Kyocera TASKalfa 265ci review

Kyocera’s TASKalfa 265ci is aimed at SMBs and workgroups, and is the first A4 model in the range.

It feels built to last, and the 4.3in colour LCD touch screen is more solid than that of Dell’s B5465dnf. Running costs are also among the lowest in the industry, with a mono page costing 0.7p and a colour page costing only 3.5p.

The claimed 26ppm colour and mono speeds are achievable across a range of complex documents, and we recorded a time to first page of around ten seconds. Scans were equally nippy; a ten-page colour document took 30 seconds.

Text quality is impeccable, with prints exhibiting razor-sharp characters across a range of font sizes. Mono photos were detailed and largely free from banding.

Colour prints were just as detailed. Complex fades showed no discernible stepping, and grey shades using equal mixes of C, M and Y were faithfully reproduced.

The intuitive control panel makes light work of scan, copy and fax operations. You can scan directly to email, FTP, SMB and USB sticks, but web destinations such as Google’s Cloud Print aren’t supported. Prints from USB sticks are fast: an eight-page colour leaflet took 45 seconds.

Kyocera’s HyPAS allows businesses to create custom apps to smooth out document-management workflows. SmartScan and SmartFax apps are already available for download and all HyPAS apps require the optional 4GB CompactFlash card, which costs around £25.

The Kyocera looks expensive, but since it’s only available via a reseller service contract, the RRP doesn’t come into play. Those looking to buy outright should consider Kyocera’s FS-C2626MFP instead, which is identical save for a lower price and higher running costs. If a service contract appeals, though, the 265ci is a more suitable choice.