From the cheap and cheerful Canon iP1800 to one of its more upmarket siblings: the iP5300. The iP5300 is larger, much faster and includes extra features such as a flip-up colour LCD display for PC-less printing, printing direct from camera cards using integrated memory card slots, CD-printing, single-colour ink cartridges and a permanent print head, for cheaper running costs over the life of the printer. Another welcome feature is automatic print head alignment, so no more squinting at alignment test sheets. In use, you really appreciate its speed. An A4 borderless photo shoots out in just over two minutes in best quality mode, or one and half minutes in mid-quality mode. You can safely use the next mode down from best quality, for routine printing. Good-quality 6x4s can be printed in just 21 seconds.



Print quality is very close to that of the Canon Pixma iP1800. Both printers do without so-called additional ‘photo’ or light density magenta and cyan inks, but clever use of tiny ink droplets in dithering works well to compensate. Grey tones are clean and graduation is smooth. There is still a slight bias towards yellow and the prints are slightly less saturated than the Canon Pixma iP1800, but are more neutral.