Looking at the new Canon PRO-300

[Keith Cooper]

I've been testing the PRO-300 printer (PRO-10 replacement) for the last few weeks and have written up a lengthy review.

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/canon-pro-300-printer-review/

Some definite improvements over the PRO-10

-It's fixed margin/borderless problems of the PRO-10 for all media
-Page length now up to 39"
-A colour screen on the front (not touch)
-A bit smaller and quite a bit lighter
-Looks like a smaller version of the PRO-1000
-The new Canon print software is rather nice to use

I'm happy to answer any specific queries, whilst it's still sitting in my kitchen ;-)

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

Thanks for sharing the latest news about this printer with us

 

[Artur5]

Many thanks for the review and specially for the heads-up. If the Pro300 is around the corner, we better hunt for spare Pro10 printheads before they become rare and very expensive.

Concerning the improvements in the Pro300, except for the extended length of 39”, which is nice, the rest of changes are hardly a game changer to me.
- Qimage takes care of the wide borders with Fine Art settings in the Pro10, so this isn’t a concern anymore.
- Bypassing the router by direct wifi is good to have but, knowing Canon, I don’t bet a cent that wireless setup will be easier than before.
- Borderless printing is IMHO totally useless. an absurd way to waste ink and make a mess inside the machine.
- Being smaller and lighter usually isn’t a good thing in terms of sturdiness.
- I never used Canon dedicated programs for printing, I can’t comment on that.
- Color screen on the machine is better than no screen, but I can live without that. All informations and messages are also displayed on the computer's monitor.

For many people here, the BIG question is “refillability”. I gather that the PFI-300 carts are fitted with really tricky chips, totally impossible to reset and very, very difficult to replicate.

 

[Keith Cooper]

For me it hits all the pain points of the PRO-10. However it was quite a few years ago that I had that here to test.

The wireless setup is really easy, I just didn't use it during lt my testing - worked well transferring a picture from my EOS RP to iPhone to printer

As to smaller - it's still pretty hefty, just doesn't require a reinforced desk.
I'll see how the Epson P700 compares when one turns up next week ;-)

 

[The Hat]

I'm happy to answer any specific queries, whilst it's still sitting in my kitchen ;-)

Excellent review and write up as always, but from what I can see it’s got very little more to offer than the previous Pro printer models, but it's nice to see the prices haven’t increased, have the carts still got 15 ml of ink and are they the same size as the PGI-72’s ?.

Thankfully I’m retired and am not interested in any of these new Pro printers, I’ll stick with what I’ve got till I go bang or they do..

 

[Keith Cooper]

Excellent review and write up as always, but from what I can see it’s got very little more to offer than the previous Pro printer models, but it's nice to see the prices haven’t increased, have the carts still got 15 ml of ink and are they the same size as the PGI-72’s ?.

Thankfully I’m retired and am not interested in any of these new Pro printers, I’ll stick with what I’ve got till I go bang or they do..

Thanks - they are just under 15ml.
I don't have any of the old carts but the new ones look very similar

 

[palombian]

Same 10 inks set (except a better matte black).
The PRO-10 was already a very good printer, most enhancements seem to be software.

I would be surprised if someone could make a resetter.
And with 14ml cartridges one time chips are not economically viable.

 

[stratman]

Fantastic introduction. Gorgeous prints. Good use of humor, too. Thank you.

 

[mikling]

Fact: The Lucia Pro Matte and Photo Black are actually not as dense as the Lucia ones in the Pro-1 and Pro-10. I tested them very carefully in 2017 while developing my Signature Edition inkset for the Pro-10 and 1.
Ink Stained Fingers will also appreciate that Canon then uses a finely tuned ICC to composite the Black to the paper to gain higher printed density. Same trick as Epson in their K3s. Canon OEM Pro-10 profiles does not composite pure black...................................Aftermarket profiles can do this and gain better blacks specced tightly to paper.

The Pro300 also has a built in densitometer for calibration to factory spec colors. Canon included the software in the Pro-10 but this must be done with user supplied spectro hardware. The Imageprograf series adheres to a higher standard of consistent color reproduction. Finally a reviewer that can see the difference calibration makes. All batches of ink and printheads vary and Canon accomodates the density drift by hardware, just like the bigger boy printers do. This is like the Red line lenses of Canon as opposed to the normal ones they are built to a higher technical standard.

The nozzle count is identical to the Pro-10, the droplet size is also identical. 4 pl. I would not be surprised if is the same printhead as well. Judging by the reliability of the 10, why mess with a good thing?
Gamut questions remain but despite using less dense inks, Canon might be able to change the print engine to gain more from the lesser inks. I will order one to see what happens. Gosh these suckers are expensive. Hurts when they are 4-5 times the cost of a current Pro-10.

Lighter, I want more steel to make the chassis stiffer and more precise but this will cost more to manufacture and SHIP for Canon. I also want more dead weight relative to the dynamic/moving weight in the printhead. Pure physics and engineering why this actually desirable. Makes for a more stable platform. Less weight is NOT desirable. NOBODY totes a Pro-10 around as a portable printer. Well maybe Superman can!

You also want the larger footprint and volume of the Pro-10. Why? Simple. Typically the bottom portion and floor of the printer is stuffed with absorbent material that constitutes the waste ink pad. A smaller footprint as well as reduced volume likely means LESS waste ink pad capacity. This is a negative when there is no replaceable waste tank.

Right now on July 9, 2020, you can pick up a Pro-10 from Murphy's camera for 199.99 after a Canon rebate and an instore call in discount. The Pro-300 is listed for $200 more than the Pro-10 ( MSRP 699 ) $899. That likely means the best price you can get a maybe slightly better printer is double what you can pay now. Duh....what are you waiting for?

I mean the ink shaking system with paddles was revealed since what close to 10 years ago, but Canon calls this new?

OK in case anyone is not familiar with the ink stirring system by Canon since the Pro9500 days
https://www.precisioncolors.com/PGI-9_Internals.html

As Artur5 has stated. They will be refillable identically to the Pro-10. I suspect I already have the requsite inkset for it but the CHIP is going to be royal pain in the rear orifice/nozzle. Redsetter already failed with the Pro-1. Doubt they may even venture into this one. We shall see.

An entry level Imageprograf printer and the Imageprograf name commands a premium from a branding perspective. When the Pro-10 is gone a couple things will happen. They will shoot up in price in the New Old Stock market, perhaps better than any stock will do at this point. They will be relished and many will regret not getting one while they are bargains now.

I will be discussing the new printer on Jose's podcast this Sunday, and as mentioned I will order one and give a hands on review from a refiller's standpoint later in the year.

Over and out.

 

[palombian]

I stocked up (cheap second hand) 9500II's about when the PRO-10 was released.
Did the same last autumn with the PRO-10.
I have now one virtually new 9500 (last printhead mounted) and a PRO-10 with 1000 pages (one spare head).
And ink for several years ...

At first sight there is less progress in print quality between the PRO-300 and the PRO-10 than this one had against the 9500,

So there are serious arguments for stocking at least printheads (you can buy 5 for the price of a new PRO-300).

Until someone has checked if the Russian service tools can reset the waste ink counter you should stock printers too (although I never reached this point on any Canon printer before 20.000 pages).
Contrary to the 9500 they are less common in Europe.