Raw & Post Processing, Printing > Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks
Epson P800 - First Impressions
Jager:
My new P800, pre-ordered from B&H when it was announced a few months ago, arrived this morning. As a current 3880 owner (dedicated to Piezography), and prior owner of a 3800, 2400, and a couple of early, small-format dye-ink Epsons, some quick first impressions...
- Basic weight and footprint are very similar to the 3800/3880.
- General build quality is on par with the 3800/3880.
- The touch panel front display is very nice. And it can be rotated upwards so it is easy to see when looking down at the printer. Nice touch.
- The remove-all-the-blue-tape pre-installation drill is still very much in place. I have to tip my hat to the engineer who came up with those million pieces of tape. And I'd sure as heck like to know how they get them all in place!
- Basic setup takes a while, but is very straightforward.
- Unlike the full, 80ml carts provided with the 3800/3880 (one of the reasons those printers were/are such terrific purchase values), the P800 comes with 64ml 'starter' carts. Losing 16ml per isn't the biggest deal in the world, but, hey, it's something.
- The wireless WiFi connectivity is very nice. Easy to set up and, if it proves reliable (the wireless on my general purpose HP Laserjet is not reliable, dropping the connection and requiring a power-cycle of the printer in order to reestablish connectivity) is a nice convenience. That said, it's not that big a deal - the printer will obviously be utilized in a fixed location and including a USB cable in that scenario is trivial.
- ICC profiles for Epson papers are obviously included in the Epson driver download. Canson profiles are not yet available. When I inquired, a Canson rep got back to me very quickly and said their team in France is currently working on them and they should have them up very soon - within a couple weeks. Unlike previous Epson printer releases, Canson did not receive a pre-release unit so that they could have them available when the printer shipped. I did not check with Hahnemuehle.
- Absolutely nothing definitive - I only made a couple prints - but (color) image quality seems pretty much identical to what I received with my 3880 before I turned it into a dedicated B&W printer.
- Biggest disappoint is the paper handling. I print exclusively using a variety of fine art papers, typically around 300gsm. On my 3880 I use the rear manual feed pretty much exclusively, only using the auto sheet feeder when dropping in a sheet of plain paper for my daily nozzle check. The front tray feed can be used for very heavy media, of course, but the much greater distance to the heads tends to slightly diminish image quality. The front feed is also just a little finicky. The rear manual feed is quick, easy, and works very well.
With that as the backdrop, I was very disappointed to find that the P800 has eliminated the rear manual feed altogether. Your choice is the auto sheet feeder or the manual front tray (or optional roll feed, which I do not have). According to the manual, the auto sheet feed is only for thinner media - typically NOT the papers a serious fine art photographer would be using.
On balance, it seems like a nice enough printer. But I remain deeply puzzled by Epson's choice in dropping the rear manual feed. I may change my mind in coming weeks as I use it more, but after one day my assessment is that the P800 is a step backward. If I had it to do over again I'd have bought a second 3880.
rdonson:
Thanks for the first impressions, Jeff. This is a printer I'm considering for purchase. I'm not sure how I feel about the front feed for heavier paper but it could be worse I suppose. I got used to feeding the HP Z3100 sheets from the rear and it does seem nicer perhaps to feed sheets from the front.
I read Keith Cooper's review http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/reviews/printer/epson-sc_p800_review.html and thought this might be a good machine.
I look forward to more insight from you as you use the printer.
Thanks!
hugowolf:
Thank you for your overview.
Does the front feed have the same size limitations as the 3880: basically A2 max (16.5" x 23.4") with minimum borders of 0.78' leading and trailing, 1/8" sides, no borderless? You can get around the platen gap by using a carrier sheet underneath to raise the printable sheet, but it is a hassle.
I must admit, I have never had problems feeding 300 g/m2 art paper through the sheet feeder, but it will not take Epson Somerset Velvet 505, and I have my doubts about Hahnemühle Museum Etching 350 g/m2.
Can you feed sheet through the roll feed?
Brian A
howardm:
fer chris sake. Really Epson? starter carts w/ a whopping 16ml less? could you be more chintzy?
And I get the feeling that the standard answer is going to be 'well, just buy the $200 roll widget and get your FA paper on a roll'
C'mon Canon, this is a ripe opportunity to do a 5100 replacement.
Dan Vincent:
I'd say knowing about the lack of rear manual feed (looks like it's been repurposed to be the roll feed, and can't be toggled) is pretty important.
The roll feed is not vacuum fed nor is the roll spindle mechanically driven, could the printer simply be tricked to say "hey use the roll feed" when you just load a single sheet through it instead?
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