Epson, Canon or HP?

[timmustill]

Hi all,

I need to change my basic colour inkjet at home so I'd like the replacement to have "decent" photo printing.

I've narrowed down the "contenders" to:

Epson Stylus R285 (http://www.epson.co.uk/printers/claria_photographic_printers/Epson-Stylus-Photo-R285-printer.htm)

Canon Pixma iP4500 (http://www.canon.co.uk/For_Home/Product_Finder/Printers/Inkjet/PIXMA_iP4500/index.asp)

HP Photosmart D7360 (or D7160) (http://h10010.www1.hp.com/wwpc/uk/en/ho/WF06a/5043-5047-5287-5287-12564514-12564796.html)

Anyone got any suggestions which I should go for? I know they won't be great photo printers but I could do with something that prints "normal" colour as well :)

T

[ArthurDent]

I've just order the outgoing Pixma iP4300 from eBuyer: http://www.ebuyer.com/product/117315

Why Canon? Well for me it was a no-brainer. I've had Epson printers before and had no end of trouble with blocked print heads, and HP carts cost an arm and a leg. Canon on the other hand get very good reviews, and the inks are very reasonable and can be changed individually. :thumbs:

[Symo]

I just changed my epson for an Ip4500. Excellent print quality, no blockages (in three months) and consumables not too madly priced. Also, reasonably compact and looks pretty cool when not in use!

No brainer IMHO!

[timmustill]

Cool, that's what I wanted to hear :thumbs:

I would have gone for the Canon if no one had replied :D

T

[Wishy]

Canon! No head blocks in 2 years.

[Shoei]

Got an IP4300 here. cracking printer. no trouble with it and as pointed out, you can get Canon ink for roughly £8 a cartridge.

[timmustill]

Cheers all, I bought the Canon from Dabs.com (http://www.thedvdforums.com/affiliatelink.php?localaffiliateid=40&url=http://www.dabs.com/productview.aspx?Quicklinx=4P8W) for ~£65.

[DeadKenny]

Don't know about model specifics, but from experience I know that with Epson the cartridges are cheaper but you go through more of them and the print heads are often in the printer and clog up. With HP the cartridges last longer but are a lot more expensive, however the heads are in the cartridge usually so there's less of a clogging issue as you throw away the head each with a new cartridge.

Oh, and they're getting ever smarter about "compatible" cartridges. The current Epson I'm on bitches about most cartridges that aren't true Epson. I find if there's at least one valid Epson in there it will work, but if they're all compatibles it flat refuses to work now.

I've no experience with Canon though other than the bubblejets of the early 90s :D.

Personally I'm thinking that photo printing is expensive and hit and miss, and I have doubts about the durability of the prints. I think it's better to just go for a print service instead.

For day to day printing, I'm considering an office printer (maybe all-in-one) now. Don't really need colour even so might go with a laser, though colour lasers are cheap these days.

[njay]

I have just bought the canon IP4500, my old epson has given up the ghost, the heads have blocked again. I will let you know what its like when I receive it.

Njay