print resolution: 600 x 600 dpi black; 9600 x 2400 dpi color * direct photo printing with PictBridge-compliant cameras * two-sided printing * ContrastPLUS 5-color ink system * print sizes: letter (8-1/2" x 11"), legal, credit card (approx. 3-3/8" x 2-1/8"), 4" x 6", 5" x 7", envelope *
Printing professional quality photos from home has become a reality, thanks to easy-to-use photo printers like the Canon PIXMA ip5000. By combining five-color printing and a 1,856-nozzle print head that's capable of delivering superfine 1-picoliter ink droplets (up to 22 million droplets per inch), the ip5000 delivers stunningly accurate prints that should leave professional photo labs a little worried.
Color resolution is as high as 9,600 x 2,400 dpi, with black-and-white resolution of up to 600 x 600 dpi. Print speeds are as high as 25 ppm in black, 17 ppm in color, while a borderless 4-by-6-inch photo can take as little as 36 seconds. The same drive system responsible for the ip5000's improved print speeds also results in a low 34 dB(A) noise level.
Precision Color Distribution Technology
Unlike other systems, nozzle configuration in Bubble Jet printers is simple, so it is easier to make them smaller and more dense. Using its superior semiconductor manufacturing technology, Canon has succeeded in developing an ultrahigh-precision, multinozzle print head. The problem of color inconsistency has been solved by positioning a mirror-image line of 128 nozzles (600 dpi pitch for each color) at a half-pitch offset from the existing line. This configuration also provides the added advantage of enabling high-resolution printing at 1,200 dpi.
Easy-PhotoPrint v3.0
While most photo-editing software applications will brighten the entire image, Easy-PhotoPrint 3.0 accurately detects the subject's face and adjusts the skin to the optimum tone. Brighten dark faces caused by bright backgrounds. Choose from one-click automatic to correct the entire image all at once, or manual to correct just a selected area.
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Easy-PhotoPrint 3.0 also lets you select and print any image on your PC, perfectly trim images, correct images using lab-quality retouching features, correct red-eye, smooth facial lines and skin tone, sharpen faces, remove blemishes, and print in a variety of sizes and layouts.
Along with a wide variety of plain and photo papers, the ip5000 also accepts envelopes and transparencies. The dual paper path allows you to print two-sided documents or simply store photo papers in one tray and plain paper in the other.
This printer can connect directly to select digital cameras. Learn more about PictBridge. |
With its easy-to-use USB port, hooking up the printer to your computer is a snap, while a direct print port allows you to print directly from a PictBridge-compatible digital camera or DV camcorder, with or without your computer. The software bundle includes Easy-PhotoPrint and PhotoStitch. Compatible with both PC and Mac operating systems, the ip5000 comes backed with a one-year limited warranty on both parts and labor.
What's in the Box
PIXMA iP5000 photo printer, print head and ink tanks (BCI-3eBK black, BCI-6BK black, BCI-6C cyan, BCI-6M magenta, BCI-6Y yellow), power cord, easy setup instructions, documentation kit (Quick Start Guide, Registration Card), Setup Software and User's Guide on CD-ROM, Canon Photo Paper Pro for Borderless Printing (4-by-6 sample pack); USB cable not included
1 2nd best Pixma printer
This one was ranked 7th overall in a recent Consumer Reports issue(may '05 pg.28) and scored only "fair" in graphics quality. It's lower priced cousin, the Pixma iP4000, was ranked #2, overall score in the excellent range and designated as a "CR best buy". The 5000 actually tested slower than the 4000 in both text speed(ppm) and 4x6 time. Admittedly, the superior 9600x2400 res. is impressive as is the 1pl droplet size. The 5 color ink tanks are a bit misleading as 2 of them are black. Canon printers are the best so don't waste money on HP,Epson, & Lexmark.
To the reviewer below that stated that everybody uses 20 lb. paper, I use a "bright white" 24 lb. inkjet paper for everyday use (20 is too thin- better for fax & copy machines). Also, the reviewer incorrectly states the 5000 does not use the two black inks, in fact it uses the same ink tanks with 2 blacks(BCI-3eBK/6BK), just like the 4000.
2 iP4000 may be a little better than iP5000
I'm repeating a post I made under the iP4000, the printer I bought, because these 2 printers are very similar. there may be something here that could impact your decision about the iP5000 (or be useful in your use of it) too.
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I knew I was going with a Canon printer because of their reputation for having reasonably priced ink compared to all the other manufacturers (hp being the most expensive to use). I intended to buy one from their PIXMA series (said to be the fastest printers on the market; all offer Duplex/two-sided printing which I wanted). I really struggled between their high-end iP8500 and mid-range iP5000 & iP4000. I ultimately eliminated the 8500 and 5000 because neither had dual black ink cartridges (4000 has a 13 ml. for photos, and a bigger 27 ml. one for text). In the 8500 I didn't want to have to be replacing 8 individual ink cartridges (some say those extra tanks don't really make much difference, just cost more). While the 5000 had greater resolution than the 4000, my decision was also impacted by what I thought was a reputable review (PC magazine, I believe). The review said that the 5000 generated better text and graphics than the 4000, however at the expense of photos that weren't as good and that printed slower. Another factor in my decision was that I could purchase the 4000 for 1/3 the retail price, dirt cheap compared to any other potential printer purchase out there. (Best Buy price matched with Office Depot, I had Best Buy RewardsZone certificates, a Best Buy gift card, and there was manufacturer rebate.)
After a solid week of Internet research, I ultimately did purchase the 4000 and I am very pleased with it. Below I've summarized my observations from my first week of usage of my new printer. Maybe I can save somebody from some of the research effort that I put into this purchase.
DESIGN: It's beautiful, but it's black shiny parts are potentially a dust-magnet. There's no printer cable included. I had a spare on hand (it uses USB 2.0 cable with A/B connectors). Radio Shack was less than Best Buy, at $24.99 for a 6-foot. You could do better on the Internet via Amazon.com or eBay.com. Error messaging is cool; just count the amber blinks of the usually green power button, then check your manual for what it means. This thing is FAST! Text ink is pigment-based (longer lasting, less fading, rated 75-80 yrs., I think) and the colors are dye-based (rated 25-30 years, I think). Duplex capability is awesome.
POWER: Canon says they only recommend plugging the printer directly into a wall outlet. I have a Curtis Command Center power center, under my monitor. It conveniently locates power buttons for all of my computer components, as well as offering surge protection. I've used it for years with no difficulties. While I can turn my new printer off via the Curtis power buttons, I can't turn the printer back on with it. The actual button on the printer must be pressed to turn it back on. My printer is not located immediately next to the computer, so I now have to stand up to physically hit that actual printer button.
QUIET MODE: For me, this feature is worthless. Canon says that using it will slow the print speed of the printer. Upon installation, this mode is turned off by default. In regular mode, this printer is pretty noisy when it starts out (much more than the hp DeskJet 825c that I just passed on to Mom), but when it's printing sounds like most every other printer I've used. When it's first starting out, some of those noises are a little scary, like something might be broken ... but it's not.
AUTO-FEEDER (top): It doesn't hold the advertised 150 sheets for most of us. Canon bases that particular estimate on 17 lb. paper! (Who uses that?! Almost everybody uses 20 lb.!) My very first text prints were from the Auto Feeder (top). They all printed extremely crooked until I reduced the paper stack quite a bit.
Standing in front of the printer, with a stack of paper inserted, it appears that the right bottom corner is forced to bend outward slightly from the printer design. Despite a number of attempts to reload the paper (after turning the paper various ways), this outward bend remained. (It can be kind of pressed into place though.) When I reduced the paper in the Auto Feed tray by half (that I'd previously filled to the capacity line marker), I still had the outward bend, but the crooked print problem was resolved.
The manual offers this work-around for a continued problem: Use only 1 sheet of paper in the Auto Feeder, or place multiple pages there, but by one sheet at a time (vs. an entire stack all at once).
PRINT SPEED: My printer is blazingly fast. I'm not experiencing any of the 15-second first page print delay that so many reviewers complain about with this printer. There's maybe a 5-second delay at most! Perhaps that delay sometimes occurs on the first print after you've switched between the auto-feed or cassette trays, but I am pretty much not experiencing any problem with this.
INK DEPLETION OPTICAL SENSORS: They'll monitor the individual ink tanks. When a cartridge has less than 20% left, you'll be warned. Canon's printers will work with an empty cartridge, unlike the Epsons (they lock up until you replace).
INK USE: This printer doesn't suck it down. I've been using it heavily for a week now, generating all kinds of highest quality 8x10", 5x7" and 4x6" photo prints on Canon's best papers, and all my ink tanks still look full. I'm amazed and impressed! Opened ink is recommended to be used up within 6 mos.
BLACK INK: Canon's advised me that unless in Draft Quality mode (the only mode in which the black text ink cartridge is solely used), a small percentage of cyan and magenta ink will be used (for high-density/high-quality black text or photo-realistic quality images).
DRAFT QUALITY DUPLEX TEXT IS FAINT: I can print Draft quality non-Duplex text that is perfectly acceptable. Despite numerous attempts to improve this for Draft quality Duplex, including trying a higher quality paper, there was no improvement. In Draft quality Duplex mode, the prints are almost like those from an old dot-matrix printer! I've only been able to get anything close to satisfactory when selecting Standard quality for Duplex printing. This doesn't make sense to me ... why should there be a difference just from selecting Duplex and changing nothing else. There has to be something different about the way the printer handles a Duplex vs. non-Duplex page. I sent an inquiry to Canon, and they really didn't explain why this occurs in their reply. "As Draft quality indicates sacrificing some print quality in order to achieve faster print output, if faster print output and duplexing are required, there may be a noticeable decrease in quality."
PAPER MEDIA OPTIONS: Some of the Canon info materials are not current, but Canon confirmed for me that this printer will print any media listed in the driver's Properties selection, including Transparencies and T-Shirt transfers. (The driver does not list Credit Card or Stickers media.) Because Canon's bundled software is distributed with a number of their printer models, media choices that will not work with your particular printer model could appear in them. The 4000, cannot print to Credit Card media (the 5000 may be able to, but I've already mentioned why I didn't select that model). I don't believe it can print Stickers either. I inquired with Canon about why they state not to print to postcard media, but they didn't answer my question. Note that while Canon recommends you not use non-Canon media above 28 lbs. with this printer, you'll find numerous online reviews that state this is incorrect. Perhaps Canon just wants to drive sales of its own media.
CANON PHOTO PRO & PLUS MEDIA: I printed 4x6 glossy media samples of both, the two highest levels in their line. While the Pro paper had a bit heavier weight to it, it didn't have much print quality difference from the Plus paper. I don't feel the Pro paper is worth its exorbitant price; there's just not enough of a difference. The Plus paper is a bit lighter weight, but it's nice too; and it prices out to match my local Wal-marts digital photo prints. I even used an 8x photo loupe to really examine them closely. A loupe's an inexpensive and really worthwhile purchase from your local camera shop (Natl. Camera Exchange, etc.) if you really want to look at a photo (or anything else) really up close. Amazing just how much texture you'll see when looking at a plain piece of copy paper!
BLACK & WHITE PRINTS: Some complain about the quality of these photos on the Canon printers. I read a recommendation to use Canon Matte Photo Paper for the best results. I also read that matte prints will last 4x as long as a glossy print, and when stored behind glass or plastic could potentially last forever (from fading, deterioration).
CD/DVD LABELS: I talked with an Epson rep in an Office Depot store a few weeks ago. He said that Epson holds the U.S. patent for direct-printing on CD/DVDs and that this is why Canon can't offer the feature yet (he said that patent would be expiring soon). You'll see that the Canon printers are almost set up for it (cover blocks area and parts are missing, except in the UK version which does offer the feature). Canon says that they just "choose" to not offer this feature in the U.S. market, although they know that "Epson and at least 5 other printer manufacturers in the USA are releasing direct CD/DVD print features." As an alternative, I asked Canon for a recommendation of a standard adhesive label media that would work acceptably, but they didn't answer my question. This isn't a feature I figured that I'd be likely to use a lot, so it's not very important to me. My research showed there are lots of disadvantages to using it anyway (takes forever to dry, not waterproof, doesn't look as good as adhesive labels). For info on this, check out nealslade.com. He's got an entire section just on this topic.
CASSETTE TRAY IS CONFUSING: It took me a bit to figure out how to operate this and I don't like how the sliders don't move easily. Pretty cheaply made. Hope it will be redesigned better in a future model, but this isn't a big issue for me.
WHICH TRAY TO USE: Many reviewers say they keep photo paper in the cassette to keep it protected from dust etc. Reputable sources say it is not a good idea to keep photo paper in the cassette for any length of time because the paper will begin to age (yellow). They recommend inserting photo paper into the auto feeder instead (top vertical tray), only on an as-needed basis. This also keeps photo paper from having to go through a tighter turning print path. The cassette's U-path can lead to jams and cracked paper coatings. The J-path of the auto feeder is a more gentle turning print path. I keep plain paper in my cassette and use the auto feeder intermittently for photo paper and other needs.
BUNDLED SOFTWARE: This stuff is usually junk, but I do like all 3 programs Canon includes: Easy PhotoPrint (no-brainer photo printing), Photo Record (scrapbook generator) and Easy-Web Print (no more Internet prints with a cutoff right margin!). Easy-WebPrint doesn't seem to have a way that you can designate a print page range though, which is it's only negative (especially when you're Duplex printing and there's a 3rd page with just a single line of text; the printer has to print that single line as well as pulling it back in for Duplex to print a blank page!). It does offer printing just a selection from a web page though (so I forgive it a little for that!).
MAINTENANCE: I haven't had any issues with nozzles clogging (Epson sounds like its notorious for this), but my ownership is early yet. NeilSlade.com recommends running a color print once a day to help prevent this. He also recommends not running the CLEAN NOZZLES function very often, because it moves some ink into the printers waste tank. If the waste tank gets filled, you'll need to pay to have the printer serviced to empty it. He says it's better to do some photo prints instead to limit the possibility of this occurring.
CUSTOMER SERVICE: Canon's replies to my e-mails have been unusually fast, which has impressed me. I made numerous inquiries and their replies usually came the very same day, often within a few short hours. They seem personalized too ... not the canned replies from so many others (that often don't really answer the questions asked). Terrific job on that, even though they ignored a couple of things that I asked. They even have a dedicated toll-free number than you can use as much as you'd like for the first 30-days you have the printer.
EXCELLENT RESOURCES: During my research, I found these websites to be particularly useful: steves-digicams.com, tomshardware.com and neilslade.com. Neil's got some excellent info on alternate sources of paper and ink, where you can clearly save some money. It's clear to me that buying from your local store is NOT your best option! Use the Internet. If you don't have much time for investigating, as usual Amazon.com can beat any local store on prices and product availability. eBay can have some great deals too. Of course Internet purchases require a little planning.
SUMMARY: There are good and bad points to all printers available, but I am very satisfied with this purchase. I tried to just detail the info that I wish I had found all in one place. Hopefully it helps you!
3 The prints are so good from this printer, I'm selling them!
I wanted to start a business selling dog greeting cards, and was looking for a photo printer so I could do my own printing. After researching a lot of other brands and other Canon printers, I ended up with the Canon Pixma IP5000, and I'm so glad I did.
I just started a couple weeks ago and so far I've sold over 50 cards. So the bottom line is the results from this bad boy are so good that they are sellable!
To see the results I'm talking about, go to phineasthedog dot com.
4 Works great with 3rd party paper and ink
I've gone through a lot of research on printers, and finally settled for the i5000 a few months ago. I wanted the moon... a great home office printer and a terrific photo printer. I was figuring on buying two units, but figured I'd give this one a try after seeing the design--pigment ink for text printing and 1 pl drops. (Understand that drops this tiny eliminate the need for light magenta and cyan. The printer has the ability to generate intermediate shades with the smaller drops.)
Anyway, out of the box I was thrilled. But I wanted to find cheaper consumables. After trying a few, I've found Staples house brand pro photo paper (and even their cheaper picture paper) to work wonderfully in this printer. And this paper often goes on 2 for 1 sales (at least here in Canada). As for ink, this supplier imports cartridges that have worked very well for me. The photos are just as stunning as Canon's ink, and the text quality is great, but I can't include the URL here. However, the company name is Ink Magic, so you can figure it out from there. You also get free shipping in the U.S. and Canada.
Now the disclaimer: I have no idea how long my Chinese ink with Staples paper combo will last before fading. But my attitude is I save pictures on optical media for historical purposes. If the ones I print out fade after twenty years, I'll simply reprint them again. (Yes, I know. I'll keep copying my optical media to new formats as they appear.)
Finally, the office. This thing automatically duplexes, and does a fine job of office documents. If you buy slightly better ink jet paper, you'll get superb text quality... but for 95% of my in-office use, any old plain paper does just fine. And... here's what really impresses me. I've run over a 1,000 sheets and evelopes and who knows what else through this thing and have not had ONE paper jam. My HP was horrible for jams (1120cxi). This Canon is incredilbe. On the odd occasion it misfeeds, it slowly backs the paper out and tries again until it gets it right. Wow! I can literally set it to print 200 copies duplexed, and walk away. An hour later, they're waiting for me (although a few fall on the floor!).
The bottom line: I'm printing lab quality prints (remember, those real lab prints are only good for around 15 years) for very little money, and this printer's office capabilities are excellent.
5 Great Photo Printer for all purposes
I had been thinking of getting a photo printer since i had my first digital camera about 4 years ago. Good quality ones were very expensive by then. But the technology improved and it all came to a very reasonable price, getting a d-slr and a good quality photo printer. i just bought my canon ip 5000 about a month ago, and i am fully satisfied with it. the printer is great itself but you should also now what paper to feed it with. i have been using canon matte photo paper for B&W and canon photo pro paper for colored prints. results are amazing. i even had A4 size prints from scanned photos and it still looks great. besides that i get prints from my Canon 300D. i havent tried any other paper brand besides canon so i dont know how that would work. the print software that comes with the camera is fine but i prefer printing from photoshop since it gives me more control on my output. i recommend this printer to everyone. it is more than a hust home-use printer and definetly good enough for serious amateurs.
6 Holy Shnikes this thing is amazing!!!
After deliberating over the past year whether to give up the online print services and buy a photo printer, I finally bit the bullet.
I bought the Canon Pixma IP5000 after extensively researching the Epson R320, the Canon Pixma and the Canon i960...Tiger Direct sells the i960 for less than $100 after rebate and it has a huge fan following.
I opted for the IP5000 and boy am I happy I did. It is as quiet as can be, sips ink and the output is stellar!!! I use both the Canon papers (Photo Paper Pro - Glossy) and the Costco Kirkland brand...the Kirkland brand has to be the best kept secret known to man....$18.99 for 125 sheets of 8.5 X 11 glossy paper.
If you are on the fence regarding photo printer vs. online photo printing service get off the fence and get one of these babies...you will not regret doing so!
7 It works like a lab.
Here is what i found.
Pros.
-> It is fast as compare to i860, 960 and other lower pixma models
-> it is smaller.
-> Picture quality is awesome. Make sure you use canon photo papers only. I have used it with Kodak piture paper and it has a drying problem. In some cases the kodak paper pops up the photo layers.
-> Easy to setup with with computer or camera.
-> The most fantatic feature is seprate color ink tanks ( same like i860,960 other pixma models). Each color can be bought seperately ~$10 ( Costco sells all 3 for $28). Even though All the 3 colors finishes at the same time for me, it makes sense to have diffrent cartiges because it all depends on content of your printing.
Cons.
-> It is expensive
-> Photo priting software can be better.
-> Can be improved to print from CD direct.
8 BE AWARE: Disappointing unless you use Canon photo paper.
I bought this printer based on very little research (read the reviews here and heard that Canon printers "use less ink"). The problem is that this printer works, but if you don't use Canon brand photo paper the results are TERRIBLE. Please see my scanned printout in the customer images section above. Other than that it works fine for text printing and also does decent (not amazing) photos if you use Canon paper. It's also pretty loud and pretty big. I had a Canon i960 before and I'd say that printer prints just as well as this one, is cheaper and quieter.
9 This is an amzing printer for the $$$.
Glossy pictures with this printer are nearly indistinguisable from a photo lab. This printer is also very fast. It prints a full color plain paper print in about 5 seconds. This is my second Canon Color printer for a reason, the ink is way cheaper than that of an HP, plus you only change out the spent color instead of a whole cartridge. If your thinking about buying a color printer in this price range, this ones a no brainer, buy it and don't look back!!!! You won't be dissappointed.
10 Superb printer
I've been using this printer for about a month now and I can't recommend it highly enough. It produces fantastic photos, whether it's from Photoshop, iPhoto or using the included software. It's quiet, fast, unobtrusive and seems to use very little ink. I've already printed about 80 pictures (mostly 4x6 and a few 8x10s) and the ink cartridges seem still to be almost full. It prints plain paper documents perfectly adequstely, too. I've been using an Epson Photo 820 up until now and it was simply horrible in comparison. It cost me a fortune in ink, it was noisy, the print quality was poor, the ink clogged up regularly and the printer refused to print once it had decided the ink cartridge was empty. I can't imagine I would ever go back to using an Epson. There are plenty of other reasons why the Canon is a superior printer but they're covered in the other positive reviews so I won't repeat them here. All in all, this is a great buy. One word or warning, though - the photo quality is significantly better when you use Canon Pro paper. It's pricey, but well worth it.
11 Budget-friendly operating costs
With all of the specifications to compare (e.g. pages per minute, dots per inch, number of different color cartridges), it is easy to forget cost of ownership. A year from now, that same stack of vacation and holiday pictures could cost you hundreds of dollars more with one brand compared to another.
Drop for drop, printer ink is probably the most expensive liquid you'll ever buy, and all printer companies want to lock you into buying their ink cartridges. Canon is no different in this regard, but by keeping cost of ink reasonable, customers who print a lot of pictures won't find they need a second mortgage to afford the ip5000.
Because printer companies "buy" market share by selling the printer at or below cost (This is basically how razor companies and video game console makers operate), they only profit from the consumables (ink cartridges, but also paper). This doesn't make them greedy any more than taking a loss on the front end made them altruistic. It does, however, make it important that you understand this: while many specs are pretty comparable, cost-per-picture varies very, very widely by manufacturer. Forewarned is forearmed.
Aside form the confidence of knowing that I could be spending a lot more for cartridges, my experience with the ip5000 has been nothing but positive.
The included CD and quick-start guide walk you through setup step-by-step. Consumer electronics companies are not always, ahem, known for clarity of user manuals or supporting material.
Text quality on plain paper is very good, though not quite up to the standard of either of the much more expensive laser printers I compared it to. In fairness, this is a photo printer first, but it will do a fine job on envelopes, presentations, and letters.
Photo quality, naturally, is highly dependent on paper. The only bad experience was accidentally using laser paper and having the ink smear. Use the right paper and whenever possible, use glossy paper stock for pictures.
The design is excellent. Not too many years ago, almost all printers were boxy, angular and downright homely. This shows how far printers have come. Its polished black finish is reflective (like a good auto paint job), offsetting the matte titanium-look trim around the edges. It manages to look smaller than it actually is and will not visually dominate a desk.
Overall, a very well executed printer. Recommended.
12 Repeat Canon Customer Delighted with Support
Let me start by saying I purchased a Canon digitial video camera, digital camera, scanner, and a PIXMA IP4000 for work. I was so impressed with the IP4000 at work, that I figured I'd get the next better model at home as a printer dedicated to pictures. I have a Lexmark 3200 for printing text etc - works fine.
Based on the reviews and prior Canon products, I had high expectations. So let's say I was very disappointed when I recieved the printer from Amazon, took it out of the box, found that there was no cable to connect it to the computer, followed the directions, and it didn't work. Just alternating flashing amber and green. I figured I'd call the customer support number and let the hassel begin. Boy, was I surprised! I was on hold for only 5 minutes, and within 10 minutes of talking to their customer support, a new printer was being shipped, no questions, no hassels, just easy.
So the new printer arrived a few days later, again I followed the directions (again no cable included - I was lucky that the cable from the Canon scanner is the same), and it worked right away. I'm no photo dilitant, but the pictures I printed using the included 4" x 6" paper printed in seconds and looked great.
As a customer support professional, I was very impressed with Canon's recovery - and maybe it was not their fault as the box looked pretty beat up when I got it. Based on this experience, I'll only buy Canon in the future. Great products, surprisingly good customer support. However,if you do buy this printer, make sure you have a spare cable... Hint - the IP4000 comes with a cable. And while writing this review, I've discovered that the price is now $10 less than a week ago.
13 I like it! I like it!
The Canon PIXMA iP5000 is some special printer. I like its shiny black and silver appearance, its dual paper trays, its duplex printing, its quiet operation, its frugal use of ink, its speed, and its comparative low cost. But all of this would mean nothing if the quality of its printing wasn't superb.....and it is. You may want to experiment with different papers, but this printer will lay down the ink as well as any of them and better than most. HP will have to come out with something spectacular to win me back.
14 Forget reviews, this printer is sweet
I read all the reviews I could, the big reviews complained about speed and claimed the photo's didnt look as good as the existing printers from Cannon. I have to disagree, I can spit out a borderless 4x6 in about 40 seconds and use half the ink of other printers, and if it ever gets clogged, you can change out the print heads too, as long as they dont cost too much. Ink on a "major online auction site" can be found for 12.95 for all 5 tanks with free shipping. Cant beat that.
I will never again pay Lexmark for an overpriced quick to dry out ink refill. The color quality is spot on, and when held up to the prints from Wal-Marts digital developing look the same.
Prints from my Sony DSC 1.3MP camera dont look so great though, but from my Minolta Dimage 3.2MP they look awesome. Just dont plan on photo quality unless you have a good camera to start with.
I do wish they had enabled the CD/DVD print tray on the US, models, it looks like something that we could possibly make work by getting a driver and removing the blocking plate though. hmmm.
I love the duplex option, kind of rare in a home bound ink jet printer. The dual paper inputs is nice also, I keep regular paper in the bottom tray and feed all the photo, label and card stuff in the top tray. Its very quiet, you cant hear it in the next room. It doesnt shake at all like one reviewer said it did. All in all I love it.
15 USA Model a Fraud Compared to Euro Model
People are fed up with printer manufacturers having cartridges with sponges that don't refill well (Lexmark), or smart chips that prevent refills (Epson), not to mention HP's methods including "Expired Cartridge" messages, etc. If we don't, as consumers, vote "no" by not buying these printers and sending letters to CEO's we'll just get more of the same scamming. I was excited to read about Canon Pixma IP3000 & up models with separate ink-tanks & no smart chips. Examining all the Pixma models at a local store I noticed this extra pull down tray in the front-middle. After going home to look online, talking to Canon tech support and the local store meantime checking on it...it's a disabled/never will work CD/DVD printing bay. Yet the same models in Europe have a working CD/DVD print bay. Why did Canon USA leave the drop down tray there, only plugging the CD/DVD entry slot with an extra piece of plastic if it can never be functional or upgraded anyway? The USA price does not reflect the non-functional CD/DVD printing either. So I will (doubtedly) try to get a Euro model or wait for Canon to release USA models that are fully functional. I may end up temporarly buying the Epson R200 but I feel like I should be ashamed supporting Epson and their smart-chip scam. There is a chip resetter device (avg. $10 to $15) but I don't know if it works well yet. Forget Lexmark unless you have money to burn on cartridges. And there's concern about Epson printers wasting/spraying ink all over the inside (read all R200 reviews) that soon causes problems (dries solid/hard). The Canon has ink tanks with no smart chips, look easily refillable, and their print head underneath the ink tanks holder is also removable (i.e. replacable, but I don't know what that will cost. If other printers' print heads go you pretty much resort to trashing the printer). I believe some Canon models use up ink by frequently running it's own cleaning cycles but don't know if that applies to Pixma line also. If they are tanks that refill well than that is probably okay. It looks like the Pixma line is leading the way in printing and cartridge technology. Canon: Kudos for heading a little more environmetally responsible with the Pixmas obviously designed for long-term usage in mind but PLEASE get those CD/DVD printing trays functional soon!
16 Excellent!!
I just set up this printer yesterday, but the prints I've done so far are excellent!! The 4x6 photos look like they just came from the lab. I definitely recommend this printer to anyone looking for an all around black and white and photo printer.
17 Buy This Printer
I was looking for a printer that would allow us to casually print smaller prints, but also print larger, frame-worthy shots at larger sizes, for hanging around the house, gift-giving, etc. 9600 DPI was key. After a lot of reasearch, I bought this printer and COULD NOT BE HAPPIER! The print quality is outstanding, better that what we would expect from the photo lab. It's fast, quiet, and sets up easier. The software included with the printer is easy to use and works very well - options to print flexibly abound, particularly within the print driver itself (an under-rated feature that enables you to get exactly the print you need for a particular task). Downside: no printer cable! All told, I can't recommend this item more highly - and for the price, it's a real bargain.
18 Nothing Better - Also works with wireless airport express
When you use good paper (see below) people will not believe that prints from this printer did not come from a photo lab. I have had it happen many times and from techie type people who would know the difference.
After having run through 120 4x6 prints and several 8x10s I can say this is the best photo printer ever made (ink still shows as full). Though it is true that it doesn't print too well on non photo paper, this is also not a laser printer! If you want clean, crisp, waterproof, deeply black text on cheap plain paper you will need to get a laser. However, if you use a paper with a smooth finish you won't know the difference--of course unless you get water on the paper.
Ink use is incredible. I had an Epson 1280 and though it printed matte prints incredibly well, I got rid of it because it was costing me dollars a print!!! Yes dollars. By the time I got the Epson to print without lines, it would be nearly out of ink. And Epson ink is not cheap. I only occasionally have banding on the Canon and a quick cleaning fixes the problem on the first try.
My printer mostly prints images from a 6.3 megapixel Canon Digital Rebel camera. I am very happy with most prints with little or no post-processing. I have also printed 16 megapixel images from the high-end Canon DSLR on 4x6 and it is stunning. The printer can print details way smaller than you can see!!! To get the 1 picoliter drop size, you must select the Canon Pro Paper and turn the resolution to custom "high" This setting works just fine on the cheaper Canon Plus paper.
The paper I recommend can be bought on Amazon and is so cheap I don't know how one can complain about the cost. My calculations show the cost of ink and paper on this printer to be cheaper than getting digital prints at any retail location.
Canon Borderless Photo Paper Plus, Glossy (7980A022, 4x6, 120 Sheets)~$19
I purchased this printer to install on my wireless Aiport Express network. We have a PC and a MAC laptop. The ip5000 works perfectly. To install on Airport Express, download the latest drivers from Canon and install them. Then plug the printer directly in the MAC. Configure the power-management features while the printer is connected to the MAC, afterwards plug it into the Airport Express and re-add the printer in OSX. I don't think the power-management setup is available once you go wireless. The power-management features are outstanding. The printer will stay off until needed and then it shuts off automatically after 5 minutes. This works for the PC and the MAC over wireless. It is so nice to not ever have to turn the printer on or off--no more dried out cartridges.
19 Great printer!!!
My Epson C82's print heads got clogged so I went on the hunt for a new printer. After a couple hours of investigation I decided to go with the HP Business Inkjet 1200d. I was very excited until I got home and hooked it up. I was very dissatisfied with the install, resolution quality, color tone, and software.
I took the printer back a got the ip5000 by Canon. Install was a snap, print quality is excellent, software is user friendly and packed with features. I am very pleased with the ip5000 and Highly recommend!!!
20 Great quality for a 4 color printer - good price!
This awesome photo printer makes fabulous pictures. We used photo paper and the prints are hard to tell from store photos. My in-laws bought this to print pictures of quilts and I was very impressed at the vibrant details and quality of the colors! It is also pretty easy to use.
We did try printing a few pictures on standard printer paper - which made a nice pic, but definitely didn't look like a photo. Stick to photo paper with this and you'll be very happy with the results!
21 Faster, cheaper, better!
I originally bought the cheaper Epson R200, but exchanged it for this printer. The Epson R200 had slightly better photo quality, but the Canon was vastly more economical with ink usage, and produced fabulous photos that were 90-95% as good as the Epson when using glossy paper, and much easier on my wallet.
The Pixma 5000's prints look stunningly great on glossy photo paper. They actually look better than the photo lab. Contrast and color are great, and dithering is invisible, even with only 4 inks. The Canon's photo quality is very close to the stunningly good Epson 6-ink printers. It only lags slightly behind because contrast is slightly (but only slightly) lower. It appears that the Canon's black ink is less intensely black as the Epson's, but for 90% of photos you won't even notice, as both are splendid.
The Pixma 5000 beat every 4-color Canon or Epson printer I tested in my local store hands down. Epson's 4-color Durabright printers pale in comparison. Canon's own all-in-one copier/scanner/printers also don't print as well as the Pixma.
The Canon does not print good photos on plain paper. I've gotten best results on glossy, semi-gloss, and matte paper, in that order. Printing on matte paper is tricky - midtones come out dark, so photos look muted unless you increase the gamma in Photoshop.
The Pixma's small 1 picoliter droplets really help with text, which is crisper and sharper than the Epson. Text pages also print astonishingly fast. The paper practically galloped out of the machine when printing text.
Best of all, the Canon is unusually efficient with ink. I got an impressive number of photos (over 250 glossy 4x6's!!!) with each color cartridge, and almost 300 photos with the black cartridge. The Epson only gave me 50-60 photos per cartridge set. Not only do the Canon cartridges last longer, they are cheaper, and there are only 4 instead of 6 to buy. By my estimate, Canon ink costs 5-7 times less per page than Epson. In the long run this is a HUGE difference. The Canon will still print text if the color cartridges run out, whereas the Epson won't. The Canon is frugal with ink, while the Epson feels like a diabolical plot to sell me costly ink for the rest of my life.
I have only one minor gripe: the highest print quality (1 picoliter) is difficult to select in the print driver. If you select "high" print quality, you'll get the second highest that the printer is capable of. To get the highest, you have to select "photo paper pro", then select "custom" print quality, then move the slider all the way to the right. Given that the highest quality is a big selling point, I'm puzzled why it's not easier to select. But this is a minor issue.
The bottom line is that the Canon is practically as good as the Epson 6-ink printers, and saves a fortune in ink. Overall, this is one of the best all-around printers I've ever seen, combining high quality, low cost and versatility with both text and graphics.
22 Utterly amazing!
Photos printed on photo paper would be hard to distinguish between those that came from a lab. Text quality is better than the older s and i series printers, but not quite laser quality on plain paper.
Works best with Canon's photo paper, but have had pretty good results with other glossy paper like, sepom (not as glossy but waterproof!) and red river paper.
