Epson SC-P900 printer review by Mark Segal

This was really useful. Thanks for posting.

My SP4800 is on it's way out and it is a P900 or P5000 as a replacement. After reading this, I'm considering biting the extra cost per print to have a bit more desk space, and less up front cost. I did like the bit where he talks about how the setup sheet warns against drinking the ink - which is 50x more expensive than the nicest wine in £/ml...
 
Can someone make a summary please, i find this review an unclear mess myself as someone who has never owned a photo printer.
 
If you want a 16" printer you have few choices. And the reasons for choosing one over the other will depend on your circumstances. The review provides enough information for you to be able to make an informed decision because there's no clear "printer a is better than printer b"

You have (afaik) 3 choices at 16" (A2) for a desktop printer.
Canon Pro-1000 which has a 40" limit on panoramas and no roll paper holder. £1k
Epson P5000 which is practically unlimited on panos, cheap on ink, and huge. £2k
Epson P900 which has a (purchase separately) roll paper holder, smaller tanks than the P5000, is smaller than the P5000, and will print 10ft panos. £1k

Difference in print quality is arguable (on the internet) which probably means you need a magnifying glass and/or colour reference charts to determine. In other words - to me - they're all the same when it comes to colour gamut even though the scientists will argue it's not.

For me, the Canon is out because if I want to print a 3:1 pano at 16" I can't. Simple decision.
I have the SP4800 which has the same footprint as the P5000. It's massive and I can't move it on my own. However with 200ml tanks the cost per print is probably the cheapest out there at 40p/ml vs 60p/ml for the P900 and the Pro-1000.
The P900 is a really nice middle ground option for me and at £1k is a much cheaper investment.

Your mileage may vary though, hence the review being useful because it gives you the information you need to make the right decision.
 
In case it helps to swing it, the P900 also has a light inside so can watch what's going on as it prints :ROFLMAO: It's fun to watch
 
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