Epson Stylus Photo R2400 Pro Photo
Printer Review

By Michael Perlman
Reviewed.com Editorial Staff
Published on September 06, 2007

Related ArticlesReviews: Canon Selphy ES1 Photo Printer Review · Canon Pixma iP1800 Photo Printer Review · Canon Pixma MP600 Multifunction Printer ReviewWhen it comes to printing quality black-and-white photos, the Epson Stylus Photo R2400 knows its stuff. This eight-color inkjet utilizes nine-pigment inks for printing color and monochrome photographs. At $849, the Stylus Photo R2400 is aimed toward professional black-and-white photographers. Retailing for the same price, the Canon Pixma Pro9500 is an alternative pro printer, geared toward professional photographers looking for fantastic color performance.

The Stylus Photo R2400 resonates with style, featuring a matte silver and glossy black frame. The majority of the printer’s frame is significantly minimalistic, with all buttons and controls located along the right side of the front panel. The Stylus Photo R2400 is not a small printer—it can yield up to an A3 Plus (13x19) print size. It will occupy a large chunk of real estate on a full-size desk or table. Part of the reason the Stylus Photo R2400 excels in black-and-white printing is that it features three separate black ink cartridges, in addition to five color cartridges. Each cartridge retails for $14.24, which undercuts the $14.99 price tag of the Canon Pixma Pro9500's ink cartridges.

Since there is no LCD screen on the Stylus Photo R2400, it does not have an external menu interface. Therefore, you’ll have to rely on the Epson drivers, which offer a lot of options. Highlights include a tabbed menu structure, remaining ink level meter, and advanced color management selections. Unfortunately, the Stylus Photo R2400 does not ship with much software. The included CD-ROM merely consists of printer drivers and plug-ins. The Canon Pixma Pro9500 ships with highly adequate software—something to consider if you do not plan on taking the financially-taxing plunge into Photoshop.

The Stylus Photo R2400 printed documents and graphics at a reasonable speed of approximately one page per minute. Though this is not considered fast when compared to other inkjets within its class, the R2400 printed at almost twice the speed of the Canon Pixma Pro9500. The same applies to photo printing. The Stylus Photo R2400 printed a 4x6 color photo in 2 minutes and 38 seconds, while the Canon Pixma Pro9500 took a whopping 4 minutes.

In terms of black and white document quality, the Stylus Photo R2400 failed to make the grade. Printed text is characterized by weak blacks and a fair amount of bleeding. The Canon Pixma Pro9500 is sharper and bolder. On the plus side, the Stylus Photo R2400 featured decent color accuracy and a wide color gamut, which aided in the production of a more natural looking photo. Still, the Canon Pixma Pro9500 displayed the widest color gamut and even more accurate colors.

With an identical price tag, the Canon Pixma Pro9500 is the Epson Stylus Photo R2400’s main competitor. The Pixma Pro9500’s color prints were outstanding, and document prints were bold and crisp. The Stylus Photo R2400 does include a roll paper attachment and FireWire port, however—features not included on the Canon Pixma Pro9500. For those looking to save a chunk of change, the HP Photosmart B9180 ($699) offers memory card slots, a PictBridge connection, and Ethernet networking capability. The Photosmart B9180 also has built-in color calibration and is Windows Vista-ready.

The Epson Stylus Photo R2400 provided an excellent tonal range of black-and-white prints, wide color gamut, great color accuracy, and superb ease of use. Marks against this printer include slow print times, weak black tones, and lack of Ethernet or wireless capabilities. While the Canon Pixma Pro9500 caters to professional photographers looking for outstanding color prints, the Epson Stylus Photo R2400 will suit the professional black-and-white photographer who strives for a more versatile, subtle image.

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