The Canon Pixma G4210 Wireless MegaTank All-in-One ($399.99) is designed for home-based and small offices and workgroups.
Like its predecessor, the Pixma G4200, it sits at the top of the company's MegaTank brand bulk-ink printers.
Except for a few new features, such as Ethernet connectivity and a slew of updated utilities, this new Pixma is a lot like the old one.
This all-in-one doesn't have the speed or wealth of features that the Editors' Choice Pixma TS9120 offers, but its exceptional output and low running costs make it a strong contender for offices where quality and cost is key.
Honest, Objective Reviews
Daxdi.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services.
Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.
If You've Seen One…
My first impression upon taking the Pixma G4210 out of the box was that, despite the accommodation of a few new features, such as the addition of the Ethernet port, this new four-function (print, scan, copy, and fax) all-in-one (AIO) is, physically at least, essentially the same as the old one.
Measuring 7.7 by 17.5 by 13 inches (HWD) and weighing 16 pounds, the size and girth difference between them are minuscule.
It's also close in size and weight to Epson's similarly featured but somewhat higher-priced EcoTank competitor, the Epson WorkForce ET-3750 EcoTank All-in-One ($705.00 at Amazon) .
EcoTank is, of course, Epson's bulk ink brand.
A little smaller than the Canon G4210, though, is Brother's MFC-J775DW, one of that company's several ink-miser machines in its INKvestment brand.
The Pixma TS9120 is smaller and lighter than all of these models, but it's not a bulk-ink printer.
As for paper handling, the G4210 comes with only one 100-sheet paper tray that extends out from the back of the chassis, which you can also configure to hold 20 sheets of premium photo paper.
It's important to note that, like its predecessor, this new MegaTank Pixma can't print two-sided pages automatically, which is highly unusual for a $300 printer.
There's also a 20-page automatic document feeder (ADF), but it, too, lacks automatic two-sided scanning and copying.
The G4210 and G4200 have nearly identical control panels.
Multiple Connectivity Options, Copious Utilities
Compared with the previous model, the G4210 comes with a slew of connectivity options.
In particular, it boasts an array of additional mobile utilities, as well as several document-finishing and photo-enhancement functions—far more than I can discuss here individually.
Basic connectivity consists of Wi-Fi, connecting to a single PC via USB, and Ethernet, which was, until now, unavailable on all the MegaTank models.
Other mobile and cloud options include Canon Print app, for printing documents over the internet; Easy PhotoPrint+ 8; Google Cloud Print, Mopria, Pixma Cloud Link, and My Image Garden (a collection of finishing and correction filters for scanning to and printing photos from online).
You also get support for Instagram's 5-by-5-inch square photos and corresponding media, but you can't print from or scan to flash memory devices, such as USB thumb drives and/or SD memory cards, which is highly unusual for a $300 printer.
No-Hurry Print Speeds
Canon's five MegaTank models have perhaps the slowest page-per-minute (ppm) rating (8.8ppm monochrome pages and 5ppm color) available in this class of printers.
During our tests, none of them really hit or exceeded their ratings.
When printing our 12-page monochrome document, the G4210 churned at 8.3ppm, or 1.2ppm faster than its predecessor, likely because I connected via Ethernet here, rather than the USB connection used with the previous model.
See How We Test Printers
Epson's ET-3750 printed the same document 7ppm faster than the G4210, and Brother's MFC-J775DW ($129.99 at Staples) came in at about 3.7ppm quicker than our Pixma test unit.
When I combined the results from printing our colorful and graphics- and photo-laden PDF, Microsoft Excel, and PowerPoint documents with the results from the test in the previous paragraph, the G4210 managed 4.5ppm.
That's a point or two faster than the other Pixmas discussed here, about 3.5ppm slower than the ET-3750, and 0.2ppm faster than the MFC-J775DW.
In addition, I tested how fast the G4210 printed our two highly detailed and colorful 6-by-4-inch snapshots.
It printed each one at an average of 22 seconds, or just what I would expect for this level of AIO printer.
Superior Output
The models mentioned here all print well, especially when printing photographs and graphics, and few inkjets produce better photos than Canon Pixmas.
They may not lead the pack in terms of print speed, but if you don't mind waiting a little longer than average, you'll be pleased with the results.
In fact, when I filled the paper tray with premium glossy photo paper and changed all the appropriate output settings, photo output quality rivaled images I've seen printed on Canon's five- and six-ink Pixma TS9120 and TS6120 ($381.98 at Amazon) , respectively.
Text and graphics quality were impressive, too, with legible and attractive fonts down to about 6 or 7 points.
Charts and graphics came out with well-delineated hairlines and gradients, as well as clean streak-less fills.
Low-Cost Ink
If you use the MegaTank G4210 as it's designed to be used—say, for printing or copying about 200 to 300 pages per month, you may never have to buy ink for it again.
And that's the point here, right? Saving on the cost of using the printer? Currently, Canon is including enough black ink to print up to 18,000 black pages and 7,000 color pages.
That's enough black ink to print 500 monochrome pages per month for 36 months.
If you do have to buy replacement bottles, they'll cost you less than three-tenths of a cent per monochrome page and just less than 1 cent for color pages.
Yes, this is a terrific value, but several of Epson's EcoTank models, including the ET-3750, offer comparable programs.
Epson puts 14,000 pages worth of black ink in the box and replacement ink bottles have similar prices and page yields to Canon's.
As it stands right now, though, given the ET-3750's higher purchase price, slightly higher price per bottle, and 4,000-page deficit in the box, the Canon G4210 has a somewhat lower running cost edge.
HP and Brother also offer reduced-ink-cost programs for many of their inkjet printers.
Most of HP's entry-level and midrange AIOs, such as the OfficeJet 3830 All-in-One ($309.99 at Amazon) , support the company's Instant Ink, which, among other convenient features, provides ink as low as 3.5 cents for both monochrome and color pages.
And Brother's INKvestment machines, including the MFC-J775DW, use cartridges that deliver pages for as low as 1 cent for black and just less than 5 cents for color.
Excellent Print Quality and Low Running Costs
If you don't use your printer often, bulk ink machines like Canon's Pixma G4210 don't make a lot of sense.
Traditional AIOs, such as the Editors' Choice Pixma TS9120 ($883.11 at Amazon) , cost less up front but have more costly consumables, but that shouldn't matter if you're not churning out a ton of pages per month.
However, if your office requires quality prints at a low price, and speed isn't a top priority, the G4210 is an excellent choice.
The Canon Pixma G4210 is a small-office bulk-ink AIO printer that produces quality output at a super-low price.
The Canon Pixma G4210 Wireless MegaTank All-in-One ($399.99) is designed for home-based and small offices and workgroups.
Like its predecessor, the Pixma G4200, it sits at the top of the company's MegaTank brand bulk-ink printers.
Except for a few new features, such as Ethernet connectivity and a slew of updated utilities, this new Pixma is a lot like the old one.
This all-in-one doesn't have the speed or wealth of features that the Editors' Choice Pixma TS9120 offers, but its exceptional output and low running costs make it a strong contender for offices where quality and cost is key.
Honest, Objective Reviews
Daxdi.com is a leading authority on technology, delivering Labs-based, independent reviews of the latest products and services.
Our expert industry analysis and practical solutions help you make better buying decisions and get more from technology.
If You've Seen One…
My first impression upon taking the Pixma G4210 out of the box was that, despite the accommodation of a few new features, such as the addition of the Ethernet port, this new four-function (print, scan, copy, and fax) all-in-one (AIO) is, physically at least, essentially the same as the old one.
Measuring 7.7 by 17.5 by 13 inches (HWD) and weighing 16 pounds, the size and girth difference between them are minuscule.
It's also close in size and weight to Epson's similarly featured but somewhat higher-priced EcoTank competitor, the Epson WorkForce ET-3750 EcoTank All-in-One ($705.00 at Amazon) .
EcoTank is, of course, Epson's bulk ink brand.
A little smaller than the Canon G4210, though, is Brother's MFC-J775DW, one of that company's several ink-miser machines in its INKvestment brand.
The Pixma TS9120 is smaller and lighter than all of these models, but it's not a bulk-ink printer.
As for paper handling, the G4210 comes with only one 100-sheet paper tray that extends out from the back of the chassis, which you can also configure to hold 20 sheets of premium photo paper.
It's important to note that, like its predecessor, this new MegaTank Pixma can't print two-sided pages automatically, which is highly unusual for a $300 printer.
There's also a 20-page automatic document feeder (ADF), but it, too, lacks automatic two-sided scanning and copying.
The G4210 and G4200 have nearly identical control panels.
Multiple Connectivity Options, Copious Utilities
Compared with the previous model, the G4210 comes with a slew of connectivity options.
In particular, it boasts an array of additional mobile utilities, as well as several document-finishing and photo-enhancement functions—far more than I can discuss here individually.
Basic connectivity consists of Wi-Fi, connecting to a single PC via USB, and Ethernet, which was, until now, unavailable on all the MegaTank models.
Other mobile and cloud options include Canon Print app, for printing documents over the internet; Easy PhotoPrint+ 8; Google Cloud Print, Mopria, Pixma Cloud Link, and My Image Garden (a collection of finishing and correction filters for scanning to and printing photos from online).
You also get support for Instagram's 5-by-5-inch square photos and corresponding media, but you can't print from or scan to flash memory devices, such as USB thumb drives and/or SD memory cards, which is highly unusual for a $300 printer.
No-Hurry Print Speeds
Canon's five MegaTank models have perhaps the slowest page-per-minute (ppm) rating (8.8ppm monochrome pages and 5ppm color) available in this class of printers.
During our tests, none of them really hit or exceeded their ratings.
When printing our 12-page monochrome document, the G4210 churned at 8.3ppm, or 1.2ppm faster than its predecessor, likely because I connected via Ethernet here, rather than the USB connection used with the previous model.
See How We Test Printers
Epson's ET-3750 printed the same document 7ppm faster than the G4210, and Brother's MFC-J775DW ($129.99 at Staples) came in at about 3.7ppm quicker than our Pixma test unit.
When I combined the results from printing our colorful and graphics- and photo-laden PDF, Microsoft Excel, and PowerPoint documents with the results from the test in the previous paragraph, the G4210 managed 4.5ppm.
That's a point or two faster than the other Pixmas discussed here, about 3.5ppm slower than the ET-3750, and 0.2ppm faster than the MFC-J775DW.
In addition, I tested how fast the G4210 printed our two highly detailed and colorful 6-by-4-inch snapshots.
It printed each one at an average of 22 seconds, or just what I would expect for this level of AIO printer.
Superior Output
The models mentioned here all print well, especially when printing photographs and graphics, and few inkjets produce better photos than Canon Pixmas.
They may not lead the pack in terms of print speed, but if you don't mind waiting a little longer than average, you'll be pleased with the results.
In fact, when I filled the paper tray with premium glossy photo paper and changed all the appropriate output settings, photo output quality rivaled images I've seen printed on Canon's five- and six-ink Pixma TS9120 and TS6120 ($381.98 at Amazon) , respectively.
Text and graphics quality were impressive, too, with legible and attractive fonts down to about 6 or 7 points.
Charts and graphics came out with well-delineated hairlines and gradients, as well as clean streak-less fills.
Low-Cost Ink
If you use the MegaTank G4210 as it's designed to be used—say, for printing or copying about 200 to 300 pages per month, you may never have to buy ink for it again.
And that's the point here, right? Saving on the cost of using the printer? Currently, Canon is including enough black ink to print up to 18,000 black pages and 7,000 color pages.
That's enough black ink to print 500 monochrome pages per month for 36 months.
If you do have to buy replacement bottles, they'll cost you less than three-tenths of a cent per monochrome page and just less than 1 cent for color pages.
Yes, this is a terrific value, but several of Epson's EcoTank models, including the ET-3750, offer comparable programs.
Epson puts 14,000 pages worth of black ink in the box and replacement ink bottles have similar prices and page yields to Canon's.
As it stands right now, though, given the ET-3750's higher purchase price, slightly higher price per bottle, and 4,000-page deficit in the box, the Canon G4210 has a somewhat lower running cost edge.
HP and Brother also offer reduced-ink-cost programs for many of their inkjet printers.
Most of HP's entry-level and midrange AIOs, such as the OfficeJet 3830 All-in-One ($309.99 at Amazon) , support the company's Instant Ink, which, among other convenient features, provides ink as low as 3.5 cents for both monochrome and color pages.
And Brother's INKvestment machines, including the MFC-J775DW, use cartridges that deliver pages for as low as 1 cent for black and just less than 5 cents for color.
Excellent Print Quality and Low Running Costs
If you don't use your printer often, bulk ink machines like Canon's Pixma G4210 don't make a lot of sense.
Traditional AIOs, such as the Editors' Choice Pixma TS9120 ($883.11 at Amazon) , cost less up front but have more costly consumables, but that shouldn't matter if you're not churning out a ton of pages per month.
However, if your office requires quality prints at a low price, and speed isn't a top priority, the G4210 is an excellent choice.
