buy a printer and print photos yourself.

NO

your right the cost of paper and ink can get pretty expensive. for the best quality photos and services go to photomax.com and join for free with this e-mail address and get free prints. enjoy!!

Hmmm.....What else do I know absolutely nothing about.