Canon Pixma MG7150 review

If you're looking for a great all-round printer which doesn't skimp on print quality for your photographs, then I don't think you will be disappointed by what the MG7150 has to offer.

While it's certainly more expensive than some of the cheap two in one printers you can pick up, it's not a bad price for something which produces high quality prints, especially if you only need to print at A4 or below.

It's very easy to set up and use, with the instructions provided in the box making it ready to go in just a few minutes. The wireless connectivity also makes it extremely easy to connect to your computer, or even smartphone or tablet, without the need for messy wires. This also means of course that you don't have to have the printer next to your computer - something which isn't always convenient.

If you have an iPhone or an iPad, this is an excellent printer to pair with it since it's just so easy to use AirPrint for both documents and photos. I used it to print photos from a party while the party was still happening, which proved to be great fun for the guests who were able to take prints away with them straight away - they could also print directly from their own photos too if so required.

Although Android is a little more complicated, if you have the right app installed it's not too difficult - and hopefully it won't be long before something as simple as AirPrint comes to Android devices too.

What you have here is great value - and although those people who are used to picking up cheap printers for document printing may be put off by the slightly more expensive price, and the fact that you need to purchase six separate inks, I believe it represents good value as the yield per complete set of inks is high - plus only having to replace one colour at time is more cost effective in the long run.

Using the printer is a doddle, with the touchscreen display on the front making it easy to navigate through the various options. It's also nice to not have to use a computer if you don't want to - with the option to print directly from a memory card, or scan to it bypassing that need. The touch sensitive 'buttons' are also very responsive and nice to use.

Moving on to print quality - effectively the most important aspect of the printer - it's very impressive and you shouldn't be disappointed with its output. Both our test chart and real world sample images looked great, with rich vibrant tones and plenty of detail. Skin tones are reproduced accurately, which is great news for family photographers.

We liked

There's lots to like about the MG7150, but perhaps it is the wireless connectivity which makes it so easy to use and print directly from the camera without the fuss of complicated set-up procedures or cables. It's a bonus if you're an iOS user working with AirPrint too.

We disliked

It's not cheap to purchase a whole set of new inks, so if you're looking for an ultra-cheap printing solution, this isn't really the machine for you. Then again, there are some dedicated photo printers with even more ink cartridges and an even higher cost base, so this by comparison represents good value.

Verdict

The Canon Pixma MG7150 is a great all-round printer that will be appreciated by most home-users, especially those who are keen to print lots of photographs. It has a great design and easy-to-use interface that makes it a pleasure to use, while prints are beautifully rendered. If you're printing from more than one device, perhaps your computer and your phone, then even better, as this handles all with ease.