Canon's PIXMA iP3000 delivers near-photo lab-quality prints in a lightweight, fairly compact package. Oddly enough for a dedicated photo printer, it does not include any memory card slots, although it can print directly from PictBridge-compatible digital cameras and camcorders.

Although the iP3000 is primarily a photo printer, it can double as a general-purpose unit. It offers printing resolutions of up to 600X600 dpi for black printing, and up to 4,800X1,200 dpi for color printing. It can print borderless 4X6-inch and 5X7-inch photos, as well as on letter-size paper, legal-size paper, and number-10 envelopes. Set-up is easy.

The iP3000 includes a USB port on the back for connecting it to a computer, as well as a USB port on the front for direct connections to PictBridge-compatible cameras and camcorders. The package does not include any cables, however.

The iP3000 uses four separate ink tanks (cyan, magenta, yellow, and black), so you can replace tanks individually as needed and save a little cash. Despite this benefit, costs per print tend to be higher than average, so you probably won't want to use the iP3000 for anything but photos.

The standard top-mounted paper tray, which folds up when not in use, can hold up to 20 sheets of 4X6-inch photo paper, or up to 150 letter-size sheets. A paper cassette mounted underneath the printer can hold an additional 150 sheets of plain letter-size paper. You can keep the top tray loaded with photo paper and the cassette loaded with letter paper, switching between them as needed.

The package includes four ink tanks, a small supply of photo paper, a power cord, drivers, and an electronic user guide. The software bundle includes Easy-PhotoPrint (Windows) and Easy-PhotoPrint Plus (Macintosh) for rotating, cropping, and editing images; Easy-WebPrint (Windows) for optimizing the printing of Web pages; and PhotoRecord (Windows) for creating your own photo albums.

The Canon PIXMA iP3000 delivers image quality for photos that is above average; while not quite photo lab quality, it is more than enough to satisfy casual users and hobby photographers. Colors are bright, with good tonal range and crisp detail.

Pro: Above-average print quality with quiet, fast output. Can print directly from PictBridge-compatible digital cameras and camcorders. Two paper trays. Built-in duplex printing.
Con: No memory card slots. Per-print costs are higher than average. Somewhat unattractive design.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Canon U.S.A., Inc.
1 Canon Plaza
Lake Success, NY 11042-1198
800-652-2666
http://www.usa.canon.com

Warranty
1 year limited, with InstantExchange warranty program