KODAK ESP 5 - Expert Reviews

Review summary: Kodak's ESP 5 All-in-One Printer stands out from other color inkjet multifunction printers because of its significantly cheaper inks. Unfortunately, that's not reason enough to buy this midpriced ($170 as of August 4, 2008) machine, given its slowness ...

Pros: Cheap inks; useful software; Nicely designed control panel

Cons: Slow; photos have yellowish cast Scans and copies are mediocre quality

Verdict: The Kodak ESP 5 is a decent machine with very affordable inks, but it is slow. If you print a lot and are patient, the cheaper ink might be a reasonable trade-off

Review summary: Kodak's ESP 5 All-in-One Printer stands out from other color inkjet multifunction printers because of its significantly cheaper inks. Unfortunately, that's not reason enough to buy this midpriced ($170 as of August 4, 2008) machine, given its slowness ...

Pros: Cheap inks and useful software ; Nicely designed control panel

Cons: Slow, with mediocre scans and copies ; Photos have a yellowish cast

Verdict: The Kodak ESP 5 is a decent machine with very affordable inks, but it is slow. If you print a lot and are patient, the cheaper ink might be a reasonable trade-off

Review summary: As Canon's MP620 and MP630 show, it's not unusual for printer manufacturers to offer a series of different options across their range of models. The same is true of Kodak's ESP-3, and this model, the ESP-5, which has the same sleek black exterior ...

Pros: - Very ink-efficient with both photo and office printing, - Good quality black and white prints, - No integrated printhead, so greener cartridges

Cons: - Single cartridge with no printhead, so ink wasted, - Speed seems to vary randomly

Verdict: The ESP-5 would be an ideal office printer for black and white documents, but that's about it. It just doesn't match up to the competition when it comes to photos, and its wildly varying speeds make it a poor choice for an all-in-one printer.

Review summary: The Kodak ESP 5 is one of the sleekest looking multifunction photo printers around. Its combination of gloss and matte black casing and curved front edge with the distinctive Kodak-yellow stripe, make it a welcome addition to any office or study.

Pros: Improved photo quality over previous model ; attractive design ; large 3-inch LCD screen ; easy-to-use Home Center software

Cons: Poor quality build with several mechanical errors ; average print speed ; graphics quality still lacks definition

Verdict: The Kodak ESP5 is an attractive full color all-in-one printer, scanner, and copier, and casual photo enthusiasts will be happy with the watered-down editing software, but hard-core users should look elsewhere for a multifunction printer. The ESP5 is ...