Which Epson printer for M8 pictures?

[egibaud]

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Hi,

 

I am planning to buy an Epson Stylus printer for my M8 pictures. I am hesitating between the 3800 and the 4800.

 

Initial printer price aside, which one would you recommend and why?

 

Thank you,

 

Eric

[Guest flatfour]

I looked at several options including Epson and spoke with users. My main concern was reliability as a result of personal experiences of a 2400 and an 1800. I wasn't happy with the answers which rather confirmed my reliability and ink usage concerns.- although all were very happy with their prints - so I decided to stick with A3 and bought an HP B9180. Seems excellent so far - 6 months old.

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[stunsworth]

Pluses of the 4800 are it takes bigger ink cartridges and can print on paper rolls. Downside is that it consumes much more ink than the 3800 when you switch from matt to glossy, or back again. 3800 is also smaller.

 

They're the major differences that come to mind. From a print quality point of view I think they are suposed to be very similar if not identical.

 

I have a 3800 and have been very pleased with it - in particular for b&w.

[reven]

If any Epson than the new 4880.

[canlogic]

I use a 4000 and find it excellent. If you don't need roll handling then the 3800 might be fine for you. I may look to upgrade later this year and if I do it will either be a 7880 or the new HP 3100z.

[gtmerideth]

I would have to agree with the purchase of the HP 9180. I had three R2400's in 15 months which kept failing with different malady's. Yes, Epson sent new warranty replacements each time but I got tired of going to the repair center.

g.

[egibaud]

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I would have to agree with the purchase of the HP 9180. I had three R2400's in 15 months which kept failing with different malady's. Yes, Epson sent new warranty replacements each time but I got tired of going to the repair center.

g.

 

How does HP / Epson print quality compare? does HP offer K3 or similar long term inks?

 

Thanks,

 

Eric

[guy]

I would have to agree with the purchase of the HP 9180. I had three R2400's in 15 months which kept failing with different malady's. Yes, Epson sent new warranty replacements each time but I got tired of going to the repair center.

g.

 

At last! After many, many posts of people saying that their M8s work just fine while mine was constantly backfocusing / in Solms / having firmware issues / basically in trouble, I can at last say... I have had my Epson R2400 on the go for a couple of years, and it works just fine.

 

Seriously, though, the K3 inks do do a very good job of B&W, if that's your game. Previously I had a 2100 loaded with Lyson Quad Black. That gave me superb B&W prints, but at the cost of not having a colour option (at least without another printer set aside for it). I dallied with the idea of two A3+ printers, but I live in a little terraced house in Oxford and my study is already way too full of synthesisers, so in the end I went for the Epson K3 system and have been very pleased. Not quite up to the Quad Black standard, but you really, really have to be looking.

 

The HPs are reviewing very well, though...

[Guest Essemmlee]

The HP 9180 complements the M8 perfectly. A3+ size prints are stunning and the Vivera inks are long lasting.

 

I have sold many prints that were printed using the 9180 and Ilford Galerie papers. There are ICC profiles on the web for each of their papers.

 

It uses less ink than most printers but more electricity as it needs to be on all of the time.

 

I would certainly recommend it for M8 users.

[Jack_Flesher]

I would say it's a question of your anticipated printing volume, and frequncy of swapping between photo and art papers (Pk and Mk ink). Roll paper is cheaper, but sheets don't curl. The swap between Mk nd Pk inks on the 3800 is simple and wastes only a tiny amount of ink, while the swap on the 4800 wastes over $40 of black.

 

Also, the 3800 head design is a bit sharper than the 4800's, but from a practical standpoint final print quality is excellent from each. ANd for whatever reason, the 3800 head design seems to be less prone to clogs than the 4800.

 

Cheers,

[hdrmd]

I would agree with Stunsworth. If you do not need roll paper capability, then the 3800 is quite good, especially with B&W. It also has an ethernet connection. I had a 4000 and found it quite cranky, and I fear that a 4800 might be similkar. The 3800 is also cheaper. DR

[fordfanjpn]

My next printer will be the B9180. Unless I win the lottery, in which case it will be the Z3100!

 

Bill

[Shootist]

I've been using the HP B9180 for about 8 months with what I call very good results.

When I was looking for a better printer then the old Canon I have I looked at both HP and Epson and got the HP. The idea of changing cartirdges did not appeal to me. So that was one reason I got the HP, there was other reason also. But I was not looking for a printer that printed bigger then 13x19.

[Guest stnami]

Epson doesn't make a special printer fo the M8, so you will have to join the rest of us and use a printer that doesn't give a shit about what camera the images came out of, Epson makes a swag of top line printers as do HP and canon............ Yes you can great some of the best M8 prints usng a canon............

[egibaud]

Epson doesn't make a special printer fo the M8, so you will have to join the rest of us and use a printer that doesn't give a shit about what camera the images came out of, Epson makes a swag of top line printers as do HP and canon............ Yes you can great some of the best M8 prints usng a canon............

 

Of course they do not make special printers for such or such camera! the question is the other way around, what printer M8 users here are printing on?

 

If think that if I ask the question this way is because the file from the camera does matter. Although post production is important, having similar color rendition from one M8 to another makes me feel that buying a printer other M8 users are using will in some way "garantee" some similar results. As you know depending on cameras, some red, black etc do not always show the same way... and the way it renders on the printer does matter the profile availability too.

 

Eric

[charlesphoto99]

Like all computer things buy the best you can afford/need. And it doesn't matter what camera or scanner you are using - only your skills in post that really matter. (FYI I use an Epson 4800 with Imageprint RIP and PK inkset. Ilford Galerie Glossy for workprints and Crane Silver Rag for fine art prints).

[Jager]

The high image quality of the M8 on my Epson 2400 - which holds up extremely well at 13"x19" - was what prompted me to buy the slightly larger format 3800.

 

M8 images continue to hold up very well at 17"x22".

 

Jeff

[jonoslack]

Hi,

 

I am planning to buy an Epson Stylus printer for my M8 pictures. I am hesitating between the 3800 and the 4800.

 

Initial printer price aside, which one would you recommend and why?

 

Thank you,

 

Eric

Why not the new Epson 4880?

I bought an 'end of line' 4000 a year or so ago, I didn't think I needed roll paper, but I use it a lot. Results seem fine - I'd like to get something larger next year though.

[Jamie Roberts]

Why not the new Epson 4880?

I bought an 'end of line' 4000 a year or so ago, I didn't think I needed roll paper, but I use it a lot. Results seem fine - I'd like to get something larger next year though.

 

Jono--the only reason I can think of is space. I have a 4000 (which is 4800-ish size) and the 3800, if you're not doing rolls, is brilliantly compact. The paper feeding mechanisms on that printer are actually very intelligently designed.

 

I also don't think you need ImagePrint with the 3800--no switching inks and the Epson driver is excellent--even in Black and White.

 

If you're using 3rd party papers, working a ton of images, and not doing your own profiling, then ImagePrint is still a deal.

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[Kent10D]

Another vote for the HP B9180.

I've had mine for about 9 months and it has been great. Love the quality. The Vivera pigment inks are Wilhelm-certified for 200+ years on appropriate papers.

 

However, there are times when I wish I could print bigger than A3+. If I do end up spending a fortune on a larger printer it will probably be an HP Z-series model (built-in photospectrometer for self-profiling, eh?), unless something better comes out.

 

Well ... better go buy my lottery ticket.