Pixma Pro9000 mk2 -- keep or sell?

I went out friday and bought a 60d as an upgrade to my 20d (so far I'm quite pleased, but the weather didn't cooperate with my plans for yesterday, so I haven't tested it as thoroughly as I'd hoped). Since they offered me a $400 rebate on a $400 printer, I decided to go for it.

Here's the thing, though: I have no idea if it's worth it to me to actually KEEP said printer. While it would be nice to be able to print my own photos, here are my reservations:

1) Ink cost. For the majority of my printing needs, CVS is more than adequate. I'm a hobbyist. The majority of my photos never get printed. The ones that do are mostly prints to go with holiday cards or for me to hang on my own wall. That means I currently pay around $4.50 for an 8x10, and a lot less for a 4x6. How does this stack up with the cost of ink and paper for the Pixma Pro 9000?

2) Frequency of use. I know inkjet document printers run into problems if you don't print with them frequently. As I mentioned, I don't really print photos that often. Does anyone know the max time I can go between prints without ruining this printer?

Thanks in advance!

Every time I wanted to print with my printer, the heads were clogged, so now I only have a B&W laser printer.
prints at pro lab or sams club?

Red River has a good article on the costs of ink for the Pixma - in short, you're looking at under a buck for a 8x10. This excludes paper costs, of course. But it also excludes the effort and time it takes to have someone else print them.

http://www.redrivercat​alog.com …anon-pro9000-pro9500.html

You won't be able to get $400 for the printer. They're going for $150-200 new in box on Amazon and Craigslist, from other people that are in the same situation as you.

Good read.

http://parttimephoto.c​om …udio-prints-their-prices/

nathancarter wrote in post #13891138
Red River has a good article on the costs of ink for the Pixma - in short, you're looking at under a buck for a 8x10. This excludes paper costs, of course. But it also excludes the effort and time it takes to have someone else print them.

http://www.redrivercat​alog.com …anon-pro9000-pro9500.html

You won't be able to get $400 for the printer. They're going for $150-200 new in box on Amazon and Craigslist, from other people that are in the same situation as you.

Thanks -- any idea how long the printer can sit without problems? Knowing how much it costs per print is nice -- at a couple dollars per print, including paper, I can probably afford to just run a print every month or so and still come out ahead overall.

I essentially only paid tax for this thing: if I get $24 for it I'm ahead, financially speaking. If I get $150, I'm way ahead, and any potential hassle is covered.

isoMorphic wrote in post #13891302
Good read.

http://parttimephoto.c​om …udio-prints-their-prices/

Thanks! I'll probably have time to look through it today, and if not, tonight.

I'm also very interested in this, I'm actually considering picking up the pima pro9000mk2 with at BH for 199$!

amckenzie4 wrote in post #13895134
I essentially only paid tax for this thing: if I get $24 for it I'm ahead, financially speaking. If I get $150, I'm way ahead, and any potential hassle is covered.

Check out the ink replacement prices. There's a reason why they sell the printers so cheap?

PhotosGuy wrote in post #13896026
Check out the ink replacement prices. There's a reason why they sell the printers so cheap?

Yep. Judging by the link posted by nathancarter, the cost per print averages out to under a dollar of ink per 8x10. Add paper, and it's a little under $2/print. Interestingly, the article he posted lists a price of $0.19 per 4x7, plus paper, and CVS charges $0.19 for 4x7 prints. So there's not any savings at all there. It looks like, by their numbers, the larger you're printing the more you save.

In my experience, Canon printers that use dye-based inks don't clog. I have two, a Pro 9000 II that is fairly new and an MP 970 that is maybe 4 years old. I print very erratically, sometimes leaving the machine unused literally for months at a time. I have never had a single clog. If you do have a clogged head, Canon's heads are user-replaceable--you pull a lever, take the old one out, drop the new one in, and push the lever back down.

This is why I bought the Pro 9000 II. Pigment-based inks are longer lasting, but they are more prone to clogging, and I don't want to worry about clogging from periods of no printing.

paddler4 wrote in post #13896264
In my experience, Canon printers that use dye-based inks don't clog. I have two, a Pro 9000 II that is fairly new and an MP 970 that is maybe 4 years old. I print very erratically, sometimes leaving the machine unused literally for months at a time. I have never had a single clog. If you do have a clogged head, Canon's heads are user-replaceable--you pull a lever, take the old one out, drop the new one in, and push the lever back down.

This is why I bought the Pro 9000 II. Pigment-based inks are longer lasting, but they are more prone to clogging, and I don't want to worry about clogging from periods of no printing.

Thanks! That's exactly the sort of thing I wanted to know. I know I'm never buying an ink-jet document printer again, but photos? I'd never even looked at them before I picked this thing up.

amckenzie4 wrote in post #13896652
Thanks! That's exactly the sort of thing I wanted to know. I know I'm never buying an ink-jet document printer again, but photos? I'd never even looked at them before I picked this thing up.

I've been running a Pro9000 for a couple of years. Never had a clog. If you put some time and thought into it you'll get far better quality prints than any from an inexpensive 'lab'.
Tim

I love my Pro9000 MkII. I got it for free when I got my 5DII. Couldn't beat that price.

Sell.

samsen wrote in post #13897822
Sell.

As the dissenting voice, care to give some more reason for your opinion? I'd love to hear another side...

amckenzie4 wrote in post #13896243
Interestingly, the article he posted lists a price of $0.19 per 4x7, plus paper, and CVS charges $0.19 for 4x7 prints. So there's not any savings at all there. It looks like, by their numbers, the larger you're printing the more you save.

Actually it's based on paper cost the cheaper you can get paper the lesser the overall cost. You can buy value packs of Glossy II on Amazon and save a good bit if your doing bigger prints. It's not Pro paper but it's every bit as good as the Kodak stuff that CVS is using for sure.

http://www.amazon.com …TF8&qid=1329259​471&sr=8-5

I've gotten 4x6 in packs of 100 for $10 when it was on sale and stocked up as it normally sells for $12-14. For what it costs to buy a pack of 8.5x11 and 5x7 you can actually get the 100 4x6 sheets free which is even better. Another way to look at it paying $7-8 which is the cheapest i've seen the 5x7 and $10-12 for the 4x6 basically you get the 8.5x11 sheets free.

So this way larger prints you save a little and your 4x6 prints are only costing you ink which makes the cost equal to CVS. If you but the bulk 100 packs for $10 it's costing you $.10 more BUT consider the cost of driving to CVS + Time + Wear on your vehicle and you really need to make lots of prints to see much savings. I am also using LD Products ink right now for $5/cart on Amazon as many of my prints are not intended to last 800 years. If something important needs to be printed it takes very little effort to put the OEM carts back in and change my inks.