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Author Topic: Canon iPF5000?  (Read 5334 times)

peterpix2005

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Canon iPF5000?
« on: January 12, 2007, 10:22:19 am »

I'm in the market for a new printer and the Canon  gets good reviews for print quality and with a lower price its about the same as the Epson 3800. BUT it seems like its a bit complicated. None of the Epson printers seem to have the issues that the Canon does: bad ink cartrodges, bad manual, poor support from Canon, the need for a Wiki, etc. Am I only hearing from those with problems and  perhaps most users don't have these issues? I'm not a techie who likes to fiddle with things. My Epson 2200 runs fine and I assume that the 3800 will do the same. Help me out here!



Peter
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madmanchan

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« Reply #1 on: January 12, 2007, 10:48:55 am »

Hi Peter, the Canon does have issues, but so do Epson printers -- they're just different issues. For example, current Epson printers tend to clog, and despite lots of useful information posted here and elsewhere on the web, the consensus seems to be that there are multiple causes for the clogging issue and there isn't a single silver bullet for fixing it. In contrast, the Canon ipf5000 doesn't appear to have a clogging issues, at least not as far as I've been able to determine from user experiences and reports.

You have to find the printer that suits your needs. If you want something easier to use than the Canons, try the HP B9180, Epson 2400, or Epson 3800. If you don't want to deal with clogs, then go for the HP B9180. If you also need 17" wide printing, then you'll have to wait -- the only clog-free 17" wide pigment printer on the market now is the Canon ipf5000.

Good luck ...

Eric
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Eric Chan

Matthias Blum

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Canon iPF5000?
« Reply #2 on: January 12, 2007, 11:53:03 am »

Quote
I'm in the market for a new printer and the Canon  gets good reviews for print quality and with a lower price its about the same as the Epson 3800. BUT it seems like its a bit complicated. None of the Epson printers seem to have the issues that the Canon does: bad ink cartrodges, bad manual, poor support from Canon, the need for a Wiki, etc. Am I only hearing from those with problems and  perhaps most users don't have these issues? I'm not a techie who likes to fiddle with things. My Epson 2200 runs fine and I assume that the 3800 will do the same. Help me out here!
Peter
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=95278\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

yes, there are issues:

there are bad ink cartridges - some 90ml setup tanks don't work. The standard 130ml cartridges are ok.

the manual is no good - but thanks to the Wiki I never read the manual.

there is service - is it?

But if your Epsons are working fine, clogging is no problem for you and you don't need rollpaper, don't change a running team.

Matthias
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Coot

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Canon iPF5000?
« Reply #3 on: January 12, 2007, 03:42:28 pm »

I had never owned or used any "photo quality" injet printer before taking delivery of an iPF5000 three weeks ago. I'm not all that technical either, but I now have it printing outstanding monitor-matched 8.5x11 color and b/w glossies. Most of the information I need I find in this forum and in the wiki. So far I am very pleased and satisfied with the printer, but perhaps I'm being too optimistic too soon.
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tandlh

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Canon iPF5000?
« Reply #4 on: January 12, 2007, 06:02:50 pm »

Good question and understandable.  I've had an IPF500 for about 3 weeks now myself.  I too have never owned a wide format photo quality printer before this.  I have found the IPF5000 to be pretty easy to use and pretty self explanatory.  The WIKI site is great and sharing learning points is fantastic.  But don't take the listing of problems as an indication that that is all there is.  Very few people post to say, wow I printed a fantastic photo today and it worked great.  So naturally you'll tend to see more questions and issues.  But one or two or three posts out of a hundred or two printers doesn't mean the printer is bad.  In some cases there may not be a problem at all, it may just be part of the learning curve.  No doubt there are real annoyances.  All devices have them.  

Epson has such a corner on the market that there are already many sites, books, articles, etc that give advice on them.  For the Canon it is largely centered on the Wiki.  For me, clogging was a major consideration so that's why I went with Canon.  Every challenge I've had, I've come to realize was me just not having learned how to use it properly yet.  But it's a prett quick learning curve to get up to 90% speed.  It's an awesome printer.  Now there is no excuse when it comes to my images.  I control everything from capture to print.  That's exactly the way I like it.

Ted
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John Hollenberg

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Canon iPF5000?
« Reply #5 on: January 12, 2007, 06:09:33 pm »

I agree.  Bought the Canon (and created the Wiki) because I had so many problems with clogging on Epson printers.  Heard a lot of people say it wasn't really that much of a problem, but every one of the Epsons that I owned has been at least somewhat problematic.  The good news is that the Canon DOES NOT CLOG.  Sure there are some other problems, but most are annoyances rather than showstoppers.  Firmware and software still need tweaking.  However, this in no way means you can't make great prints.  At least you can be sure that ink will be coming out of all the nozzles.

--John
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JBillings

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« Reply #6 on: January 12, 2007, 06:41:12 pm »

I've had this printer since 11/28.  I've only had one serious problem and Canon sent a tech out very quickly to repair it.  That aside, it's been a great printer.  As far as I've been able to determine, it is very economical to use, as i figure it I can print a 16in x 24in print for $2.16.  It's produces great colors and saturation.

I'm still evaluating different papers, I prefer Lustre surfaces, but it's done everything I've asked of it.

Yes, the manual sucks!  But John's WIKI is a godsend.  I've used it to trouble shoot just few problems, but very few.

I've grown tired of dealing with Epson printer's clogging.  It's become tiresome.  Thankfully that is now a thing of the past.
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PJPhoto

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Canon iPF5000?
« Reply #7 on: January 12, 2007, 07:47:52 pm »

I give mine a "thumbs up".  Had it for about 2.5 months.  No problems. Great prints with NO clogs.

One thing this printer has which the 3800 doesn't which I think is under appreciated is the roll feeder and vacuum system.  I was considering the 3800 as well.  Now that I have a roll feeder I can't imagine getting along without it.  Cutting sheets or handling larger sheets before printing is asking for problems by damaging media, at least for me around here.  The vacuum system is really a benefit when using larger media.  

This is my first larger printer and the learning curve I think is steep for most equipment of this type but once you get the hang of it, it's operation and output is stunning.  The Wiki is a great resource as well.

My  $0.02...YMMV

Philip
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Kalin Wilson

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« Reply #8 on: January 13, 2007, 01:29:49 am »

I too have been using my ipf5000 for about 3 weeks. I've found it pretty easy to get up to speed on. I was producing great quality prints right out of the box. Of course I had read as much as I could about it here, elsewhere, and on the wiki before I made the purchase decision. So I knew where to look when I needed help. I've been happy with other Canon dye based printers so maybe that helped the transition.

Overall I think it's a quality printer. If the Canon corporate support came up to par it would be a killer combination.
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madmanchan

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« Reply #9 on: January 13, 2007, 08:13:56 am »

Wow, it also looks like the Canon dealer incentives are back, at least in the US, where the price has dropped back down to 1395 or so. Places like ColorHQ are even offering the ipf5000 with free shipping and the extra roll feed unit for 100. I've been leaning towards a 3800 myself but admit this has got me thinking again ... I really don't want to have to deal with clogs ... had plenty of that with my 2200 ...

Eric
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Eric Chan

peterpix2005

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Canon iPF5000?
« Reply #10 on: January 13, 2007, 02:19:44 pm »

Many thanks for all the good coments. Now to find room to set up my new Canon!

Peter
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David White

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« Reply #11 on: January 13, 2007, 09:01:43 pm »

I've had mine for over 6 months and not a clog to be seen.  Sure it has it's idiosyncrasies, but what device doesn't?  Hopefully the new firmware and media software will take care of the few remaining issues.

As far as setting it up, I highly recommend the Ikea VARDE kitchen drawer unit.  It's detailed in this article by Andy Biggs.  The ipf5000 fits nicely on the top and the drawers are big and spacious with lots of room for paper and supplies.
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David White

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« Reply #12 on: January 13, 2007, 09:22:36 pm »

Quote
As far as setting it up, I highly recommend the Ikea VARDE kitchen drawer unit.  It's detailed in this article by Andy Biggs.  The ipf5000 fits nicely on the top and the drawers are big and spacious with lots of room for paper and supplies.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=95613\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]
One comment on the VARDE unit.  It comes with a butcher block top with an oil finish.  Oil finishes never truly dry out.  I was worrided that the top might react with the printer feet and glue the feet down.  Don't have any proof, just  a concern that there would be a reaction.  

So I replaced the top with a counter top with a laminate one.  IKEA has several.  I used the NUMERAR one that is laminated both sides.  One side grey, one side white.  It's about 1.5" thick, same depth, and about 49" long.  So you get an extra 7" of length.  Any of them will work.
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