Product development meetings inside Phrozen HQ must be oh-so-simple. “What comes next?” poses one. “More” replies another. Handshakes all around and some months later we get a landmark printer that’s either faster or a higher resolution than before.
Once again the perpetual overachiever in the sport of one-upmanship, Phrozen is here with its next big “first”, the Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K.
That’s 8K as found on its recently released Mega 8K large-format printer but shrunk down to the size of the company’s Sonic Mini series. That’s 8K as in comfortably more than double the number of pixels on Elegoo’s yet to properly launch Mars 3 desktop resin 3D printer.
That’s a lot of pixels. But what does it all mean? Here’s what.
Details, details, details
So we have the name, and the name tells all. The Phrozen Sonic Mini 8K is the next in Phrozen’s characteristically groundbreaking line of resin 3D printers. The Sonic Mini was one of, if not the first hobbyist-level desktop resin printer to feature a monochrome LCD for faster printing. And soon after came the Sonic Mini 4K, again one of the first, if not the first printer of a similar caliber to feature an LCD with 4K resolution. In short, the potential for sharper prints.
Now take all of that, but shrink the possible detail to half of that achievable on those machines. Phrozen claims the XY resolution on the Sonic Mini 8K is a piddly 22 microns. Compare that to the Sonic Mini 4K’s and Elegoo Mars 3’s 35-microns and we can begin to appreciate the difference.
The jump in resolution also heralds other changes, too. The build volume will be 165 x 72 x 180 mm – longer, narrower, and taller than both the Sonic Mini 4K’s and Mars 3’s build volumes (135 x 75 x 130 mm and 143 x 90 x 165 mm, respectively.)
Though not stated by Phrozen, smashing the numbers above together tells us the Sonic Mini 8K will be rocking a 7483 x 3266 pixel LCD mask – a little short of the 8K UHD standard, but in the same ballpark. (Outside of being an easy marketing term, the designation is pretty irrelevant in 3D printing.)
What Else?
So what else is new? Well, actually, not a lot. Phrozen seems to be sticking with the base shape it’s been using since the Sonic Mini. According to the details we received from Phrozen, the Sonic Mini 8K uses an “all-new LED module”, and will be compatible with ChiTuBox V1.9 and up.
As with the Sonic Mini 4K, the Sonic Mini 8K releases alongside a resin Phrozen claims is specially formulated to print best with the new resolution.
Will we be able to see the difference in print quality? Until we go hands-on, it’s impossible to say. We struggle to see the difference with 4K prints sometimes, though can acknowledge that some professions and pastimes benefit hugely from the resolution bump.
Phrozen has been upfront with its pricing, with a release stating the Sonic Mini 8K’s launch price is $349.99, excluding shipping, taxes, customs duties, and sundry other charges you may be subject to depending on your part of the world. The full retail price given is $599.99, although it’s not clear when exactly the printer’s price will step up. All we have now is the printer’s existence and price. Availability and timing, we’re told, will follow later in October.
What do you think? Is the race to greater resolution worth it, and should anyone but professionals that need it care?
License: The text of "Phrozen Reveals 8K Resolution Desktop Resin Printer" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.