Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Canon PIXMA MG7520 Black/White/Orange Wireless Color Photo Printer with Scanner and Copier [2015/11/01 Update: I put out a review for the MG7720, the replacement for the MG7520] OVERVIEW: ----------- This is the new SWEET SPOT for the Canon MG PIXMA line with a lot of bang for the buck. This is the Fall 2014 replacement for the MG7120 (itself released Aug 2013) and it is very similar. The MG7520 is the new top-of-the line for the MG series of the PIXMA line. Compared to the MG7120 that it is replacing, the MG7520 is: (1) 1.2" less wide (a win for desktop/shelf space) (2) Quieter overall (3) You can come within 2" or so with a NFC-enabled cell phone or tablet and print directly to the printer The other 2 new MG PIXMA printers MG5620 and MG6620, though much slower at photos and less features than the MG7520, the photo quality, photo speed, and value are excellent for THE PRICE RANGE. However, I suggest spending a bit more to get the MG7520 (or MG7120). It is the only one of the 3 new MG models with ETHERNET, the GRAY color, a paper cassette TRAY to keep paper flat, CD/DVD printing, 110% faster photos, and 9600x2400 dpi color. Note that if you also need ADF (automatic document feeder) or built-in fax look at the MX printers instead of the MG ones among the Canon models. PROS: ------ (1) EXCELLENT PHOTO PRINTING. Photo printing, the bread and butter of the Canon PIXMA lines, is reviewed by reputable review publications as having great quality and speed for the price point, and the MG7520/MG7120 offer the best of the MG models with 1 picoliter color dot accuracy offering very high color resolution and the extra gray color. More on the higher resolution and the gray below. (2) Has one more color, GRAY, than the other new MG5620/MG6620 models have. GRAY is for improved black and white results and to better darken colors to get to a particular tone. The MG7120/MG6320/MG6220 predecessors also have gray. Most other MG printers don't (for example the MG5320/MG5420/MG5520/MG5620/MG6420/MG6620 models don't). Gray helps make more accurate skin tone when it combines with red and helps with reflections when combined with black. It is up to the application doing the printing as to whether Gray is used. If you want to test the use of Gray and thus want to guarantee it uses Gray when beneficial, use the Canon utility for the test printing. (3) Has an ETHERNET connection, allowing a solid, simple shared/network wired connection that stays up even when computers are down. Its predecessors MG7120/MG6320/MG6220 have it too. The new MG6620/MG5620 models and the older MG5420/MG5320/MG6420/MG6620 models do not. (4) Has a CASSETTE TRAY keeping the paper flat and 125 sheets at 20# (not tested) or 80 sheets of the popular 24# (tested). The new MG6620/MG5620 do not, limiting them to 100 20# sheets. While keeping the paper flat may not technically matter, most folks will prefer the classic cassette design over bending the paper stack up when closing the printer. (5) Is one of the few ink jet printers out there available in WHITE (as well as ORANGE and black). The MG6320 just a few years ago started the white model option and it was a hit. The MG7520's predecessor the MG7120 came in white, black, red, and brown. (6) Has a handy separate 4"x6" and 5"x7" PHOTO PAPER DRAWER at the front (like the MG7120). So no more having to switch paper back and forth nor leaving photo paper in the main tray. The other new MG series printers MG6620/MG5620 do not. (7) The MG7520 is 0.8" LESS WIDE than the other 2 new models (MG6620/MG5620) and 1.2" less wide than the MG7120 its predecessor. (8) ATTRACTIVE and FAIRLY COMPACT. All the new MG series models (MG7520/MG6620/MG5620) and most of those built in the last few years MG7120/MG5520/MG6520/MG5520, etc) are a bit SHORTER/squatter than the earlier generation's form factor (MG6220/MG5420/etc). This is a nicer form factor if on a desk or especially a shelf. The new design ditches the rear paper feed to help achieve its new shelf friendly design. Listed in a section below are some alternatives with rear/straight feed. (9) The 250/251 ink tanks continue to optionally come in an XL SIZE now which can reduce the page cost significantly. XL ink tanks are a little over 2 years old now, usable in the MG7520/MG6620/MG5620 and the slightly older MG7120/MG6320/MG6620/MG5520/MG5420 models. The 250/251 ink is the same formula as the earlier 225/226 ink (according to support). (10) For copying/scanning the TOP COMES EASILY OFF just like its MG7120/MG6320 predecessors and the other 2 new MG models MG6620/MG5620. There is also plenty of room without having to take the top off for smaller books and magazines. Most earlier generations (MG6220,etc.) didn't have a removable top. (11) A leading consumer magazine over the years showed in charts that many of the PIXMA printers did text very well for consumer inkjets. The MG7520 (and the 2 new ones MG5620/MG6620 and the recent older MG7120/MG6320/MG5420 models) have 2x more black ink nozzles than their predecessors the MG6220/MG5320 models. This allows greater BLACK DOT ACCURACY and more efficient use of black ink. All 3 new MG PIXMA printers including this one can do 600x600 dpi BLACK TEXT. While MG PIXMA inkjet printers do great photos and text for consumer inkjet printers, if you need resume quality text get a little laser printer, too. A 600x600 laser printer can do text better than a 600x600 inkjet, for example. Laser printers offer superb text quality, much faster printing, and less per page cost. - Example: Samsung Xpress SL-M2835DW/XAA Wireless Monochrome Printer (12) The MG7520 prints at a very high COLOR RESOLUTION of 9600x2400 dpi (dots/inch). This is great if you use special paper like Canon Paper Plus Glossy II and have high resolution source material, just remember to set print quality HIGH and hit the GLOSSY paper setting. The other 2 new MG printers (MG5620/MG6620) do 4800x1200 dpi color, however that should meet most needs. The MG7520's predecessors MG7120 and MG6320 also had 9600x2400 dpi. (13) The MG7520 has an SD CARD SLOT (like the new MG6620 but not the new MG5620). It also has Memory Stick Duo/ProDuo/Micro, SDHC/miniSD/miniSDHC/microSD/microSDHC. There is a review on a reputable site that infers the MG7520 has no SD card slot, however it does. None of the new MG models including the MG7520 have a CF nor MMC card slot anymore. The MG7120 STILL HAS CF and MMC memory card slots if you need them on it. One can always put them in a computer and print to the MG7520, of course. (14) The MG7520 is the only MG series printer with NFC (Near Field Communication), whereby an NFC-enabled cell phone or tablet can print something like a photo by being within 2" or so of the printer. This is not the usual wireless printing, it is the same technology used to detect if two cell phones are bumped together. (15) The new touch screen content-sensitive interfaces get rave reviews, though I found the old interface of the older models like the MG6220 just as easy. However the unanimity of positive reviews for it suggests it really is better for many. (16) The MG7520 (and MG7120) allow you to print directly on a DVD or CD. The other new MG printers (MG5620/MG6620) do not. (17) With 10+ years of having a number of their products I have always found Canon to have great technical support and customer service, which for U.S. customers appears to be based out of Maryland and Virginia. LESSER PROS: ------------- - Like its predecessor the MG7120 and the other 2 new MG printers (MG5620/MG6620), it will AUTOMATICALLY TURN ITSELF ON when a print request is sent. This was a new feature as of the MG7120 generation which is pretty recent. You can also set it to auto shut-off after some time. - All 3 new MG7520/MG6620/MG5520 are FAIRLY QUIET. In the past there has been a grinding sound that happens a bit over a minute after start up, now you can mostly only hear the printer when printing and upon shutting down. - The MG7520 of course does regular wireless printing (in addition to NFC noted above), either VIA WIRELESS ROUTER like most set-ups or with some set-up wireless DIRECTLY TO THE PRINTER via Access Point mode (this is different than NFC). - The MG7120 continues to allow you to print directly from Flickr, Picasa, Canon Image Gateway, DropBox, Evernote, Google Cloud Print, Facebook, Twitter, and others. For some you may need to download apps to the printer. - I am leaving out a laundry list of features and specifications you can read on the Canon site to keep the review focused on the big defining features/differences of this model. CONS/WARNINGS: ----------------- - This is new (Aug. 2014) and as such can be expected to have more issues than after some time passes. On the other hand, this may just be an incremental modification to the MG7120 and so may not have this issue as much. - NO BUILT-IN FAX, if this is important to you in an all-in-one. Perhaps you want to get a dedicated fax machine of your choosing near a phone line anyways, however if you are looking for a built-in fax the MX series such as the MX922/MX892 printers have one. - NO ADF (Automatic Document Feeder), if this is important to you in an all-in-one. The MX series such as the MX922/MX892 printers have them. - No straight paper path. If this is important to you, consider the rear-feeding models like the MX892 listed in a section below. Keep in mind that the MG7520 certified paper weight for non-Canon paper is still 17#-28# and for the straight-path MX892 it is 17#-30#, so not that much difference. Even the old MG6220 rear feed recommendation maxed out at 28# certified. For Canon Genuine Paper the MG7520 is certified up to 96#. - You cannot have Ethernet LAN wired printing and wireless printing activated at the same time. You can have USB connection to one computer and wireless at same time. Obviously this isn't a big deal but I thought I should note it. - Their technical support is excellent and closes fairly late at 10P EST, however it is closed on weekends. vs. MG7120 (Its Predecessor): ----------------------------- - NEW: The MG7520 is 1.2" less wide than the MG7120, a win for desk/shelf space. It is 0.8" less wide than the other 2 new MG printers. - NEW: As noted earlier the not-so-loud grinding noise of the MG7120 a minute or so after startup is gone in the MG7520. When you shut it down you can hear it. Overall this makes it a quieter printer. The MG7120's predecessor the MG6320 made a louder grinding noise so this is an area of steady improvement. - NEW: The NFC capability described above whereby a NFC-capable cell phone or tablet can come within 2" or so and print to it. Also, like the MG7120, the MG7520 has an Access Point Mode which allows direct printing to the printer without need for a wireless router. Of course all these printers can print using a wireless router. NEW MODEL NUMBERS CONFUSION (as of late 2014): --------------------------------- (Most folks can skip this section) Replacing one of the popular MG5320/MG5420 or MG6220/MG6320 printers? I highly suggest the MG7520 to replace those, instead of the other new ones MG5620/MG6620. MG5620: The MG5620 is the replacement for the MG5520 and is very similar in speeds and features. The MG5620 and MG5520 are NOT upgrades to the popular MG5420, despite the model numbers. To retain MG5420 speeds and features you'd want the MG7520 (or the older MG7120), the other MG7520 features not on the MG5420 like Ethernet, Gray, etc. are nice bonuses. Compared to the MG5420, the MG5620 and MG5520 photo printing can be 110% slower, the copying can be 30% slower, has lower max color resolution, has lower max scanning resolution, can't print on CDs/DVDs, and have no paper cassette storing paper flat. MG6620: The MG6620 is the replacement for the MG6420 and is very similar in speeds and features. The MG6420 you would think replaced the high-end MG6320, however the MG6420 has no gray, no Ethernet, photo printing can be 110% slower, copying can be 30% slower, has lower max color resolution, has lower max scanning resolution, and can't print on CDs/DVDs. Thus it is really the MG7520 and its predecessor the MG7120 that replaced the MG6320. SUGGESTIONS TO CONSIDER: ---------------------------- (1) See below consideration to set it to not automatically shut-off to reduce ink wastage. (2) Consider choosing to print "Grayscale" when color isn't necessary. This can lessen the amount of color layering to get black (though the use of gray and colors is not necessarily eliminated). Canon feels the black is better with more color layering, you decide :). (3) Use Canon paper when you need optimal results with their ink, and test matte vs. glossy. Matte is much less expensive and may meet most of your needs. Let me know in comments if anyone finds a comparable quality and yet significantly less costly photo paper for this printer, I'd like to test it out. (4) If photo printing at high quality and want to use the MG7520's highest resolution, consider using at least Canon Paper Plus Glossy II. This appears to be something of a standard among Canon tech support for display photos and is what Canon uses for photo display samples at stores. The gloss gives a cleaner image with sharper color. An alternative, Canon Pro Platinum paper, adds many more years to a photo. In the end it is a personal preference, some people prefer semi-gloss or matte for some images or artwork. (5) Make sure the source image is high resolution, for example some scans of some photos may not produce enough resolution to give us a source with a lot of resolution to print from. A scan from a negative most often will. (6) When printing black & white, for example text, consider choosing the HIGH QUALITY setting (and perhaps set it as the default) in the printer page set-up, it really makes a difference (though it is slower and uses more ink). (7) The Canon site has lots of easy to find product comparison information for these inkjets, consider reviewing it before committing to a model. There are errors of omission suggesting differences that are not there, if important you may want to double-check with Canon. (8) In case of POWER OUTAGE, it is sometimes necessary to unplug it for A FEW MINUTES and then plug it back in. This allows capacitor discharge. Thanks to Karen for the heads up on this in a comment. (9) Another reviewer "G. Stewart" found the solution to getting Avery labels to print on MG printers that have trouble with them is to peel off the label at the top of the Avery label sheet. (10) Another reviewer "Technically Proficient" found that for printing directly to DVDs/CDs (on an MG7120) the waterproof Taiyo Yuden (JVC) discs resulted in track marks while the Maxell discs didn't. So if you get marks try switching disc types. (11) As soon as you can after getting your printer, print samples of full color, b&w, borderless photos, print on a DVD if that's important to you, etc. Determine if you have a lemon before you get too busy with other things so you can exchange for a good one while it is easy to do. These are complicated machines with lots of parts. INK USAGE: ----------- Anyone researching Ink Jet Printers will likely be concerned about ink costs. Here are 6 things you can do to mitigate this with the MG7520: - Buy the XL versions of the ink, this is supposed to reduce the cost per color page to a very competitive 13-14 cents per page (vs. 16-19 cents). I've seen reputable reviewers put the MG7520 as low as 9-12 cents per color page, so the full real world range might be 9-14 cents per reasonably covered color page depending on many factors. - As noted above, choose to print black and white or grayscale when that will do just fine. For some documents this can avoid black made from layers of colors. Canon says, for example, MS Word may print in black only with default text color but an Adobe graphics document not saved in a grayscale only format will likely use colors to try to faithfully reproduce the work. - Turn off the automatic shut-off. Standby mode uses 1.0W, so on standby even all year uses around 9kWh/yr., so around $1/yr depending on where you live. This can help lessen the number of ink using cleaning routines upon shutdown. - Avoid printing pages with solid or heavily colored background in color when possible. - Some fonts use 20-40% less ink than others. According to a leading consumer magazine, Times uses much less than Arial which uses much less than Calibri, for example. - Draft quality mode uses less ink than Standard (and is faster), and of course both use less ink than High quality mode. Note that text is much sharper at high quality. - When it says it is out of ink but you can't tell which of the blinking cartridges is truly empty, use a kitchen scale that handles grams or hundredths of an ounce to find which is lightest/emptiest. NOTE #1: If there is no printing or cleaning routine at least once a month or so, run a cleaning routine or unplug and plug it back in to force it to once a month or so to keep the nozzles unclogged. If they clog up talk to Canon support for what is often an easy solution. NOTE #2: The MG6220, 3 quick generations back from the MG7520 (MG7520 -> MG7120 -> MG6320 -> MG6220), had a low ink early warning bug. For example, when I take ink from a MG5320 and put it in a MG6220, the low ink warning bars show the ink as vastly lower. This helps EXAGGERATE THE APPEARANCE OF HIGH INK USAGE. Actual ink usage of inkjet printers is high enough that this bug was pretty unwelcome. If it wasn't for a leading consumer magazine's highest photo quality rating for all-in-ones and their estimated page cost that wasn't crazy, and lots of other favorable reviews, I think this bug could have been much worse for MG6220 sales. This might make you feel better about MG7520's past lineage ink usage wise. NOTE #3: Gray goes at a much different rate than the other colors, thus you wouldn't want to measure average speed of ink usage based on gray. NOTE #4: Just an informative, probably not very useful factoid :). This model range of Canon inkjet doesn't do a big cleaning/purging after it prints, you are usually hearing head realignment. However, if you UNPLUG AND PLUG the printer it is supposed to force it to "prime the head" to keep the ink from clogging the print head and this uses a little ink (even for B&W). Just turning it off and on usually won't force this. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INK USAGE CANON DATASHEET: ------------------------------ As it is pretty difficult to find, here below is Canon's published Page Yield per Document numbers (I rounded a little) for the MG7520. It is the same as for the MG7120 and MG6320. I'm not sure how much of the difference between these numbers and users experience is due to the minute or so cleaning routine, difference between test and real world usage, etc. Here at least you can see real world expected usage ratio between standard and XL cartridges and compare to costs to determine the better value. ---------- Mixed Text/Graphics Page Yield results. I assume they are still testing with A4/Letter, Plain Paper, Adobe Reader 10, ISO/IEC24711 Test Method, ISO/IEC24712 Test Pattern, however I don't know (note: figures rounded): PGI-250 __ 300 pages CLI-251 BK 1100 CLI-251 GY 780 CLI-251 C_ 300 CLI-251 M_ 300 CLI-251 Y_ 300 PGI-250 XL __ 500 pages CLI-251 XL BK 4,400 CLI-251 XL GY 3,300 CLI-251 XL C_ 650 CLI-251 XL M_ 650 CLI-251 XL Y_ 650 ---------- Color Photos, 4"x6": PGI-250 __ 3000 pages CLI-251 BK 500 CLI-251 GY 120 CLI-251 C_ 170 CLI-251 M_ 170 CLI-251 Y_ 170 PGI-250 XL __ 3900 pages CLI-251 XL BK 1120 CLI-251 XL GY 270 CLI-251 XL C_ 360 CLI-251 XL M_ 360 CLI-251 XL Y_ 360 ---------- HOW MANY SHEETS DOES IT HOLD?: ----------------------------------- - 80 sheets of the popular 24# ink jet paper (tested). - Supposed to hold 125 sheets of 20# (not tested). This is what most copier paper is. Some cheaper 20# has LOOSER FIBERS which is NOT AS INKJET FRIENDLY, I'd stick to paper with a surface designed for ink jets, which is usually also 24#. Of course, specialty Canon papers for photos or line art for inkjets are heavier (45#-93#). - If using 28# paper, expect less than 80 sheets to fit, of course. Sheets whose surface is designed for laser writers are often also 28#. OTHER PRINTERS: ----------------- For folks not as familiar with printers, I created this section to help delineate when you CLEARLY DON'T want a Canon ink jet printer in the popular MG Series 5420/5520/5620/6210/6220/6320/6420/6620/7120/7520/82XX model range at all. Perhaps it may help you find a good starting point to meet your needs. YOU ARE ALL ABOUT PHOTOS, CAN SPEND HUNDREDS MORE, WANT TO BE ABLE TO MAKE BIGGER PHOTOS OR ART, AND DON'T CARE ABOUT COPY, SCAN, ETC: Consider checking these: (per a leading consumer magazine and reviews) - Canon Pixma Pro9500 Mark II - Canon Pixma Pro1 - Canon Pixma Pro10 - Canon Pixma Pro100 - Epson Stylus R2000 YOU DON'T CARE ABOUT PHOTO QUALITY, YOU WANT ETHERNET, SHARP B&W TEXT, GREAT SPEED, AND LOWER PRINT COSTS Consider checking out these laser printers as a starting point: (per a leading consumer magazine or reviews) Printers: - Samsung Xpress M2835DW - Brother HL-L2340DW - HP LaserJet Pro 400 M401n/M401dne Multifunctions: - Samsung Multifunction Xpress SL-M2885FW/XAA - Canon imageCLASS MF216n/MF229dw YOU CARE ABOUT PHOTO QUALITY, DON'T CARE ABOUT GRAY, WANT ETHERNET, AND WANT FAX BUILT-IN AND/OR AUTOMATIC DOCUMENT FEEDER Consider checking these: - Canon MX922 - Canon MX892 YOU DONT CARE ABOUT PHOTOS OR GRAY, WANT ETHERNET, WANT FAX BUILT-IN AND/OR AUTOMATIC DOCUMENT FEEDER, CARE ALOT ABOUT FIRST PAGE SPEED AND COLOR PRINT SPEED, WANT BIG PAPER CASSETTE, FASTER COPYING. DONT MIND IF BIG. DONT NEED PHOTO HIGH SCANNING RESOLUTION. This description above is the non-photo small office (soho) market, there are many choices in inkjet and laser. With no need for quality photos, photo level scanning, nor size/appearance concerns, the door is open to focus on business needs. - Example: Canon Maxify MB5320 - Many models to meet many business needs YOU CARE ABOUT PHOTO QUALITY AND CARE GREATLY ABOUT STRAIGHT/REAR PAPER FEED BUT DON'T NEED TO SPEND FOR A PRO-100/10/1 - Canon MX892 (released 2012) - Canon MG6220/MG5320 (released 2011) - Canon IP8720 (released 2014) - Canon IX6820 (released 2014) Hope that helps someone :).