The Canon Selphy CP510 Compact Photo Printer ($99.99 direct) is essentially the Selphy CP710 ($150) without memory card slots or an LCD to preview photos. What makes it interesting is the unusually low price. When we first heard about this printer, we wondered whether it was really the bargain it seems to be. Happily, it is.

Like the CP710, the CP510 prints on a variety of paper sizes up to 4 by 8 inches and prints 4-by-6 photos for just 28 cents per print. It also has the same size and weight—2.5 by 7.0 by 5.2 inches (HWD) and 2.2 pounds—as the CP710, as well as the same setup, which is typical for a thermal-dye printer. Other similarities include the same battery option ($79.99 direct) and the same 10-inch retractable cable for connecting to a PictBridge camera.

The most pressing question we had: For $50 less, does the CP510 offer the same high-quality output and speed as the CP710? It does, point for point. Most photos were true photo quality, suitable for framing. The one problem we had with the image quality is the same one we saw with the CP710: In a photo we printed of a bicycle wheel, the spokes look like ragged lines. This problem showed up only when printing from a computer; it did not occur when we printed directly from a digital camera.

On our standard test suite for dedicated photo printers, we timed the CP510 at 1 minute 9 seconds to 1:10 for 4-by-6 output—a tie with the CP710. This score is faster than many dedicated photo printers that cost $150.

If you've been looking for a dedicated photo printer to pair with your digital camera but have been discouraged by high prices, the CP510 should be your choice.

Check out the other dedicated photo printers mentioned here in our side-by-side Photo Printer Comparison Table.

Benchmark Test Results Don't miss the Canon C510's benchmark scores.

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Copyright © 2006 Ziff Davis Media Inc. All Rights Reserved. Originally appearing in PC Magazine.