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Canon Pixma ip7205, disappointing

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    Canon Pixma ip7205, disappointing

    I had for a while been think about getting a new printer to replace my ageing Epson Photo R300.

    I'm wasn't looking for a 'top end' printer, as I print few photos, preferring to view them on-screen, but sometimes Mrs S likes a particular picture, and wants to frame it.

    So my requirements were a photo only printer (not multifunction), A4 size, and at least a print quality equal to that produced by my old Epson.

    Having always been an Epson man, when it comes to inkjet printers, this time I decided to try a Canon Pixma.

    As I said, I wasn't looking to buy a 'top end' printer, so I bought the Pixma ip7205.

    It arrived this morning, and having set it up and run the print head alignment routine, I printed off a couple of pictures for which I had examples of from the Epson.

    How disappointing the results from the Canon are, with the colours being notably drab compared to the Epson printed pictures, and not at all pleasing to the eye.

    The whites in the Canon prints are noticeably off-white, and the colours quite muted compared to both the screen view, and the Epson prints.

    I have both printed with the colour managed by the printer, and then Photoshop, with little perceivable difference.

    I should add that my monitor is calibrated using a Spyder 3 Pro.

    The only possible 'fly in the ointment' is that fact that I'm using Epson Premium Glossy photo paper, which may or may not have a suitable profile for Canon printers.

    So, at the moment I'm thinking that I should have stuck with Epson.

    Dave
    Last edited by Dave_S; 23-07-2013, 16:52.
    Dave

    Website:- https://davesimaging.wixsite.com/mysite

    #2
    Re: Canon Pixma ip7205, disappointing

    That's a shame Dave. I have nothing to offer on this subject really, but, I do like the quality of my Epson. It's an all rounder (Stylus SX400), which I was given second hand, and have no complaints. I hate it when you have high hopes for something, and you get dissapointment. Maybe someone will chime in with possible remedies.
    Garry Macdonald on Flickr
    Garry Macdonald on Facebook

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      #3
      Re: Canon Pixma ip7205, disappointing

      I've since had a play with the custom settings, which has improved things, but its still not as good as the Epson.

      Canon's default settings really don't produce a nice vibrant print, as does the Epson, which emulates very nicely what I see on the monitor.

      I think that Canon should stick to doing what they do best, and that's making cameras and lenses.

      Dave
      Dave

      Website:- https://davesimaging.wixsite.com/mysite

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        #4
        Re: Canon Pixma ip7205, disappointing

        Progress!!

        Further investigation of the control options within Canon's print driver software, revealed a very useful function.

        This is the ability to print one of your own pictures, and allow the printer to automatically make a number of variations in the colour balance settings, and print these out as thumbnails on an A4 sheet of photo glossy photo paper. There are 19 thumbnails in total, with the centre one being either Canon's default CMY settings (or whatever you choose to set), as a reference.

        The other 18 thumbnails are Canon's chosen variation on the CMY balance settings.

        For my reference image, I used Canon's default colour balance settings, which produced the disappointingly drab images.

        The default settings are C=0 M=0 Y=0.

        The images that aligned nicely with the vibrant Epson printed versions were around C=+10 M=-20 Y=+10.

        I'm a lot happier now, but IMO Canon's default colour balance setting is 'way off the mark', albeit this is of course subjective, and based on the prints produced by the Epson, which I have always been very happy with.

        The overall print quality in terms of clarity is comparable, Although missing the additional Light Cyan and Light Magenta of the five colour line-up of the Epson, the 1 pico litre print heads of the Canon seem to enable it to fill in the gaps (transitions) very well indeed, and I cannot see any difference between the Canon prints and those from the Epson, with its larger 3 pico litre print heads.

        Early days yet, but I am beginning to think I can live with the Pixma now, and have to commend Canon on their 'Print Pattern' application, that allows 19 different variations of colour balance to be printed out on a single sheet of A4, using one of your own images.

        This provides a very significant saving on photo paper and ink, when trying to achieve a desired result.

        Prior to discovering this 'print pattern' function, I had wasted some eight sheets of 4"x6" premium glossy photo paper, and the ink to go with it, experimenting with the colour balance settings.

        Dave
        Last edited by Dave_S; 24-07-2013, 15:08. Reason: typo
        Dave

        Website:- https://davesimaging.wixsite.com/mysite

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          #5
          Re: Canon Pixma ip7205, disappointing

          Glad your now getting prints that your happy with, Panic over

          Paul
          EOS 1Dx, - EF 24-105L f4,- Sigma 135 f1.8 Art - EF 400L IS f2.8, - Speedlite 430EXII.
          Freelance Sports Photographer for local Press - https://twitter.com/P_linton99

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            #6
            Re: Canon Pixma ip7205, disappointing

            I echo Pauls comment, it's not a nice feeling when you purchase a new bit of kit and it fails to impress. just shows though first impressions can be misleading.

            Ray

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              #7
              Re: Canon Pixma ip7205, disappointing

              Originally posted by raymon View Post
              just shows though first impressions can be misleading.

              Ray
              Indeed it does Ray, and clearly Canon's idea of what makes a nice print is very different to mine, and Epson it would seem.

              I have now established that the pixma is capable of producing a good print, but the colour balance settings required, are way different from Canon's default settings.

              Anybody buying this particular printer, and expecting good results straight out of the box, is going to be disappointed with the drab looking prints from the default settings.

              I know that print quality in terms of colour and vibrancy is very subjective, but the difference between Canon's default colour balance settings, and getting them set right, is significant.

              The Epson R300 default settings were 'spot on', producing very pleasing prints from the outset.

              However, it matters not now, as I appear to have got the measure of this Pixma ip7205.

              Dave
              Dave

              Website:- https://davesimaging.wixsite.com/mysite

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                #8
                Re: Canon Pixma ip7205, disappointing

                I have a Pixma MG6150 (printer/scanner) and have found the prints from this to be fairly good with only minor tweaks.

                Use to have a HP photoprinter and that was very sensitive to paper variation.

                Glad you've now got an output that you are happy with.
                Canon 5D3, 7D2, 60D, Canon 70-200L f2.8 IS II, Canon 300 f4L IS, Canon 16-35 f4 L, Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, Canon 1.4 MkIII extender, Sigma AF 10-20mm f/3.5 EX DC HSM, Sigma 150-600 Contemporary, Tamron SP AF 70-300 F/4-5.6 Di VC USD, Canon EF-S 18-55mm 1:3.5-5.6 IS
                https://www.flickr.com/photos/16830751@N03/

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                  #9
                  Re: Canon Pixma ip7205, disappointing

                  Just about every different paper you use will need a different profile and using Epson paper on a Canon, using the Canon standard profile was never likely to yield satisfying results.

                  May I suggest using up your existing Epson paper, using the workaround settings you have arrived at and then start from scratch using Canon paper. Normally, a Canon printer, using Canon ink and Canon paper will give great results straight from the box.
                  Colin

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                    #10
                    Re: Canon Pixma ip7205, disappointing

                    I will indeed try Canon's own paper Colin, although I have to say that my old Epson produced the same results with Ilford paper as it did with Epson's own brand.

                    It maybe of course the Ilford paper is very similar to Epson's, or maybe the Canon is just more paper critical.

                    Either way, I'm happy with what I can achieve with the custom colour balance settings at the moment.

                    Dave
                    Dave

                    Website:- https://davesimaging.wixsite.com/mysite

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                      #11
                      Re: Canon Pixma ip7205, disappointing

                      Ok, here's an update on the latest 'state of play' with the Pixma ip7205.

                      Although I am nowhere near using up my stock of Epson and Ilford paper, I was very interested to find out what could be achieved with Canon's own brand paper.

                      So, this afternoon I went out an bought a pack of Canon Pixma Photo Paper Plus Glossy ll (6x4).

                      I loaded a sheet of Canon paper, and a sheet of Epson paper into the printer, and printed out the same image on both papers, using Canon default colour balance settings

                      I'm pleased to report that the Canon paper produced a much better colour balanced and vibrant print.

                      The difference was most evident in the whites, greens and blues, giving a much more faithful reproduction of the subject (my boat).

                      Going back to my initial findings, where I reported the Pixma prints drab and lacking vibrancy, it is now evident that this was down to a mismatched paper profile for the Canon ink, when using Epson paper.

                      I still maintain that the Epson R300 prints, have the edge over those from the Canon Pixma, but it is now marginal, and of course my own subjective opinion.

                      Knowing that the Pixma can produce good prints on Epson Paper using custom colour balance settings, as well as equally good prints with Canon's own brand paper, using the printers default settings, I am now quite satisfied with the Canon Pixma ip7205.

                      It will now be interesting to compare the running cost of the Pixma with the Epson, but that's another story.

                      Colin, if you read this, you were 'spot on' with your suggestion that the paper profile was the problem, and that using own brand paper is key to achieving acceptable results.

                      Dave

                      Dave
                      Dave

                      Website:- https://davesimaging.wixsite.com/mysite

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