What photo printer and paper should I buy?

dferigmudferigmu
Posted:
in General Discussion edited January 2014
I have a bunch of questions. I would really appreciate it if you guys answered them because I'm totally new to digital photography. I just bought a Canon A70 camera and I now need to find a high-quality photo printer. I don't want to buy anything over $250 though.



1. I keep hearing that the Canon i850/i950 printers are the best photo printers, but don't work well with non-Canon photo paper, which fades quickly. What printer do you guys recommend that prints nice photos and works well with all kinds of paper?



2. Canon never lists the document speeds for the i950. How well/fast does it print b+w/color documents?



3. What is the difference b/w the new Canon i860/i960 and the older versions?



4. What is the best photo paper to use? Again, I heard Canon paper fades and isn't the best quality. I have heard great things about Epson paper...



5. Finally, what's the difference b/w the different kinds of photo paper? Like matte vs. glossy? What would I need for normal 4X6 and 8.5X11 photos?



Thanks a lot for those who answer!

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 3
    digitaldavedigitaldave Posts: 445member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by dferigmu

    I have a bunch of questions. I would really appreciate it if you guys answered them because I'm totally new to digital photography. I just bought a Canon A70 camera and I now need to find a high-quality photo printer. I don't want to buy anything over $250 though.



    1. I keep hearing that the Canon i850/i950 printers are the best photo printers, but don't work well with non-Canon photo paper, which fades quickly. What printer do you guys recommend that prints nice photos and works well with all kinds of paper?



    2. Canon never lists the document speeds for the i950. How well/fast does it print b+w/color documents?



    3. What is the difference b/w the new Canon i860/i960 and the older versions?



    4. What is the best photo paper to use? Again, I heard Canon paper fades and isn't the best quality. I have heard great things about Epson paper...



    5. Finally, what's the difference b/w the different kinds of photo paper? Like matte vs. glossy? What would I need for normal 4X6 and 8.5X11 photos?



    Thanks a lot for those who answer!



    dferigmu,



    The Canon i850 and i950 are both excellent printers. I have an i850, and it's produced excellent results so far . Also, I know several other people who have the i850, and they also think it's a fine printer. I have not seen the output from the i950, but apparently it's better than the i850 for pictures, but not quite as good with text - at least that's what other people have said at places like DP Review. Both printers are excellent though.



    I don't know the print speeds for the printers, and I also don't know about the differences between the i850/950 and i860/960. Probably pretty minor, though .



    As for papers, I've also heard that Canon papers can fade very quickly . As you said, Epson papers are generally well regarded (I've used their "Premium Glossy Photo Paper" for 4x6 prints). Another one to have a look at is the Ilford Gallerie range - I've used the Classic Pearl paper with very good results. As for the differences between the finishes of the papers, that's really down to personal preference - if you have aa shop locally that stocks a range of different papers, it might be worth asking if they have some you can look at.



    Hope this helps .



    Cheers,



    Dave.



    PS, DP Review is a very good site for digital imaging questions. also worth a look are Steve's Digicams, Fred Miranda's web site, Rob Galbraith's site, and Photo Net.
  • Reply 2 of 3
    dferigmudferigmu Posts: 269member
    Thanks a lot Dave! Very helpful. So you're basically saying that the i850 is good for pics and text alike while the i950 is better for photos, but worse for text, and that the different kinds of photo paper depends on taste.



    One more question, I just wanted to make sure Epson and Ilford paper works as well as Canon paper on your Canon. Again, I have heard a lot that Canon printers don't work well with non-Canon photo paper, but you have seem to have experienced using different kinds of paper.
  • Reply 3 of 3
    digitaldavedigitaldave Posts: 445member
    Quote:

    Originally posted by dferigmu

    Thanks a lot Dave! Very helpful. So you're basically saying that the i850 is good for pics and text alike while the i950 is better for photos, but worse for text, and that the different kinds of photo paper depends on taste.



    That's what I believe from reading various comments on a number of different forums / web sites etc. So don't quote me, as I could be way off the mark .



    Quote:

    One more question, I just wanted to make sure Epson and Ilford paper works as well as Canon paper on your Canon. Again, I have heard a lot that Canon printers don't work well with non-Canon photo paper, but you have seem to have experienced using different kinds of paper.



    I've used the Epson paper @ 4x6 and the Ilford @ A4 (around 8x11.5). Both have given me very good results, so definately worth a try.



    Cheers,



    Dave.
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