May 222013
Canon PIXMA MG5420 Wireless Color Photo Printer with Scanner and Copier
- Print features include AirPrint, Auto Duplex Print, Auto Photo Fix II, Borderless Printing,Calendar Print, CD/DVD Printing, Disc Label Print, Document Printing, Full HD Movie Print, Fun Filter Effects, Google Cloud Print
- Copy features include 4-on-1 / 2-on-1 Copy, Auto Exposure Copy, Auto Photo Fix II, Borderless Copy, Disc Label Copy, Fade Restoration, Fit-to-Page, Frame Erase Copy, Multiple Copy (1-99 Pages), Photo Reprint, Preset Copy Ratios, Two-sided Copy and Zoom
- Scan features include Auto Scan Mode, Attach to E-Mail Scan, Network Scan, Push Scan, Scan to Memory Card and Wireless Scanning
- Quickly and easily replace your inks with the new Snap Edge feature
- Hi-speed USB 2.0 interface, Windows 7, Windows 7 SP1, Windows Vista SP1, Vista SP2, Windows XP SP3 32-bit, Mac OS X v10.5.8, 10.6, 10.7
The Canon PIXMA MG5420 Energy Star Wireless Inkjet Photo All-In-One Printer produces amazing detail in both business documents and photographs with 9600 x 2400 maximum color dpi and a 5-color ink system. Plus, replacing those inks is quick and easy with the Snap Edge feature. With its Dual Color Gamut Processing Technology, the remarkable MG5420 faithfully reproduces the colors of your original documents. Thanks to Apple AirPrint, Google Cloud Print and PIXMA Cloud Link, the MG5420 lets you prin
List Price: $ 149.99
Price: $ 54.49
Pros and Cons for this Excellent Entry point for Photo Quality in All-In-One Ink Jet Printers,
Canon PIXMA MG5420 Wireless Color Photo Printer with Scanner and Copier
OVERVIEW:
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If you don’t care about having GRAY or ETHERNET, but want great PHOTO QUALITY in an inexpensive all-in-one style (copier, scanner) ink jet printer, this can be a quality/value sweet spot for you in the Canon PIXMA line giving you a lot of bang for the buck. This is the new replacement for MG5320, only available since December 2012.
If this seems right for you, consider looking at the slightly more upscale Canon MG6320 features before committing as the cost difference isn’t that much.
PROS:
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- A well regarded consumer magazine considers these MG5000/MG6000/MG8000 series printers the best photo quality for all-in-one (copier, scanner) ink jets. This model is the entry point into this line.
- The new ink tanks for the MG5420 (and the new MG6320) now also come in an XL size which can reduce the page cost significantly. The inks themselves in the new tanks are the same formula. This was not available for the predecessor MG5320/MG6220 models.
- The MG5420 (and the MG6320) has 2x the number of black ink nozzles as their predecessors MG5320/MG6220. This allows more efficient use of black ink and greater dot accuracy.
- It is a bit shorter/squatter than its predecessor MG5320, which for some is a nicer form factor if on a desk, for example. I think they both look fine, but it is clear from reviews that the new look has gone over well.
- Like the new MG6320 (and unlike the last generation MG5320/MG6220), this has the new handy separate 4″x6″ and 5″x7″ photo paper drawer at the front.
- For copying/scanning the top comes off easily (unlike the previous generation MG5320/MG6220).
- With 10+ years of having a number of their products I have always found Canon to have great customer service, which for U.S. customers appears to be based out of Maryland and Virginia.
LESSER PROS:
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- 5-15% faster printing than last generation depending on b&w vs. color, quality, etc.
- Can print directly from CF memory cards unlike the last generation, if that is important to you.
- Wider selection of devices that can print directly to it than the last generation.
CONS/WARNINGS:
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- Like its predecessor (MG5320), this has one less color than the next step up MG6320/MG6220, it does NOT HAVE GRAY, which is for improved black and white art and photo results and to better darken colors. I can’t tell the difference gray makes with color pages, but some reviewers can.
- Like its predecessor (MG5320), there is NO ETHERNET connection like the next step up MG6320/MG6220 has. Ethernet allows a solid, simple shared/network wired connection that stays up even when computers are down. I personally think getting this is worth the relatively small additional expense for a MG6320/MG6220 if you have more than one user on the network, but that is just me.
- Does not have the option of coming in white, which the MG6320 does.
- This is very new (end of last year) and as such can be expected to have more issues than after some time passes.
- The inks for this new model (and the other new one, the MG6320) are different than for the last very recent generation (MG5320/MG6220) and thus are at this time (early 2013), hard to find readily available at stores or online.
- For copying/scanning, the lid telescopes up for books only to the thickness of around a cellphone (like its predecessor the MG5320). On the other hand the top COMES OFF easily now with the MG5420, just like the new MG6320.
- This doesn’t come with the MG6320′s touch screen content-sensitive interface which is getting rave reviews, however, I find this older interface style just as easy.
- No built-in fax, if this is important to you in an all-in-one. Perhaps you want to get a dedicated one of your choosing near a phone line anyways, however if you are looking for a built-in fax the MX922/MX892 printers do. This comes at a cost of not getting the higher end scanning of the MG models, though this may only matter to you if you are scanning negatives, MX922/MX892 scanning meets most other needs including most graphics needs, just as well.
SUGGESTIONS TO CONSIDER:
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- When doing text, choose the HIGH QUALITY setting (and perhaps set it as the default) in the printer page set-up, it really makes a difference.
- See below consideration to select it not to automatically shut-off to reduce ink wastage.
- Consider choosing to print black & white or grey scale when color isn’t necessary, otherwise the printer may choose to layer colors to get black instead. Canon feels the black is better with the color layering…
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|Excellent value!,
First let me start off by saying I was a die-hard HP printer guy for the better part of 20 years. I had a horrible experience with my last HP and decided to look in to a new multifunction. By chance I happened to see this Canon MG5420 at Best Buy. I loved the design, very low profile if not a little wide but that’s not a big deal. It’s almost “elegant” looking. As much as a printer can be I suppose anyway. I took a look on Amazon to check pricing and more importantly, reviews. None! Did a search for other reviews and they proved to be very hard to find as this is a new product. I took a chance and ordered it anyway, couldn’t be any worse than my HP I was replacing.
Can I describe this in one word? Yup…WOW! This is by far the best printer I’ve ever owned…and for $110? You’ve got to be kidding me! My biggest areas of importance were the scanning and obviously the print quality.
Scanning: Fast and great quality. Scanning a 4×6 photo is completed in a very short period of time, 20-30 seconds would be my guess from hitting the scan button to complete. The photos were clear, color was pretty accurate and detail was crisp. I’m very happy with the scanning abilities of this machine! Set up to a default of 600 DPI for photos it does a fantastic job. Far better than the 3 year old HP it replaced.
Printing…Can you say fast? Photo printing of all sizes is QUICK! Doesn’t matter if it’s a 4×6, 5×7 or 8×10. Under a minute and BOOM, it’s done. The colors are gorgeous and the detail is pro quality. As a reference, I printed a copy of a photo I had printed at a local shop. You can’t tell a difference. Seriously, the MG5420 is that good. I also tested this with a photo of one of our cats, who happens to be black. Black cats are hard to photograph, let alone print…I can see virtually every hair on her. The clarity and detail is exceptional and impressed me beyond expectations. Oh, if printing photos is something you’ll be doing I’d also try the Pro Platinum paper. I got the 8×10 pack and my prints are absolutely stunning. There are two paper trays to use, one for normal every day 8.5×11 and another for photo paper and envelopes. Not really a huge selling point but it is pretty convenient to be able to keep two different kinds of paper loaded at all times.
Ink usage: This is the one area that left me disgusted with the old HP. This Canon however, from my experience so far, is excellent. I’ve printed 11 4×6 photos, 2 5×7 photos and 4 8×10 photos and three of the cartridges still register as full and two show only a small decrease in usage. If this is the norm for this printer then this ink will last me a long, long time.
Ease of use: While not a touch screen (wish it was but it’s a minor complaint), the menu system is very easy to navigate. You get 3 rows of 3 options (9 menu options total) and use the hard keys to choose and go deeper in to the selected menu. It’s no-nonsense, straight forward and easy as pie to get around. Couldn’t be happier. The output tray folds in to the machine when not in use and automatically pops out when needed. That’s a nice feature since you can just tuck everything back in to the printer for a really clean look.
Set up: Super easy to install the included software and drivers. Took about 10 minutes or so and I was up and running with no issues at all. I am NOT using the wireless feature so I can’t say how that works but via USB it is flawless.
In conclusion, I would recommend this print/scan/copy machine to anyone. The quality it puts out, combined with the price, make this little baby a real winner. Being this was a first experience with Canon printers, they’ve sold me. I couldn’t be happier. If I left anything of importance to you out or you have any questions please feel free to leave a comment. I always try to help out where I can. And again, this little gem deserves very strong consideration.
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|Noisy Ink Hog?,
I have to say I’m a little disappointed with this printer. I had a Canon MP610 for a few years and last week the print head went out. Based on several recommendations,but against my better judgement, I decided to get another Canon. The MG5420 was on sale so I decided to get it.
This printer is very noisy. You turn it on and there’s about 50 sec of whirring and grinding and shaking. To print something there is another minute of the same noises. It takes a good couple of minutes before the printer actually starts printing! When you turn the printer off, there’s another minute of whirring and shaking. The other thing is the use of ink. No lie, I have printed 3 4×6 pictures and a flyer and already two of the cartridges have have gone down one level. Not a good sign.
On the positive, the prints are very good with great colors and it’s really nice to make a print directly from my phone and from my tablet.
Here’s a quick update on the ink usage. It’s not quite as bad as I thought. I moved the photo setting from “high” to “standard.” The quality of the photos does not seem to be effected and the ink tanks are holding their own. Maybe it’s not an “ink hog” after all.
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