R4800 or canon ipf5000?

[dchurch]

It sounds like you plan on doing a lot of B&W, in which case you may prefer the output of the 4800. The K3 system is fantastic, and the ability to control the tonality in the driver is very elegant.

The Canon is a nice piece of hardware, but their software is quite lacking. The documentation is dreadful, the Web site awful, and the various media types and settings perplexing. You will find a wide arsenal of ICC profiles for the Epson on-line, but the Canon offerings will be slim. But if you can beat it into submission the Canon can produce some beautiful prints. I would not call it any better than the Epson, although the ability to print on both glossy and matte medias without switching black inks is attractive (if you print on a variety of substrates that is)

It is also my sense that the Canon is not the ideal printer for a beginner. I think the Epson is a lot simpler in its approach, and there is a lot of knowledge on-line about how to use them effectively.

My $.02

Thanks, Eric.   I am getting dizzy because their are many opinions. Yes, I like to do b/w. I am concerned about the nozzle clogging issue with 4800 however. And it deos sound like the Canon software issues could be a real b_____. I may be away from my studio for weeks at a time and not sure how to deal with that implication, for any printer. Is there a way to deal with that? Sometimes when I get frustrated with this decisoion I think I oughtta just stay old fashioned and do the darkroom thing. With enlargers going for a song and considering my digital upfront investment I could have one hell of a traditional setup, maybe even a processing machine that would run my rc b/w papers. Just thoughts. Thanks again.

-eric-
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[Garycay]

This reflects my experience with the printer also and I also paid full price back in June. I flondered about a week or so getting the right way to approach the media choices etc, and after that it has been pretty easy - like stated earlier elsewhere here in this forum, just learning the new language of this particular technology. There are people who just - one has to wonder - maybe creating their own problems stemming from their perspectives/work approach/beliefs and therefore not seeing the path to great results. To me it was a no brainer in June and still is now - if you want a printer now - the Canon is a smarter choice than the Epson 4800. However good luck with what experience you create.
Gary

I bought the Canon at near full price and I'm not regretting it.  With the current rebate and lower pricing (I believe you can now find the printer for about $1300 with free shipping)... it is a bargain in my opinion.  Like everyone else has said, there is a bit of a learning curve, but once you master it, it WORKS very well.  I had serious downtime with nozzle problems with my previous Epson 4000's.  NO MORE.  I have been out of the country twice for more than two weeks at a time during the last 6 weeks, have returned to studio and started printing again without ANY nozzle issues at all.  Output quality is very good, especially with the 16 bit plugin and appropriate files.
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[henk]

Have you considered the new Epson 3800 coming by the end off this month?
I don't want to confuse you but this could be 'n option if you do not need roll paper. ( but the 3800 can handle up to 17 x 37 inch!) This is the difference between the 4800 and 3800 and the fact that the 3800 has 80 ml carts and the 4800 110 or 210 ml. AND the 3800 has the state off the art technology!

Henk
PS I am waiting  

[dchurch]

This reflects my experience with the printer also and I also paid full price back in June. I flondered about a week or so getting the right way to approach the media choices etc, and after that it has been pretty easy - like stated earlier elsewhere here in this forum, just learning the new language of this particular technology. There are people who just - one has to wonder - maybe creating their own problems stemming from their perspectives/work approach/beliefs and therefore not seeing the path to great results. To me it was a no brainer in June and still is now - if you want a printer now - the Canon is a smarter choice than the Epson 4800. However good luck with what experience you create.
Gary
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Thanks!  Good point about people creating their own problems. I had thought of thast before but my thought got lost in the confusion. I am arriving at a decsiosn. This forum is so cool. I can metwork with many minds to do something I cannot figure out myself. This really is anew age. I will be standardizing quite a bit on papaer and technique. I will be doing this for myself after many years of being away from pgotography. I used to do my own work, then got into commercial and away from my stuff, got frustrated with boring commercial work and neglected my own work. Anyway now I am devoting my time to my work and the image is primary, not necessarily the ultimate print. I see my work as more for printed page and books, and if I sell some prints great. I will be doing exhibits to generate interest in my books and vice versa.

[mikeojohnson]

Inkjetart.com does a comparison of the epson and canon printers.  You may find that helpful.  They also have a write up on the epson 3800 which is coming soon.
I have a 4800, am an avid amateur which means printing comes in waves and it sits idle quite a bit.  I have had very little problem with clogging.  Nothing a cleaning routine won't fix.  I don't switch back and forth between matte and glossy.
Mike

[wilsonrob]

Inkjetart.com does a comparison of the epson and canon printers.  You may find that helpful.  They also have a write up on the epson 3800 which is coming soon.
I have a 4800, am an avid amateur which means printing comes in waves and it sits idle quite a bit.  I have had very little problem with clogging.  Nothing a cleaning routine won't fix.  I don't switch back and forth between matte and glossy.
Mike
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I asked for samle prints from the 3800, 2400, 9180 and Canon IPF 5000. To my eye the Canon was the closest to my screen. However VISTEK and Henrys have removed the Canon from their respective web sites so availability in Toronto may be somewhat problematic.

Given how much Canon equipment Vistek sells, the disappearance is somewhat disconcerting.

[David White]

Like Tony, I just returned from a 10-day absence and when I turned the printer on it started printing immediately with no clogs.  The ability to have two different papers loaded at the same time with no black switching was the reason I held out for this printer over the Epsons.

A canon rep I spent time with for a week lately told me to expect new firmware by the end of the year.  I would also expect new software to go with the new firmware.

The 24" model should be appearing shortly.

The printer does have its share of software idiosyncrasies but none of them are show stoppers.  I would certainly look for new releases of software over the next couple months.

[michael]

Vistek has a 5000 on display in the third floor  and Henry's has a boxed 5000 in their showroom.

I'll have an update to my iPF5000 review soon. Bottom line is that it's a superb printer. I've now done something over 700 large prints, have never had a clog, and ink use is very low. Image quality is superb.

I also have been told to expect a firmware update before the end of the year.

Michael