I chose the iPF6100 for testing because for me it represents the sweet spot in the line. For many fine art photographers a 24″ printer is about as big as can be handled outside of a commercial print studio, and also is able to produce prints that are usually as large as one needs. Readers should be aware that these four models are quite similar, except for paper size capabilities. (The 6100 is also not that much larger than the 5100, for those that are deciding between the two, though of course it doesn’t have a multi-sheet cassette feed for sheet paper, only single feed,the same as all other 24″ and larger printers).
The iPF6100 sells for about US $3,500. It’s main competitors are the HP Z3100 at about $4,800 and the Epson 7880 at $4,000. This makes the Canon the least expensive of the three, though there are promotions available which make shopping for price a matter that you need to conduct yourself on a local basis. In any event, the major differences to be noted are that the HP, though it costs quite a bit more, has a built-in spectrophotometer and self-profiling capability. Of course another difference that separates the three models is that the HP and Canon printers allow use of either matte or photo black inks at any time, while the current large format Epson pigment ink printers (excepting the 64 ” / $15,000 Epson 11880) require that these inks be swapped, a time consuming process and one that can cost $75 or more in wasted ink.
