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Author Topic: Canon Pro 2100 to replace my Epson 7800?  (Read 658 times)

KenS

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Canon Pro 2100 to replace my Epson 7800?
« on: November 15, 2023, 10:45:56 pm »

I am the original owner of an Epson SP 7800.  It gets light use for both color and Black & White printing, mostly on Epson glossy and luster papers.  Up until a few weeks ago it worked fine!  But it now has one clogged nozzle in several of the color channels (i.e. one gap is missing in one line of the nozzle checks).  I tried a lot of things, including as a last resort, a power cleaning.  That resulted in regaining a perfect nozzle check for two consecutive days, but now the same clogs are back.  The result of this minor clogging appears as banding, even in Highest Quality 5, High speed off mode.  If I can't get rid of the banding I will want a new printer.

I am concerned about some reviews and remarks about the Canon pro-2100  printing  Black & White on glossy paper,  in particular gloss differential and bronzing.  Maybe it's not much different than what I have with my 7800 prints; or maybe it's worse? Not sure using Canon Chrome Optimizer setting helps. Does anyone have experience or any comments about this?

KenS

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Re: Canon Pro 2100 to replace my Epson 7800?
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2023, 04:53:10 pm »

... as a follow-up to my post; are there any general observations, comments, expectations, tests concerning print quality differences between the  Epson 7800 and Canon pro-2000.

Simon J.A. Simpson

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Re: Canon Pro 2100 to replace my Epson 7800?
« Reply #2 on: November 17, 2023, 08:34:49 am »

Have a look at Northlight Images.  A reliable source of reviews.

Northlight Images Printer Reviews
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bellevuefineart

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Re: Canon Pro 2100 to replace my Epson 7800?
« Reply #3 on: November 17, 2023, 12:03:07 pm »

I just got a Canon Pro-2100 and I love it. The dual roll option is fantastic and I've been surprised at the ease of use and flexibility. No ink switching (which of course the newer Epsons also have), but also you can have two rolls at a time if you buy the optional roll feeder, and you can use sheets without unloading the rolls. For your kind of work flow that will make a big difference in your day to day use.

The Chroma Optimizer does help with bronzing and I haven't had any issues, but that's something you would need to test for yourself. Here's my review on it:
https://youtu.be/Q7tNjR5gvbU


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KenS

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Re: Canon Pro 2100 to replace my Epson 7800?
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2023, 11:25:23 am »

Thanks for replies:
The Northlight Images website has a thorough review by Keith Cooper, and the youtube video is full of good information !

raminolta

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Re: Canon Pro 2100 to replace my Epson 7800?
« Reply #5 on: November 18, 2023, 09:30:46 pm »

I have had the Pro-2100 for about a year and half by now. I am overall happy with it with some caveats. I print sporadically however, the printhead has not failed on me yet. Coming from ipf6400, I am not sure the upgrade was worth it because ipf 6400 was already a great printer. The most noticeable difference is the printing speed. The interface has improved too using the touch screen (if you care about it). Pro-2100 has one single printhead while iupf640 had two print heads. I was using third party inks with ipf6400 while with preo-2100, I am using oem inks.

If you buy the pro-2100, removing it from its enclosure must be done carefully. There are some vertical plates underneath made of plastic that are very close to the ground and can break. Mine received broken (the dealer had already removed the printer from the enclosure). Canon had a technician on the site to replace them under warranty.
« Last Edit: November 22, 2023, 11:57:25 am by raminolta »
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KenS

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Re: Canon Pro 2100 to replace my Epson 7800?
« Reply #6 on: November 19, 2023, 10:11:13 pm »

...Coming from ipf6400, I am not sure the upgrade was worth it because ipf 6400 was already a great printer. The most noticeable difference is the printing speed

Thanks for info.  Interesting to me is that the change from the IPF ink set with a Green ink (although non-OEM) to the pro-2100  (no green ink) apparently doesn't make a difference, at least for what you print?  I've have seen some remarks about lack of green ink in the pro-2100 being a concern, but perhaps this not a problem for printing the greens that occur in nature.  Anyway, glad you are happy with it and good to know it is holding up well.

If I buy one I will definitely check for the integrity of those plastic those vertical plates underneath you mentioned.

bellevuefineart

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Re: Canon Pro 2100 to replace my Epson 7800?
« Reply #7 on: November 21, 2023, 12:20:43 pm »

The green ink makes a difference. In tests it's noticeable, but in actual prints it's hard to tell most of the time. But I would be lying if I said that the green isn't a weak point, albeit a very difficult to notice one. On the other hand I don't see the bronzing issues others have talked about when using the Chroma Optimizer.   

For me, the Epson has a slightly better color set, but the problems with Epson printers are enough at this point for me to move on to Canon. The 2000/4000 series has a different inkset with green and florescent magenta (that can be turned on and off), and I'm considering a mix of the Pro 4000 and Pro 4100.
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raminolta

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Re: Canon Pro 2100 to replace my Epson 7800?
« Reply #8 on: November 22, 2023, 10:42:15 am »

  Well, I never did a side by side comparison of the same print to check any noticeable difference in the green colors. My IPF had already been sold before I got the new printer. I am only a hobbyist printer so not much concerned about perfect accuracy. My monitor is calibrated and I am getting almost matched prints (I would say %98) when it comes to color. Brightness is another story though and I have to keep paying attention to that all the time or else, I would get dark prints.

Regarding the green issue, here is a review that compares two prints one from Canon pro2100 and the other one from Epson P9570 containing lots of different greens. He states he could not see a difference between the two prints.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7tNjR5gvbU

  Those plastic plates underneath are only used for a second roll holder, If you are not planning to add a second roller, the printer functions fine even if those plates are broken. I haven't used a second roll holder yet but still wanted these plates replaced under warranty because one never knows; maybe in the future, I would want to. 

  I find, there is a drawback to pro2100 compared to ipf 6400. By design, the cloth basket underneath the printer in Pro2100 cannot be closed rendering it useless to my eyes because as time goes by, dust sits on the cloth which ruins the print when it falls into it faced down with wet ink. So I have removed the basket for good and have set the printer to not automatically cut the printed paper from the roll so that I can have it cut when I am by the printer side, ready to catch the print. This is not a perfect solution though. There is an annoying glitch in the printer's software: it occasionally reverts to automatic cut by itself. So every time before I make a print using a roll, I have to check the option in the print dialogue to make sure it is not set back to auto cut. This problem alone makes the pro-2100 a less satisfying experience to operate. To be honest, I sometimes feel like I gained little by switching to the new model despite the improvements.

Some other positives and cons:

- Positive: paper feeding (roll or manual) is now an easier, smoother operation compared to ipf6400.

- Positive: it has sensors to evaluate paper weight, thickness and type. This minimizes risks such as head strikes. With ipf6400, I might had to adjust head height and vaccum setting manually for non-Canon papers.

- Con: Canon software has no way of checking whether an available software is an update or the old version. Neither does it uninstall the previously installed software before installing a new. The software version is not even given on the website. Perhaps, it means Canon has no the intention to update the provided software/driver in the future. That said, I once went to their website and mistakenly thought the presented software is an update. However, after going through the installation, I realized this was just the old version already installed on my computer.



« Last Edit: November 22, 2023, 07:06:57 pm by raminolta »
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Richard.Wills

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Re: Canon Pro 2100 to replace my Epson 7800?
« Reply #9 on: November 22, 2023, 03:10:05 pm »

Our dealer has just let me know that they won't be able to support our 8400 after the end of year, so back on the merrygoround of what to print on. Needs to be able to handle Platine, Prestige Baryta, Arches 88, while also having roll to roll for the regular production papers.

Thinking likely the 6100, but would be intrigued to hear whether rips (likely EFI XF or Caldera) can work with the gloss optimiser. There is no way I'd ever work without a rip!
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Lessbones

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Re: Canon Pro 2100 to replace my Epson 7800?
« Reply #10 on: November 22, 2023, 06:22:06 pm »

EFI definitely works with the Gloss Optimizer, I'd imagine most others would too. Speaking from experience with EFI v6.x and a PRO6000, I kinda hate fiery xf 7...
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Richard.Wills

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Re: Canon Pro 2100 to replace my Epson 7800?
« Reply #11 on: November 22, 2023, 07:02:00 pm »

Cool, thank you.

I'm on 5.4x, don't think I'll find 6.x

I kind of figured it would be supported on rips. Only suggested EFI, as I've used the lite version for the last decade, last few machines, and it was bundled with the printers.
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