I use these cartridges in my Canon MP970. I'm very happy with the printer and its years of good service and certainly have no complaints about the ink. The PGI 5 cartridge is larger and lasts longer than the other black cartridge in this printer. Quality has been good.
Several times I've used generic black cartridges bought from Databazaar. The cartridges are half the price of the Canons and results have been satisfactory, though the Canon inks are noticeably better.
I've also noticed that though they are the same size, the Canon cartridges do last longer than the generic types.
The ink cartridges are easy to install and easy to remove. Usually they last many weeks after the blinking warning of low ink appears on my monitor. I use them until the very end when they are totally empty. Canon PGI-5 Pigment Black Ink Tank
Where I live the sales tax is 9.2% - OUTRAGEOUS. Local government wastes so much money on their opulent city hall, crazy retirement plans, and other programs. I like to buy from Amazon just to avoid paying the sales tax, its kin of my way of protesting goverment waste!!! And besides, this is a way better price than any of the local office supply stores.
I have found that G&G ink carts are the best of the alternatives to Canon that I have tried. However, I ultimately come back to the genuine Canon ink carts. The PGBK-5 is no exception. The Canon item is expensive, but it always looks crisp, installs cleanly, and never dirties up the printer.
A word about sources. I buy my Canon cartridges from various sources, usually based on price. This time I tried an "Amazon fulfilled" supplier. It was not a good experience. Amazon had problems with a perfectly good credit card and the shipping was slow after that was resolved. The problem with Amazon fulfilled, as opposed to supplier fulfilled, is that you can only leave packaging feedback. This is the only place I could find to relate that experinece. There are better options.
Like all printer manufacturers, Canon almost gives away it's basic printers and makes a bundle on the ink. Pretty much like Gillette giving away a free Fusion razor and picking your pocket when you go to buy the cartridges at $4 a pop.
That's just the way that it is and it makes no difference if you buy Canon, HP or Epson. Whether or not the "generic" ink cartridges are detrimental to the print head is something that only the user can determine. Personally, I've stuck with Canon but I'm not totally convinced that its own brand is any better than the no-name brands that are available for half the price.
With that said, I do have to admit that I've used Canon printers for about ten years and have never had a clogged print head using their brand of ink. Would I have been as fortunate using another brand? I really have no idea. - Ink Cartridge - Cannon Ink - Mx700 - Canon Mp500'
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