Printer Review: Canon ImageCLASS MF-8380Cdw

Posted by Rob Errera on 11/29/2022

Toner Buzz Rating: 3.7/ 5.0 stars

Pros: Good text and image quality. Reasonable running costs.

Cons: Slow first page print time. Heavy; a 70-pound behemoth!

Overall: The MF8380Cdw isn't the best at anything but is very good at everything, making it a solid choice for small businesses with serious color printing needs.

Inside The Imageclass MF8380Cdw

The Canon Color ImageClass MF8380Cdw is a color laser multifunction printer that debuted in late 2011 with a sticker price of around $600USD. The MF8380Cdw was targeted at small business offices needing high-volume color printing.

The MF8380Cdw does an fine job with photos and graphics but excels at producing sharp, crisp black text. With a maximum duty cycle of 40,000 pages per month, the Canon Color ImageClass MF8380Cdw should be able to handle the workloads of most small offices.

The printer comes standard with a 250-sheet paper tray for letter-size sheets (you can add a second 250-sheet tray for $200), a 50-page specialty paper feeder, and a 50-page auto document feeder on top for copying, scanning, and faxing.

What’s In A Name?

What does the MF in the MF8380Cdw's name stand for? Hey, watch your filthy mouth! It stands for "multifunction" — this printer scans, copies, faxes, and prints.

How about Cdw? "C" is for color, "d" is for duplex printing, which is the default setting on the Canon Color ImageClass MF8380Cdw, and "w" is for wireless connectivity.

The MF8380Cdw is a beefy printer weighing nearly 70 pounds. Buttons on the front panel access the printer's copy, scan, and fax functions, while a USB port on the front of the device allows for printing from a thumb drive. You can connect to the MF8380Cdw via USB, Ethernet, or Wi-Fi.

In an age of large, color touchscreen printer monitors, the ImageClass MF8380Cdw's five-line monochrome display is dated. But don't let the dinky-yet-functional monitor fool you — the Canon Color ImageClass MF8380Cdw is a heavy-hitting workhorse!

Overall, the Canon Color ImageClass MF8380Cdw is solidly mediocre. It's not the fastest printer, it doesn't produce the sharpest text or graphics, and its features are a bit limited. It's not the best at anything, but it's pretty good at everything, making it a good choice for a busy small office.

What Users Say About The Canon Imageclass MF8380Cdw

The Canon Imageclass MF8380Cdw scores a respectable 3.8 out of 5 stars on Google reviews but only manages a 2.9rating on Amazon. Users call the Canon Imageclass MF8380Cdw a "solid printer" with good performance and reasonable print costs.

From our perspective, the Canon Imageclass MF8380Cdw has aged well compared to other printers. Outdated monitor aside, the MF8380Cdw still represents a good value in multifunction color laser printers.

GGRussell offered a general complaint about Canon cartridges running out before they're empty. ("Most of the time, it isn't out of ink or toner.”) Other users concur, saying, "The printer toner cartridges claim they are low long before they begin to show any sign of decline in print quality."

Colin notes, "The scan to email function is not reliable. I think this is an issue with SSL certificates. The problem is that it will tell you it worked even when it has not. Makes the feature unsuitable for anything other than scanning within the office."

Some users had difficulty connecting the Canon MF8380Cdw to Apple-based networks. The printer "does not play friendly with Macs. I cannot use AirPrint on my iPad with this, and doing just about any print or scan job with a Mac is a solidly frustrating experience."

User heyzarling says, "I'd give [the Canon Imageclass MF8380Cdw] five stars, but the MAC connectivity issues are annoying to me." JNT concurs: "This printer has been nothing but heartburn on a Mac system.

The Intelligent Shopper suggests, "Since Canon recently introduced cloud printing, I am hoping this would get an update." Other complaints range from poor scanner software to "smelly toner."

If you have problems with your imageCLASS MF8380Cdw you can contact Canon.

Overall, the Canon MF8380Cdw has favorable customer feedback, especially considering the printer's age. While other twelve-year-old printers are cluttering landfills, the MF8380Cdw has proven itself a durable and dependable office machine.

Make Your MF8380Cdw Great Again

Reasonable running costs are the name of the game for the Canon ImageClass MF8380Cdw. According to PCMag.com, the MF8380Cdw's cost-per-page is 3.7 cents per monochrome page and 16.4 cents per color page, which is about average, though the Brother MFC-9970CDW and OKI MC561 both have lower running costs.

What turns the Imageclass MF8380Cdw from a good printer into a great one? Getting the lowest price possible on replacement toners!

Bring down your printing costs with original Canon 118 replacement toner cartridges from Toner Buzz, a trusted, reliable, and reputable retailer of genuine OEM printing supplies! What do you get an active twelve-year-old printer for its birthday? Toner, people, toner!

Toner Buzz offers a complete set of Canon 118 toners for your Canon Imageclass MF8380Cdw for $476 and individual cartridges for $119 each.

Considering you get 3,400 pages from a black cartridge and 2,900 pages from each of the colored cartridges, your average cost for a full-color printed page is a reasonable 15.8 cents if you're smart enough to buy from Toner Buzz!

Helpful Canon Resources

➜ Download the latest drivers for your Canon Imageclass MF8380Cdw here!

➜ Download the Canon Imageclass MF8380Cdw user manual here!

➜ Printer Review: HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M283fdw

➜ Printing Costs: How To Accurately Calculate Your Printing Cost Per Page

➜ The Ultimate Printer Cartridge (Toner & Ink) Buying Guide

➜ How to Check Printer Ink and Toner Levels (By Brand and By Platform)

➜ Toner Cartridges - Genuine OEM vs. Compatible vs. Remanufactured

Helpful Canon Videos

Canon MF Series WiFi Setup and Network Tutorial

Wi-Fi-Setup with a Windows PC for Canon imageCLASS

Canon Printer: Service Mode Factory Reset with Language and Firmware Update

Canon mf8000 series (mf8030cn) feeder roller change / paper jam

Canon ImageClass MF-8580Cdw Printer manual WiFi setup

Canon Imageclass MF8380Cdw Specs

Printer

Printing Method: Color Laser
Print Speed: Up to 10 ppm (2 -sided, plain paper letter), Up to 21 ppm (1-sided, plain paper letter)
Default Print Mode: 2-sided
First Print Time: Approx. 15.3/16.0 sec (black/color) (letter)
Print Resolution: Up to (600 x 600 dpi), (2400 x 600 dpi quality)
Toner Compatibility: Canon Cartridge 118 (Yields: 2,900 CMY/3,400 Black pages)
Maximum Monthly Duty Cycle: 40,000 pages
Printer Features: Printer Language: Canon UFR II LT (Host-based)
Print Modes: Poster, Booklet, Watermark, Toner Saver, Page Composer
Print Memory: 256MB (shared)
Paper Weights: 16 to 43 lbs. bond (cassette), 16 to 58 lbs. bond (multipurpose tray)
Output Tray Capacity: 125 sheets (facedown)

Copier

Copy Type: Color Laser
Copy Speed: Up to 10 ppm (2-sided, plain paper letter), Up to 21 ppm (1-sided, plain paper letter)
Copy Resolution: Up to 600 x 600 dpi
Halftones: 256 levels
Warm-up Time: Approx. 23 seconds
First Copy Time: Approx. 16.0/21.0 sec (black/color) (letter)
Reduction/Enlargement: 25%, 50%, 64%, 78%, 129%, 200%, 400%
Copy Features: Frame Erase, Memory Sort, 2 on 1, 4 on 1, ID Card Copy

Scanner

Scan Type: Color Contact Image Sensor (CIS)
Color Depth: 24-bit
Scan Resolution: Up to 600 x 600 dpi (optical), 9600 x 9600 dpi (software interpolated resolution)
Compatibility: TWAIN, WIA
Max. Document Size: Platen: Up to 8.5" x 11", ADF: 5.5" x 5" to 8.5" x 14"
Scan Features: Rotate, Push Scan, Pull Scan, Duplex Scan

Fax

Modem Speed: Up to 33.6 Kbps (Super G3)
Fax Resolution: Up to 406 x 391 dpi (ultra fine)
Transmission Time: Approx. 3 seconds per page
Memory Capacity: Up to 512 sheets
Speed Dials: 19 one-touch speed dials, 181 coded dials
Group Dialing: 199 destinations
Fax Features: PC Fax (sending only), Fax Forwarding, Dual Access, Remote Reception, ECM, DRPD (Distinctive Ring Pattern Detection), Auto Redial, Fax Activity/Result Reports, Fax Activity Management Reports

Connectivity

Standard Interface(s): USB 2.0 Hi-Speed, 10/100 Base-T Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wireless
Wi-Fi Setup: WPS, WCN, Push Button Configuration (PBC) One-touch WPS
Mobile Functions: Canon Mobile Printing, Canon Mobile Scanning for Business, Apple AirPrint, Mopria Print Service

General

Dimensions (W x D x H): 17.0" (W) x 19.2" (D) x 18.9" (H)
Unit Weight (without/with cartridge): 52.9 lbs. (w/o cartridge), 57.3 lbs. (w/cartridge)
Power Consumption: Max: Approx. 1320W, During Operation: Approx. 600W, Standby: Approx. 23W, Energy Saver: Approx. 5W
Noise Level: During Operation: 52 dB or less, Standby: 30 dB or less
Operating Environment: Temperature: 50-86°F, Humidity: 20-80% RH (no condensation)
Power Requirements: AC 120V, 60Hz, 8.5A
Safety Regulations: UL60950-1, FCC Part15 Class B, ENERGY STAR qualified
Warranty: 1 year limited exchange/carry-in warranty, 3-year limited warranty with exchange/carry-in (Extended warranty available)
OS Compatibility: Windows 8.1 (32-bit/64-bit), Windows 8 (32-bit/64-bit), Windows 7 (32-bit/64-bit), Windows Vista (32-bit/64-bit), Windows XP (32-bit/64-bit), Windows 2000, Mac OS X 10.4.9 & up, Linux (print only)
Standard Interface(s): USB 2.0 Hi-Speed, 10/100 Base-T Ethernet, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, USB Direct Print (PDF, JPEG, TIFF) One-Year Limited Warranty

Rob Errera

Rob Errera is an award-winning journalist embedded in the world of printers and printing supplies. Rob has nearly two decades of experience writing about cutting edge technology, business trends, and the ever-evolving industry of printing.