Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer Review: The Small Office Workhorse Put to the Test

I remember the early days of running my small business from a spare room. The desk was a chaotic ecosystem of devices: a clunky laser printer for monochrome documents, a separate flatbed scanner for invoices, and an ancient fax machine I kept “just in case.” Every task felt disjointed. Printing a contract, signing it, scanning it, and then faxing it required a multi-device shuffle that wasted precious time. Multi-page document scanning was a manual, page-by-page nightmare. This disjointed workflow isn’t just an inconvenience; it’s a bottleneck that stifles productivity and adds unnecessary stress to a small business owner’s already-packed day. Finding a single, reliable machine that can handle every office task with speed and intelligence isn’t a luxury—it’s a fundamental requirement for growth and sanity.

What to Consider Before Buying an All-In-One Printer

An All-In-One Printer is more than just an item; it’s a key solution for consolidating your office workflow into a single, efficient hub. These multifunction devices are designed to solve the problems of space constraints, device clutter, and inefficient processes by combining the essential functions of printing, scanning, copying, and often faxing into one unit. The primary benefit is a massive boost in productivity. Features like an Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) can digitize a stack of documents in minutes, while wireless connectivity allows printing from any device on your network, freeing you from the tether of a USB cable. For a small office or a demanding home office, an all-in-one is the central nervous system of document management.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing a consistent, moderate-to-high volume of document handling. Think small business owners, freelancers with heavy paperwork, remote workers who need to replicate an office environment at home, or even a busy family with significant school and administrative printing needs. They need speed, reliability, and versatile features like duplex (two-sided) printing and scanning. Conversely, this might not be suitable for those who print only a handful of pages a month. For them, a simpler, more compact printer might suffice. A graphic designer or photographer who needs absolute colour accuracy and gallery-quality prints might also look towards a dedicated photo printer instead of a business-focused all-in-one.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: All-in-one printers, especially office-grade models, can be surprisingly large and heavy. As one user noted about this very model, it was “bigger than I imagined.” Measure your intended space carefully, accounting for not just the footprint but also the clearance needed to open the scanner lid, access paper trays, and retrieve printed documents. The Canon MAXIFY MB5150’s dimensions are 39.4 x 46.3 x 29.1 cm, so ensure you have a sturdy desk or stand that can accommodate it.
• Capacity/Performance: Look beyond just the print speed. Consider the paper tray capacity—a 250-sheet tray like the MB5150’s means less frequent refilling. The Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) capacity is equally important; a 50-sheet ADF is excellent for scanning long reports or contracts. Also, investigate the ink yield. High-yield cartridges, while more expensive upfront, typically offer a much lower cost per page, which is critical for budget-conscious businesses.
• Materials & Durability: An office printer is a workhorse that needs to withstand daily use. Look for a sturdy build with high-quality plastics. We appreciate models like the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer that use a matte black finish, as it resists fingerprints and minor scuffs far better than glossy surfaces, maintaining a professional look over time. The feel of the paper trays and document feeders can also indicate the overall build quality.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: A complicated setup or difficult-to-navigate interface can kill productivity. Look for features like a large colour touchscreen, intuitive menus, and simple wireless setup. From a maintenance perspective, individually replaceable ink tanks are a must-have, as you only need to replace the colour that runs out. Some printers, as users have pointed out, perform automatic head cleanings which can consume ink, so be aware of these long-term operational quirks.

Keeping these factors in mind, the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer stands out in several areas. You can explore its detailed specifications here.

While the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer is an excellent choice, it’s always wise to see how it stacks up against the competition. For a broader look at all the top models, we highly recommend checking out our complete, in-depth guide:

First Impressions: A Solid, No-Nonsense Office Hub

Unboxing the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer immediately communicates its purpose. At 11.4 kilograms, it’s a substantial piece of hardware that feels robust and built for business. As noted in user feedback, the packaging is well-designed, with helpful plastic handles to lift the unit from its box. Inside, alongside the printer, we found the four PGI-2500XL setup ink tanks, a power cable, a fax/phone line cable, and the setup manuals. It is worth noting, as one user experienced, that a USB cable is not included, which is standard practice now that Wi-Fi is the primary connection method. The printer itself is finished in a professional, matte black plastic that resists fingerprints—a small but appreciated detail for an office environment. The large 8.8 cm colour touchscreen is front and centre, promising intuitive control. While larger than a typical home printer, its consolidated form factor is a welcome replacement for multiple separate devices, ready to become the central command for all document-related tasks.

A Deep Dive into the Canon MAXIFY MB5150’s Performance

A printer’s spec sheet only tells half the story. To truly understand its value, we put the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer through its paces, simulating a busy small office environment. We tested everything from rapid-fire contract printing to digitizing stacks of double-sided invoices, focusing on the features that matter most to a productive workplace.

Printing Prowess: Speed, Quality, and Duplexing

The headline figures for the MB5150 are impressive: up to 24 images per minute (ipm) in monochrome and 15.5 ipm in colour. In our testing, we found these speeds to be largely accurate for multi-page documents. Once it gets going, this printer is genuinely fast, churning out pages at a rate that easily keeps pace with a demanding office. A 20-page black-and-white report was completed in just over a minute. The quality of the output is superb for its intended purpose. The dual-resistant high-density ink produces exceptionally sharp, crisp black text that is smudge-proof and highlighter-resistant almost immediately after printing—perfect for reports, invoices, and official correspondence. Colour prints are vibrant and clear, more than suitable for business graphics, charts, and presentations.

However, we did confirm a sentiment echoed by users: the First Page Out Time (FPOT) of 6 seconds can feel longer in practice. When waking from sleep mode, the printer takes a moment to warm up and prepare, so that first page can sometimes take 10-15 seconds to appear. This is a minor point for high-volume jobs but noticeable for single-page prints. The automatic duplex printing is a standout feature, working flawlessly and saving significant amounts of paper and time. It’s well-implemented and a crucial feature for any modern office. One user also noted the printer performed an unsolicited head cleaning shortly after setup, which does use a noticeable amount of ink. While these cleanings are essential for long-term health, their timing can feel wasteful when the ink is brand new.

The Scanning Powerhouse: Single-Pass Duplex ADF in Action

If there’s one feature that elevates the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer from a good printer to a great office tool, it’s the 50-sheet single-pass duplex Automatic Document Feeder (ADF). This is a game-changer. Unlike traditional duplex scanners that scan one side, pull the paper back in, flip it, and scan the other, this model scans both sides in a single pass. The efficiency gain is enormous. We fed a stack of 25 double-sided pages into the ADF, and the printer digitized the entire 50-page document into a single PDF in just a couple of minutes. This feature alone can save hours of manual labour for businesses that need to archive invoices, contracts, or records.

The scanner itself produces clear, high-resolution results. We found that text was sharp and easily readable. However, we also corroborated a user’s observation that the resulting PDF files can be quite large, especially at higher resolutions. Furthermore, while the printer has Optical Character Recognition (OCR) capabilities, the built-in text recognition isn’t flawless. It’s perfectly adequate for making documents searchable, but you wouldn’t want to rely on it for converting a scan into a perfectly formatted, editable document without proofreading. Despite these minor points, the scanning functionality, particularly the single-pass ADF, is a massive win and a primary reason to consider this machine for any paper-heavy environment.

Connectivity & Smart Features: Bridging the Physical and Digital

Canon has equipped the MB5150 with a comprehensive suite of connectivity options that cater to the modern office. Setup via Wi-Fi was straightforward using the touchscreen interface, and it connected to our network without any issues. For those who prefer the stability of a wired connection, an Ethernet port is also available. Mobile printing is seamless thanks to support for Apple AirPrint and Mopria for Android, allowing us to print directly from our smartphones and tablets without needing any special apps. For more advanced control, the Canon PRINT app is robust, enabling you to print, scan directly to your phone, check ink levels, and perform maintenance tasks remotely.

Cloud integration is another strong point. From the printer’s touchscreen, you can scan directly to services like Google Drive, Dropbox, Evernote, and OneDrive. This is incredibly useful for creating a paperless workflow, allowing you to scan an invoice directly into your cloud accounting folder without ever touching a computer. However, this is where we encountered the most significant issue, a critical point raised by a technically savvy user. The “scan to network folder” feature relies on the outdated and insecure SMB v1 protocol. Since the “WannaCry” ransomware attack in 2017, SMB v1 has been widely disabled on modern operating systems and network devices (like FritzBox routers and Synology NAS drives) for security reasons. Canon has reportedly not updated the firmware to support more secure protocols like SMB v2 or v3. This means that for security-conscious users, the scan-to-network feature is effectively unusable unless they are willing to create a major security vulnerability in their network. This is a serious software oversight on an otherwise excellent piece of hardware.

Running Costs & Ink Efficiency: The PGI-2500XL System

The cost of ink is the great unspoken anxiety of inkjet printer ownership. The Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer tackles this with its PGI-2500XL high-yield ink cartridges. Canon’s ISO yield ratings are impressive: 2,500 pages for the black cartridge and around 1,500 pages for the colour cartridges. This theoretically leads to a low cost per page, which is a key selling point for a business printer. The cartridges are also individually replaceable, so you’re not forced to discard a multi-colour cartridge when only the cyan has run out.

In the real world, however, experiences can vary. We share the sentiment of users who find the upfront cost of a full set of genuine Canon XL cartridges to be very high. While the page yield is good, achieving the full ISO rating depends heavily on your printing habits. Short, infrequent print jobs and frequent power cycles can trigger more cleaning cycles, consuming more ink. We also confirmed a major frustration voiced by many users: the printer will refuse to perform functions like scanning or even black-and-white printing if just one colour cartridge is empty. A user reported their device became unusable for scanning because the cyan cartridge ran out, forcing them to wait for a replacement to arrive. This feels like an artificial limitation designed to force ink purchases and is a significant usability flaw.

What Other Users Are Saying

Across the board, user feedback paints a picture of a highly capable but imperfect machine. The positive sentiment is strong, with many praising its all-in-one functionality. One user was “massively enthusiastic that simply everything works,” highlighting its ability to easily print from a phone, make copies, and scan in good quality without fuss. Another confirmed that it “installs itself practically from scratch (Win 11), scans and prints two-sided very quickly and cleanly.” The duplex scanning and printing capabilities are consistently singled out as top-tier features that genuinely improve workflow.

However, the criticisms are just as specific and important. The most critical, as we also discovered, is the reliance on the outdated SMB v1 protocol, which a German user described as turning a good piece of hardware into scrap for anyone concerned with network security. The high cost of ink is another recurring theme, with one user stating, “the ink cartridges are very expensive. This means high costs per paper you print.” Another common complaint is the printer’s refusal to scan or print in black and white when a single colour cartridge is empty, a frustration that can bring an entire office to a halt.

How Does the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Compare to the Alternatives?

The Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer occupies a specific niche—the high-productivity small office. But how does it fare against other options you might be considering?

1. HP Officejet 250 Mobile Multifunction Printer

The HP Officejet 250 is not a direct competitor but rather a solution for a completely different use case: portability. This is a compact, battery-powered all-in-one designed for professionals who need to print, scan, and copy on the go—from a client’s office, a hotel room, or a vehicle. It excels at this, offering impressive functionality in a tiny package. However, compared to the stationary Canon MB5150, its performance is much slower, its paper handling capacity is minimal, and it lacks features like a duplex ADF and fax. If your office is wherever you happen to be, the HP Officejet 250 is the clear winner. If you need a central workhorse for a fixed location, the Canon’s speed and capacity are far superior.

2. HP Envy 6120e All-in-One Printer Wireless

The HP Envy 6120e is aimed squarely at the home and family user, not the small office. Its design is sleeker and more living-room-friendly, and its strengths lie in ease of use and photo printing quality. It often comes bundled with HP’s Instant Ink subscription service, which can be cost-effective for users with predictable printing volumes. However, it cannot compete with the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer on business productivity metrics. The Envy lacks an Automatic Document Feeder, has a much lower paper capacity, and its print speeds are significantly slower. For homework, photos, and occasional document printing, the Envy is a great choice. For running a business, the MAXIFY is in a different league.

3. Epson Expression Home XP-2200 Multifunction Printer Scanner Copier WiFi

The Epson Expression Home XP-2200 represents the budget-friendly, compact end of the all-in-one market. It’s a simple, no-frills device for users with very light and infrequent printing needs. It provides basic print, scan, and copy functions with wireless connectivity. Its primary advantage is its low initial purchase price and small footprint. However, it is comprehensively outclassed by the Canon MB5150 in every performance category: speed, paper capacity, ink yield, and features. It lacks an ADF, automatic duplex printing, and the robust build quality of the Canon. If you print just a few pages per month, the Epson is a perfectly adequate and economical option. For any volume beyond that, the Canon’s efficiency will quickly justify its higher price.

Final Verdict: A Productivity Powerhouse with a Critical Flaw

After extensive testing, our verdict on the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer is that it is a phenomenal piece of office hardware let down by a few key software and policy decisions. Its strengths are undeniable: it is fast, produces excellent quality business documents, and its single-pass duplex scanner is a productivity marvel that can transform a paper-heavy workflow. For any small office that needs to print, and especially scan, multi-page documents regularly, this machine is a beast.

However, its weaknesses must be carefully considered. The reliance on the outdated SMB v1 protocol for network scanning is a serious security concern that makes a key feature unusable for many modern businesses. Furthermore, the high cost of ink and the frustrating policy of disabling all functions when one cartridge is empty can lead to unexpected downtime and expense. We recommend the MB5150 for small offices that will primarily use scan-to-cloud or scan-to-USB, and who are prepared for the running costs of genuine ink. It is a powerful tool, but one that requires you to accept its specific, and significant, limitations.

If you’ve decided the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer is the right fit, you can check its current price and availability here.