Canon announces new single- and multi-function inkjet printers

 

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Posted on 1 Feb 2010 at 15:12

Canon has released four new inkjet printers and MFPs, positioned to provide a greater range of low- and mid-priced printing choices to home and small business consumers.

Our attention was immediately grabbed by the price of the ultra-compact single-function Pixma iP2702. At £50, it's one of the cheapest printers we've seen in months. Its specification includes a 4,800x1,200dpi resolution and print speeds of 7ipm mono and 4.8ipm colour.

A low price always brings compromises though and there are no extra features like a memory card reader or networking capabilities. The most significant compromise is that the printer uses just two ink cartridges - one pigment black and one tri-colour - with an integrated print head.

Like the rest of Canon's current inkjet range, the printer uses the ChromaLife 100+ to ensure that "the superb output quality gives users total confidence that their home photo printing is of a comparable standard to a photolab". The jury's out until we get the opportunity to test the new printer, as the lack of a dye-based black ink can lead to less intense reproduction of dark areas in photos.

However, we have seen excellent photo quality from Canon's previous two-cartridge devices and, with an RRP of just £50, the iP2702 is bound to be a real bargain when it hits the shops - perfect for users who only need to print rarely.

These include the Pixma MX870 which, with an RRP of £199, is both the most expensive of the three new MFPs and the only one to use Canon's outstanding 5-cartridge ink system. We're great fans of this configuration of four dye-based inks for photo printing, plus a pigmented black ink that produces phenomenally sharp text printing on plain paper. The MFP's other features include an automatic duplexer, integrated fax and both wired and wireless networking capabilities in addition to a standard USB port. Canon quotes realistic print speeds of 9.4ipm mono and 6.1ipm for colour.

The cheaper MX340 and MX350 MFPs (£109 and £149 respectively). Both have a built-in fax, but the MX340 has only a WiFi connection to go with its USB port and lacks the memory card reader that its big brother have. Both the MX340 and MX350 share the same print engine and use just two ink cartridges. Both have print speeds of 8.4ipm mono and 4.8ipm colour, again using the accurate ISO/IEC 24734 testing standard.

Although the fax capabilities make sense for some small and home offices, the new printers will find it tough to out-do Canon's Best Buy winning PIXMA MP640 is similarly priced at around £135 (retail), but takes five ink cartridges and can't send faxes. We'll be reviewing Canon's latest models soon, but we'll be surprised if the two-cartridge device can match the print costs of five-cartridge printers with a separate print head.

Author: Kat Orphanides