Canon PIXMA MX515 review-ProgrammingStorm

Canon's PIXMA MX515 is a small inkjet MFP aimed at the home office. Its smart chassis contains a practical set of features including a fax modem and a 30-sheet automatic document feeder (ADF). Like many home devices there's support for wireless networking, but Canon has also included a wired Ethernet port – a more reliable option for an MFP if it's within reach of your router. Only one interface can be active at a time, so to use the network port you need to disable the wireless first.

The MX515 is comparatively simple when compared to high-end models in the PIXMA range. There's a single paper input tray with a capacity of only 100 sheets. The input tray is mostly protected from dust by the output tray above it, but when empty both can be folded up neatly. To the left are two memory card slots, while the top panel is given over to the ADF – which folds closed when not needed – and the control system.

We have mixed feelings about the MX515's controls. Its small screen is clear, but you can't alter the display's angle for easier viewing. To navigate you use a mix of three dedicated buttons below the screen and a four-way rocker switch without an OK button in the centre; a set-up that we found counter-intuitive and sometimes simply confusing. On the other hand, there's a great looking system of blank buttons which only light up with additional options when they're relevant; a neat trick that greatly reduces clutter.

This isn't a slow text printer, but on graphical jobs it was one of the most lethargic inkjets we've reviewed in some time. Our colour graphics test inched out at just 2.3ppm, while each postcard-sized photograph took three minutes. Fortunately, the results were uniformly good, with stronger colours on plain paper than we've seen from other Canon inkjets. Duplexed (double-sided) prints were less impressive, as they were noticeably fainter despite lengthy drying pauses. These pauses also contributed to their slow speed; 10 sides of colour printed onto five pages took six minutes, 26 seconds.

Canon's scan interface is simple to use and the results here were more than capable

Our scanner tests underlined the advantage of a wired network port over Wi-Fi; the MX515 was as fast over Ethernet as when connected via USB, completing a 600dpi photo scan in just 21 seconds. Captured images were in sharp focus with accurate colours, and the scanner only struggled to distinguish the two very darkest shades in our test pattern. Copy quality was also far above average, with colour copies particularly accurate.

Despite its modest price, this MFP combines a good set of features that generally perform well, but it's let down by comparatively high print costs – particularly for black-only pages which cost 3p each. It's not a bad choice if you're after something stylish for light use, but if low running costs are more important we'd recommend Kodak's ESP Office 2170 .

Basic Specifications

Rating

***

Maximum native print resolution

4,800x1,200dpi

Max optical resolution

1,200x2,400dpi

Output bit depth

24-bit

Tested Print Speeds

Time for two 10x8in photos 1.0

12m 20s

Time for six 6x4in photos 1.0

18m 17s

Physical and Environmental

Standard printer interfaces

USB, 10/100 Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n wireless

Optional printer interfaces

none

Size	200x458x385mm

Weight

8.8kg

Noise (in normal use)

42dB(A)

Paper Handling

Maximum paper size

A4/legal

Maximum paper weight

300gsm

Standard paper inputs

Standard paper input capacity

100

Maximum paper inputs

Maximum paper input capacity

100

Duplex (code, cost if option)

Yes

General

Printer technology

thermal inkjet

Supported operating systems

Windows XP/Vista/7, Mac OS X 10.5.8 or later

Other inkjet features

6.2cm colour screen

Other inkjet options

none

Buying Information

Price

£85

Consumable parts and prices

£18

Price per colour A4 page

4.5p

Quoted life of supplied black cartridge

180 pages (ISO/IEC 24712)

Quoted life of supplied colour cartridge(s)

180 pages (ISO/IEC 24712)

Quoted life of supplied photo cartridge(s)

N/A

Warranty

one-year RTB

Supplier

http://www.kikatek.com

Details

www.canon.co.uk

Print Quality

Number of ink colours

Number of ink cartridges

Maximum number of ink colours

Maximum number of cartridges

Quoted photo durability

30 years

Quoted photo durability source

Canon

Tested Scan Speeds

Full scan area preview

A4 document at 150dpi

13s

A4 document at 300dpi

15s

6x4in photo at 600dpi

21s

6x4in photo at 1200dpi

1m 4s

Tested Copy Speeds

Time for single A4 mono copy 1.0

27s

Time for single A4 colour copy 1.0

49s

Time for 10 A4 copies using feeder 2.0

7m 41s

Photo Features

PictBridge support

Yes

Borderless printing

Direct (PC-less) printing

Yes

Supported memory cards

SD, MMC, Memory Stick Pro/Duo

CD printing

Copy Features

Maximum number of copies

Max mono copy resolution

600x600dpi

Max colour copy resolution

600x1,200dpi

Fax Features

Max mono fax resolution

300x300dpi

Fax memory (maximum mono pages)