Review: Kodak Easyshare 5300 multi-function device

With all-in-one printers fast gaining popularity among home users it’s no surprise to see Kodak joining the party with a new range of the devices.

The 5300 omits the fax capabilities of its higher-end brother, the 5500, but still offers scanning, photo printing and copying. All of these can be managed using the built in 3in colour display and the corresponding control panel at the front of the device.

There is a built in 4in x 6in photo tray that offers fast and easy photo printing without having to fit any attachments, but despite the compact and well designed nature of many of the components this is still quite a bulky device.

We were able to complete the straightforward setup and calibration process without any issues but shortly afterwards we encountered an unidentified error, which seemed to disappear after a firmware update. Shortly after this another error occurred.

Annoyingly, in both of these situations we were given only an error code rather than an explanation. With no obvious way to interpret these codes it could be a sticking point for consumers who encounter similar issues. The error didn’t persist for long, though, and soon we were up and running, putting the 5300 through its paces with a combination of A4 photos, 6in x4in snaps, plain text and text-and-image documents.

Performance was extremely good across the board, and in most cases it produced results pretty quickly, although text printing at normal quality was unusually slow. We came up with a full colour A4-sized photo in just under two minutes, a 6in x 4in snap in under a minute and two pages of text in 50 seconds. Drop to draft quality on the text prints, though, and times decrease substantially to around seven seconds per page.

The draft prints retained their sharpness with almost no bleed, so many people might find themselves using this impressive setting more often than the higher-quality ones for text printing. Scans were completed in around 20 seconds and copies varied from 30 seconds up to a minute for combined pages of text and photos.

The 5300’s strengths are its overall performance and general usability, although it seemed a little bit glitchy and it takes up a fairly large amount of space on a desk or table. Its talents also lean noticeably towards the photo printing side of things, so we can see it appealing more to photographers than those who want a device primarily for document printing. Regardless of that, the features and capabilities of the 5300 make it an impressive all-rounder for the price.

Vista compatible: Yes

See also:

Review: Epson Stylus DX7000F multi-function device

A four colour all-in-one from Epson, aimed at the home office, but how good a match is it?  03 May 2007

Review: HP Photosmart C6180 multi-function device

We put HP's "world's fastest" claims to the test  23 Mar 2007

Review: Canon Pixma MP600R multi-function device

Splash out a few extra quid and bag yourself a fantastic all-in-one printing device  25 Jan 2007

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