Has anyone using the new Epson P900 printer?

[rdonson]

Keith Cooper has done an excellent job thoroughly reviewing the P900.  The big question for P800 owners though is still the smaller ink carts in the P900.

[budjames]

I received my new Epson P900 3 weeks ago from B&H Photo. It was ordered in April, so I was glad to finally receive it.

As with my previous Epson 17" printers, the set up was easy and took only about 15 minutes once I set the printer in place after unpacking.

Using Epson paper, matte and luster, and the self-contained Epson profiles, I printed a few of my favorite images to both matte and luster, one after the other. It's great to not have to waste ink and time ink switching. The results were fantastic!

I have a stock of Hahnemuehler matte and fiber papers that I have been reluctant to use because of the ink switching issue with my previous printer, the Epson P800. Now, I can print these papers at will.

The printer came with a starter set of ink cartridges which I estimated to be about 50% of the standard cartridges. I ordered a replacement set of ink cartridges to have them ready as needed.

Regards,
Bud James

Please check out my fine art and travel photography at www.budjames.photography or on Instagram at www.instagram.com/budjamesphoto.

[dgberg]

They have you both ways Bud. The higher cost per ml of the smaller P900 ink carts is probably about the same as your ink switching costs.
Might as well just switch your P800 inks as it costs you no more than the several minutes for the change over.
For my proofs I have a 3880 and P800 and rarely switch either. I do have refillable carts in the 3880 with OEM ink from larger 700ml carts I have purchased all for under .10 per ml.
When I do switch the 3880 the cost is less than .50. I think they are going the right direction with no ink switch but their is a cost for everything.

[IPDOUGLAS]

@BudJames re: "The printer came with a starter set of ink cartridges which I estimated to be about 50% of the standard cartridges."

Hi Bud, Do you mean that the ink cartridges (before inserting?) appeared to be 50% full or after initialisation and set-up/calibration?

I am fairly sure I read somewhere (but cannot remember where) that the start-up cartridges were slightly overfilled in order to push out the fluids resident in a newly shipped printers pipework?  Also this explains why the maintenance cartridge is nearly full after initialisation.  Of course all this might be hokum?  I am not sure why such facts are so hard to determine from Epson?

Certainly Keith Cooper (Northlight-images.co.uk) felt there was some room (inside new unused ink cartridges) for potential XL cartridges in the future?  What I do find bizarre is that the P700 has same sized (physical dimensions not ink volume) though not mutually compatible ink cartridges?  Why would an honest company do that?  All hard to understand.

I did however feel (again) (after watching Keith Coopers first unboxing, setting-up and roll paper set-up videos) that the P900 looks very fragile with thin trays etc.  Yes producing a nice shiny smaller footprint was good but not at the expense of a robust build?  Comments from owners please on this.

[Eric Brody]

Operating costs of the new P900 with the relatively small 50ml cartridges which At B&H go for US$41.99 are $0.8398/ml.
Listed cost for my 3880 with 80ml cartridges @ US$74.99 at B&H are US$0.937/ml.
Listed cost for the P800 with 80ml cartridges @ US$58.00 at B&H are US$0.72/ml.
It's not clear to me why the 3880 ink in an 80ml cartridge costs US$16.99 more than the P800 ink, also in an 80ml cartridge. Ideas?

I read somewhere that these are the switching data:
Black ink conversion times:
Matte to Photo Black
3:30 min:sec
Photo to Matte Black
2:30 min:sec
Ink used during conversion:
Matte Black to Photo Black
Approx. 4.6 ml
Photo Black to Matte Black
Approx. 1.6 ml

At this rate, after paying $1,200 for the printer, one can do an awful lot of ink switches even on the more expensive 3880.

By the time I've paid for the printer with ink switches, there will probably be a new one to replace the P900!

Eric

[IPDOUGLAS]

On the 3880 ink costing more than the P800 (per ml).

Are the inks the same generation?  The 3880 printer was released in 2009 and the P800 in 2015 so 6 years between them.  Perhaps the 'formula' of the ink or the materials in the cartridge are more/less expensive to manufacture.  Additionally Epson may be wanting to push owners onto the next/newer generation of printer and inks especially if the more modern manufacturing methods and newer (cheaper?) contracts allow higher profit margins?

cheers
Ian