I am planning on getting a Canon Pixma Pro 9000 soon since my S9000 is being very problematic. The Pixma 9000 has received rave reviews from most of it's owners but one item seems rarely be addressed, and that is ink usage, and ink efficiency. When I did a clean or deep clean with my S9000, it used up a ton of ink; should I expect the same from the Pixma Pro? I understand that the CLI inks are a bit more expensive than the BCI inks, but I've also read that the number of (color) 8x10 prints per ink set has gone up a bit as well. Can anyone comment on this?
No ink cleaning problems (or any other problems for that matter) here. Since the tanks are the same size as my i9900 I assume (and it seems) the Pro9000 uses the same amount of ink. As for ink costs you can get 4 packs of common ink colors, two packs of blacks and occasional local single ink tanks instead of buying the entire 8 ink set which rarely needs red and green ink replacement.
I've never had to do a deep clean on my pixma pro 9000, even after going a few weeks without using it. It's a nice change from my old HP printer that would need cleaning after just a few days of not being used. I had a canon I960 before my HP, so I used the BCI inks a lot, but I can't remember how it compared to the pixma pro in that regard. In any event, it doesn't seem to be a big issue with the pixma.
I have not had any problems with my Pro9000 either. Only did one ink cleaning and it was unnecessary. The CLI inks are are more expensive but not that much. Once I profiled my printer, I found that stock profiles tend to be oversaturated, which could amount to greater usage of ink in the long term. Having 8 tanks to work with also means you only replace the ones you use. I have had my printer for 1 year of moderate use and I have not replaced a whole set of catridges yet, but I am about to soon. I replaced the photo cyan and magenta most frequently followed by yellow. I have yet to replace the red or green, but those are the ones that are next to replace.
I also found that using papers other than Canon, changes the ink formula as well. I recently changed to Ilford Gallery Smooth and Classic Pearl from Kodak Pro luster and Canon Pro Glossy and notice not only are the colors more natural and smooth, but not so punchy and saturated in an unnatural way. I still have some profile tweaking to do, but Ilfords profile for the papers are quite good so far. We'll see how things change with time in regards to usage, but color quality has improved.
I think you'll enjoy the printer. I have always been impressed with it's speed, low noise - it's quiet, and essentially mainteance free.
Do you print much BW? I have a hard time getting good BW from this printer and am in the process of getting a 9500 for that use. I understand the matte quality is better as well.
