Canon’s MegaTank is the same idea as Epson’s EcoTank — refill from a bottle, no cartridge — executed slightly differently, and the differences are more interesting than the marketing suggests.
How we picked
Cost per page came first, computed from Canon’s own published yields for the G3270 and GI-21 bottle prices from a named retailer. We used Canon’s default print-mode yields rather than its economy-mode figures, because default mode is what most people will actually print in and using the higher number would flatter the printer on a setting most owners never change.
Because Canon’s range is small, this page also compares against the closest EcoTank models rather than pretending there are five MegaTanks worth ranking. Where Canon had not published a specification or a price, we say so instead of filling the gap.
Three real differences from EcoTank
1. Pigment black instead of dye black
The most consequential difference. Pigment ink sits on the paper surface; dye soaks in. Pigment gives crisper text on plain paper and much better smudge and water resistance, and is slightly worse on glossy photo paper where deep blacks come from penetration. Documents: pigment. Photographs: dye.
2. Larger bottles
The GI-21 bottles are 170 mL, against 65 mL for an Epson 522 bottle. Larger bottles mean fewer refill events and, on the prices we read, a lower cost per page.
3. A much smaller range
This is the disadvantage, and it is real. Epson sells EcoTanks with duplexers, document feeders, Ethernet, fax and wide-format photo capability. If you want any of those on Canon’s tank ink, your options are narrower.
A note on Canon’s two yield figures
Canon publishes two sets of page yields for the G3270: up to 6,000 black pages in default print mode, and a higher figure in economy mode. Both are honest numbers measured the same way; they just describe different settings.
We publish the default-mode figure throughout. Using the economy number would make the printer look cheaper to run than it will be for anyone who does not change a driver setting, which is nearly everyone. It is the kind of small choice that decides whether a cost-per-page figure is useful or flattering.
Where MegaTank falls short
- No confirmed duplexer. Canon’s page did not state automatic two-sided printing, and paper is the dominant cost on a printer this cheap to feed.
- No document feeder on the G3270. Flatbed scanning only.
- Canon would not show us a printer price. The figure we use comes from a retailer and is labeled as such throughout the site.
- Wrong ink type for photographs. A real limitation rather than a nitpick, and the reason it is not a pick on the photo page.