Digital BW, The Print

Eximvaios (www.eximvaios.com) got in about 20 4800's so I drove over to Berkeley and 
picked one up yesterday.  Some might be interested in my first impressions:  Color is 
much better than the 4000.  Blacks are much denser and the rest of the spectrum seems 
more intense.  Laying out two 16x24 prints made from the 4000 and the 4800 side by 
side is startling!  You see the difference immediately and the difference is gratifying.  I've 
only made a dozen or so color prints so far but as of now I'm very pleased.  I printed some 
black and whites with Advanced B@W mode on Premium Luster and am very pleased with 
the results.  Much much better than matte prints.  Blacks are very good.  Holding up a 
4800 print alongside silver prints on my wall reveals that the 4800's blacks are, at least to 
my eye, so close that I don't feel thwarted as I did with the 4000.  The only thing I feel 
some reservation about is that I don't know If I can learn to love the Lustre finish for B@W.  
Time and working with a lot of different subjects will help decide for me. As for trying 
Matte, I don't intend to do that for a while as I understand the Matte ink is the same as the 
4000 ink and I was never pleased with the dmax.  Ever.  Down the pike, I'm confident 
someone will come up with a great matte black ink compatible with the 4800.  We'll see.
Joe Davajon