TECHNICAL SHEET / CHARACTERISTICS
| Resolution | 4800 x 1200 |
| B&W / color speed | 12.6 ppm / 9 ppm |
| Drop size | 2 pl |
| Number of cartridges | 5 |
| Number of basic colors | 3 |
| To scan | Yes |
| Copier | Yes |
| Fax | No |
| Wireless | Yes |
| Both sides | Yes |
ositioned below € 100, the TS5050 is the entry-level model of Canon’s new Pixma series. A versatile 3-in-1 home printer, it is content with basic ergonomics, but relies on photos to stand out.
Ergonomics
The main development concerns a much more compact chassis, which, thanks to the thickness reduced to only 12.6 cm with all shutters closed, is also the least bulky in the range for this precise model.
This is explained by the ergonomic choices that bypass the front-accessible paper cassette to provide only one single paper entry via the fold-out guide on the rear part (up to 100 sheets).
In order to have unhindered access to this paper insert, it is therefore imperative to install this printer, which means that it does not stick too much to the wall.
There is simply a retractable arm in place of the lower paper cassette that acts as a receptacle for printed sheets.
Who says entry-level, says lack of touch screen as well.
Therefore, the operations in the menus – always very clear – are carried out through a panel of not unpleasant buttons, a small color screen 7.5 cm diagonal with display feedback.
This control panel retains its adjustable system and, oddly, knowing that Canon decided to do without it on the TS6050, we find the SD card reader on this TS5050, and that’s good.
Overall, you feel that the finish is slightly inferior to that seen on the higher models when handling and using the TS5050, but it must be recognized that this is nonetheless a neat and serious product.
The key is preserved and even better than that in terms of functions, since the Canon Print application, Cloud printing services and Wi-Fi Direct are on the program.
Once again, compared to previous Pixma MGs with the same range, this is a positive development.
The Pixma TS5050 and its open cartridge access door
Consumption
The consumption of the Pixma TS5050 on the socket is rather slight.
During A4 photo printing, this printer draws only 0.7 W in standby mode and up to 17 W.
Therefore, it is a good average for printers of its kind, without approaching the Epson XP-445 – one of its direct competitors – which consumes at most only 9 W.
The Pixma TS5050 is rather a good student in terms of noise pollution, with a sound level meter reading that stands at 38.8 dB in standard printing and 37.3 dB in photo printing.
As always, at the expense of print speed, activating the “silent” mode reduces noise.
Costs for each page
In this test, the cost per page section is not the most interesting to analyze, for the simple reason that the TS5050 carries the same five 570/571 series ChromaLife 100 cartridges as its big sister, the TS6050.
Compared to previous Pixma of the equivalent range, this is nevertheless a positive development and, based on the most advantageous price of the necessarily more economical XL cartridges, we get a cost per page of € 0.03 in black and white and € 0.093 in color.
Therefore, like the other models in the Pixma TS range, it falls below the average for inkjet printers at this point.
The psychological rate of 10 euro cents per page is not exceeded by color printing.
Scanner and copies
Like the TS6050, the TS5050 has the same flatbed scanner without a document feeder.
This works up to a 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution and is rather quick to use, taking 13 seconds to scan a 300 dpi 10 x 15 cm photo, and 8 seconds to scan a 100 dpi A4 document.
By comparison, it takes the Epson XP-445 26 and 32 seconds to do the same tasks.
The TS5050 is also a good student in copies.
Copying a black and white A4 document requires 12 seconds, and copying a color document takes 16 seconds.
Again, on similar tasks, it’s better than the compact XP-445, which takes 11 and 36 seconds.
As on the TS6050, despite a slightly less contrasting and accurate rendering, the quality of the copies is there.
Photo
Canon now offers color management via five separate cartridges, even at the entry-level of its Pixma TS series, allowing the TS5050 to search for a special place in the hearts of amateur photographers on a tight budget.
The quality is very good for the printed images and the colorimetric drift is well managed.
As a reminder, this is the colorimetric difference between the ideal colors and the printed colors; it is estimated that the human eye can no longer tell the difference below 3.
The average delta E is established here at 6, while it is 4.9 on the TS6050.
This is nevertheless better than, for example, what is capable of an Epson XP-445 (7.4) or an Envy 4520 that does not demerit but does not demerit in photographs (6.7).
Concerning the printing speed of photos, the values are close to those observed in the range for the other models, namely 53 seconds for a 10 x 15 cm photo, and 1 minute and 34 seconds for an A4 photo. Hey, not bad.
Office automation
Like its counterparts, the Pixma TS5050 is penalized by the system in “grayscale” mode, which limits the printing speed to allow the black ink to dry.
It must therefore be satisfied with a flow rate measured by us in black and white at 5.8 pages/minute, while it goes back to 11.1 pages/minute in color.
It’s still a bit worse than the TS605050 (13 ppm in color).
The TS5050 does better in color (the XP-445 is at 7.1 ppm) compared to an Epson XP-445 of similar size and cost, but much worse in black and white (15.4 ppm for its competitor ).
In office automation, the print quality on this TS5050 is very good, although on our reference color chart it is a little less accurate than what its big sisters offer.
Still, just like the dark texts, the solids and gradients stand out cleanly.
The lines of text are perfectly sharp and contrasting in black on white printing, no problem there.
Too bad that automatic duplex management is not appropriate, even if it is very rare to have competing printers offering this feature at this price.
First page out time
The Canon Pixma TS6050 takes 10 seconds to display its first page in black and white and is ready to print.
Printing this same page out of standby mode takes 18 seconds. A stopwatch that goes from an off printer down to 17 seconds.
CONCLUSION
Despite some slowness in black and white, the Pixma TS5050 does not demerit and does better than provide the essentials, in particular thanks to very good printing quality in office automation.
A print-quality that, in photography, becomes almost irreproachable, an area where it stands out from the competition.
More basic ergonomics than other models of the range must certainly be accepted, but the number of functions is still higher compared to the equivalent printers of previous years, which makes this TS5050 a small 3- modern and capable in-1.
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