Epson R2400 or 4800 owners

patch29patch29 Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,928 Major grins
edited May 11, 2008 in Digital Darkroom
Do we have any Epson R2400 or 4800 owners out there? Anyone planning to upgrade? I am looking at moving up from my 2200 to one of those two, probably the R2400, maybe later to the big brother (or really big 7800/9800 :deal).

I am looking for more first had opinions.

Here is one of the best blogs so far about the 4800.

Comments

  • SteveFSteveF Registered Users Posts: 466 Major grins
    edited July 8, 2005
    4800 thoughts
    Hello,

    I don't own one, but here is a "diary" with some reflections on the 4800.

    http://www.outbackphoto.com/printinginsights/pi037/Epson_R4800.html


    Jack is a pretty good photographer and so I'd give some weight to his opinions.
  • pathfinderpathfinder Super Moderators Posts: 14,708 moderator
    edited July 8, 2005
    patch29 wrote:
    Do we have any Epson R2400 or 4800 owners out there? Anyone planning to upgrade? I am looking at moving up from my 2200 to one of those two, probably the R2400, maybe later to the big brother (or really big 7800/9800 deal.gif).

    I am looking for more first had opinions.

    Here is one of the best blogs so far about the 4800.


    Here is a link to Michael Reichman's opnion re: the 4800.
    http://www.luminous-landscape.com/reviews/printers/4800-1st.shtml

    When I first read the specs for the 4800 I thought I really would like to swap my 4000 in, but after reading his article and others, I think I will be content with my 4000 and Image Print 6 for quite a while. IP6 and the 4000 create B&Ws with absolutely no hint of color or metamerism for me when printing on matte papers.
    The 2800 is appealing, but the ink is significantly more expensive in the 12ml catridges than the 220ml ones for the bigger 17 inch printers.
    Pathfinder - www.pathfinder.smugmug.com

    Moderator of the Technique Forum and Finishing School on Dgrin
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited August 28, 2005
    patch, i'm considering the r2400 - can you give some more thoughts, comments, insights, etc on your experience with it thus far? ear.gif
  • patch29patch29 Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,928 Major grins
    edited August 28, 2005
    andy wrote:
    patch, i'm considering the r2400 - can you give some more thoughts, comments, insights, etc on your experience with it thus far? ear.gif

    It is cool, buy one. rolleyes1.gifumph.gif
  • patch29patch29 Registered Users, Retired Mod Posts: 2,928 Major grins
    edited August 28, 2005
    I have not done a lot of printing, but here are some thoughts.


    faster and quieter then a 2200.

    Far superior black and white printing to the 2200 and no need for the Imageprint RIP.

    I have a friend that made some test prints on mine and has since replaced his 2200 with one and he is planning to print all his 11x14 glossy prints on it for clients. It does look very good.

    If 13x19 is large enough for you it will work great for you. If you print a lot the 4800 should save you money on ink and allow you to make larger prints.
  • John MuellerJohn Mueller Registered Users Posts: 2,555 Major grins
    edited August 28, 2005
    I was this close-- of getting the 2400 today.

    Epson rep on hand and couldnt answer my questionsne_nau.gif
    Im going to think on it for a week.
    Would like to know who is using one and how they like.
    Yeah,get one Andy and sell it to me in a week or 2lol3.gif
  • John MuellerJohn Mueller Registered Users Posts: 2,555 Major grins
    edited September 2, 2005
    Tomorrow Im going back when Gail the Epson rep that knows all the answers will be there.
    Have a few files on disk both color and b&w various sizes that Im going to have printed out.
    If it all comes together,Ill get the R2400.
  • AndyAndy Registered Users Posts: 50,016 Major grins
    edited September 2, 2005
    Yeah,get one Andy and sell it to me in a week or 2lol3.gif

    lol3.gif

    i'm still on the fence. and, i spent my printer $$ on donations to hurricane relief. it can wait, and i can always print thru smugmug.
  • flyingpylonflyingpylon Registered Users Posts: 260 Major grins
    edited September 6, 2005
    Just out of curiousity, for those of you that buy the high-end printers: How much printing do you do, and are you selling the prints?

    After initially being impressed with photo printers (I had the original Epson Stylus Photo and then the Stylus Photo 870) I found it extraordinarily difficult to justify the time, money, and effort required to make a print turn out "just right", and even then it usually ended up being only "good enough". After that, I found that I didn't print often enough to keep the print heads from clogging, etc. In general I've come to the conclusion that perhaps home printing just isn't right for me right now.

    That said, I am still intrigued by the high-end printers and dream about someday having the skills and time (not to mention the money, or paying customers) to justify such a purchase.

    If you have a high-end printer, are you not printing through Smugmug or another lab? Or are you doing both, and in what situations do you use one vs the other?
  • photosnafuphotosnafu Registered Users Posts: 1 Beginner grinner
    edited September 28, 2005
    Yes, just bought a R2400, and plan to sell maybe 10 photos a month, during small exibitions.
    I'm newbee about digital printing, after making classic W&B developpments at home.
    Yesterday making tests I thought "cool I can open the paper box without beeing in the dark". After 2 hours to trimm fine a picture, I realized that my legacy photographic lab was faster to use!

    Main problem / time consuming: scans.

    A few personnal conclusions:
    - if you have a high-end digital reflex, then the workflow is short. If you work from films, maybe it is still a good solution to send it to pro- labs.
    - a poor film slide give nicer results with argentic process than ink-jet does. Every "boosting" operation drives you to a "digital" aspect (VERY long to find efficient AND non destructive adjustments)
    - overall results are far better than internet digital printing providers. You control your tones, but printing becomes really a hobby by itself.

    I just saw 4000 prints, and the bronzing (strange reflects under light, I forgot the really english word) was unacceptable. With K3 inks, it is very light. More visible with semigloss than gloss paper.
  • JarGraJarGra Registered Users Posts: 2 Beginner grinner
    edited May 10, 2008
    Can anyone help
    I have read until I'm crosseyed about the R2400 printing too dark, and too many other things to remember, but my problem is, and always has been that is simply prints "way" too light. My prints come out looking like a photo looks when it's about 3 stops under-exposed. I shoot in raw, I use Adobe Lightroom on an imac, brand new, and, yes - I have tried printing the same thing in Photoshop CS3, same results. I always select "no color mgt" when printing, so at this point i'm at a loss. Oh, yes... brand new ink, and I have ran the head cleaner so many times that 1/4 of the ink has been used just to "clean." I really am at the end of my rope... I have a $39 HP that prints 100X better, how much does that suck?
    Richard Seymour]
    Boston, MA
  • NikonsandVstromsNikonsandVstroms Registered Users Posts: 990 Major grins
    edited May 11, 2008
    I have used the Epson 4800 for about two years now, and just started with the Epson 10,000:ivar the biggest problemwith the 4800 is the nozzle clogging. It's not a huge issue but . There have been a few times I've been stuck sitting around for 30 minutes to an hour running the nozzle checks and head cleaning .Other than that minor inconvenience I have done countless photos onthe printer now and have had great results.
  • JarGraJarGra Registered Users Posts: 2 Beginner grinner
    edited May 11, 2008
    are you saying...
    I am new to this forum, so I am not sure if your post was responding to my or someone above. Are you saying that you may need to run the head cleaner several times when the printer is printing too light, and I was also wondering if the "head" was a certain part that is seperate in the printer, or if each color cartridge is considered to have its own head, nozzle, etc.?

    Thanks very much.

    I have used the Epson 4800 for about two years now, and just started with the Epson 10,000:ivar the biggest problemwith the 4800 is the nozzle clogging. It's not a huge issue but . There have been a few times I've been stuck sitting around for 30 minutes to an hour running the nozzle checks and head cleaning .Other than that minor inconvenience I have done countless photos onthe printer now and have had great results.
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