Overall which is better? Canon i9100 or Epson Stylus Pro 2200.

[nex]

I'm going to buy one of these two printers and really can't make up my mind. Most reviews I've read from people who bought them gave about 4.5 out of 5 stars for the 2200 and about 5 out of 5 stars for the i9100...of course stars don't really mean anything but their reviews gave some good points which kinda lead me to believe them.

So let's talk about their pros and cons. There are so many pros in each of the 2 but also are about equal amount of cons in both.

OK this is all the info I gathered so far:
(when I say pros n cons I mean their differences FROM each other, not in general ; )

i9100 pros:
-costs about $200 less
-a little better photographic printing quality due to the "The 2 pl droplet" - (2200 has 4 pl droplet )
-A LOT FASTER
-installs fast and easy to operate
-cleanable heads

i9100 cons:
-printed ink lasts ~25yrs
-not enough paper choices for high quality prints (artists papers) - this is only what I've read, however if you go to Canon's website there are plenty papers to choose from, I just dont know if they're really good enough for their price.

2200 pros:
-a little better b&w printing because it's got 2 kinds of black inks.
-printed ink lasts ~90yrs
-many great papers to choose from

2200 cons:
-prints sloooower
-costs $700
-a lot of people had problems initially installing and running. Needs a lot of color managements at 1st.
-their old styles known for their cloggin heads.

So do you guys think the info I gathered is pretty much accurate? If not please correct me and give me more details on the printer you have.

Anymore pros n cons to add?
Thanks a lot.

[STaylor]

Nex I think that your not very far off on your assessment

I have the 2200 ’‚’‚…‚’‚‚¦ and previously had i850 ’‚’‚…‚’‚‚¦

So I can’‚’‚…‚’‚…¾‚t give direct input for the i9000

But here is how I feel

Canon papers both availability and selection is far behind the Epson ’‚’‚…‚’‚‚¦

Epson 2200 is dog slow

All of the i- series Canons that I’‚’‚…‚’‚…¾‚m aware of are lighting fast

Epson 2200 far superior B&W output vs any other brand desktop printer I have seen .. However on glossy paper you will have some bronzing at times .. Which is why I think you find most printing on semi gloss or other specialty paper with the 2200 ..

The i- series Canons deliver excellent color prints but IMHO are less then great for B&W

The ink usage is good on both brands as opposed to HP’‚’‚…‚’‚…¾‚s that in my experience tend to be ink hogs

All of the light fast ratings from the manufacturers are in my opinion to be taken with a grain of salt..

I have had the Epson driver do some odd things ’‚’‚…‚’‚‚¦ make sure your work is saved before you click print

Both my i850 and my 2200 I have at times had color management issues and it was always me garbage in garbage out


Best bang for the buck goes to the i- series Canons ’‚’‚…‚’‚‚¦.

For me the final decision to switch over to the Epson rather than go with another Canon was paper selection and availability along with great B&W prints ’‚’‚…‚’‚‚¦

I don’‚’‚…‚’‚…¾‚t think that you can make terrible choice .. But here are two obvious deal breakers IMHO

If B&W is a huge issue for you Epson wins

If speed matters run as fast as you can to your local Canon dealer..

[nex]

thanks for your reply.
yeah I've heard about that bronzing thing which don't really bother me (because I love matte), but what really bothers me is the papers. I dont have any experiences with any canon papers. all I use is Epson and they're great.

[Gary]

I have the i950 and love it. I pick up paper at the local best buy and use mostly canon papers. I have used some artist watercolor and canvas with just as good results. It does well on T-shirt transfers and on magnetic paper so it shouldn't be much of a problem to print on whatever you want.

[JCW3]

I use to be a big HP user, but switched over to Canon printers a while back, and have never looked back.

Over all the speed and easy use of the canon is a big thing. I love a printer that makes it simple on the user. Canon support is really there for you as well if its ever needed. I recently toured a Canon tech support building, and that truly HOOKED me on there products. Trully one of the most advance Tech Groups I have seen.

The 2200 is the B/W king, now question. But I hope your not in a hurry, because its sure is not. To me time is money, so speed is a issue...

Sounds like you know the low down on both printers, its just decideing what fits your needs the best...

[LindaCC]

I have the 2200.. Not just a plug in and go, but what is in this level of photo work.
I see prints come out of this that are sold in high end photo galleries (this finally made the decision for me).
The slowness does not bother me at all as I don't mind waiting a bit longer for the results it puts out. Although I'm not putting out an assembly line amount at one time, so it may make a difference how quickly you need them.
LOVE THE 2200
IMHO LCC (inthesuntoday)

[RTaylor]

I curently have the Epson Stylus Photo 1280. Works great on Epson papers and recently bought Ilford photo paper which is supposed to be one of the best.
I like the quality I get, but not sure how long the ink would last should I decide to sell some of my work. I already have a couple in NY interested in my work and want to purchase, as do some at work.
Also if I give any as gifts, I want to be sure they dont start changing colors in 2 years or at all if I can help it.

So, my question is, the new Epson that is coming out March.... Epson Stylus Pro 4000
Has anyone heard of someone who could have purchased it already, or seen info on it other than from the Epson site?
This is What I found on Epson.com


Epson Stylus Pro 4000 Print Engine
Estimated Price: $1,795.00*

Overview

* Product Available in March 2004
* 17" Wide Desktop Printer
* Maximum resolution 2880 x 1440 dpi
* 3.5 picoliter droplet size
* 7-color Epson UltraChrome’‚’‚‚‚¦‚¾’‚‚ Ink
with 8-channel print head technology

Any info would be appreciated