Looking at the new Canon PRO-300

mikling

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Why Canon made a new inkset for the PRO-1/PRO-10 then ?
It is not uncommon - also for cameras - that they test new features on a consumer model first.
The new inkset was made for the Pro-1 which was introduced prior to the Pro-100. After the Pro-100 the Pro-1 sat as the 13" pigment machine. Ask the Hat when he bought his. Then the Pro-10 was introduced and then after a while Canon pulled the plug on the Pro-1. Initially the Pro-1 appeared to have replaced the 9500 until the Pro-10 came along.
 

mikling

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I tend to agree. Using the same printhead on the Pro300 means that the QY6-0085 ( or a new model number backwards compatible ) will be available as long as the Pro300 remains in production. From a point of view of Pro10 users this sounds too good to be true. Canon wants people migrating to the new model (which is probably refill proof ). If they use a totally new printhead for the Pro300, in the future many owners of Pro10s with broken printheads will "upgrade" more or less reluctantly, but most of them wouldn't if new QY6-0085 units were still available.
OTOH, it sure would reduce costs quite a bit if the same printhead was used. They could even give a new number, and you'd never know. All they need is to reprogram one byte inside the ID number of the printhead and bam.....new printhehad!. Inventorying spare and replacement parts is a big headache for mfrs. like Canon it is a very expensive thing to do so. Commonality of parts is a great thing for them. Pro-10 users not upgrading because of an existing printhead....I think this hardly on their mind. By the time a Pro-10 printhead poofed up, the average user will be looking for newer, faster, better....or younger, prettier. sexier etc.
Also did the fact that the same printhead from the Canon i9900 was used on the Pro9000 and Pro9000MkII stop users from purchasing the Pro9000? Kinda answers the questions doesn't it. And get this, the i9900 was not chipped and the Pro9000 was. Even more incentive to stick with the older i9900. Yet, people moved on.
Fact is 99% of consumers are completely oblivious to this.

Now get this, I am looking at the touchscreen for a Canon TS8220 AIO that I paid little over $100 USD. The screen is much bigger, brighter and better than the Pro300 screen. Wait! The Pro300 MSRP is 899. Why couldn't they have put the same screen on this cheap desktop AIO on the Pro300 I ask myself. The Pro300 screen already looks dated. Seriously....... it looks like the Pro-1000 screen which is kinda old and low res and it has possibly 4 more years to go!
 
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palombian

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No problem at this moment to find QY6-0085.
Maybe the PRO-10 printhead lives longer than the one of the PRO-9500(II), or maybe there are less printers in use in Europe.
Most users are indeed unaware of all this, some even don't know what a nozzle check is.
 

mikling

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No problem at this moment to find QY6-0085.
Maybe the PRO-10 printhead lives longer than the one of the PRO-9500(II), or maybe there are less printers in use in Europe.
Most users are indeed unaware of all this, some even don't know what a nozzle check is.
The Pro-100 and Pro-10 printheads heralded a new generation of much more reliable printheads. The ones in the CLI-8 and PGI-9 as well as even the Pro-1 were somewhat flaky. I recently had one in ax MX870 220/221 die on me recently while it was printing...it just stopped dead and the B203 came up.
Pro-10 printheads are pretty solid.
 

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The Pro-100 and Pro-10 printheads heralded a new generation of much more reliable printheads. The ones in the CLI-8 and PGI-9 as well as even the Pro-1 were somewhat flaky. I recently had one in ax MX870 220/221 die on me recently while it was printing...it just stopped dead and the B203 came up.
Pro-10 printheads are pretty solid.

With the PRO-9500II I had to change the head every 2-3 years, and I didn't print that much (0,5-1 l ink a year).
BTW that was also the expected lifetime of the (much more expensive) PRO-1000 printhead as Canon told me last year. Based on my volume they consulted the PRO-10.
 

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Guys, when you look at the photo of the sealed printhead bag in Keith's (as always) very detailed article

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/setting-up-your-new-pro-300/

as far as I can see (on the small sticker on the right) it is Canon part number F454008 and that's a QY6-0085 ;)
(I double checked with my spare)

in that case @mikling guessed right

The PRO-300 uses the same printhead as the PRO-10

Many thanks Keith !
 
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Artur5

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You should have told us before I purchased 10 spare printheads. :he .. :p
I checked yesterday Eparts.fr and they had 46 QY6-0085 in stock. Same today.

Thanks dear Canon.. I'll never criticize you again for your idiotic wireless setup procedure.
 

palombian

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You should have told us before I purchased 10 spare printheads. :he .. :p
I checked yesterday Eparts.fr and they had 46 QY6-0085 in stock. Same today.

Thanks dear Canon.. I'll never criticize you again for your idiotic wireless setup procedure.

Why do you think they keep so many in stock ?

Interesting that both manufacturer and customer can benefit from a sustainable approach.

New Canon cameras are backward compatible with existing lenses, time to do this for printers too (dear customer, you may use your existing stock of PRO-10 ink in your new PRO-300, but for maximum quality we advise you our new cartridges :)).
 

mikling

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Why do you think they keep so many in stock ?

Interesting that both manufacturer and customer can benefit from a sustainable approach.

New Canon cameras are backward compatible with existing lenses, time to do this for printers too (dear customer, you may use your existing stock of PRO-10 ink in your new PRO-300, but for maximum quality we advise you our new cartridges :)).
If one goal was to virtue signal sustainability, then they would openly state the carryover aspect. That gains a few points from millenials and younger for sure. However, the real reason is that it reduced the cost to introduce a new model. The real sustainable signal would have been to say...." A few benefits to be had and if you already have a Pro-10, then the most responsible thing to do, unless you REALLY need a feature is to stick with the 10, And by the way, if the printer stops working, the printhead can be replaced thereby not needing a new printer." Will we hear this from mfrs?. Errr I don't think so. Instead we get an exciting video review by relatively new customers to printing who are excited by features we have been enjoying for at least or nearly a decade.

The new printer is no dog but the dog and pony show was trotted out for the newcomers to printers and obviously we old farts are not the audience. Well at least the younger ones still print and we need to be thankful for that.
 

palombian

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Wait a moment:

>... To combat this, the imagePROGRAF PRO-300 detects if any nozzle is not firing correctly and will switch to backup nozzles to ensure there is no banding in the image whilst it is being printed. <

How would they do that with the existing printhead ?
 
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