I have a question about digital photography….

Here’s my situation:

My first digital camera was a 2.1 mp – when printing on my photo printer, years ago, the print jobs were so bad that we decided to use an online service to print and send then via mail back to me (ofoto, etc…). When they came from these services the pictures turned out great. I came to the conclusion that the only way I could get a good print job out of that camera was to upload them somewhere…

Then I got a 7mp Sony point and shoot… great camera – thought it would print well on a newer full size printer…. Unfortunately, the quality was terrible (still grainy when printing). So we began to upload again. The problem is that a 7mp shot is a huge file, so uploading is tedious and frustrating… But it was the only way to get a decent print job…

So my question..

Now that we have a baby on the way, we realize that we are going to want to print pictures and hand them out on the spot when people come to see the baby. My question is: are the small photo printers (that print the 4x6’s) any good? Are they any better than standard full size printers? I noticed that they are around $200 or so, but a great full size printer can be $500+. Is it worth buying one of these small ones (they just seem so easy and perfect for what we need it for)? Do any of them have the same quality as the online print places? What is the major difference in photo printing and/or processing that makes the online places that much better? Am I being unrealistic to hope for a good print job?

I know there are a lot of digital photography guys on the board and I’m sure you guys have a lot of input on printers…

Any input would be appreciated… Thanks,..

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