Canon IP4000 vs IP4500

[ac]

I have both these printers and using OEM ink I can find no difference in the
print quality between these machines. If anything the IP4000 seems to print
slightly better in my view but the difference is too close to call.

Leaving aside printing speeds I'm beginning to wonder if there is any
difference in the inks used for these machines, e.g. as anyone tried
refilling the IP4500 with IP4000 generic ink or vice versa?

IMO the IP4000 still reigns supreme and the IP4500 seems to be a similar
printer with the added disadvantage of chipped cartridges. The higher OEM
cartridge prices of the IP4500 are probably due to the chip.

BTW if anyone has a IP4200-IP4500 I would recommend downloading Ink Monitor.
This software will let you know when your cartridges are running low.

 

[Michael Grey]

I have only compared them to OEM ink and have found the IP4500 to have
better color matching properties.
Both do look very good but I give the accuracy to the latest generation.

 

[measekite]

I have both these printers and using OEM ink I can find no difference in the
print quality between these machines. If anything the IP4000 seems to print
slightly better in my view but the difference is too close to call.

Leaving aside printing speeds I'm beginning to wonder if there is any
difference in the inks used for these machines,

There may be very small differences in some photos that display some
shades but the major differences are in fade resistance and longevity of
the prints.

e.g. as anyone tried
refilling the IP4500 with IP4000 generic ink or vice versa?

That is a waste of time. There is only about $2.00 difference in the
cost of the carts

IMO the IP4000 still reigns supreme and the IP4500 seems to be a similar
printer with the added disadvantage of chipped cartridges.

It does have lights telling you when you need to change.

 

[DanG]

I have both these printers and using OEM ink I can find no difference in
the print quality between these machines. If anything the IP4000 seems to
print slightly better in my view but the difference is too close to call.

Leaving aside printing speeds I'm beginning to wonder if there is any
difference in the inks used for these machines, e.g. as anyone tried
refilling the IP4500 with IP4000 generic ink or vice versa?

The inks are essentially the same. Check with your ink supplier to learn if
the inks you are buying are interchangeable. Since the costs of bulk inks
are similar for both types, I don't see much motivation to interchange them.

The primary difference in the IP4500 is the heads, and of course the driver.
More nozzles and slightly faster speeds. The quality tests I've seen online
seem to indicate that the 4500 has a slight edge in resolution. Either model
will require careful calibration of color and paper profiles in order to see
it's best quality.

 

[Frank]

measekite wrote:


....his usual waste of bandwidth lies.
Frank

 

[Bernie]

I have both these printers and using OEM ink I can find no difference in the
print quality between these machines. If anything the IP4000 seems to print
slightly better in my view but the difference is too close to call.

Leaving aside printing speeds I'm beginning to wonder if there is any
difference in the inks used for these machines, e.g. as anyone tried
refilling the IP4500 with IP4000 generic ink or vice versa?

IMO the IP4000 still reigns supreme and the IP4500 seems to be a similar
printer with the added disadvantage of chipped cartridges. The higher OEM
cartridge prices of the IP4500 are probably due to the chip.

BTW if anyone has a IP4200-IP4500 I would recommend downloading Ink Monitor.
This software will let you know when your cartridges are running low.

The printer driver lets us know when the ink is running low. Why use
another program?

 

[DanG]

The printer driver lets us know when the ink is running low. Why use
another program?

Maybe because he's refilling, and the 4500 has it's monitoring function
turned off.

 

[phineaspaine]

The inks are essentially the same. Check with your ink supplier to learn if
the inks you are buying are interchangeable. Since the costs of bulk inks
are similar for both types, I don't see much motivation to interchange them.

The primary difference in the IP4500 is the heads, and of course the driver.
More nozzles and slightly faster speeds. The quality tests I've seen online
seem to indicate that the 4500 has a slight edge in resolution. Either model
will require careful calibration of color and paper profiles in order to see
it's best quality.

I've got a 3rd gen ip5300 (mechanically identical to the 4th gen
ip4500) and a 2nd gen ip5200 and a 1st gen ip5000. All three are
capable of the same resolutions. The only differences are the number
of nozzles (4608, 3584 and 1856 respectively), and rated speeds
(31/24, 30/24 and 25/17 respectively b&w/colour pages per minute).

When I print the same pic (a static shot of the Bluenose II with the
bluest sky behind it) on the same paper (Canon Photo Paper Pro) on all
three printers at high quality (9600 x 2400 dpi - 1 picolitre drops),
I can't tell the difference between them.

Even when I print at standard quality (4800 x 1200 - 2 picolitre
drops, which is the max resolution the ip4000 prints at), the pics
still look excellent, and I still can't tell the difference between
the 3 printers. And if I mix in the high quality pics from the first
test, it's next to impossible to tell the difference between any of
the 6 pics. The fine lettering on the schooner is slightly sharper on
the three 9600 dpi pics, but it's so small I have to look at it with a
magnifier to see it. All 3 of these printers are that good,
regardless of generation...

If your ip4000 prints as good as my ip5000 does at 4800dpi, and I
believe that it would, I'd expect you to get similar results.

Imho, the only real measureable difference is the net speed. The
ip5300 (and by inference, the ip4500) is a rocket, spitting out the
pic in 22 seconds at 4800 dpi. The ip5200 and ip5000 are still fast,
as both took about 35 seconds to print the pic at 4800dpi. I didn't
time the 9600 dpi prints, as they were already done when I thought to
time them.

And if there's a difference in the OEM inks, it's only what Canon has
publicized... that the CLI-8 inks are supposedly made to last longer
exposed to light and air, than the BCI-6 inks. Another thing,
though... using non-OEM Image Specialists inks, I can't see any
difference at all compared to the OEM inks (they do have different
formulations for refilling the CLI vs. BCI cartridges).

Phineas

 

[ac]

Phineas

Thanks for your comprehensive reply. Seems I'm not the only one unable to
see any difference in quality between the two printers.

Thanks to all others (excluding measkite) who have replied.

Ink monitor is available at http://inkmon.org/index.html for anyone
interested. Very useful IMO if filling your own carts.

There is a freeware version (4 inks monitored) or a shareware version at $5
monitoring 5 inks.

I'm running it under XP so don't know if it runs under Vista. Best E-mail
the author if interested

 

[measekite]

DanG wrote:

"ac" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:x%[email protected]...



I have both these printers and using OEM ink I can find no difference in the print quality between these machines. If anything the IP4000 seems to print slightly better in my view but the difference is too close to call. Leaving aside printing speeds I'm beginning to wonder if there is any difference in the inks used for these machines, e.g. as anyone tried refilling the IP4500 with IP4000 generic ink or vice versa?



The inks are essentially the same.

No true the new CL8 ink has better fade resistance.


Check with your ink supplier to learn if the inks you are buying are interchangeable. Since the costs of bulk inks are similar for both types,

Totally false.  The new cl8 ink is patented and no fly by nite has anything that is the same.


I don't see much motivation to interchange them. The primary difference in the IP4500 is the heads, and of course the driver. More nozzles and slightly faster speeds. The quality tests I've seen online seem to indicate that the 4500 has a slight edge in resolution. Either model will require careful calibration of color and paper profiles in order to see it's best quality.

 

[measekite]

DanG wrote:

"Bernie" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...



The printer driver lets us know when the ink is running low. Why use another program?



Maybe because he's refilling, and the 4500 has it's monitoring function turned off.

Some people enjoy making problems for themself.

 

[measekite]

[email protected] wrote:

On Feb 20, 12:19 pm, "DanG" <[email protected]> wrote:



"ac" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:x%[email protected]...



I have both these printers and using OEM ink I can find no difference in the print quality between these machines. If anything the IP4000 seems to print slightly better in my view but the difference is too close to call.



Leaving aside printing speeds I'm beginning to wonder if there is any difference in the inks used for these machines, e.g. as anyone tried refilling the IP4500 with IP4000 generic ink or vice versa?



The inks are essentially the same. Check with your ink supplier to learn if the inks you are buying are interchangeable. Since the costs of bulk inks are similar for both types, I don't see much motivation to interchange them. The primary difference in the IP4500 is the heads, and of course the driver. More nozzles and slightly faster speeds. The quality tests I've seen online seem to indicate that the 4500 has a slight edge in resolution. Either model will require careful calibration of color and paper profiles in order to see it's best quality.



I've got a 3rd gen ip5300 (mechanically identical to the 4th gen ip4500) and a 2nd gen ip5200 and a 1st gen ip5000. All three are capable of the same resolutions. The only differences are the number of nozzles (4608, 3584 and 1856 respectively), and rated speeds (31/24, 30/24 and 25/17 respectively b&w/colour pages per minute). When I print the same pic (a static shot of the Bluenose II with the bluest sky behind it) on the same paper (Canon Photo Paper Pro) on all three printers at high quality (9600 x 2400 dpi - 1 picolitre drops), I can't tell the difference between them. Even when I print at standard quality (4800 x 1200 - 2 picolitre drops, which is the max resolution the ip4000 prints at), the pics still look excellent, and I still can't tell the difference between the 3 printers. And if I mix in the high quality pics from the first test, it's next to impossible to tell the difference between any of the 6 pics. The fine lettering on the schooner is slightly sharper on the three 9600 dpi pics, but it's so small I have to look at it with a magnifier to see it. All 3 of these printers are that good, regardless of generation... If your ip4000 prints as good as my ip5000 does at 4800dpi, and I believe that it would, I'd expect you to get similar results. Imho, the only real measureable difference is the net speed. The ip5300 (and by inference, the ip4500) is a rocket, spitting out the pic in 22 seconds at 4800 dpi. The ip5200 and ip5000 are still fast, as both took about 35 seconds to print the pic at 4800dpi. I didn't time the 9600 dpi prints, as they were already done when I thought to time them. And if there's a difference in the OEM inks, it's only what Canon has publicized... that the CLI-8 inks are supposedly made to last longer exposed to light and air, than the BCI-6 inks.

That is true


Another thing, though... using non-OEM Image Specialists inks, I can't see any difference at all compared to the OEM inks (they do have different formulations for refilling the CLI vs. BCI cartridges).

There is a difference


Phineas

 

[Michael J Davis]

measekite wrote:


...his usual waste of bandwidth lies.
Frank

<plonk>