Hi GR....
I have the 4880 and am a happy owner.
Here are some of the things to consider between the two Epsons (3800 vs. 4880); some may be of more or less value to you. You may want to assign a "weighting" and then score the printers on some scale (say, 1-5) and see how they stack up for what YOU need them for.
Here are some of the differences between the two (others may chime in with corrections or additions):
3800 can switch between matte black and photo black inks with negligible ink loss; noticeable ink loss with 4880 (if you need to switch between frequently, this may be important for you)
3800 is less expensive
3800 has a smaller footprint and is physically easier to move around
4880 uses Vivid Magent inkset (slightly better than the previous inksets)
4880 uses slightly better head technology
4880 can use larger cartridges (lowering per ml ink costs)
4880 comes with more ink "in the box when purchased" but needs more ink to "charge" the lines
4880 uses a vacuum to guide pull the paper through
4880 can use roll paper (can reduce paper costs by up to 40% per print)
4880 is larger and heavier than 3800 and typically requires two people to move, etc.
:-)
I went through the VERY SAME process (except no Canon was in my future); and finally chose the 4880 over the 3800. I know that the 3800 is a very fine printer but am really happy with the 4880 and the ability to use roll paper was a heavily weighted factor for me.
What a great problem to have!
Have fun!
Cheers...
Todd in Chicago
Hi All,
My first post. I have been a film photographer for many years, but could use some help in making the switch to digital . I am looking for a good quality ink jet printer, and think the 17” models would be a good size, as in the past I had 16X20 C prints made from film. I am considering the Epson 3800 & 4880 and the Canon 5100. The Epson 3800 clearly wins on price, as I can get it for $845 after a $300 rebate (that requires buying $100 of Epson paper, but I figure I would be doing that anyway). My concern about the 3800 is that it doesn’t use the new vivid magenta inks. Since good color reproduction is one of my highest priorities, it seems that there would be a definite benefit to using the latest ink set. Does anyone have any information on the color gamut difference between the older K3 inks and the newer ones with vivid magenta – or has anyone seen side by side comparisons of the same photo printed with the two ink sets? The Epson 4880 has the new inks, but of course at a much higher price.
In researching printers I came across a review here of the Canon iPF 5000 from 2006, with a follow up in 2007. They made the Canon sound like a definite contender, and possibly superior to the Epson. I would have to assume that the Canon 5100 would be even better. Now that these Canons have been on the market a few years I’m curious what sort of track record they have. Are folks out there satisfied with their performance, dependability, etc? Also, there were comments that Canon’s owner’s manual was “dreadful.” Does anyone know if they have been improved? As a newbie, good documentation would be very important.
Thanks,
GR