I have been happily printing fine art landscapes with my 2400 for the last two years using Qimage for wide panoramics that are between 29 and 45 inches wide. The ink costs are killing me. My jury rigged roll holder for fine art papers on 3" cores is driving me crazy. I want to make larger prints. My studio space and my bank account aren't large enough to accomodate any of the 24" printers, but the 17" printers seem within reach.

So I know that most people are saying that an upgrade from the 4800 to the 4880 doesn't make good sense for the small gains in image quality, but I was ready to pull the trigger on a new 4800 in early August (which is now).

Now I am trying to decide whether to get a 4800 for a bit cheaper or wait until September or perhaps later if deliveries are late for a 4880.

Which one should I get?


P.S. I too was really hoping that the next generation would include both matte and glossy black ink. oh well.

I would wait for the vivid magenta, and perhaps less clogging problems if Epson 3800 reports are any indication. Or, you could pick up a Canon iPF5000 for $899 (clearance price before 5100 is released).

--John

Well.. I Know That The 4800 is hard to come by if a reseller ( As I am ) Can find One.. Lots of refurb machines available at a good price..The x880 series will be hard to get at the begining for sure..

Oh Is That you John H again..( I Forgot I m Banned from The Canon Board ) ( Oh HIS Board) Cause I Dont always agree with Him..

Anyway

Cheers To All

Jim doyle
http://www.shadesofpaper.com

For the record, Jim was banned for sending abusive email to me when he didn't agree with my actions. The disagreement was not the issue.

--John

With the impending canon 5100 and epson 4880 both looming on the horizon, I may just pounce on the first one to see the light of day--that is assuming that Wilhelm comes out with some concrete data on the canon 5100...otherwise, I will muddle through the glossy/matte ink morass like everyone else. I don't think the HP series appeal to me. They are only really tested with HP proprietary papers, and they seem to be more oriented towards supporting business interests than artists.

Same concerns here with the canon ... my ipf5000 has been gathering dust for some time because of the Wilhelm issue ... something is going on, and in fact I'm beginning to question whether Wilhelm can be depended at all. If the inks fail and they cover it up, then how can I believe any of their data. Why the delay? Something isn't right, and at this point I don't see another Canon printer in my future. They are big enough they should bite the bullet, apologize for this printer and let me trade in my oversize paperweight ipf5000 at a very aggressive price.

As far as waiting, depends on how much ink you are going through. Ink costs on a 2400 are off the chart compared to a 4800 with 220ml cartridges. Could be you'll save enough on ink costs in 2 or 3 months to almost pay for a 4800. Maybe 20 minutes with a spreadsheet would help. I'm sure there is some information out there on the web that could help you analyze this.

Personally I think the 4880 has some nice changes from what I've read, so waiting isn't too bad of an idea.