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Are the Epsons really as bad as the reviews?

neilss

Member
So my last printer was an Epson 2200. Right, an old printer. I was fine with the output, very satisfied. The kids moved back in for a few years and I lost my office and printer room. That was 8 years ago. How can someone who spent decades (since the 60's) making silver and then digital prints be satisfied with only seeing images on a display. This guy isn't.

So reading reviews of printers on the B&H site I can't help but notice how many are bad. All those bad reviews but the printers still get 4 stars?! So? I'm looking at the P600 I guess though I KNOW that the 800 will serve me well as the ink carts are huge. I remember the tiny 2200 carts. I may even get the P400 just to dip my feet back in.

Before all this happens I need to clear away boxes of test prints and reject prints stored away in 12-15 archival boxes of various sizes. But then I can fill them again.

So are the printers OK or crap and I should look at Canon? Anyone have feelings about the P600/400 and B&W printing? I remember years ago being told I couldn't get a good B&W from the 2200. Nonsense. Back then the Quadtone RIP was all te rage, now I hear the Epson does a very fine job all by itself. I want to print and not geek out on RIPs.

Thanks

Neil
 

MGrayson

Subscriber and Workshop Member
Neil,

IMHO, Epson printers are very good. I moved to the Canon Pro-1000 after years with the Epson 3800 and 3880, and have had fewer headaches. But I wouldn't say they were bad on the Epsons. Printing at least weekly will prevent most reported problems (I print less frequently). One thing I miss with the Canon is the use of roll paper. I can cut a 48" piece from a roll and put that in the Pro-1000, but it's a bit of a pain. The P800 will hold the roll, but doesn't, I believe, have a cutter.

My 2p,

Matt
 

jeffreybehr

Member
I've had many foto printers over 21 years, mostly Epsons and some Canons.. While i find the Canons to be very good, their printer-setup interfaces were infuriating to use and I just gave up on them.. I've had two Epson SureColor P800s (serially) for several years.. I use it as my general-purpose homeoffice printer and foto printer, and it has NEVER suffered an ink clog and has NEVER made a poor-looking print.. I LOVE mine and would buy another if, for instance, I gave a less-fortunate fotog mine...which I did about a year ago..

So...I haven't read the reviews you mentioned, but my P800 is EXCELLENT.
:D :) :D

FWIW, Luminous Landscape.com has a good summary of printers... https://luminous-landscape.com/on-printing-and-paper-part-1-overview-history-and-definitions/
 

archiM44

Member
I've had many foto printers over 21 years, mostly Epsons and some Canons.. While i find the Canons to be very good, their printer-setup interfaces were infuriating to use and I just gave up on them.. I've had two Epson SureColor P800s (serially) for several years.. I use it as my general-purpose homeoffice printer and foto printer, and it has NEVER suffered an ink clog and has NEVER made a poor-looking print.. I LOVE mine and would buy another if, for instance, I gave a less-fortunate fotog mine...which I did about a year ago..

So...I haven't read the reviews you mentioned, but my P800 is EXCELLENT.
:D :) :D

FWIW, Luminous Landscape.com has a good summary of printers... https://luminous-landscape.com/on-printing-and-paper-part-1-overview-history-and-definitions/
agree completely!
My advisor and dealer for all digital equipment has many customers and has had zero problems with any SC P800 printers he has delivered.
His customers are professional photographers, architects (he also advisd my architectural office).
My SC P800 printer which I bought when they came out has never even needed a cleaning even after coming back after a vacation.
 

schuster

Active member
I had an Epson Pro 7900 for almost nine years. Most of the time I printed once a month or less often. Had on my calendar "run 7900" which reminded me to print an ink test every other week. Often that worked out to once a month. The first ink test always showed clogs on two or more heads. They'd disappear after one or two Normal cleanings. I had to run Power Cleans about six times. Pairs Cleaning didn't seem to do anything more than Normal cleaning. Prints on paper and canvas were always wonderful. Printed for more than a year with a Light Cyan clog that just wouldn't clear up, but I could not see a difference between the "clogged head" print and my reference print. Bottom line for me is that it was a wonderful printer despite my less than ideal care of it.
 

stngoldberg

Well-known member
Have had the Epson 7880 for 10 years or more in my Florida home which I occupy 6 months a year.
Power down when I leave each May, and power clean twice when I return each October....Never a clog in 10 years...never any maintenance needed in all those years.
Stanley
 

DougDolde

Well-known member
I had to junk an Epson 7900, the head repair cost was more than it was worth. I'd consider a P800 but not big enough to bother with
 

Charles2

Active member
Did you survey reviews for Canon "prosumer" photo printers, too?

Anyway, I had an Epson R2880. It gave me some annoying moments with clogs, but it was not something I cursed every time I thought about it. Then I got a Sure Color P800. It has been great, only a couple of bad nozzle checks that were easily resolved.
 

bensonga

Well-known member
I have owned and regularly used both Epson (mostly) and Canon photo inkjet printers since 2001. Epson 980, 890, 1280, 2200, 2400, 3880 and P800. Canon Pro-100 and Pro-10. I've made many thousands of prints and participated in monthly B&W and color print exchanges since April 2002. Setting aside the early Epson models (980, 890 and 1280), I've had virtually no problems with either my Epson or Canon printers.

Over the past 18 years of these monthly print exchanges with participants from all over the world, I think more than 95% of the participants have used Epson printers. These include prosumer 13" wide desktop models to professional 24" wide printers. I have never heard any participant complain that these are "crap" printers.

I was mostly happy with the Canon Pro-10 and I would certainly consider buying a Canon Pro-1000 if I had space and the need for another 17" wide printer. That said, my 3 year old Epson P800 produces outstanding prints, has been trouble free and I don't see any reason to replace it.

I really like the Epson ABW (Advanced B&W) printer driver functionality which is a big improvement over the Epson drivers for pre-2400 printers. I still use Quadtone RIP now and then, but much less often. I have read that the Canon Pro-1000 is better at B&W than the Canon Pro-10 I owned for about a year.

Rather than "user reviews" on B&H Photo and other sites from people with unknown levels of skill and knowledge, I think you would be well served by reading the very detailed printer reviews from NorthLight Images. Here are links for the Epson P800 and Canon Pro-1000.

Epson SureColor SC-P800 printer review

Canon PRO-1000 printer review - Northlight Images

Gary
 
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JohnBrew

Active member
Two 3800 in past. Now have a 3880 for many years. Finally developed an unclearable clog on the glossy black ink channel. So I just use it in matte black mode. Also a Canon 6400. Great printer. I have replaced both heads but love the interface and Canon service personal are a revelation to speak with especially compared to Epson.
When I get tired of matte black prints with the Epson I will buy the Canon 1000.
I feel that if you stick to a professional line of printers there are no “bad” printers out there.
 

Godfrey

Well-known member
I have owned several Epson, HP, and Canon photo printers, as well as HP and Epson multifunction printer/scanner/etc devices over the past twenty years. I print a good bit, not as much now as I once did but still quite a bit. The HP and Canon photo printers were okay, but the Epsons lasted longer and produced better output for me. The HP multifunction printer was always a PITA, the Epson is yards and yards better at everything.

My Epson R2400 lasted about a decade and some (2005 to early 2016) and produced thousands of excellent prints that were sold, exhibited, won awards, etc etc. It probably outlasted its spec'ed MTBF by double or triple what Epson had in mind.

I replaced it with an Epson P600, after considering the P800. The P800 is just a little too big for the space I have for a printer and I don't print to 17 inch wide*paper enough to warrant the additional cost. The P600 ink tanks are at least double-triple the size of the old R2400 tanks and last a long long time. It has a much better, more reliable paper handling system for single sheet papers like the 280-300gsm papers I use (although a little slower to operate). The print quality is a healthy improvement on the R2400, which was excellent to begin with. And there are more paper profiles available for the P600, P800, etc than for most other printers, in my experience.

Far as I'm concerned, you can't go wrong with an Epson P600 or P800. The biggest key to keeping a printer happy and long-lived is to print on a reasonably frequent basis: just two nice photos printed per week will keep the heads clean and the mechanism limber. Put a cover on it when not being used to keep dust out.

G
 

neilss

Member
All excellent reviews and I thank you for them. I've been home now, the virus and all and I've been going through boxes of prints. Some I keep and the rest I "shred" in the fire pit. I have to say I'm still satisfied with what the old 2200 did especially with the Quad Tone RIP. I'm sure any new printer will just be better.

Thanks

Neil
 

nameBrandon

Well-known member
My 2880 is still kicking! The secret is just printing once a week, even it's a 5x7.

I used to use Quadtone RIP but have been happy as of late with what I'm seeing with the Epson drivers, Hahnemuhle photo rag pearl and soft-proofing in LR to get things where I want them.

IMG_5873.jpeg
 

Bas Klinter

New member
We have a Epson ET-14000 at work which I think is great. Supposedly it's the cheapest one that can deliver prints good enough to sell. Not sure about that tbh, but it's been great to my needs. Just make sure to print regularly or those nozzles will clog up …
 

Jan

Member
If you wish to give up the will to live, get a Canon 9500 MKii. I have an Epson L6170 for office work and it can do a serious punch above its weight for photo printing. Once this whole virus thingy is gone and photography picks up again i will seriously consider getting an Epson.
 
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