Anyone here use a Daylab slide printer?

Ambrosia · Nov 17, 2004

I'm looking at either the Daylab 35+ or the Daylab II Pro.

The Pro version says you can print slides without having to crop them. My cheapy Polaroid slide printer forces you to crop them and I hate that. I want to print full frame.

Terri, is this what you use?

Anyone that owns one, I'd like to know if the 35+ prints full frame, as well.

I know other pros would be color filtration controls, etc. The only control I have with the Polaprinter is lightness/darkness. That's it.

terri · Nov 17, 2004

I have a Daylab 35+. It has bellows, so you can print full frame if you want to, or crop a slide down if need be, by raising and lowering the head. I'm not sure about the Daylab II.

The only (minor) drawback is having to focus, and some slides are harder than others. You want the room to be dimmed while looking at the viewer. It takes some getting used to. If you use the same film (like 669) you'll stay pretty much on the same plane. But I routinely switch out bases and have to refocus each time.

But the bases are what make having the system worthwhile, so it's a nitpick, given all that freedom.

I say: Go for it!

Ambrosia · Nov 18, 2004

Cool. It seems the only difference is the lights inside the Daylab II Pro--which has a "warmer" effect on the pictures. I don't know if I want my pictures "warm".

Here's what it says for the "Daylab II PRo":
http://www.daylab.com/Products/Daylab_II_Pro/daylab_ii_pro.html

can you look at that and tell me if there's anything else that seems different from the 35+?

Thanks!

terri · Nov 18, 2004

I think that the main difference is the tungsten light source, Ambrosia. If you have concerns about it warming up ALL of your images, you'd probably be just as happy with the Daylab. You can warm them yourself with the filtration, and both units take the interchangable bases (a must for spending this kind of jack).

Let us know which one you end up with! Good luck!

Ambrosia · Nov 19, 2004

Hmm. good point. I wonder if you have the capability of "cooling" the pictures with the filtration system on the II Pro.

terri · Nov 19, 2004

Ambrosia said:
Hmm. good point. I wonder if you have the capability of "cooling" the pictures with the filtration system on the II Pro.

Don't know - but you can certainly warm them on the 35+ by bumping up the magenta. :wink:

I use the Kodak color viewing filter set a lot to help me there. Keeps the film-waste factor down a bunch!!

You will probably be happy with either one. It's having the additional bases for all the film types that is the main thing.