My Epson 2200 has served very well but I am feeling the need for 16 x 20 in . prints now that I have a full frame 5 D. First, does anybody know if they are about to launch a "new" version of the 3800 given that Epson is offering $300.00 mail in rebate until the end of this month? This is also true of the 4880 I think, only it is $500 from B&H. Second, beside the roller functionality, what is the difference between the 3800 and the 4880 ? Any advice in choosing between the two? Thanks!
If you are more of a print shop, doing lots of printing, the roll feature and larger tanks of the 4000 series will appeal to you. If you are like me and want to print a lot of 4x6 and 5x7s and the occasional 17x25 image, then the 3800 or 3880 is the way to go.
There is one other significant difference if you're printing on matte. The 3800 has both photo black ink and matte black ink cartridges in the machine, but the 4880 requires that you change out the cartridges if your want to switch to matte from any of the other papers. But the real issue isn't the physical switching of cartridges, it's the cost of the ink to make the switch. Both machines need to purge the lines during the switch over, but the 4880 consumes a lot more ink to do it. I read a review recently (and I apologize because I can't remember where) that said the 4880 consumes about $70 worth of ink during the switch, the 3800 (and 3880) consumed just a few dollars worth. So if you think you'll me doing much printing on matte, it'd be worthwhile to research this before deciding.
I love my 3800, but do occasionally miss the roll feature I had on the 1800. I do NOT miss the ink consumption of the 1800 though, the 3800 is much more frugal. I've had the 3800 for almost a year now and am just getting ready to replace the light black cartridge. No nozzle clogs, no problems what so ever. I also read an article someplace that said the 3800 uses about $2.xx going from matte to photo, and about $1.xx going from photo to matte (or vice versa). All I remember is that it's about $3.00 round trip. I try to prepare as many matte photos as I can and batch print them to eliminate too many change overs. The fact that the 3800 has both cartridges installed was a major selling point for me, I did NOT want to have to swamp out cartridges!
I have a 3800 and recommend you get some custom printer profiles from www.cathysprofiles.com. They are about $35 and are well worth the money. Enjoy the 3800.
