Summary: Compared to what?
Comment: When compared to other printers, the 860 fares very well in some respects. It produces photo prints that are closest to those that you would get from store processing. It also does quite a good job with text. It merits its "best buy" status.
But is any printer really a "best buy" for photo printing when compared to photo processing? To get store-quality prints with the 860 you need Canon's best paper. And when you use that paper the prints cost far more than store processed prints, but you get nothing more for your expense than immediacy. So, if you need an instant print perhaps it is worth the extra, but the additional cost of printing from the 860 versus taking your memory card to the local store could be immense if you take a lot of photos.
In a couple of important respects the 860 prints you get even with Canon Photo Paper Pro are inferior to processed pics. If you bend the Pro paper you will not just get a crease in the paper, you will also get a pronounced line in the photo itself, and it doesn't take much of a bend to cause this. It is also very easy to scratch the surface of the prints. So, they are much more easily damaged than conventional photos. Also, the independent company that does the testing for print longevity has found that the Canon prints will only last about 25 years, while those of HP and Epson will last more than 75 years. Many people want pictures they can save for their grandchildren (or "posterity"), and the Canon prints apparently won't meet that desire.
Canon supples software that you need to utilize all print features. This consumes more time and reduces efficiency. (At least on a Mac.) Even using the printer tray, the pictures are not properly centered if you choose to have borders. There is more white space on some sides than others, so I consider that option useless.
Most people rate this printer compared to other printers. I prefer to compare it to other real-world options. In that respect it only does so-so. I prefer not to pay considerably more for prints that are no better than I can get by waiting for 60 minutes at a store, or sending them via the internet and picking them up at my leisure.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Best Printer I have evern owned
Comment: I have spent more on a printer before and have never come anywhere close to the quality of the prints this Canon gives you.
In addition, this printer is the most ink-efficient I have ever owned. I have printed over 100 4x6 photos with this printer, plus an uncounted number of documents - and none of the ink tanks are less than 1/3 full.
I am totally amazed. I have yet to find a downside - and hope not too!
Customer Rating:
Summary: A delightful printer! Quiet, great prints, inexpensive ink.
Comment: This is a great printer. It's quiet, fast, very inexpensive to refill the ink, and most importantly it makes great quality printouts. Consumer Reports loves it, too. HP used to make the best inkjets (Deskjet 560C, 952C), and I used to be loyal to HP, but not anymore. Canon includes FULL ink cartridges with the printer, not the mostly-empty "starter" cartridges like HP. Canon ink costs a LOT less per page than HP ink, and if you happen to print more of one color than another, you replace only the tank you run out of. Thank you, Canon, for breaking the HP-Epson scheme of underpricing the printer and charging a fortune for the ink!
Customer Rating:
Summary: What a deal !!!
Comment: This is my first photo printer. I purchased at AMAZON.com for $ 123.00. ( that included free shipping - thanks, AMAZON)
I am so delighted with the print quality and speed. I did my homework online reading many product reviews of the various photo printers available. I wanted the best quality without all the bells and whistles i.e. displays, card readers etc.
This printer does a fantastic job ! Just be aware that all paper is not created equal. The sample pack of CANON paper made extraordinary photos. I did my own tests with other brands of 8 1/2 X 11 glossy photo brand papers. I shopped at BJs and COSTCO and ended up buying over $100 of 7 brands of paper. Among those were : KODAK, HP, POLAROID and other lesser known brands. The best performance was by the POLAROID brand supergloss from COSTCO at 19.99 for 120 sheets. The POLAROID paper was equal to, maybe even a little better than the CANON sample pack.
One other recommendation - buy your replacement ink from inkgrabber.com. Very inexpensive and good quality ink.
You will be happy with this CANON i860 printer.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Excellent Value!!!
Comment: I bought this printer from Amazon.com right before Christmas and have used it primarily for printing photos. I cannot believe how awesome the photos look from something that was as cheaply priced as this printer!! My first photos were taken on Christmas Day and when I showed them to my family members on New Year's Eve, they (nor I) could not believe that they were not professionally processed.
I have not yet tried the sample 4x6 canon photo paper that came with the printer, but I can tell you that Epson Premium Glossy 4x6 Photo Paper works great for me with this printer.
This printer is fast (4x6 photos print in about 40 seconds)and has a "quiet" mode which make virtually no noise while printing.
Although my text printing has been limited, I can say that the print looks great even on the crummy paper I use to print out web pages and such...
I whole-heartedly recommend this printer!!!