The i9900 disappeared from Canon’s site a couple of weeks back, after they introduced a new ink system along with a few new consumer printers. So I fully expected new pro printers to be announced at the PMA… Looks like they just did that, and we have the PIXMA Pro 9000 and the Pro 9500. From looking at the specs, the 9000 is pretty much my i9900 with the upgraded (ChromaLife100) ink system, and the Pro 9500 uses 2 more inks for better color outputs.

One of the main disadvantages of the Canon printers used to be their non-dye-based ink, which basically means the prints won’t last as long as those printed from the Epson printers. I really didn’t care that much, but if I were to sell my prints then I probably want a dye-based system. So Canon developed their ChromaLife100 system, which supposedly have 100 years life when stored in a photo album, and 30 years for framed prints if you also use their photo papers, and 10 years otherwise. So for me it’d be 10 years as I print with Ilford Gallerie Classic Pearl papers exclusively… (In 10 years a 50-dollar printer will probably print better than any of these pro printers though)

The Pro 9500 seems impressive, I wonder what price points these new printers will be set at. The i9900 was around $400, I guess the 9000 will be at $400 and the 9500 at like $500 or more? That’s not too bad if the quality is better than the i9900. I don’t think I’d upgrade mine any time soon, unless they stop making the old ink…

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