Mac Creative > Reviews > A3+ photo printers group test > Canon Pixma Pro9000 Mk II

Canon Pixma Pro9000 Mk II

Manufacturer: Canon (http://www.canon.co.uk)
Manufacturer: Canon (http://www.canon.co.uk)
Pros: Plugin for Photoshop output, faster than the Pro9500 Mk II, economic to run
Cons: Dye based, greys too warm
Price: £499
Star rating:

The Pixma Pro9000 Mk II represents a remarkably balanced entry, with decent quality and throughput. Reputedly three times faster than the mark one version, the Pro9000 Mk II wasn’t the swiftest in this test, but it was markedly faster than its similarly named cousin, the higher-end Pixma Pro9500 Mk II.

So, the Pro9000 is faster and cheaper than its stablemate (to the tune of about £230). Something’s got to give somewhere and in this case it’s the output quality that doesn’t quite match up to the Pro9500, the HP B9180 or Epson’s R2880. It’s still good, of course. These are all photo quality machines – but the cost saving in the Pro9000 had to be made somewhere.

A key difference is the ink system used in the Pro9000. This model has eight inks as opposed to 10 in the Pro9500 – and it uses dye instead of pigment. There are pros and cons to this. Pigment lasts longer and is hardier, but dye gives a better spectral range – which is why the Pro9000 can get away with fewer ink cartridges. When it comes to replenishing spent ink though, you’ll find it’s more economical than the Pro9500. So the Pro9000 provides fast, cheap and, on the whole, good quality prints.

Photographs with lots of colour look stunning but the lack of a grey cartridge means you won’t be as in awe of its black and white output. The Epson R1900 excels in this area – and that might be attributed to an extra black and a white tank in the mix as opposed to the Pixma’s green and red.

The Pro9000 Mk II is bundled with the same Easy-PhotoPrint Pro plug-in for Photoshop as its higher-end sibling, which gives you lots of photo-printing control and takes out the issue of colour management clashes entirely.

It would be churlish to directly compare the Pro9000 Mk II with the higher-end printers on test here. The quality’s close – but it’s outclassed by the Pro9500 and Epson R2880. Considering that the HP B9180 retails for slightly less, its cheaper running cost and decent speed are the real selling points.

This product is part of our A3+ photo printers group test group product review. Other products in this group are:

Canon Pixma Pro9500 Mk II

Star rating:

Epson Stylus Photo R1900

Star rating:

Epson Stylus Photo R2880

Star rating:

HP Photosmart Pro B8550

Star rating:

HP Photosmart Pro B9180

Star rating:

Reevoo Price Comparison For Canon Pixma Pro9000 Mk II

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Reevoo Price Comparison For Canon Pixma Pro9500 Mk II

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Reevoo Price Comparison For Epson Stylus Photo R1900

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Reevoo Price Comparison For Epson Stylus Photo R2880

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Reevoo Price Comparison For HP Photosmart Pro B8550

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Reevoo Price Comparison For HP Photosmart Pro B9180

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