Questions about importing Italian printer to UK.

[Crimea]

Sorry these aren't refilling questions.

I haven't ever owned a Canon, but am now looking at one of their MFPs. Annoyingly, though, it doesn't seem to be available from a UK retailer, only two Italian companies and one of them says their version is supplied with an Italian plug. I guess the other is too. Are Canon mains cables built in or can I swap it for a 240V UK plug or would an adaptor suffice?

Also, do you select a language when you set it up, so it wouldn't matter if it came from Italy?

Thanks for the help anyone can give me.

 

[PeterBJ]

The mains cables are not built in on the Canon printers, so you can use a UK power cable instead. The mains voltage in all Europe is nominally 230V 50 Hz, so no problem here. Which language is chosen by installation is determined by the language of your OS, so no problems here.

Canon printers and ink cartridges are regionalized like DVD movies, but printers supplied in Europe are the same region, so no problems here. If you bought a printer from USA you would have problems with the printer being for another region, and you would have to also import ink cartridges from the USA. Also the AC adapter in the printer might be rated for 120V 60 Hz. Most Canon AC adapters are rated for 110-240V 50-60 Hz though.

Different mains voltages, frequencies, and plugs are used around the world, see this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mains_electricity_by_country

 

[Crimea]

Thanks for the reply.

Does the language selection also apply to the instructions on the 2.5" LCD? If I buy this Italian one, I fear the LCD set-up instructions for the fax and all the other functions will be in Italian and there won't be any way of changing it.

 

[PeterBJ]

Crimea wrote:

Does the language selection also apply to the instructions on the 2.5" LCD? If I buy this Italian one, I fear the LCD set-up instructions for the fax and all the other functions will be in Italian and there won't be any way of changing it.

Sadly I cannot tell, but maybe some info can be found on the Canon UK website even if this model is no longer in stock. So which model Canon AIO are we talking about?

 

[InkQuisitive]

..., it doesn't seem to be available from a UK retailer, only two Italian companies

What model is this? Someone may know that it is simply a relabelled version of something else.

 

[Crimea]

It's the Pixma MX525 and it's the only Home MFP under 100 (about 80 to be precise) where the fax facility can auto distinguish between a fax and phone call. The only other one from the latest range that can do the same is the MX925 and that's 120.

Plenty of the MFPs seem to offer a fax facility but in the canon.co.uk specifications sections, under <i>FAX/Tel Auto Switch</i>, they either state 'No' or 'Yes (Manual)'. I'm not quite sure what 'Yes (manual)' means - seems to be contradictory.

I haven't ever used a fax machine, but I presume if it cannot distinguish between a voice call and fax automatically, then my home phone that I will plug into it would ring, even when it's a fax, and I'd have to quickly run to the machine to accept the fax. Relatives abroad, without a laptop or access to any internet, need to send me medical docs so I can't simply fax via my laptop, unfortunately.

I thought if I'm going to spend 70 or so on a fax machine, I might as well try to find a MFP and get everything else - a proper printer, scanner, etc. It's more difficult than I thought.

 

[The Hat]

The MX525 printer will receive incoming faxes no problem, but remember you wont be able to print them out
if you dont have enough ink left in either cartridge.

So it would be advisable to have at least one spare set on hand.

 

[santer]

Amazon (98)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Canon-Deutschland-GmbH-Pixma-525/dp/B00BBTLFTE

Printaware (call for price)

http://www.printware.co.uk/Products...06c8075/Canon-PIXMA-MX525/Range.html#moreinfo

Google says Wex Photographic (99) though the link goes to wex homepage

http://www.wexphotographic.com/

Have used Wex and they are reliable etc, so it could be worth asking them

It could be that as the four were only released in March, Canon are still getting them to UK retailers, or the retailers are waiting to see what the demand is.

If it were me, unless the cost advantage of self import was worth it, I would get the printer from any of the above, or wait a while if possible to see if it becomes available at more retailers

 

[Crimea]

Thanks.

I think the Amazon one is sent from Italy and it's 98, unfortunately; bit too much for what I'll use it for. If I could afford that much I'd probably go for your second link, though. Here's the other Italian supplier/importer (based in UK) http://imperialprice.com/canon-pixma-mx525-usb-wireless-scan-copy-fax-black-?keyword=pixma mx525 (also sells via ebay) that I considered, prompting me to wonder if the LCD instructions would be in Italian - a bit cheaper too.

I might have to ask someone in PC World, John Lewis, etc, if they'll open a box and demonstrate the set-up, to answer the 'language' question, but it'll have to be for the future. I'll have to get the Brother fax I've seen, as faxing is all I honestly needed to do right now and I've left things really late. From what I've read on other threads, though, as to how Canon are tightening the noose on refillers and repairers, I'll certainly be back to find a Canon for the future.

You wouldn't believe that I still use a 13-years-old Epson Stylus Color 680/777 - resetting/refilling and SSC Service Utility counter-resetting for the whole 13 years - for my basic printing needs, together with a dilapidated scanner.

 

[santer]

If the software is available to download from Canon, won't it be in English?

Just downloaded from Canon and the set up box has a language button to choose from