Canon PIXMA G650 MegaTank All-in-One Printer Review: The Ultimate Photo Enthusiast’s Workhorse?

There’s a unique frustration that every photographer, artist, or memory-keeper knows all too well. It’s the feeling of capturing a perfect digital moment—the golden hour light hitting just right, a candid laugh frozen in time—only to have it fall flat when brought into the physical world. For years, we’ve relied on expensive, inconsistent online printing services or battled with home printers that guzzle ink cartridges faster than we can buy them, often producing colours that are a pale imitation of what we saw on our screens. This disconnect between the digital and the tangible can be disheartening. It turns the joyful act of creating a photo album or framing a print into a gamble on quality and a drain on the wallet. The real problem isn’t just about ink; it’s about control, cost, and the pursuit of colour fidelity. Not solving this means our best work and most cherished memories remain trapped behind a screen, and the dream of an affordable, in-house photo lab feels perpetually out of reach.

What to Consider Before Buying an Inkjet Photo Printer

An inkjet printer, particularly one designed for photography, is more than just an office accessory; it’s a key solution for creative expression and archival. It bridges the gap between digital artistry and a physical portfolio. The primary benefit is gaining complete control over the final output—from paper type and finish to precise colour adjustments—something you surrender when using third-party services. The right printer empowers you to produce prints that match your artistic vision, on-demand, without the crippling cost of traditional ink cartridges. This is especially true for the new generation of “ink tank” or “MegaTank” printers that have revolutionised the economics of home printing.

The ideal customer for this type of product is someone facing the classic dilemma of quality versus cost. This includes hobbyist photographers, scrapbookers, Etsy shop owners selling prints, and families who want to print high volumes of holiday snaps without taking out a second mortgage. They value colour accuracy and long-term running costs over raw printing speed. Conversely, this printer might not be suitable for those who primarily need to churn out multi-page text documents quickly. A busy office environment requiring automatic duplexing (two-sided printing) and a document feeder would be better served by a laser printer or a more business-focused inkjet. The trade-off is clear: specialised photo excellence for general-purpose speed.

Before investing, consider these crucial points in detail:

• Dimensions & Space: A photo printer often has a larger footprint than a standard document printer. The Canon PIXMA G650 MegaTank All-in-One Printer measures 44.5 cm in width, which is considerable. You must account for not just the unit itself, but also the space required for the rear paper tray to extend and for you to access the ink tanks comfortably. Always measure your intended desk or shelf space before purchasing.
• Capacity/Performance: Don’t get fixated on just one metric. For a photo printer, resolution (measured in DPI, or dots per inch) and the ink system are paramount. The G650’s 4800 x 1200 dpi combined with a six-colour dye-based ink system is a recipe for superior photo quality. However, its document printing speed of just 3.9 pages per minute (ppm) is slow. You must weigh which of these performance characteristics matters more for your specific needs.
• Materials & Durability: Most consumer printers are housed in plastic, but the quality can vary. Look for a sturdy build that doesn’t feel flimsy. A significant, and often overlooked, factor for durability is the availability of user-replaceable parts. The G650 excels here, allowing users to replace both the print heads and the maintenance cartridge, dramatically extending the potential lifespan of the machine beyond that of sealed-for-life models.
• Ease of Use & Maintenance: The initial setup can be a hurdle. Printers with small, non-touch LCD screens, like the G650, can make connecting to Wi-Fi a bit tedious. However, once set up, daily use should be straightforward via a computer or mobile app. For maintenance, ink tank printers are a dream. The process of refilling with keyed, no-squeeze bottles is mess-free and far simpler than fumbling with tiny, expensive cartridges.

Keeping these factors in mind, the Canon PIXMA G650 MegaTank All-in-One Printer stands out in several areas, particularly for its balance of print quality and running costs. You can explore its detailed specifications and features here.

While the Canon PIXMA G650 MegaTank All-in-One Printer is an excellent choice for its target audience, 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: Function Over Frills

Unboxing the Canon PIXMA G650 MegaTank All-in-One Printer is a straightforward affair. The printer is securely packed, and lifting its 6.6 kg weight out reveals a device with a functional, no-nonsense design. It’s finished in a matte black plastic that resists fingerprints well. While compact in height, its width is immediately noticeable—this is not a tiny printer. The most prominent features are the transparent ink tank windows on the front, allowing for an at-a-glance check of ink levels. Inside the box, the main event is the set of six large ink bottles, their sheer size a promising sign of the printing marathon to come. The build quality feels solid and typically Canon—it’s built to last, not necessarily to win design awards. The initial setup process involves installing the two print heads (a simple click-in procedure) and then filling the six tanks, which is a satisfyingly clean and easy process thanks to the keyed bottle nozzles. The one element that gives pause is the tiny two-line monochrome LCD. It immediately signals that all complex configuration will be better handled through a computer or the mobile app, as navigating menus with the limited button layout is a step back in time.

A Deep Dive into the Canon PIXMA G650 MegaTank’s Performance

After spending several weeks putting this printer through its paces, printing everything from detailed landscape photos and family portraits to work documents and full-colour flyers, we have a comprehensive understanding of where it shines and where it makes compromises. This is not a jack-of-all-trades; it is a master of one, and its mastery is deeply impressive.

The Heart of the Matter: Six-Ink Photo Quality Examined

Let’s be clear: the sole reason to choose the Canon PIXMA G650 MegaTank All-in-One Printer over its competitors is for its photographic output. And in this arena, it is nothing short of spectacular for its price point. The magic lies in its six-colour, dye-based ink system. While standard printers make do with four colours (Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, Black), the G650 adds Red and Grey to the mix. This isn’t just a gimmick. The Red ink visibly expands the colour gamut, producing fiery sunsets, vibrant floral tones, and rich fabrics that four-colour systems simply cannot replicate. The Grey ink is a game-changer for both colour and monochrome printing. It provides smoother gradations in shadows, more accurate skin tones, and reduces colour casts, allowing for truly neutral black-and-white prints with deep, rich blacks. We tested this by printing a series of high-resolution portraits, and the subtlety in skin tone was immediately apparent when compared to prints from a four-colour tank printer.

We found, as many users have, that the results are almost indistinguishable from professional lab prints, provided you use high-quality photo paper. On standard Canon glossy paper, the images were sharp, vibrant, and detailed. We even printed a few high-contrast gaming screenshots, a use case one happy user mentioned, and the printer handled the deep blacks and brilliant neon highlights with impressive fidelity. It beautifully renders the subtle details that often get lost in printing. The 4800 x 1200 dpi resolution ensures that when you look closely, you see crisp detail, not a sea of dots. For any photography enthusiast looking to bring their work to life, this printer’s photo capability is a powerful reason to consider it.

MegaTank Economics: Breaking Free from the Cartridge Trap

The second pillar of the G650’s appeal is its running cost. The “MegaTank” system is Canon’s answer to the endless expense of ink cartridges. A full set of included ink bottles is rated to print up to an astonishing 3,800 10x15cm photos. We printed over 250 mixed-size photos and a handful of documents during our testing, and as one user gleefully noted, the ink levels barely seemed to budge. This transforms the psychology of printing. You no longer hesitate to print a photo, wondering if it’s “worth” the ink. You just print. This freedom encourages creativity and experimentation.

The refilling process itself is brilliantly designed. Each ink bottle has a unique nozzle shape that corresponds only to its correct tank, making it impossible to fill the wrong colour. You simply open the cap, invert the bottle over the port, and it fills automatically without any squeezing. The flow stops when the tank is full, preventing messy overflows. The transparent windows on the front provide a constant, clear view of your ink levels, eliminating any guesswork. For anyone coming from a cartridge-based printer, this system feels like a revolution. The long-term savings are immense, making the initial investment in the printer pay for itself many times over, especially for high-volume photo printing. We have seen reports from professional users who call this the “Formula 1 of printers” for its ability to handle intense photo workloads economically.

The User Experience: Navigating Setup, Connectivity, and Daily Use

This is where the G650’s laser-focus on photo quality leads to compromises. The user experience is a tale of two halves. The hardware interface is decidedly basic. The initial Wi-Fi setup using only the tiny two-line LCD and a few buttons is a tedious process of scrolling through characters to enter your network password. It is, without a doubt, the printer’s biggest weakness. We strongly recommend using the USB cable method or WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) if your router supports it to bypass this frustration.

However, once the printer is on your network, the story changes completely. Using the Canon PRINT app on a smartphone or tablet is a fluid and intuitive experience. We were able to select photos, adjust settings, and send prints to the machine from anywhere in the house without a single issue. Printing from a Windows PC was equally seamless, with the provided driver offering a good range of options. We also noted user reports of excellent out-of-the-box support for Linux, where the printer was automatically detected. The scanner is a standard flatbed unit that produces sharp, colour-accurate scans of photos and documents up to 600 x 1200 dpi, perfectly adequate for archiving old prints or making digital copies. The main limitations are the lack of a media card slot or a front USB port, meaning you cannot print directly from an SD card or USB drive. You must always use a computer or mobile device as an intermediary, reinforcing that this is a connected device, not a standalone kiosk.

Speed and General Document Handling: Where Sacrifices Were Made

If the G650 is a photo-printing marathon runner, it’s a document-printing Sunday stroller. The rated speed of 3.9 ppm for both black and colour documents is slow by any modern standard. When printing a 10-page text document, the wait was noticeable. This is the explicit trade-off for the high-precision print head designed for quality over quantity. If your daily workflow involves printing lengthy reports or manuscripts, this printer will test your patience. Furthermore, the G650 lacks automatic duplex printing, so two-sided jobs require you to manually flip and re-feed the paper. The paper is fed from a single 100-sheet rear tray, which stands open and is exposed to dust. While it handles a good variety of media, including thick 240gsm cardstock as one user happily confirmed, it’s a very basic paper handling system. We did not personally experience the “phantom paper jam” issue that one user reported, but it highlights that the mechanical systems are built to a price point. Ultimately, the G650 can function as a document printer and copier, but it should be considered a secondary function. Its heart and soul belong to photography.

What Other Users Are Saying

Our findings are strongly echoed across a wide range of user experiences. The overwhelming sentiment is one of delight with the photo quality and ink economy. One user, a passionate gamer, praised its ability to render screenshots with “vibrant colours and sharp details,” exceeding all their expectations. Another, a hobbyist photographer, stated that after a year of use, they were “completely satisfied,” with the prints having little to envy from professional labs. This sentiment is common—users who buy it for its primary purpose are rarely disappointed.

However, the criticisms are just as consistent. The “small and illegible” screen is a common complaint, making the initial setup a “time-consuming” process. More advanced users, particularly on macOS, lament the lack of a dedicated driver, forcing them to rely on the basic Apple AirPrint driver which offers limited control and no support for custom ICC colour profiles. Negative feedback also occasionally points to quality control issues, such as a device arriving with a faulty ink pump or with scratches on the display, suggesting it may have been a return. These reviews paint a clear picture: it’s a phenomenal but flawed machine, and your satisfaction will depend entirely on whether its strengths align with your priorities.

How Does the Canon PIXMA G650 MegaTank All-in-One Printer Compare to the Alternatives?

The Canon PIXMA G650 operates in a competitive market, and while its six-ink system gives it a unique edge for photos, other models may be a better fit depending on your overall needs.

1. HP Envy Inspire 7220e Multifunction Printer

The HP Envy Inspire 7220e represents a different philosophy. It is a true all-rounder designed for the modern family or home office. Its strengths lie in its usability and smart features, including a colour touchscreen, faster document printing speeds, and automatic duplexing. While its photo quality is very good for a general-purpose printer, it uses a standard four-colour system that cannot match the expanded gamut and nuance of the G650’s six dye-based inks. The HP is often paired with the Instant Ink subscription service, which can be convenient but may cost more long-term than the G650’s refillable tanks for high-volume printers. You would choose the HP Envy if your printing is a mix of documents, homework, and occasional photos, and you value ease of use and modern features over ultimate photographic fidelity.

2. Epson Expression Premium XP-6105 Printer

The Epson XP-6105 is a more direct competitor in the photo-centric space, but it sticks to the traditional cartridge model. It uses a five-ink system (including a pigment black for sharp text and four dye colours for photos), which offers excellent photo output that is a step above standard four-ink printers. It also includes features the Canon lacks, like a colour LCD, SD card slot, and CD/DVD printing. However, its primary drawback is the cost of ink. Relying on individual cartridges means the cost-per-photo will be significantly higher than the G650’s MegaTank. The Epson XP-6105 is for someone who wants high-quality photo prints but prints infrequently enough that the high running costs of cartridges are not a major concern.

3. Epson EcoTank ET-2750 A4 Wi-Fi Printer

The Epson EcoTank ET-2750 is the G650’s rival in the ink tank world. It shares the same core benefit of incredibly low running costs thanks to its refillable ink tanks. The key difference is its ink system. The ET-2750 uses a standard four-colour ink set, making it more of a direct competitor to Canon’s four-colour MegaTank models. It’s a fantastic printer for general-purpose home use, offering good quality for both documents and photos at a very low cost. It also includes automatic duplexing, a feature the G650 lacks. However, it cannot compete with the G650’s specialised six-ink system for producing nuanced, lab-quality photographs. The choice is clear: choose the Epson ET-2750 for low-cost all-around printing; choose the Canon G650 for low-cost, specialised photo printing.

Final Verdict: A Niche Masterpiece for the Patient Photographer

The Canon PIXMA G650 MegaTank All-in-One Printer is a brilliantly focused machine that knows exactly what it wants to be. It is not an all-rounder and makes no apologies for its slow document speed, basic screen, and lack of convenience features like duplexing or an SD card slot. If those are your priorities, you should look elsewhere. However, if your primary goal—your passion—is to produce the highest quality photo prints possible at home without going bankrupt on ink, this printer is in a class of its own at this price point. The combination of the six-colour ink system and the cavernous MegaTanks delivers breathtaking photo quality with unparalleled economic efficiency.

We recommend it wholeheartedly to amateur photographers, dedicated scrapbookers, artists, and anyone who wants to create a physical library of their digital memories in stunning, accurate colour. You must be willing to forgive its clunky setup and leisurely pace, but the rewards that slide out of the print tray are more than worth the wait. It’s a tool for creators, a workhorse for the photo enthusiast, and an outstanding value proposition.

If you’ve decided the Canon PIXMA G650 MegaTank All-in-One Printer is the right fit for your creative projects, you can check its current price and purchase it here.