The ink cost is literally 10% of that for most comparable printers, and actually cheaper per ml than the bulk cartridges for large format printers. On the other hand, a set of six 70ml ink bottles for the EcoTank printers is around $90, essentially the same price as a set of 7-9 ml cartridges for most entry-level photo printers. A comparable non-EcoTank 8.5×11” photo printer would probably sell for around $300, while a comparable non-EcoTank 13” model might be around $500. The One Big Feature of these Epsons is the fact that they are EcoTank printers with extraordinarily low running costs. $599 for an entry-level 8.5×11” photo printer is relatively expensive, while the $699 13” version is a better deal. Along with its stablemate the ET-8500 ( the only difference is that the 8500 is an 8.5×11” printer, while the 8550 goes to 13×19”), it is a capable entry-level photo printer that might also serve more advanced photographers as a secondary printer. The Epson ET-8550 is the first of Epson’s EcoTank series to be marketed to photographers. This piece was written on planes and trains as I head for the Sierra, and doesn’t contain image samples – my impressions of the printer (including image quality) are here, but scanned prints will be in a companion piece when I return The highest resolution (one piece) digital camera in the world in Ansel Adams’ old stomping grounds promises some interesting images and a further review under difficult conditions – I expect the GFX to survive beautifully and bring back superb images, or I wouldn’t have chosen it for a long trip. The other piece of LuLa review news is that there is a permanent GFX 100S in the review fleet, and it is in the overhead compartment right now as I set off for the High Sierra of California on the Pacific Crest Trail. I have recently been printing with Epson’s ET-8550, an interesting hybrid photo/ office printer with very low running costs.

The ET-8550, with its best feature – the EcoTank inks…

Epson v550 software review