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

In any small office or demanding home workspace, the printer is the unsung hero, the silent partner in productivity. When it works, you barely notice it. But when it fails—jamming on a crucial report, taking an eternity to spit out a single page, or producing streaky, unprofessional documents—it can bring your entire workflow to a grinding halt. We’ve all been there: staring at a blinking error light, frantically trying to scan a multi-page contract with a flatbed scanner one side at a time, or discovering the ink has run out right before a deadline. This daily battle with inadequate equipment is not just frustrating; it costs time, money, and professional credibility. Finding a machine that can keep pace with the demands of a modern business—one that is fast, economical, and versatile—is no longer a luxury, but a necessity for survival and growth.

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 hardware into a single, efficient hub. It’s designed to solve the common problems of clutter from multiple devices (a separate scanner, copier, and fax machine), the inefficiency of switching between them, and the cumulative cost of running and maintaining several pieces of equipment. The main benefit is streamlined productivity. With one machine, you can print a client invoice, immediately scan the signed copy to the cloud, make a duplicate for your records, and even fax it if required, all from a single, unified interface. This integration saves physical space, energy, and most importantly, your valuable time.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing a high volume of mixed document tasks. Think of the small business owner, the remote worker juggling reports and contracts, or the administrator in a busy home office. They need a workhorse that offers speed for multi-page documents, the flexibility of duplex scanning and printing, and robust connectivity to print from any device. On the other hand, this type of feature-rich machine might not be suitable for those who only print a few pages a month or whose primary need is high-fidelity photo printing. For a casual user, a simpler, less expensive model would suffice, while a professional photographer would be better served by a dedicated photo printer with specialized inks.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: These office-grade machines are often significantly larger and heavier than typical home printers. The Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer, for instance, weighs over 11 kg and has a considerable footprint. Always measure your intended space carefully, accounting for ventilation and room to open scanner lids and access paper trays. As one user noted, it’s often “bigger than you imagine.”
• Capacity/Performance: Look beyond just the print speed (measured in ‘ipm’ or images per minute). Key performance metrics include the paper tray capacity (250 sheets is good for reducing refill frequency), the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) capacity (50 sheets is excellent), and whether it supports duplex (two-sided) printing and scanning. A feature like single-pass duplex scanning, which scans both sides in one go, is a massive time-saver for document-heavy workflows.
• Materials & Durability: A printer for a small office should be built to withstand consistent use. Look for sturdy plastics, a solid frame, and robust paper trays. While most printers are made of plastic, the quality can vary. A matte finish, like that on the MB5150, is also a practical advantage as it resists fingerprints and minor scratches better than glossy surfaces.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: Consider the total cost of ownership, not just the purchase price. This includes the price and page yield of ink cartridges—high-yield (XL) cartridges often provide a much better cost-per-page. Also, evaluate the user interface; a large, intuitive touchscreen can simplify complex tasks. Finally, check connectivity options like Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and mobile printing apps, as these are crucial for modern workflows.

Keeping these factors in mind, the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer stands out in several areas. You can explore its detailed specifications and features 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 Substantial and Purpose-Built Office Hub

Unboxing the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer, the first thing we noticed was its sheer presence. Weighing in at a hefty 11.4 kilograms, this is not a lightweight, occasional-use device; it feels substantial and built for business. As several users confirmed, it’s larger than you might expect from the online photos, so clearing adequate desk space is a must. The packaging is efficient, with helpful plastic handles on the bag encasing the printer, making it surprisingly easy to lift the unit out of its box.

The design is professional and understated. Its matte black finish is a smart choice, resisting the fingerprints and dust that plague glossy printers, while the brushed-optic front panel adds a touch of sophistication. Setting up the hardware was straightforward. The four PGI-2500XL ink cartridges are chunky and easy to handle, clicking into place with a satisfying firmness that inspires confidence. The software installation was equally painless on our Windows 11 system, essentially setting itself up with minimal intervention, a sentiment echoed by users who found it “installs practically by itself.” The 8.8 cm colour touchscreen is bright, responsive, and a significant step up from the button-based interfaces of older models, making network setup and direct operations a breeze.

Deep Dive: Performance Under Pressure

A printer’s true worth is only revealed under the stress of a real-world workload. We pushed the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer through a gauntlet of tasks, from printing dense, multi-page reports and scanning stacks of double-sided invoices to firing off quick prints from a smartphone. Our goal was to move beyond the spec sheet and understand how this machine performs when the pressure is on. Here’s our detailed breakdown.

Productivity and Speed: The Tale of Two Timings

Canon advertises some impressive numbers: a blistering 24 images per minute (ipm) for mono and a respectable 15.5 ipm for colour, capped off with a First Page Out Time (FPOT) of just 6 seconds. In our testing, we found this to be partially true. When printing a continuous, 50-page text document, after the first page was out, the printer did indeed churn through pages at a rate approaching the advertised 24 ipm. It’s impressively quick and feels every bit the office workhorse it’s designed to be. The 250-sheet paper tray is another productivity boon, meaning we weren’t constantly stopping to reload paper during large jobs.

However, the FPOT tells a different story, and our experience here aligns with feedback from other users. While the 6-second figure might be achievable under ideal laboratory conditions, we found that when waking from sleep mode, the first page often took between 15 and 25 seconds to appear. This delay seems to be due to the printer performing checks or minor cleaning cycles. For an office that prints many small, separate jobs throughout the day, this “warm-up” lag can be noticeable. While it’s by no means a deal-breaker, it’s a nuance to be aware of—this printer excels at sustained, high-volume tasks more than it does at intermittent, single-page prints. The automatic duplex printing was flawless, producing clean, perfectly aligned two-sided documents without any fuss.

The Scanning Powerhouse: Single-Pass Duplex is a Game-Changer

If there is one feature that elevates the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer from a good printer to a great office tool, it is the scanner. Specifically, the 50-sheet Automatic Document Feeder (ADF) with single-pass two-sided scanning. This technology is typically found on much more expensive, enterprise-level machines. Unlike standard duplex scanners that have to scan one side, pull the paper back in, flip it, and scan the other, this model scans both sides in a single pass. The difference in speed is staggering. We fed it a 20-page, double-sided document, and it digitized the entire stack in a fraction of the time it would take a conventional ADF.

For any business that needs to archive invoices, digitize contracts, or simply reduce paper clutter, this feature is transformative. It just works, and it works fast. The quality of the scans for standard documents is excellent—text is sharp and clear. However, we did corroborate some user reports that the resulting PDF files can be on the large side, and the built-in Optical Character Recognition (OCR) for creating searchable PDFs isn’t always perfect. For archival purposes, it’s perfectly acceptable, but for tasks requiring flawless text extraction, you might need dedicated software. Despite these minor points, the sheer mechanical efficiency of the scanner is its standout selling point. This one feature alone could justify the purchase for the right user. The ability to scan directly to cloud services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or a USB stick directly from the touchscreen further enhances its utility as a central office hub. If you’re tired of the slow, manual process of scanning, you can see if this productivity-boosting printer is right for your office.

Connectivity and Software: Seamless Integration or Security Headache?

In a modern office, connectivity is king, and the MB5150 is well-equipped. It offers a trifecta of options: a high-speed USB port for direct connection, an Ethernet port for stable, wired networking, and robust Wi-Fi. We tested the Wi-Fi extensively and found it to be reliable and easy to set up via the touchscreen wizard. Mobile printing is a highlight. Using Apple AirPrint from an iPhone and the Canon PRINT app on an Android device, we were able to print documents and photos and initiate scans with zero hassle. The app is well-designed and provides access to a surprising number of the printer’s core functions right from your phone.

However, our deep dive uncovered a significant issue that was also flagged by a technically-savvy user: the “Scan to Network Folder” feature relies exclusively on the obsolete and insecure SMB v1 protocol. SMB v1 was famously exploited by the “WannaCry” ransomware in 2017, and for good reason, it has been disabled by default in all modern operating systems and network devices (like FritzBox routers and Synology NAS drives). For a home user scanning to their local PC, this may not be an issue. But for a business intending to use this as a networked scanner, being forced to enable a known security vulnerability on their network is a major, and frankly, unacceptable risk. It turns a convenient feature into what one user aptly called an “open barn door” in your network. It’s a baffling oversight on an otherwise excellent piece of hardware and one that Canon has reportedly not addressed with firmware updates.

Running Costs and Ink Economy: The Real Price of Printing

The cost of ink is the elephant in the room for any inkjet printer review. Canon positions the MAXIFY series for economy, centering its pitch on the high-yield PGI-2500XL ink cartridges. The stated ISO yields are impressive: 2,500 pages for the black cartridge and 1,500 pages for each colour. These pigment-based inks are also designed to be smudge-resistant and highlighter-proof, which we confirmed in our tests—the text quality is sharp, rivaling that of a laser printer, and holds up well to immediate highlighting.

However, real-world yields rarely match ISO figures, which are based on specific, standardized documents. Several users expressed that the ink cartridges are expensive and that the page yield feels much lower than advertised. Our experience suggests the truth lies somewhere in the middle. For text-heavy office printing, the cost-per-page is indeed competitive. But if you print a lot of mixed graphics or full-colour pages, the yields will drop significantly. We also encountered two common inkjet frustrations. First, the printer occasionally performed an automatic head cleaning cycle shortly after startup, which, as one user noted, feels like an “absurd waste of ink.” Second, we confirmed that the printer will refuse to print a simple black-and-white document if even one of the colour cartridges (e.g., Cyan) is completely empty. This is a deeply frustrating and common industry practice that can leave you stranded until a replacement cartridge arrives.

What Other Users Are Saying

After our own extensive testing, we delved into the experiences of other owners to build a complete picture of the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer. The consensus is largely positive, with most users viewing it as a capable and reliable machine, especially for office environments. Many, like one who was “massively thrilled that everything just works,” praised its easy setup and comprehensive feature set, highlighting its ability to print, scan, and copy from various devices without hours of troubleshooting.

The positive feedback frequently centres on its core office functions. One user stated it was “absolutely suitable for use in my office,” and many praised the clean, fast duplex printing and scanning. The solid build quality and fingerprint-resistant matte finish also earned commendations.

On the negative side, critiques were consistent and specific. The most significant concern, raised by a security-conscious user, is the reliance on the outdated SMB v1 protocol for network scanning, which is a deal-breaker for many business environments. Other common complaints include the printer being larger than anticipated, the first-page-out time being slower than advertised, and the frustrating policy of halting all printing when a single colour cartridge runs dry. A few users also felt the ink costs were high and that yields didn’t meet expectations, a common refrain in the world of inkjet printers.

Comparing the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer to Alternatives

In our comprehensive analysis, we often pit a product against its closest rivals to highlight its strengths and weaknesses in a competitive market. However, the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer occupies a specific niche that makes direct, one-to-one comparisons challenging. At its price point, its combination of a large 250-sheet paper capacity, a 50-sheet ADF, and particularly the inclusion of single-pass duplex scanning is quite unique. Competing models from other brands in the same price bracket often require a compromise on one of these key productivity features—they might have a slower reversing ADF, a smaller paper tray, or less economical ink options. Therefore, we’ve focused this in-depth review exclusively on the standalone performance and value proposition of the MB5150 to provide you with the most detailed breakdown possible of this specific model.

The Final Verdict: A Productivity Powerhouse with a Caveat

After weeks of rigorous use, our verdict on the Canon MAXIFY MB5150 Multifunction Inkjet Printer is clear: this is a purpose-built productivity machine that excels at its core mission. For a small office, home office, or any user whose primary needs are fast document printing and high-volume, double-sided scanning, it is an outstanding piece of hardware. The single-pass duplex scanner is a truly game-changing feature that blows away the competition at this price point. Combined with its sharp text quality, large paper capacity, and versatile connectivity, it’s a genuine workhorse.

However, it is not without its flaws. The reliance on the insecure SMB v1 protocol for network scanning is a serious technical oversight that will rightfully deter any security-conscious business. Furthermore, the common inkjet annoyances of ink consumption during cleaning cycles and the refusal to print in monochrome when a colour cartridge is empty can be sources of frustration and added cost. It is a powerful tool, but one that comes with specific quirks you must be willing to accept. We recommend it for users who will primarily connect via USB or mobile apps and for whom the incredible scanning speed outweighs the potential network security and ink system issues.

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