The GetDPI Photography Forum

Great to see you here. Join our insightful photographic forum today and start tapping into a huge wealth of photographic knowledge. Completing our simple registration process will allow you to gain access to exclusive content, add your own topics and posts, share your work and connect with other members through your own private inbox! And don’t forget to say hi!

Few threads here on Hp Z3200?

Henry Goh

Member
As I read backwards, I seem to hear more on Epson printers but few on HP Z3200 or Z3100.

I'm looking at moving from my solid Epson Pro 4000 to a wider model like the Z3200. I have no experience with HP printers so thought best to do some research.

I print infrequently so on Epson I have to run a print or 2 every month or so. I'm told HP Z series is normally left on standby and it will purge some ink to clear the line. So my take is it does not clog easily?

I find ink cost on the 4000 to be high - what about the HP?
What about running cost apart from ink? Epson needs a "maintenance tank" does HP use one?
Hp sells individual print heads - are these replaced frequently?
What about 250/260 gsm photo paper in rolls - how do they compare in cost?

Thanks for any input
 

BlasR

New member
Henry,

I got the HP z 3100 -44- for a year plus and I never have clog yet.

I had epson 7600 and was a nightmare. I have been printen B&W,in, people the buy my print love it,

at one point I didn't print for 4 months, when I'm come back I start printing with no problems at all, now my printer is on 24/7 .

I use Ilford gold fibre and HP litho-Realistic paper 270 and the price is right for what you get back from salling your print

I will say go for the HP.

Blas
 

docmoore

Subscriber and Workshop Member
Henry,

Reason that there are so few threads other than Epson is because they are and continue to be the 800 pound Gorilla in the Ink Jet market...they perfected the earliest printers and continue to push the envelope.

Now they have stumbled with complaints about 7900/9900 clogs and lack of an easy cheap black ink swap on the 800 series and 4880 printers. That is an exception to most peoples experiences with their printers. Many pros out there give them timely feedback to correct their flaws. Profiles are abundant for papers on the printers. Epson 3800 may be the most clog free printer on the planet. My idles for weeks....have not had a clog in two years and whatever ink is shed to keep it clear is minimal.

Here is a link to Paul Butzi's experience with the Z3100 and a Z3200 he beta tested for HP:

http://photomusings.wordpress.com/category/hp-z3100/

This is four pages long...be sure to follow the "previous entries link at the bottom of each page.

Pleasant reading :salute:

Bob
 

BlasR

New member
Great reading,

I upgrade to leopard and I didn't have problems other then install all my profiles again.

Now I have problems with cs4.

To me I think the HP is much better then epson.

Blas
 

Dale Allyn

New member
And the Canon imagePROGRAF printers are good too (my choice). Epson is the 800 pound gorilla, as Bob says, but they stumbled miserably IMHO with the black ink issue.

The fact is, all three brands produce excellent prints and each has their quirks. It just boils down to which quirks one opts to accept.
 
Top