Canon SELPHY CP1500 review
Not pocketable, and it prints a real 4 x 6 photograph for thirty-nine cents. For a household, that combination is hard to argue with.
The Canon SELPHY CP1500 prints 4 x 6 inch dye-sublimation photographs for about 39 cents each — a 108-print KP-108IN ink and paper set was $41.99. Prints are instantly dry and water resistant, with a claimed 100-year fade resistance. The printer was $179.99 listed.
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1. Verdict: the best value in the category
Canon SELPHY CP1500
A real 4 x 6 photograph for 39 cents — a sixth of what a Polaroid costs, five times the size.
- Buy it for
- Any household that prints: frames, albums, fridge doors, grandparents.
- Skip it if
- Carrying anywhere. It is a desktop unit with an optional battery pack sold separately.
- About **39 cents** a print — a **108-print** KP-108IN ink and paper set was $41.99.
- A full **4 x 6 inch** photograph: more than five times the area of an instax mini print.
- Prints are **instantly dry and water resistant**, with a claimed fade resistance of up to 100 years.
- **Wi-Fi** rather than Bluetooth, which handles a modern phone's large files far more reliably.
- 108-print sets mean you are not reloading every twenty photographs.
Running cost: Canon SELPHY 4 x 6 (KP-108IN) works out at $0.39 a shot, so a hundred photographs in the first year puts the real total at about $221.98 including the camera. See every format’s cost.
How it scores8.7/10 overall
- Cost per print10
- Print size10
- Print durability9
- Connection reliability8
- Portability2
Our editorial scoring, built from published specifications and reviews by outlets that test hardware — see how we pick. We have not handled these products, so these are not test results.
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The number that makes this printer
Thirty-nine cents for a 4 x 6 photograph. That is less than half the cheapest instant film, about a sixth of a Polaroid i-Type shot, and for a print more than five times the area of an instax mini.
| Format | Print size | Pack | Pack price | Cost per shot | Checked at |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canon SELPHY 4 x 6 (KP-108IN) | 4 x 6 in | 108 | $41.99 | $0.39 | Pro Photo Supply |
| Kodak 4PASS 4 x 6 | 4 x 6 in | 80 | $31.99 | $0.40 | Kodak Photo Printer store |
| Kodak 4PASS 2.1 x 3.4 | 2.1 x 3.4 in | 60 | $24.99 | $0.42 | Kodak Photo Printer store |
| ZINK 2 x 3 | 2 x 3 in | 20 | $11.99 | $0.60 | ProCam |
| instax mini | 2.4 x 1.8 in (62 x 46 mm) | 20 | $16.99 | $0.85 | Pro Photo Supply |
| Polaroid i-Type | 4.2 x 3.5 in (107 x 88 mm) | 8 | $18.99 | $2.37 | Polaroid |
| Route | Media for 240 prints | Print size |
|---|---|---|
| Canon SELPHY CP1500 | About $93.31 | 4 x 6 in |
| Kodak Mini 2 Retro | About $99.96 | 2.1 x 3.4 in |
| Canon IVY 2 Mini (ZINK) | About $143.88 | 2 x 3 in |
| instax mini Link 3 | About $203.88 | 2.4 x 1.8 in |
| Polaroid Now Gen 3 (camera) | About $569.70 | 4.2 x 3.5 in |
The CP1500 is simultaneously the cheapest per print and, apart from a full-size Polaroid, the largest print. That is unusual enough to be the whole review.
Specifications
| Media | Canon KP-108IN ink and paper set, 108 prints |
|---|---|
| Print size | 4 x 6 in postcard |
| Print technology | Dye sublimation |
| Finish | Instantly dry and water resistant |
| Durability claim | Up to 100 years |
| Connection | Wi-Fi and smartphone printing |
| Portability | Compact desktop unit; optional battery pack sold separately |
| Listed price | $179.99 at Pro Photo Supply, 13 October 2026 |
| Media price | $41.99 for 108 prints |
What it is good at
- Cost per print. The best on this site, and it is not close.
- Print size. 4 x 6 inches fits a standard frame and a standard album. No pocket format fits anything standard.
- Durability. Instantly dry, water resistant, dye-sublimation with a protective finish. These prints survive children and fridge magnets.
- Wi-Fi. Bluetooth is the usual weak point in this category; a network connection handles large modern phone files much better.
- 108-print sets. Fewer reloads, and the reason the per-print cost is what it is.
- It is the right answer for a grandparent. Big prints, no tiny format to squint at, and a connection that does not need re-pairing.
Where it falls short
- It is not portable. A compact desktop unit, with the battery pack sold separately. It will never go to a party, and that is the entire reason pocket printers exist.
- $179.99 is a real up-front cost, against about $90 for a Kodak bundle. You need to be printing enough for the running cost to repay that.
- Media is not a high-street purchase. KP-108IN sets are a camera shop or an online order.
- No published speed or resolution from any source we could reach.
- No instant-film magic. The print emerges finished. If what somebody wants is a photograph developing in their hand, this is the wrong product entirely.
A cheaper way to 4 x 6
The Kodak Dock Plus Retro was listed at $109.99 and prints 4 x 6 on 4PASS media at about 40 cents — within a cent of the SELPHY's per-print cost, for $70 less up front. You plug a phone straight into the dock, which removes app pairing entirely.
For a less technical recipient, that dock connection is worth more than any specification difference. The SELPHY's advantages over it are Wi-Fi flexibility and the 108-print media unit.
Alternatives
| Canon SELPHY CP1500 | Kodak Dock Plus Retro | Canon SELPHY QX20 | Kodak Mini 2 Retro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Film or media | Canon SELPHY 4 x 6 (KP-108IN) | Kodak 4PASS 4 x 6 | Canon SELPHY Square (XS-20L) | Kodak 4PASS 2.1 x 3.4 |
| Print size | 4 x 6 in | 4 x 6 in | 2.7 x 2.7 in | 2.1 x 3.4 in |
| Cost per shot | $0.39 | $0.40 | $0.80 | $0.42 |
| Shots per pack | 108 per $41.99 pack | 80 per $31.99 pack | 20 per $16.00 pack | 60 per $24.99 pack |
| Rough first-year cost | $221.98 at 100 shots | $173.97 at 100 shots | $269.00 at 100 shots | $139.97 at 100 shots |
| Power | Mains, with an optional battery pack | Mains | Built-in rechargeable battery, USB-C | Rechargeable |
| Prints from a phone? | Yes — that is what it does | Yes — that is what it does | Yes — that is what it does | Yes — that is what it does |
| Flash | n/a — printer | n/a — printer | n/a — printer | n/a — printer |
| Selfie mirror | n/a — printer | n/a — printer | n/a — printer | n/a — printer |
| Easy for a beginner? | Very — it is an app and a button | Very — it is an app and a button | Very — it is an app and a button | Very — it is an app and a button |
| Best for | Not pocket-size, but it prints a real 4 x 6 photo for 39 cents — the cheapest actual photograph on this site, by a factor of six against Polaroid film. | A 4 x 6 dock printer at 40 cents a print. Plug a phone straight in — no app pairing dance for a grandparent. | Square dye-sublimation prints with a protective overcoat and a sticky back. Canon claims the finish holds up for a century; it certainly survives a fridge door. | The cheapest running cost of any pocket printer we verified: 42 cents a print, dry, laminated and not sticky. Bundles usually include film. |
- Kodak Dock Plus Retro, $109.99 — 4 x 6 at about 40 cents, with a plug-in dock. The better gift for a grandparent.
- [Canon SELPHY QX20](/photo-printers/canon-selphy-qx20-review), $189.00 — portable, square prints, about 80 cents each.
- [Kodak Mini 2 Retro](/photo-printers/kodak-mini-2-retro-review), about $89.99 — pocketable, 2.1 x 3.4 in at about 42 cents.
Who should buy it
Buy the CP1500 if the printer will live in a house and the point is photographs — for frames, albums, walls, grandparents. At 39 cents for a 4 x 6 it is cheaper than most print services and the prints will outlast every instant film on this site.
Buy a pocket printer instead if it needs to be carried, because this one never will be.
Questions people ask
How much does Canon SELPHY CP1500 printing cost per photo?
About 39 cents for a 4 x 6 print. A KP-108IN ink and paper set covering 108 prints was $41.99 when we checked on 13 October 2026 — the cheapest cost per photograph of anything on this site.
Is the Canon SELPHY CP1500 portable?
Not really. It is a compact desktop unit, and Canon sells a battery pack separately for mobile use. If portability matters, the SELPHY QX20 has a built-in battery, or a pocket printer like the Kodak Mini 2 Retro is genuinely carryable.
Are SELPHY prints good quality?
Yes. They are dye-sublimation prints that are instantly dry and water resistant, with a protective finish Canon says resists fading for up to 100 years. At 4 x 6 inches they hold far more detail than any pocket-format print.
Does the Canon SELPHY CP1500 work with a phone?
Yes, over Wi-Fi — which is more reliable for large photograph files than the Bluetooth that most pocket printers use. It supports both iPhone and Android through Canon's app.
Is the SELPHY CP1500 cheaper than a print shop?
At volume, usually. The marginal cost is about 39 cents a print once the printer is paid for, which undercuts most high-street and online print services. Below about a hundred prints a year the $179.99 hardware cost dominates and a print service is cheaper.
Read these next
instax mini Link 3 vs Canon SELPHY
Pocket against desktop, and the cost gap.
Are portable photo printers worth it?
The volume at which a printer repays itself.
Gifts for grandparents
Where a 4 x 6 printer is usually the right answer.
Canon SELPHY QX20 review
The portable SELPHY, with square prints.
Best pocket photo printers
The full ranking.
Sources
- Pro Photo Supply — Canon SELPHY CP1500 — $179.99 listed, 13 October 2026
- Pro Photo Supply — Canon SELPHY KP-108IN set — $41.99 for 108 prints at 4 x 6 in, 13 October 2026
- Kodak Photo Printer store — Current range and listed prices, 13 October 2026
- Kodak — 4PASS cartridges — Cartridge sizes and prices, 13 October 2026
- ProCam — Canon 2x3 ZINK paper, 20 sheets — $11.99 on 13 October 2026
- Pro Photo Supply — instax mini film, 20 exposures — $16.99 on 13 October 2026
- Polaroid — Color i-Type film — $18.99 for 8 photos, for comparison with Hi-Print's cost per print
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