Professional Quality (Digital) Photo Prints?

I'm somewhat new to digital photography and I shoot with a SONY
DSC-F828 in JPEG mode (using external flash) and the photos look
unbelievably perfect on a Windows PC (Dell Latitude Laptop). When I
print the same photos at SAMS CLUB photo lab, picture quality does not
look impressive at all – both sharpness and brightness. Printed
pictures look dull. If I want professional quality prints with my
digital photos what are my options? I know TIFF could improve
sharpness and picture quality but I don't know of any printer that
supports TIFF formats. If I were to buy a printer to print
professional quality photos what would you guys recommend based on
your experience? I'm willing to spend about $1500 for a high-end
professional quality printer. Any feedback will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

"Ritchie Sobell" wrote in message
om...
I'm somewhat new to digital photography and I shoot with a SONY
DSC-F828 in JPEG mode (using external flash) and the photos look
unbelievably perfect on a Windows PC (Dell Latitude Laptop). When I
print the same photos at SAMS CLUB photo lab, picture quality does not
look impressive at all - both sharpness and brightness. Printed
pictures look dull. If I want professional quality prints with my
digital photos what are my options? I know TIFF could improve
sharpness and picture quality but I don't know of any printer that
supports TIFF formats. If I were to buy a printer to print
professional quality photos what would you guys recommend based on
your experience? I'm willing to spend about $1500 for a high-end
professional quality printer. Any feedback will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Ritchie,

Why spend $1500 for a high end printer when you can get extremely good
professional results from the right color lab. Of course you will have to
conform to their way of doing business, which isn't that big of a deal.
Turn around time is two days. Check out the following link:

www.whcc.com

It was recommended to me about three months ago, and they are excellent.

Clyde Torres

When talking about printing you're not only talking printer but inks as
well.

For mine, I'd go for the Canon printers every time with Canon inks.


Ross

"Ritchie Sobell" wrote in message
om...
I'm somewhat new to digital photography and I shoot with a SONY
DSC-F828 in JPEG mode (using external flash) and the photos look
unbelievably perfect on a Windows PC (Dell Latitude Laptop). When I
print the same photos at SAMS CLUB photo lab, picture quality does not
look impressive at all - both sharpness and brightness. Printed
pictures look dull. If I want professional quality prints with my
digital photos what are my options? I know TIFF could improve
sharpness and picture quality but I don't know of any printer that
supports TIFF formats. If I were to buy a printer to print
professional quality photos what would you guys recommend based on
your experience? I'm willing to spend about $1500 for a high-end
professional quality printer. Any feedback will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

When talking about printing you're not only talking printer but inks as
well.

For mine, I'd go for the Canon printers every time with Canon inks.


Ross

"Ritchie Sobell" wrote in message
om...
I'm somewhat new to digital photography and I shoot with a SONY
DSC-F828 in JPEG mode (using external flash) and the photos look
unbelievably perfect on a Windows PC (Dell Latitude Laptop). When I
print the same photos at SAMS CLUB photo lab, picture quality does not
look impressive at all - both sharpness and brightness. Printed
pictures look dull. If I want professional quality prints with my
digital photos what are my options? I know TIFF could improve
sharpness and picture quality but I don't know of any printer that
supports TIFF formats. If I were to buy a printer to print
professional quality photos what would you guys recommend based on
your experience? I'm willing to spend about $1500 for a high-end
professional quality printer. Any feedback will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

HUH? My scanner can store images as TIFFs and my printer has no
problem with those. You can't compare what you see on a screen with
what you see printed. Try taking your images elsewhere to have them
printed and compare them with what you got at SAMS; maybe SAMS printer
is just not adjusted correctly.

Ritchie Sobell wrote:

I'm somewhat new to digital photography and I shoot with a SONY
DSC-F828 in JPEG mode (using external flash) and the photos look
unbelievably perfect on a Windows PC (Dell Latitude Laptop). When I
print the same photos at SAMS CLUB photo lab, picture quality does not
look impressive at all – both sharpness and brightness. Printed
pictures look dull. If I want professional quality prints with my
digital photos what are my options? I know TIFF could improve
sharpness and picture quality but I don't know of any printer that
supports TIFF formats. If I were to buy a printer to print
professional quality photos what would you guys recommend based on
your experience? I'm willing to spend about $1500 for a high-end
professional quality printer. Any feedback will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

HUH? My scanner can store images as TIFFs and my printer has no
problem with those. You can't compare what you see on a screen with
what you see printed. Try taking your images elsewhere to have them
printed and compare them with what you got at SAMS; maybe SAMS printer
is just not adjusted correctly.

Ritchie Sobell wrote:

I'm somewhat new to digital photography and I shoot with a SONY
DSC-F828 in JPEG mode (using external flash) and the photos look
unbelievably perfect on a Windows PC (Dell Latitude Laptop). When I
print the same photos at SAMS CLUB photo lab, picture quality does not
look impressive at all – both sharpness and brightness. Printed
pictures look dull. If I want professional quality prints with my
digital photos what are my options? I know TIFF could improve
sharpness and picture quality but I don't know of any printer that
supports TIFF formats. If I were to buy a printer to print
professional quality photos what would you guys recommend based on
your experience? I'm willing to spend about $1500 for a high-end
professional quality printer. Any feedback will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

On 17 Oct 2004 14:39:19 -0700, (Ritchie Sobell)
wrote:

I'm somewhat new to digital photography and I shoot with a SONY
DSC-F828 in JPEG mode (using external flash) and the photos look
unbelievably perfect on a Windows PC (Dell Latitude Laptop). When I
print the same photos at SAMS CLUB photo lab, picture quality does not
look impressive at all – both sharpness and brightness. Printed
pictures look dull. If I want professional quality prints with my
digital photos what are my options? I know TIFF could improve
sharpness and picture quality but I don't know of any printer that
supports TIFF formats. If I were to buy a printer to print
professional quality photos what would you guys recommend based on
your experience? I'm willing to spend about $1500 for a high-end
professional quality printer. Any feedback will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Sounds like the SAMS printer isn't calibrated correctly. The first
thing I would do is try running off a set of prints somewhere else.
If they come out acceptably then go back to SAMS and let them know
(bring the "nicer" prints to show them). I have a local drugstore
with a Kodak booth that does great prints most of the time, but gets a
bit off kilter once in a while until a customer mentions it to the
manager.


Drifter
"I've been here, I've been there..."

On 17 Oct 2004 14:39:19 -0700, (Ritchie Sobell)
wrote:

I'm somewhat new to digital photography and I shoot with a SONY
DSC-F828 in JPEG mode (using external flash) and the photos look
unbelievably perfect on a Windows PC (Dell Latitude Laptop). When I
print the same photos at SAMS CLUB photo lab, picture quality does not
look impressive at all – both sharpness and brightness. Printed
pictures look dull. If I want professional quality prints with my
digital photos what are my options? I know TIFF could improve
sharpness and picture quality but I don't know of any printer that
supports TIFF formats. If I were to buy a printer to print
professional quality photos what would you guys recommend based on
your experience? I'm willing to spend about $1500 for a high-end
professional quality printer. Any feedback will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Sounds like the SAMS printer isn't calibrated correctly. The first
thing I would do is try running off a set of prints somewhere else.
If they come out acceptably then go back to SAMS and let them know
(bring the "nicer" prints to show them). I have a local drugstore
with a Kodak booth that does great prints most of the time, but gets a
bit off kilter once in a while until a customer mentions it to the
manager.


Drifter
"I've been here, I've been there..."

On 17 Oct 2004 14:39:19 -0700, (Ritchie Sobell)
wrote:

I'm somewhat new to digital photography and I shoot with a SONY
DSC-F828 in JPEG mode (using external flash) and the photos look
unbelievably perfect on a Windows PC (Dell Latitude Laptop). When I
print the same photos at SAMS CLUB photo lab, picture quality does not
look impressive at all – both sharpness and brightness. Printed
pictures look dull. If I want professional quality prints with my
digital photos what are my options? I know TIFF could improve
sharpness and picture quality but I don't know of any printer that
supports TIFF formats. If I were to buy a printer to print
professional quality photos what would you guys recommend based on
your experience? I'm willing to spend about $1500 for a high-end
professional quality printer. Any feedback will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.

Sounds like the SAMS printer isn't calibrated correctly. The first
thing I would do is try running off a set of prints somewhere else.
If they come out acceptably then go back to SAMS and let them know
(bring the "nicer" prints to show them). I have a local drugstore
with a Kodak booth that does great prints most of the time, but gets a
bit off kilter once in a while until a customer mentions it to the
manager.


Drifter
"I've been here, I've been there..."

i use sams club and i get excellent results .
i edit the pics with C.S. then burn them to disk sized the print size i want,
4x6,5x7, 8x10 etc .

ive been shooting(canon 10d 70-200 2.8l is ) night time high school football @
1600 iso and the prints look great .

ive also printed out some shots taken with strobes and there were exactly as
they looked on my screen after editing .

a few the faces looked washed as i had bumbed my aperature dial not knowingly
and wanted to see how they printed , the right exposures were excellent the
washed out ones looked just that.
i guess for now were both on the same calibration ,hope it stays that way .

are you using a editing program to edit the prints before having them done
there ?.
gene


I'm somewhat new to digital photography and I shoot with a SONY
DSC-F828 in JPEG mode (using external flash) and the photos look
unbelievably perfect on a Windows PC (Dell Latitude Laptop). When I
print the same photos at SAMS CLUB photo lab, picture quality does not
look impressive at all – both sharpness and brightness. Printed
pictures look dull. If I want professional quality prints with my
digital photos what are my options? I know TIFF could improve
sharpness and picture quality but I don't know of any printer that
supports TIFF formats. If I were to buy a printer to print
professional quality photos what would you guys recommend based on
your experience? I'm willing to spend about $1500 for a high-end
professional quality printer. Any feedback will be appreciated.

Thanks in advance.