Canon Pixma Pro9500 Mark II

The Canon Pixma Pro9500 Mark II is the company's most expensive inkjet photo printer. Succeeding the Pro9500, it sports an upgraded driver but has the same printheads. Reviewers like the results from the 10 pigment ink cartridges, but many point out that the price is only worth it for serious photographers. Some recommend Epson photo printers, such as the Epson Stylus Photo R1900 (*Est. $475), for producing comparably professional-looking prints for a significantly lower initial investment. Unlike a lot of photo-centric printers, the Canon Pixma Pro9500 series fares well in printing text (as small as five points). But if text is your major concern, reviews say you could buy a cheaper, general-use printer such as the Canon Pixma iP4700 (*Est. $100). Reviews say the Pro9500 Mark II's ink usage is relatively economical but the printer is rather slow, though it improves on the Pro9500.

We found comprehensive looks at the Canon Pixma Pro9500 Mark II at PrinterInfo.com and PrinterComparison.com. British sites PC Advisor and Macworld also have useful comparative reviews, though they're not as thorough and focus on software issues over print quality. Shutterbug has a brief notice about the Mark II in a round-up of award-winning photographic equipment. Amazon.com has only a few user reviews so far, but all give the Pro9500 Mark II the top rating.