Luminous Landscape Forum
Raw & Post Processing, Printing => Printing: Printers, Papers and Inks => Topic started by: texshooter on January 07, 2018, 04:40:10 pm
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The Canon Pro-1 was suppose to be Canon's highest quality 13x19" printer for photo enthusiasts. Why did Canon discontinue it?
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This is just my supposition, but I'd give 3:1 odds that it's at least basically correct: most of the people really wanting / needing the Pro-1's advanced capabilities and willing to pay its fairly high price would much prefer a printer than can handle 17 inch wide paper, for only a little more money and a slightly larger size. The Pro-1000 was and is such a printer. And from the lower end / those who really only want a 13-inch printer, the Pro-10, introduced not quite a year after the Pro-1, has to have cut into the lower end of the Pro-1's market.
The Pro-1 was what you might call a 'tweener' (from 'in between'), meaning that it didn't fall into any of the usual pigeonholes. It was a clear step up from Canon's own Pro 9500 Mk. II and Pro-10 and Epson's R3000 and P600, but it couldn't print larger like the aging Canon iPF5100 and Epson's 3880 and P800. Sometimes tweeners are very innovative and popular; other times they reinforce why the pigeonholes exist.
IIRC, the Pro-1 offered more on the black and gray spectrum than any other OEM inkset, with three grays (dark, medium, and light) in addition to photo black and matte black (and IIRC, the Pro-1000 dropped the darker gray to add blue). And FWIW, it was 4800x2400 dpi (like the Pro-10 and Pro-100), while the Pro-1000 is 'only' 2400x1200; can that make a visible difference in small prints / close viewing? I don't know, but it would be interesting to see a truly scientific test, which I've never seen. And the Pro-1 used 36 ml ink tanks, a big step up from the Pro-10's 14 ml cartridges, but well short of the Pro-1000's 80 ml cartridges.
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The Canon Pro-1 was suppose to be Canon's highest quality 13x19" printer for photo enthusiasts. Why did Canon discontinue it?
Still featured on the Canon UK/Europe website.
Discontinued where ?
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Discontinued where ?
B&H USA no longer sells it. Been out of production for years. I suspect the Epson P600, weighing at 30 lb., must've slaughtered Canon's 60 lb. Pro-1 in sales. 60 pounds is really heavy for a 13x19" printer. Why Epson can makes things smaller but Canon can't, I'm sure I don't know.
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B&H USA no longer sells it. Been out of production for years. I suspect the Epson P600, weighing at 30 lb., must've slaughtered Canon's 60 lb. Pro-1 in sales. 60 pounds is really heavy for a 13x19" printer. Why Epson can makes things smaller but Canon can't, I'm sure I don't know.
Still up on the Canon USA site.
Canon Professional Inkjet Printers (https://www.usa.canon.com/internet/portal/us/home/products/list/professional-large-format-printers/professional-inkjet-printers/professional-inkjet-printers)
Where did you get the information that it has “been out of production for years” ?
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Canon does not officially list the Pro-1 as discontinued, probably to avoid harming the sales prospects of the small number still in commercial channels. But it seems pretty clear that it is discontinued, at least in the U.S. and the U.K. Although (as linked) Canon's U.S. website still lists it among the professional photo printers, unlike the Pro-100, Pro-10, and Pro-1000, Canon's web store does not have it for sale. See https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/printers-all-in-ones/professional-inkjet-printers (https://shop.usa.canon.com/shop/en/catalog/printers-all-in-ones/professional-inkjet-printers).
Likewise, top U.S. photo retailer B&H lists the Pro-1 as "No Longer Available"; see https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/827045-REG/Canon_PIXMA_PRO_1_Photo_Printer.html (https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/827045-REG/Canon_PIXMA_PRO_1_Photo_Printer.html). And Amazon U.S. neither itself sells the Pro-1 nor has any new Pro-1 available from a major source (just a few tiny-volume sellers).
In the U.K., AFAIK Jessop's is or was the big retailer. The Jessop's website has several categories, and lists the Pro-100, Pro-10, and Pro-1000, but not the Pro-1. See photo printers, https://www.jessops.com/home-photo/printers/canon (https://www.jessops.com/home-photo/printers/canon); inkjet printers, https://www.jessops.com/search?q=inkjet%20printers (https://www.jessops.com/search?q=inkjet%20printers); and A3 printers, https://www.jessops.com/search?q=a3%20printers (https://www.jessops.com/search?q=a3%20printers). Likewise Amazon U.K. neither itself sells the Pro-1 nor has any new Pro-1 available from a major source.
Are there new Pro-1s available somewhere? Sure, there are very probably a few. But they are the last few in the distribution channels, and it appears that, at least in the U.S. and U.K., the major retailers have long sold their last Pro-1s. That strongly suggests that Canon stopped making Pro-1s a long time ago, or at least stopped selling them in the U.S. and U.K.
Is there any place in the world where the major photo retailers still have Pro-1s in stock?
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In Germany on the Canon store: Online zur Zeit ausverkauft: Currently sold out
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Yes. It does seem as though the PRO-1 has done a disappearing act from retailers in the UK.
Interesting…
Wat next ?
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Yes. It does seem as though the PRO-1 has done a disappearing act from retailers in the UK.
Interesting…
Wat next ?
I've gotten a lot of use out of my Pro-1. It puts out very good prints! But I would not be surprised to see if phased out since it's been around quite a while.
The Pro 1000 looks like it would be a worthy upgrade. I'd probably get more use out of a 17" wide printer.
Patrick
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If I'm going to buy a new 17" printer, that sucker better be able to print 17x25", the same aspect ratio as 13x19". The good news about the Canon Pro-1000 is it can. The bad news is 17x25" size sheet paper is virtually nonexistent. The worse news is that the Pro-1000 can't accept roll paper to cut out 17x25" prints. So forget about 17x25" prints with Canon. If I were to choose Canon, I would be buying a printer twice the size of Epson's P800 and still be stuck printing no bigger than 13x19". No thank you.
Unless? ....
Does anyone trim their own 17x25" sheets from roll paper and then feed the self-cut sheets into the Pro-1000 as a workaround?
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... The bad news is 17x25" size sheet paper is virtually nonexistent.....
Red River Paper has many (all?) of their papers in 17x25 sheets.
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Red River Paper has many (all?) of their papers in 17x25 sheets.
I tried Red River. They have great metallic paper, but I much prefer premium brands for everything else. What a dilemma. i guess it comes down to two things:
1. If you need roll feed, get the Epson.
2. If you can't manage clogs, get the Canon.
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Unless? ....
Does anyone trim their own 17x25" sheets from roll paper and then feed the self-cut sheets into the Pro-1000 as a workaround?
Not the Canon printer but I have done this for the Epson 3880. I did some QA work for Museo several years ago on their "new" Silver Rag paper (they had change paper suppliers) and the sent me a free roll of paper. I use a Rotatrim to cut 17x25 sheets and it works fine. As long as the printer driver allows one to use that length you should be fine. You do need to use a high quality paper cutter to make sure the edge is true.
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I tried Red River. They have great metallic paper, but I much prefer premium brands for everything else. What a dilemma. i guess it comes down to two things:
1. If you need roll feed, get the Epson.
2. If you can't manage clogs, get the Canon.
I am not sure what premium brands means, but I would put the RR Palo Duro Etching and RR Palo Duro Soft Gloss up against any other brand. Both great rag papers with no OBAs.
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Why can't Canon add a roll feeder? Is it that hard, really?
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I am not sure what premium brands means, but I would put the RR Palo Duro Etching and RR Palo Duro Soft Gloss up against any other brand. Both great rag papers with no OBAs.
+1 on that,they are my 2 top papers.
MikeS.