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It is a rectangular box 17.5x12x5cm without the paper cassette inserted however with this inserted and the space required behind for the paper path during printing you need 39cm of space to use it. There is only a single button on the unit (on/off) this shows green when in use or red should you run out of paper or the dye-sub cartridge become extinguished.

Unlike it's big brother the DS810 this unit the CP510 has no screen no card ports and no size adjustment. There is a rubber bung on the left side that allows a PictBridge input and USB connection for use with a PC. The left front has a pull out 25cm lead that also can be used for PictBridge. The rear has the power adapter input while the right side is where the cartridge is inserted and a Perspex window in the top of the case states the size of the postcard pack and cartridge being used. I think it comes with a small 5 pack while the replacements hold 36, also ink for 36 images and the same number of postcards with micro perforations at both ends. A nice feature is these are true postcards properly printed with post card on the back and able to be stamped and used in the post so you could save on your holiday card purchases. Checking the Internet found that the 36 packs of cards with the ink cartridge are just under £9 at a best price. This gives a cost of 25p per print.

See also: Canon Printers

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While I was quite happy with the prints you should not print images on it with important items very close to the edges as the image tends to be printed slightly oversize and items in the area very close to the edges tended to be lost.

The process of printing takes around 75seconds from the time you have selected your image on the camera and said print. Almost immediately the top sheet of paper is taken out of the back of the printer and then nothing for around 30 seconds then the first pass through the printer the yellow coat, then quite quickly the other three passes and a dry print in delivered on top of the input tray a total of 75 seconds later. It is possible to select several images at once or make multiple copies or was on the two cameras I used.

Having found a very good price for the DS810 with all it's extra features and abilities I find it hard to get excited about the CP510. It is small, very small and anyone going away for a while could easily pack it in the corner or a case to send home a postcard or three.

While it is capable of being connected to a PC I think it unlikely unless you only have a say a mono laser as most inkjets can also print 15x10cm sheets.

So the CP510 is really only a 'dumb' printer as a PictBridge extension. The pull out 25cm lead is a nice idea as you do not need to remember to take your lead for the camera. I found it just about long enough but another 5cm would have meant I had more choice of the camera/printer arrangement on the desk.

So if lack of size is the most important thing to you then the images printed are quite respectable providing the image is not important at the extreme edge of the print or you could be disappointed.

Doing my searches found the Canon Selphy CP510 at a best of £84.98 from the link below. Currently there is free battery offer so it would become more portable but this does mail in offer does expire very soon.

http://www.buyacamera.co.uk/xsearch.asp?RecId=CANCA916&pt=d