Meijer Mounted Photo Review

I'm a part of the Buzz Agent program and the latest product I signed up to try was the a 5X7 Mounted Photo from Meijer Photo.  You got a sneak peek of it in, when I used it as part of this project.  That was one use for it, but it comes mounted with a built in stand, ready to display.

I wanted to share some pictures of it today, as it's a quick and inexpensive way to make a custom gift for the holidays.  With tax it's less than $10 and can be made in about in hour.  We ordered ours and then picked it up on our way out of Meijers after grocery shopping.

Above is a view of the mounted photo from the side.  It's got a silver metal tone finish, giving it an elegant look that will blend in nicely with any other frames you might already have displayed. 

The back is a little less finished, while I appreciate the four options for attaching the stand, I think the exposed Styrofoam cheapens the overall look.  I like the concept of the mounted photo and convenience, but the execution leaves a little bit to be desired. 

The real drawback to this treatment for your picture is that Meijer Photo is just not a top notch photo development service.  I've tried it numerous time for both prints and other photo products and have yet to be happy with the prints.  The size of the photo image is not an issue.  I have a SRL and always take pictures on the highest setting.  I'd say the prints are okay, but really high quality prints just do not seem to be possible with their service. 

Employees have told me that home monitor displays can make a difference and that pictures uploaded online do not always turn out as well as in store uploads.  But I'm not buying that.  For one, I couldn't find a way to create this product via their online service so it this was done entirely at their store.  Plus, I've used many different photo services and this is has repeatedly been the lowest quality overall. 

The bottom line is, no matter how nice the mounting job is, if the photo isn't printed nicely it just won't be spectacular.  They won't mount photos other than those developed through Meijers.  Another negative is that they put the finished product in a regular photo envelope, with the corners exposed.  As you can see from the top photo the corners of mine have already been slightly damaged.

That being said, the very reasonable price point and quick turn around time do make it a feasible last minute gift idea.  It's also lightweight, another plus.  I could see this as a cheap way to make something quick like a team photo for a coach, class picture for a teacher, or a picture for an older relative in a nursing home where you don't want to leave out anything too high quality.  It would also be perfectly fine for a work cubicle.

This product is only recommended with reservation.  I will add that a couple of my neighbors came over to see the mounted photo and both thought it was perfectly fine.  They found the price most attractive as you'd be hard pressed to get a 5X7 photo and frame it for less.  They noted the grainy photo quality but weren't bothered with it.  Perhaps your amount of happiness or lack thereof with this product will depend on your level of photo snobbery.  Mine is apparently quite high.



Disclosure: A complimentary product was provided via the Buzz Agent program.  The experience and opinions related within are personal and unbiased.  Blog posting was not a required part for participation.  No other compensation was received.