Topic: Initial iPF5100 comments (Read 3443 times)

santa · « **on:** October 13, 2007, 01:59:30 am »

It's only been out of the box for about two days. I blew through the supplied miniroll of matte paper in a heart beat and the additional paper I ordered for it has not arrived so I am using some left over Epson semi-gloss.
So far this printer is like an obnoxious son. You love the thing but it makes you shake your head in frustration at times. I knew what I was getting so no real complaints, but I have to continually ask myself what the Canon engineers were thinking to require you to physically change paper type and size by inputs on the printer in addition to software. This is the largest printer I have owned and I don't know the foibles of similar printers. Only feed one page at a time from the top? Because? Perhaps 17" wide is just that much harder...but my little 2200 fed 13" wide...
It is definitely a printer that screams GEEKS ONLY. No way you're going to turn it on and toss some paper in it and be off and running but that's nicely balanced by the excellent output.
The day after it arrived I had a request to scan and enlarge four very old historical prints to 16x20. The last one rolled off the printer with the last bit of the supplied mini-roll. Amazing quality. When the clients picked up the photos they were as impressed as I was.
I missed the Color Management button in the Canon drivers, being new to Canon printers and made one bad print. I couldn't afford a second so I crossed my fingers, quit PS CS3 and fired up CS and printed the rest from the Plug-in flawlessly. I've since found the correct color management settings and anxiously await a Mac Intel PSCS3 plugin to use. Very nice indeed.
All in all I hate the need to physically set print paper and such on the printer itself but I'll get used to it. Like the camera controls of the 1dMKII series, it's just plain clumsy and poorly thought out, but ultimately useable and capable of making fine images.
I'm currently getting quotes from vendors to find out from whom I can get paper at a good price with reasonable shipping to AK where "FREE SHIPPING!" is never free.

Scott Martin · « **Reply #1 on:** October 13, 2007, 10:26:03 am »

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It's only been out of the box for about two days. So far this printer is like an obnoxious son. You love the thing but it makes you shake your head in frustration at times. This is the largest printer I have owned and I don't know the foibles of similar printers.[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=145661\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

That sounds like anyones first few days experience with any inkjet printer. It takes a while to get to know the right procedures - once you have them down you'll be off and running smoothly. The Epson 4800 and 2x00 series have all the same (and perhaps worse) little quirks that one has to learn too.

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I knew what I was getting so no real complaints, but I have to continually ask myself what the Canon engineers were thinking to require you to physically change paper type and size by inputs on the printer in addition to software. [a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=145661\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

HP does that too. You are right there are advantages and disadvantages. You can set certain preferences (like head height and suction) on a per media type basis so telling the printer what paper you are loading insures that it is loaded and handled with the preferences that you have determined. The media selection that you choose in the driver overrides the selection on the printer so there is no need to reload if you choose the wrong selection. HP has mimicked this behavior with a recent Z series update.

I like the way the iPF series double beeps at you when it needs you attention. My 4800 just sits there and doesn't print something when it needs attention. That little beep beep is a nice and subtle way of communicating.

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Only feed one page at a time from the top? Because? Perhaps 17" wide is just that much harder...but my little 2200 fed 13" wide...[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=145661\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Unlike the 2200, the 5100 has a seperate top feeding tray for single sheets only and a dedicated "cassette" for stacks of sheets. Canon's paper feeding mechanism is much better and is more successful at grabbing sheets from it.

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It is definitely a printer that screams GEEKS ONLY. No way you're going to turn it on and toss some paper in it and be off and running but that's nicely balanced by the excellent output. [a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=145661\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Although I am a geek I can't agree with you on this. In a week I'm sure you'll be turning it on and tossing out prints in no time. Enjoy the B&W on that printer - they are exceptional. Try out Hahnemuhle Fine Art Pearl if you haven't already. And let us know if you prefer printing B&W prints with monochrome photos mode or just in plain color with a custom profile. The jury isn't quite out on which way is the better way to go there.

DougMorgan · « **Reply #2 on:** October 13, 2007, 01:04:29 pm »

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Like the camera controls of the 1dMKII series, it's just plain clumsy and poorly thought out.....
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=145661\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

But does the print button work now?

Thanks for the info. I wouldn't expect any improvements from firmware, if canon's track record with photo gear is any example. Epson definitely does not improve products through firmware either so I guess it's par for the course.....

Doug

marcmccalmont · « **Reply #3 on:** October 13, 2007, 01:17:05 pm »

I feel your pain no free shipping to HI either.
Good general purpose paper at inkjet art
http://www.inkjetart.com/
I stuck to the upper manual feed for the first month and aways use the PS 16 bit plugin on the iPF5000. Gets even better with custom profiles.
Marc

santa · « **Reply #4 on:** October 13, 2007, 03:22:07 pm »

The irritating thing about the use of the Casette is changing paper. I don't have room for this printer and a 2200. Everything I print, including simple text, will be coming out of this. If I need to print a 5 page text file I have to pull out that huge casette and change paper, as opposed to just grabbing the paper out of the 2200 at the top and dropping another paper type in. Making room for this printer in my office wasn't easy and I'd love to have a smaller printer dedicated to just simple text and basic color work but I don't see that happening. It just would have been nice to be able to put 20 pages of standard paper on the top and a stack of photo paper in the casette. I'm sure there's a good reason for the inability to be able to handle more than one page fed through the top slot but given the little 2200's ability to take roll feed and have a stack of paper being fed through the top I don't know what the issue is. I understand that this printer is not really expected to be used for day to day business forms and letters. (said with a grin) Like all the trades off with any printer or camera, in the end all you can do is focus on what works and not sweat the small stuff. It just takes me a few days to get there .

Scott Martin · « **Reply #5 on:** October 13, 2007, 09:47:47 pm »

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The irritating thing about the use of the Casette is changing paper. I don't have room for this printer and a 2200. Everything I print, including simple text, will be coming out of this. If I need to print a 5 page text file I have to pull out that huge casette and change paper, as opposed to just grabbing the paper out of the 2200 at the top and dropping another paper type in. [a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=145751\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

It is unfair to compare the 2200 to the 5000. If you compare the 5000 to a similarly sized Epson 4800, Canon's cassette is much improved. What you need is a good laser printer instead of that 2200.

John Hollenberg · « **Reply #6 on:** October 13, 2007, 10:37:54 pm »

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It is unfair to compare the 2200 to the 5000. If you compare the 5000 to a similarly sized Epson 4800, Canon's cassette is much improved. What you need is a good laser printer instead of that 2200.
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=145797\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

Yup. I bought a laser printer for about $150 that prints some 20 pages per minute. Save the photo printer for the photos

--John

Kalin Wilson · « **Reply #7 on:** October 14, 2007, 01:23:29 pm »

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Yup. I bought a laser printer for about $150 that prints some 20 pages per minute. Save the photo printer for the photos

--John
[a href=\"index.php?act=findpost&pid=145808\"][{POST_SNAPBACK}][/a]

I agree with John. I use my I9900, which the iPF5000 replaced, for most day-to-day printing (text, web pages, etc). Fortunately I have room for both printers in my office (My wife thinks she's being squeezed out). But even if you have to build or install a shelf, I'd use another printer for the common stuff - save that precious black ink!

djgarcia · « **Reply #8 on:** October 15, 2007, 05:08:04 pm »

The right tool for the job. For me, photos -> iPF5000, text -> HP 1320 laser ...

Author Topic: Initial iPF5100 comments (Read 3443 times)