[mindwaves]

I just got this printer today and I am impressed with the image quality of its pictures and the speed of its printing. Simply remarkable.

Images simply look stunning like those out of a dark room. Top notch stuff.

Only complaint is that the printer isn't completely idiot proof. I loaded the 4x6 glossy paper in the bottom tray and used the included software to print and it just wouldn't print. I was confused. So I tried iPhoto, but I got the same result. The problem was that I left the receiving tray closed so that the printer refused to print. Stupid me, but there should have been a little message saying that the door needs to be open for it to print. I guess I was used to my HP PSC 1210 AIO where I would get a notice if the door was left open, but its much smaller overall footprint (the Canon isnt bad either) made me thought that the paper would come out of "somewhere."

Anyways, excellent printer, but it took me 3 tries to get a perfect print, but I know what to do from now on. Highly recommended!

[Cadaver]

I wrote a little blurb about this printer as well about 6 weeks ago or so.

I simply love it. Fast, clear and top notch photos.

And compared to HP and Epson drivers, the Canon drivers (feature-wise) are simply to die for.

[ASIMO]

I saw a bunch of 4x6 through 8.5x11 or thereabout sample prints lying around the Canon PIXMA printers section that utterly blew my mind with how fantastic they looked. Honestly, I could not believe that these were inkjet prints, let alone to have come out of one of the adjacent Canons. So I asked the general printer rep standing by whether these came out of the i9900 or the Epson 2200 (that were not even nearby), to which he replied, "Those came out of these PIXMA [4000, 5000, and 6000]." I do not recall exactly if he listed all three models but I do recall at least the 5000 mentioned.

I had never been a fan of inkjet unless it was the benchmark Epson 2200 or the relatively new Canon i9900, both of which are still fairly pro-consumer and beyond average consumer budget by at least a factor of three or four times. So to have been tickled to girlish giggles of delight by the sample prints (granted, they were of professional stock photographs) says a great deal about these Canon printers. Still, I am debating between the PIXMA and the i9900.

[AC Rempt]

For the record, I own a 4000, and it rocks. The text prints clearly and quickly, and the photos are top notch. I also love that it has a bottom cassette for paper.

This is really a fine printer.

[Rev-O]

Pixma iP5000 owner for a bit over a month. I love it. Produces absolutely killer glossy photos. Printed off an 8x10 shot with a 5 mp Canon camera, and it looked stunning!

[OldCodger73]

ASIMO. the Pixma 8500 has the same print engine as the i9900, so if you don't need wide printing you can still have the quality of the i9900 in a smaller, less expensive package.

I got a Pixma 8500 last Friday and am really impressed with it. The Canon drivers seem stable and give a lot of control. I really like the cassette, which works perfectly for 4x6 paper. And the preview feature, which my old printer didn't have, is a great way to eliminate setup mistakes.

The only negative so far is that the full line of Canon paper isn't as readily available locally as say Epson's. The local Staples store only had 4x6 Photo Paper Pro, 8.5x11 Photo Paper Plus Glossy and 8.5x11 Photo Paper Pro, while the Everett Office Depot and the Bellevue Square Apple Store only had the first two papers. I had really wanted to try the duplexing feature.

This is my first Canon printer and it replaced an Epson Stylus Pro Photo 870 that was in its death throes. I'm very satisfied with the purchase.

[AdotWu]

too bad the 5000 still only uses a 4 color system. dosent make any sense to my why the ip6000 has 6 colors but the ip5000 is suppose to printer better...

[ASIMO]

Originally posted by OldCodger73:
ASIMO. the Pixma 8500 has the same print engine as the i9900, so if you don't need wide printing you can still have the quality of the i9900 in a smaller, less expensive package.

...

Hey, thank you for the heads up; did not know that. I still will likely get the i9900 because of the wide capacity and the difference between the two is only about $70 at Amazon. But I do agree that the new package of the PIXMA line is attractive.

What are you doing for color fidelity? What kind of calibration? Colorsync? I have Macs and PCs and a Nikon D70, and I am a relative newbie in this regard.

[Cadaver]

Originally posted by AdotWu:
too bad the 5000 still only uses a 4 color system. dosent make any sense to my why the ip6000 has 6 colors but the iP5000 is suppose to printer better...

Not sure which exactly is supposed to be "better," but the iP5000 uses a smaller droplet size than either the iP4000 or iP6000. The iP6000, as you say is a 6-color model.

So, between the increased resolution or the better color gamut, its probably a wash. Either way, the whole Pixma line are still killer printers (though I know nothing about the sub-iP4000 printers).

[ism]

Originally posted by mindwaves:
Only complaint is that the printer isn't completely idiot proof. Stupid me, but there should have been a little message saying that the door needs to be open for it to print.

I agree. Especially as the things look better with the door closed. Can I hear my girlfriend saying "I've printed it 10 times and it still hasn't come out!"?

[Lancer409]

with the 3 4 5 6 and 9 series, which one offers the best bang for the buck? I cant tell the difference besides price, slight speed advantages, and color.

[IceEnclosure]

just got the iP5000 for Christmas. I'll be setting it up and making some prints today.

Sounds nice, I'm slightly excited.

[iREZ]

Wait I don't get it? iP5000 is best Pixma? I haven't started researching printers yet, but I do know that I wanna go with Canon, and these Pixma's rock. I also know I want to be able to print larger than 8.5 x 11, most likely tabloid size (11 x 17). Should I stick with getting the iP5000 and taking bigger projects to print houses or should I get the biggest Pixma out there.

[OldCodger73]

IREZ, presently the letter sized i8500 is the top of the Pixma line. It uses the same print engine as the Canon's i9900, which is their ledger size printer. The i9900 has received excellent reviews.

[Hans M Aus]

Any problems with ink flow after the iP5000 has not been used a few weeks (months)?

[Back up 15 and punt]

Originally posted by iREZ:
Wait I don't get it? iP5000 is best Pixma? I haven't started researching printers yet, but I do know that I wanna go with Canon, and these Pixma's rock. I also know I want to be able to print larger than 8.5 x 11, most likely tabloid size (11 x 17). Should I stick with getting the iP5000 and taking bigger projects to print houses or should I get the biggest Pixma out there.

The IP5000 is meant to be used as a dual purpose printer. That is why they have the extra pigmented black ink. This is used for text printing. However, the IP5000 also produces the smallest drop size of all of the Canon printers (one picoleter). The other printers IP6000, IP8500 are designed to print primarily photos. They do not posses a pigmented black tank.

[Cadaver]

Originally posted by Hans M Aus:
Any problems with ink flow after the iP5000 has not been used a few weeks (months)?

I can say there's been no problem when its been unused for about a week, but can't say when unused for longer.

[malique]

I posted a thread somewhere here �

does ANYBODY know how we OS Xers can use borderless printing with DIN A4 (or US letter)?

It is so that this seems not to be possible just because Canon are simply not willing to code their drivers properly.