Kyocera Mita FS-1350DN

The control panel features a two-line, monochrome LCD with a small array of navigation and selection buttons. The advanced user's guide provides detailed but accessible instructions for using the control panel buttons and explains the meaning of the blinking cursor or question marks on the LCD when a printing error occurs.

In its standard configuration, the FS-1350DN offers automatic duplexing. The unit also has 250-sheet main input and output trays. The 50-sheet multipurpose tray is bendy, but its wide plastic extensions and paper guides move more easily than the ornery guides in the main tray. You can add one or two 250-sheet input trays for $130 each. A USB host port and a slot for an optional CompactFlash card reader let you print directly from a portable storage device or camera.

Plodding speeds and subpar graphics quality tarnish the FS-1350DN's performance. Kyocera claims a top speed of 32 pages per minute, but in our tests it managed a subpar 27.6 ppm. Graphics print speeds were slower than average too, and output quality was disappointing: Images looked dark, grainy, and rough, with limited grayscale contrast.

The underpowered Kyocera Mita FS-1350DN is a bit of an underachiever. Attractive features such as autoduplexing, direct printing, and cheap toner could make it a good fit for a small workgroup, but cheaper options are available.