CANON VS RICOH COPIERS | 10 MIN READ
So, you're looking for a comparison between Canon and Ricoh copiers? You've come to the right place! We partnered with Buyer's Lab to create a comprehensive review of some of the most popular office copiers on the market today for these two popular brands.
Not a lot of time? Skip to what you need:
SOS Copier Ratings Formula
Canon Copier Reviews and Ratings
Ricoh Copier Reviews and Ratings
Copier Service
As a Canon and Sharp copier dealer, we feel pretty strongly about the brands that we sell, BUT, we also believe in presenting the most fair and unbiased information that is available. This is because we aren't in the business of selling office copiers. We're in the business of building trust with our readers and customers.
So, how did we do this in an unbiased way? We decided not to be the company who evaluated the machines. Instead, we used the four most popular Canon machines that we sell and had Buyer's Lab (a third-party industry staple research firm) provide all of the reviews and ratings, and did the same for their direct Ricoh counterpart.
Now, we recognize that there are thousands of models of copiers on the market today and it's very difficult to know which ones are the best. We encourage you to seek other unbiased resources out there and determine which is best for meeting your business goals.
RELATED: Top 15 Best Office Copiers of 2019 [Ratings + Reviews]
How We Created the SOS Copier Ratings Formula
Don't you hate it when articles hand out an overall score without giving any concrete metrics that explain how that rating was created (I'm looking at you movie reviews)?
We created the SOS Copier Ratings Formula to consistently rate machines between manufacturers. The formula looks like this:
(R + IQ + EU + S + F) / 5 = SOS Copier Rating
Below, you'll find a breakdown of each metric, but keep in mind, your formula may look different. As an example, if keeping your machine up and running is the most important thing to your business, you may choose to put more weight on the reliability metric.
Reliability (R) - for many businesses, this is the most important metric. Your incredible machine that is designed to maximize efficiency and lower costs isn't doing a great job if it's down all the time.
How many minutes are wasted each time there's a paper jam? That time adds up and the opportunity costs of employees trying to fix the problem can hurt the bottom line over the course of a year. It's an even bigger deal if you're a printing company.
Reliability is directly affected by two factors: the brand of the machine you purchase and the dealer you choose to service the machine (more on the service part, later).
Image Quality (IQ) -depending on your business model, this metric will be of greater or lesser importance. For instance, if you are a print shop, image quality may carry more weight than a company who is printing out thousands of bills for customers once a month.
Image Quality is measured by evaluating the variations in color from original source to completed print job, as well as the clarity of the image.
East of Use (EU) - is the machine designed in an intuitive way that doesn't require accessing a user manual to perform basic, day-to-day functions? Ease-of-Use measures this accessibility by evaluating the machine's display and determines if the interface is easily understandable.
Security (S) - next to politics, it seems cyber threats are the next most popular news story out there right now. It's difficult to go on offense with a hacker because most who attack US based companies are located in foreign countries. As a result, your only option is to ensure you have a strong defense.
But hackers come in all forms and there are people in the US who are also looking to steal information from you. With machines now being connected to internal networks, new and inventive social engineering threats have been leveraged to steal data... and copiers can be an open door into your network.
Ensuring your copiers are strong in security will give you and your customers peace of mind in knowing your business won't be the next 6:breaking news story.
Features (F) - copiers have come a long way, and so have the features that they offer. Did you know that some copiers can take multiple receipts in one scan and then sort them post-scan? That might be a cool feature but is it a necessary one for your business?
Every copier feature has an added cost to your monthly bill, so make sure you carefully evaluate what you really need. Knowing what copier features are important can help you save money and cut through the noise when you speak with a sales rep.
Best Canon Copier Reviews and Ratings
Canon imageRUNNER Advance C5535i III (color)
Market Entry Year: February 2019
Speed: 35 ppm
Dimensions: 37-3/8" x 24-3/8" x 29-1/4"
Our most popular Canon machine sold to businesses that includes features like HDD encryption, Universal Login Manager, Remote Operator's Software Kit, and more. Designed to reduce maintenance costs and downtime, with long-life drums, high-capacity toner cartridges and a waste toner container that is 3x larger than its predecessor.
Strengths:
- Exceptional reliability that reduces downtime
- Quick first-print time increases productivity
- Comprehensive security systems ensure sensitive documents are protected
Weaknesses:
- Inaccurate paper status is displayed unless the driver is refreshed
- Utilities installed independently and one-by-one
| Reliability | Image Quality | Ease of Use | Security | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 10 | 10 |
Total Score: 9.4/10
Canon imageRUNNER Advance 4545i III (black & white)
Market Entry Year: February 2019
Speed: 45 ppm
Dimensions: 47" x 23-1/8" x 29-1/8"
A dependable A3-sized copier, this Canon is a good choice for mid-to large-sized workgroups. Additionally, you can expect fast print times for short-run documents, fast duplex scan speeds, and fast first-copy out times. This allows your employees to accomplish tasks more efficiently and not waste time waiting for copy jobs to finish.
Strengths:
- Print jobs move quickly with fast duplex scanning and small color scan file sizes
- Quick first-copy time so you don't have to wait long for the machine to warm-up
- Above average hard drive capacity allows for more print job storage
Weaknesses:
- Utilities installed independently and one-by-one
- Scan/copy previews don't support onscreen editing
- Below average standard paper capacity support
| Reliability | Image Quality | Ease of Use | Security | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 7.5 | 8.5 | 10 | 6.5 |
Total Score: 8.3/10
Canon imageRUNNER Advance C3530i III (color)
Market Entry Year: February 2019
Speed: 30 ppm
Dimensions: 45-1/5" x 22-1/4" x 29-1/4"
This compact machine includes a number of benefits that make it great for medium-sized workgroups. This is one of the highest rated machines when it comes to durability, which means your machine is up and running longer, making your employees more efficient. Additional features include user-replaceable toners and drums and a strong ease-of-use rating. Where it may lack in some features, this machine makes-up in uptime.
Strengths:
- Quick first-print time from daytime sleep mode
- Print jobs move quickly with fast scan speeds and small color scan file sizes to increase productivity
- Flawless reliability and easy routines to replace consumables increase uptime, greatly.
Weaknesses:
- Below average speeds for printing in color
- Utilities are installed one-by-one, independent of the drivers
| Reliability | Image Quality | Ease of Use | Security | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 10 | 6.5 |
Total Score: 8.7/10
Canon imageRUNNER Advance C7570i III (color)
Market Entry Year: February 2019
Speed: 70 ppm
Dimensions: 48" x 27-1/8" x 37-1/8"
If you need a production level printer with outstanding reliability and performance, it doesn't get much stronger than this Canon. At 70 pages per minute, this machine is ideal for large offices or internal print departments. Downtime is minimal on this machine and its simple procedure for replacing consumables like toner, staples, paper, and more, deliver maximum uptime and increase efficiency. It's difficult to find a color printer with this kind of speed and reliability.
Strengths:
- Maximum uptime can be expected due to exceptional reliability
- Fully customizable control panel allows you to streamline daily tasks
- Robust and comprehensive security features protect sensitive documents which meets
- regulations and builds customer and employee trust
Weaknesses:
- Scan to email lacks the ability to store common extensions/domains as one-touch keys (though does allow the storage of addresses)
- Print from and scan to flash drives doesn't auto-populate when device is inserted into machine
| Reliability | Image Quality | Ease of Use | Security | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 | 8.5 | 8.5 | 10 | 9 |
Total Score: 9.2/10
Best Ricoh Copier Reviews and Ratings
Ricoh MP C3500
Market Entry Year: January 2019
Speed: 35 ppm
Dimensions: 37.9" x 23" x 27"
With good reliability and straightforward maintenance procedures, you can be sure downtime will be minimal. Security is strong on this model to ensure that sensitive documents remain safe, and the single-pass duplexing scanner help reduce wear on your documents being scanned or copied.
Strengths:
- Fast scan speeds and above average copying speeds allow jobs to be produced quickly when compared to similar machines
- Fast first-print times from daytime sleep and energy save modes so you aren't waiting on the machine to warm-up
Weaknesses:
- Less intuitive scan or print from flash drives
- The default priority mode can cause interruptions of print jobs that are not intended
| Reliability | Image Quality | Ease of Use | Security | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.5 | 7.5 | 8 | 10 | 9 |
Total Score: 8.6/10
Ricoh GreenLine MP 4055
Market Entry Year: February 2017
Speed: 40 ppm
Dimensions: 37.9" x 23.1" x 26.8"
The Ricoh Greenline MP 4055 is a direct comparison model to compete with the Canon imageRUNNER Advance 4545i III. When compared with the Canon there are a few interesting differences:
- Same paper capacity tray size at 550 sheets, but can handle heavier paper weights
- Two less paper sources than the Canon which reduces the machines overall paper capacity (approximately 5,000 sheets fewer)
- Faster warm-up time (14 seconds compared to 24 seconds), but slower overall for copies per minute
- Security features include network user authentication and secure print to offer a layer of protection for sensitive information
- Poster mode and job builds are offered on the Canon counterpart but not this model
| Reliability | Image Quality | Ease of Use | Security | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9.5 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
Total Score: 9.1/10
Ricoh IM C3000
Market Entry Year: January 2019
Speed: 30 ppm
Dimensions: 37.9" x 23" x 27"
This machine offers very good reliability and durability. Several innovations make this machine standout among some of its competitors, like a motion sensor to allow auto warm-up as someone approaches (also found in Canon models) and increase security by allowing assigned PIN codes to secure documents when saving scanned jobs to its hard drive.
Strengths:
- Above average scan speeds increases productivity
- Can save frequently used settings on the main display
- Includes hard drive encryption for more comprehensive security
Weaknesses:
- Priority mode is default and can cause unintended interruptions of print jobs by other users printing to the same machine
- Scanning and printing from a flash drive is not as intuitive as similar devices
| Reliability | Image Quality | Ease of Use | Security | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8.5 | 8 | 7.5 | 10 | 9 |
Total Score: 8.6/10
Ricoh MP C6503
Market Entry Year: December 2016
Speed: 65 ppm
Dimensions: 48.3" x 29.6" x 34.7"
The MP C6503 is a highly reliable machine that is great for medium and large offices or workgroups. With sample copy, auto color calibration, and the ability to allow for mixed-sized originals, there are plenty of useful features on this heavy-duty machine. This machine has become the fallback for Ricoh after it discontinued its updated version that was released in 2017.
Strengths:
- If reliability is important, this is a strong choice
- Max power consumption slightly lower than Canon counterpart
Weaknesses:
- Smaller hard drive space for storing print jobs
- Slower print speed for black & white when compared with Canon
| Reliability | Image Quality | Ease of Use | Security | Features |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 7.5 | 8.5 | NR | 8.5 |
Total Score: 8.375/10
Copier Service
The basic functions of a copier (copy, print, scan, fax) are similar in quality from machine to machine compared to where they were when Xerox first came on the scene. So, if you're only looking machines with basic functions, how do you decide?
Well, price is one way to do it, but the price can even very between multiple dealers offering the same brand. What causes this price fluctuations?
Service.
That's right, a great machine with poor service becomes a mediocre machine fairly quickly. It doesn't matter how reliable your machine is if during the time that it does breakdown you're waiting for over a week to get it serviced by your vendor.
Well, I'll just cut out the middle man because a manufacturer should be able to offer the best service! After all, they built the machine, so they must know how to fix it the best?
That makes sense, but what you many people forget about is that manufacturers train their service technicians in the same programs as that of the dealers. And it goes much deeper than that, but I won't sidetrack in this article. You can read all about it in our blog about the differences between copier dealers and manufacturers.
If you're ready to purchase a copier, but you aren't sure what questions you should ask your dealer, take a look at our blog about the questions you should ask a copier dealer and check out the video. You'll be ready to go in no time!
