Anycubic Photon Mono M5 Review - Better than the M5s - WELL KINDA

[@FauxHammer]

Buy the Anycubic Photon M5s Here: geni.us/PhotonM5s Buy the Anycubic Photon M5 Here: geni.us/PhotonM5 Get any printer working easily with the Photonsters XP Range Finder - www.thingiverse.com/thing:6023738 (watch my video for full instructions kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZ6TXq1vbJannbs) Join this channel to get access to perks: kzbin.info/door/_9Jsf3SP8aMJgn0xv5jHjAjoin Buy WARGAMER - The best Resin for Miniatures yesthats3dprinted.com/pages/wargamer?ref=FauxHammer 3D Printer Cleaning Mat: geni.us/3DPrinterCleaningMat (This and all Amazon links in our video description are affiliate links. Clicking these and making any purchase will earn us a commission from Amazon at no cost to you)

[@highbornjase2412]

I was so close to pre ordering the m5s im glad i saw his real review in-time

[@FauxHammer]

glad you did too

[@papaplintus]

@@FauxHammer I was in the same boat. Was about to get the M5S but when with the D2 DLP instead.

[@xRaptorScreamx]

Wait and see the next video, I pre-ordered the M5s day one, and i'll wait for that video to see if I keep it or order the M5. The M5s with nFEP from M5 could be good middle ground, depending on prices too

[@xRaptorScreamx]

@@papaplintus D2 is really nice, but small build volume, and a lot slower, DLP still early stages for average consumers

[@trontekkenproductions2975]

your videos are great Ross, keep making and we will keep watching

[@agentcee688]

I pre-ordered the M5s for $399 a couple of months ago and I'm also getting a Wash and Cure system for free from Anycubic for pre-ordering so I'm happy. Its a bit of a bummer that there are issues with super fine detail but I bought this specifically for printing larger models so I doubt it'll be a problem for my purposes, I don't really care about speed so I'll just be using standard resin or the craftsman resin printing at layer heights of .03mm. At the time of pre-ordering the standard M5 wasn't even announced, but considering I only paid $399 I'm not losing sleep over not being able to get the M5 over the M5s. I also just recently ordered the cheaper Photon Mono 2 for my smaller prints. I'm currently using a Photon Mono S (which I'm gifting to my little sister) and the print quality is adequate for my needs so I suspect I'll be more than happy with the print quality I get from my M5s and Photon Mono 2 as I doubt they'll perform worse and in fact should be better. I think those two printers should be a pretty potent combo to handle a variety of different prints.

[@deejaywolf]

How come you get W&C 2.0 for free? :) I preordered it too (22th May) but I don't know about free W&C 2.0

[@agentcee688]

@deejaywolf I don't know why, probably a mistake in their system. I'm not complaining lol

[@rlira0908]

yeah, you're making sense with the question of does sharpness even matter if you're not using the high grade brittle resin... I'm still very happy with my purchase. I am still curious to see the difference between the M5s with the M5 vat though.

[@FauxHammer]

Yes exatly!

[@alanpreston1822]

Okay, I have officially finished two plates of prints on my M5S with the Anycubic high speed resin. I used the Anycubic slicer both time but I added supports in the program on the first plate and I used vendor provded engineered supports on the second. Both models were from Archvillain Games (AVG), who I support through Patreon and highly recommend. That being said, my previous printing was on a Mars 3 Pro. The M5S is indeed fast. I did a Oplite from AVG at 200% size, and the details are fantastic. It took 55 min. I did a series of the new Egyptian theme, this time smaller models. 5 up but I only was able to get two complete models off the plate. The Engineered supports were the cause of this as they gave up in areas mid print causing chaos warp levels of mutations to the other three models. Also, the build plate was almost impossible to separate from the rafts. The Anycubic program will make rafts like swiss cheese which are easier to remove. While the supports by Anycubic's slicer were more difficult to remove than the engineered ones from AVG, they weren't terribly difficult to remove. Also, the Anycubic high speed resin is very resilient on delicate parts. Nice bend capability before fracture. I haven't used standard FEP on this printer yet with a high resolution resin, but after two plates, I am not sure I need to for tabletop gaming, and will likely only keep an extra vat for shelf level statues. I am impressed, especially at the $399 early bird price point. One last thing, I performed a vat clean after the engineered supports failed, and it was simple and very straightforward. Everything else with the setup wasa as easy as can imagine. This is my first resin printer where I never performed a levelling prior to printing. I have also printed from the USB and from Wifi and both were straighforward. UPDATE: for small features on intricate minis you do encounter brittleness. I am taking thin small weapoms and sashes or capes.

[@slaik3088]

I've been using it at .01 at 2.8 and I can't see layer lines under a magnifying glass, it looks casted. The printer is incredible.

[@maxpower8080]

Your revievs are really good, love your channel

[@FauxHammer]

Thank you very much!

[@netnoob77]

Lol. Now it makes sense why the prints shown by various reviewers didn't look as crisp as the 8k printers. So, from non-working AA on some of their models, Anycubic now decides to have their new printer have AA permanently on. This solution probably works for most users, but for some, we prefer to have the option to either apply AA or not. These new 12k printers are looking quite disappointing tbh. It doesn't look like they offer superior print quality. Unless speed is a priority, better to just pick up an 8k printer on offer right now before they are sold out.

[@peterkiss1204]

Is it possible to turn off the anti-aliasing feature in case you want to print something practical with as much sharpness as possible? And is it utilizing a silent stepper driver? Does the fan at the bottom run constantly or is it controlled dynamically?

[@jason.miles31]

Why do you always pour the resin over the build plate instead of pouring it directly into the vat?

[@bergamt]

Fancy resin drip b-roll

[@justhereforthalolz]

It's just for show. If you do this, you're likely to get a lot of splash compared to just dumping directly into the VAT which is a pain to clean up. I'd never do it, even for show. Not worth the mess.

[@glenmicallef8559]

Agreed

[@DisgruntledPigumon]

It actually does have a use. It breaks up tiny bubbles that are formed after you shake your resin before pouring (as EVERYONE should do). 😅 I usually run my build-plate up and down in the vat quite a few times to get rid of bubbles if possible.

[@onihensen]

Also when you’re low you won’t have to take the build plate off to pour the last little bit in

[@zackarybrown6752]

Super excited for the demystifying of the any cubic RERF exposure test.

[@4340leo]

At least now i have a clue on the surface sharpness. It was hard to understand why my M3 Premium prints looks sharper and actually better than the prints of my new M5. Thanks!

[@stevenjones797]

The part about “smoothness” is VERY interesting. I build injection molding air/spacecraft so accessory, geometric parts need smoothness over details usually

[@DisgruntledPigumon]

Great review. I agree with the whole 4K/8K/12K screen size not mattering, but even PPI is resolution. So I guess my original argument way back was with your wording of it. Screen resolution absolutely does matter, as long as it’s expressed in pixels per inch or microns per inch, similar to regular 2d printers (all ppi). I have to say I agree with Anycubic’s decision to optimize their built in anti-aliasing… I’d go as far as to call it something different, anti-voxel/layer-line-ing (ok maybe not) because it seems to work really well and gives the majority of people the intended outcome. I think only Vogman (hey VM!!) still says he prefers the voxel clarity on his prints over the smooth detailed surface AA provides. We’ve hit a sub 25 micron sweet spot, that gives us basically Injection molded quality parts on relatively inexpensive printers, in larger build sizes, even with the tougher resins…. I think we can be satisfied for now until DLP catches up to surface quality and build size.

[@ulyssesmonteiro5403]

Thank you for saying everything

[@CatLife0]

My M5s was just delivered today. Can't wait to see if using the M5 FEP makes a difference. Are the vats the same so you can simply transfer one to the other?

[@redacted5406]

Please let us know.

[@vegaserik44]

I'd be curious about this as well. Can you just use the m5 vat on the m5s?

[@jessestridge5708]

Is there a technical reason you pour the resin on the back of the build plate? bubbles or just for youtube?

[@TheGoatPC]

Were you not able to lower printer light intensity directly in the printer settings? I know my Mono x 6K and my photon mono 4k do this.

[@slaik3088]

Ive been using the m5s and i have had absolutely zero detail issues and have had no texture problems.

[@FauxHammer]

i never said it was a bad printer, only that when you compare it to others at the tiniest detail values it's not capable of rendering the same as last gen printers. Out of interest, what are you printing and with what resin though? and what other printer are you comparing to?

[@slaik3088]

@FauxHammer I never implied you did, I'm just stating that I've been having no issues and have been enjoying the hell out of it. But yea I've been using the craftsman resin, I've done both .05 and .01. At .05, under a magnifying glass, I can see very subtle layer lines under a light, but I cannot feel them, and paint doesn't show them. At .01, I swear to God you would think it was a casted model. I also have the "matte" option disabled. I've printed a few 40k figures and some large statues using the entire height and width that the m5s allows. Currently I'm testing speeding up the printer so I can find out how fast I can get it to go before I get quality loss or failure. I compared it to a friends m3 and another's elagoo.

[@dr.nordstrom5774]

Printing at 30u is usually enough to balance the resolution diffusion through the AFP with the potential for greater detail because of the lower peel force. This is not yet possible with the 8K printers in the same price range. The big annoyance will be replacing the vats, but one other issue with the 8K nFEP is that they micro-scratch with even the gentlest effort to agitate and evenly distribute the pigments and activators in most of the resins ... so, even though they may keep going, you are losing resolution ... just like AFP at 50u.

[@mikeb6535]

Isn't the light intensity setting on the unit's menu interface? That's why changing it via Chitubox didn't work.

[@clydeterry2289]

😊😊 I just bought this printer off of your site❤❤ Thanks a lot.

[@pablofiasco2]

thanks for the vid, and the extensive testing you do!

[@jmdepaula]

Hello, I have an M5s and I saw your videos about the M5s and this one. For me, detailing is important, I would even say mandatory. Can I use the M5 FEP on my M5s? Do I need to change any settings on the slicer? I print things for plastic modeling in 1/72 scale, detailing is very important. Thanks for your help.

[@Emtbtoday]

The validation matrix prints remind me of levelling my saturn 2 having to do that weird raise 0.001mm after it was homed to have the levelling card move slightly in between the screen and plate! Has me thinking now wondering if this m5s has changed the way of anycubics bed levelling to non moving levelling paper to making sure you have a friction moving levelling paper? Try it whats the harm!

[@onihensen]

Trying to figure out a mix with the anycubic tough and abslike

[@drwoo]

​I've been recently in contact with a chinese supplier of an ACF competitor, called NBO film (Nano Bionic Oxygen film). Fast-release, but clearer than ACF. Suggested to provide samples to @FauxHammer.

[@Hateweek1984]

The rerf test, do they have one for the photon mono X6? Haven't been able to fine one for that model

[@017theduke]

Well....cant wait any longer for your M5s comparison review. Amazons prime day has them for $433. Buying it now.

[@FauxHammer]

You made a good call

[@Emtbtoday]

I wemt for the saturn 2 just now as the M5 release date for UK was Late August so I'll wait amd see now as this saturn 2 is my first away from Anycubic but wanted to try something different.

[@netnoob77]

At the price Saturn 2 is presently going for, it's a steal. Since these new 12k printers don't seem to be offering better print quality (if Anycubic's are any indication), the 8k printers look to be a smarter choice.

[@AndyAndyAndy11111]

Lol yeah same. I was considering the M5, M5S, Saturn 3, and Saturn 3 Ultra. Everything I’ve seen about these printers has just convinced me to save myself some money and get a Saturn 2 which has arguably better print quality

[@Cut_Snake]

Hi @FauxHammer, I posted this same question on one of your shorts a few weeks ago, but not sure that you saw it, so re-posting hear hoping to catch your attention ahead of the next video. I too have a preorder in for the M5s and am keenly awaiting this comparison to determine whether or not to cancel the preorder outright, or instead ask to swap it for the regular M5. Whilst the debate at the moment seems to be on ACF vs FEP, and whether or not swapping to FEP will solve the detail loss, there is another question I'm hoping you can answer… In Vog's review, he mentioned not being able to print small things on the M5s without needing to put a massive raft under it. I am wondering if this problem is also solved by swapping out the ACF film, or if this is a separate issue being caused by the auto-leveling? Like most here I am a miniature printer and care about detail, not speed. So the ACF vs FEP debate is an important one to solve as it relates to detail. But even if we all end up swapping out our vats to print better detail, if small objects are still not sticking to the build plate because of the auto-leveling then the M5s printer could still be problematic for us. Things like printing individual arms or guns at 28mm scale could still be a nightmare regardless of the ACF vs FEP question…. Hoping you can test this issue as well?

[@666Azmodan666]

I also ordered but I saw a test of clear film vs hazy on another printer and the difference is, look for photos on the web, not necessarily on YT.

[@TheCraftySmith89]

I will say i got the m5 based off a bunch of research which included your videos. I found that my resin tank has a clear lining on the bottom where as the one in your video looked frosted? The laser etching was also slightly different so im wondering if they upgraded some of the internals

[@edwardgarciagou2346]

A question: Where can the stl file for the cloud strife model be purchased from?

[@thisisashan]

Was kinda hoping you'd release the video on the m5 vat on the m5s to see if it improves the prints. That semi-transparent FEP film doesn't seem like a good idea for a light curing resin.

[@FauxHammer]

Watch Tuesdays video. I needed this video to cater for people just looking at the M5 in months from not.

[@thisisashan]

@@FauxHammer I did. My comment is because you said you were going to make a different video commenting on if the m5 FEP in the M5S produced better print quality.

[@FauxHammer]

@@thisisashan yes, that’s Tuesdays video. This coming Tuesday. Not last Thesday

[@thisisashan]

@@FauxHammer Oh ok. :) Just looking forward to it. Thank you for doing all this for us to learn from.

[@leojames7331]

I'm a complete beginner in need of some help. I'm looking to 3D print chess pieces but time is important. The Mono M5 says it can print at 10sec per hour, but does that mean that if my cad design has multiple chess pieces wthin the build space as opposed to just one, then it would be able to produce multiple pieces at 10sec/per hour? Thanks

[@_Kerberos_]

Don't worry, we don't all miss the affiliate links/codes! I used your discount code for my Uniformation GK Two!

[@TAnthonyMarotta]

How are you printing 8 exposure tests of that model at once with different exposure settings?? The model link provided is to a single model and I don't see a "per model" exposure setting in Anycubic Workshop/Lychee or Chitubox. Have you customized your own R_E_R_F? This is the second video that I've seen you do this and I am full of envy. Thanks in advance for a reply - sorry if it has already been asked/answer, I can't find a comment search.

[@FauxHammer]

I have a video coming out next week showing everyone. It’s hard to explain

[@lukeelbourn7367]

Do you know what screws this takes to hold the VAT down as mine have broken and can't find information anywhere?

[@ALemonDemon]

Could you do a video comparing afc to nfep on a normal printer?

[@FauxHammer]

Watch Next Week's video

[@ALemonDemon]

@@FauxHammer can't wait

[@jon007agent]

it seems weird to make aa a always on feature and not a toggle :/. what does it look like if you then add aa to a print in the slicer? does it get more smooth?

[@johnhinkey5336]

Any idea if the ACF film is causing resolution reduction on the M5s? I haven't had a chance to test this on my Mars 3 Pro though I have the ACF film and will try to fit this in in the next few weeks.

[@RubiGamingx]

I’ve recently got my M5 and it seems like out of the box the FEP was damaged, do you have any good printing settings for recommendations? I want to see if it’s the fep or the actual print settings.

[@FauxHammer]

Please watch my how to print miniatures video

[@RubiGamingx]

@@FauxHammer thank you 🙏🏻 very much I was actually able to learn from it & got my prints working perfectly!

[@petercallison5765]

@FauxHammer Phrozen claims the ACF they sell is 300 μm so 2-3 times the thickness of FEP. Anycubic does not tell you what theirs is. If you get the chance, can you find out what the Anycubic one is. Then can I have your opinion on the effect of the thickness. Does the extra stiffness affect the peel forces?

[@the_arcanum]

Ross mentioned it in a previous comment IIRC : they're both from the same manufacturer.

[@CatLife0]

This is direct from Anycubic.. "M5s uses ACF film with a thickness of 0.3mm and a frosted bottom. Compared with the FEP release film with a smooth surface of 0.15mm"

[@christianknaack4190]

In this price area couldnt they install the screen protector?

[@farscape3100]

no one seems to show you what you have to do when it comes to changing the fep sheets, on the m5

[@FauxHammer]

Unscrew the base. Put new sheet in the frame screw if back in. Nobody shows it because nobody wants to do it unless they absolutely must

[@MrFilipinoPinoy]

Dude's nod to Spider Verse got me a solid hit

[@Gromic2k]

Mybe they added the antialiasing to hide the nasty stepping effect that was visible on flat surfaces on the M5s. Or does nat make no sense when it comes from the screen?

[@peterkiss1204]

The whole point of anti-aliasing is to hide the jagged edges on the prints. It always "comes from the screen".

[@tristanc2271]

Question: Do smaller printers tend to be sharper? Or can you get the same quality of sharp prints on a larger build plate? (I want to be able to print out minis and cosplay props)

[@FauxHammer]

You need to look at a printers XY pixel size as a general metric to compare printers. If you have a small 8k printer then yes. It's shatoervthan a larger 8k printer. But a very large 8k is generally worse than most small 4k printers

[@MaciejSwic]

Does the M5 vat fit on the M5s? Got the M5s to be able to print fast, but also want the option of better detail with the other film.

[@FauxHammer]

Yes, they’re identical

[@1Viewer_]

Feels like most printers have good details now. But are there printers with smell remover and a tube for the exhaust? I want a printer but I have a very smal "office" and small childern... Not sure I can find one that is safe? I saw the new creality one(halot) but it seemed so bad.. I might have to wait a few more years.. Anyone with some tips?

[@FauxHammer]

Yes, the Elegoo series now all come with internal carbon filters and an optional vent which you can use to pump fumes outside or into the upcoming Mars Mate

[@1Viewer_]

Really, I'll look more into those models :) Thank you for the reply

[@phreshxmetal]

Great info, thanks! I just got my m5s and its working great, but each time i print the screen says "auto-check | check terminated" Is this normal behavior?

[@FauxHammer]

if i remember right it then goes on to print? if it;s printing yeah that sounds normal. not the best languge though. complete would be abetter word than terminated.

[@phreshxmetal]

I really appreciate the fast reply! I swear you're more helpful than anycubic support 😂 Yes, it goes on to print and is working flawlessly, just thought it was a strange message to get

[@Emtbtoday]

I'll be buying the saturn 3 or the ultra next week so I'll see if can use your links mate im still deciding what to go for the saturn 3 or the 3 ultra! I was going to get an M5s but love my saturn 2 so much to my anycubics so probably be the elegoo it's just a nice user experience with the saturn 2 8k so going back with elegoo

[@FauxHammer]

get the ultra, just finished writing up my review

[@thediscoman2001]

i have a question iv just sent back the elagoo 3 ultra wasnt impressed at all with it i hade more failed printds than ones that worked, i dont print minatures i use it for priting bike stupp i design but the ammount of money iv waisted in failed prints is unreal iv done all the test prints and they where fine just problems with supports breaking off so i gave up in the edn, im thinking of buying two of these im not intrested in speed its realiability i after

[@FauxHammer]

Between these two. I’d get another Elegoo Saturn 3 Ultra. Sorry if this comes across as harsh. But if your supports are breaking. The problem is your supports. Not enough or just too small. It may also be that your exposure is still too low… different resins have different elasticity

[@highbornjase2412]

Noob question but why do you pour the resin onto the build plate instead of the vat

[@farscape3100]

its to help the print stick to the bed better, the resin runs underneath the plate

[@hoohaa559]

Did you get round todoing the video on performing the RERF test, no idea how to assign times to each of the panels

[@FauxHammer]

Yes, mate, I actually made it live yesterday. TLDR, you can't do that, but here's the video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/oX7NeZWsbJJ8hM0

[@hoohaa559]

@@FauxHammer HA no way man ! Timing !! got some layer lines and need it dialling in, 0.05mm with a 2 sec exposure setting

[@FauxHammer]

@ if layer lines. Lower your layer height, and/or add some image blur. If voxel lines. Image blur should do the trick.

[@hoohaa559]

@@FauxHammer thanks for the info mate ! but sadly its the exact same, layer lines just like before and a lot longer print time

[@FauxHammer]

@@hoohaa559 what printer?

[@emilcost8613]

Your reviews are simply the best. I had one suggestion I wanted to mention before watching this review, but it wasn't an issue in this one. My only small gripe is that the out of focus to in focus scenes hurt my brain so I was closing my eyes to avoid the pain. This video had none of this and I was happy. The effect could be faster from blurry to sharp and I'm sure I could tolerate it better. Please don't take offense at me mentioning this, as your videos are the standard of excellence. Thanks for listening!

[@dylanv5854]

Can you please tell me if the resin vat for the M5 is the same size as the M5s? Does the vat from the M5 fit into the m5s? Thanks.

[@FauxHammer]

identical vat

[@dylanv5854]

@@FauxHammer Thanks friend, very much appreciated!

[@calgarn059]

Little bit off topic, but have you used Anycubic's ABS Like + resin? I know you really recommend the DLP resin, but it's more expensive and I'm looking to print large items. Would you recommend it?

[@Abraksas112]

the ABS-like+ is the only resin I've been using these last couple of months. I recently ordered a 25 kg batch. It's high detail and not brittle at all

[@kueppe]

Abs like is the way.

[@xRaptorScreamx]

I'm still not sure what to choose between the M5 and M5s, other printers with similar build size wont be as detailed because of the resolution. So basically it's a "battle" between the 2 for me. Elegoo Saturn 3 has more vertical build space, but for some reason, i dont like it, and it's more expensive

[@paranoidpanzerpenguin5262]

The m5s's "self leveling" build plate sucks ass and makes prints worse. Hope that helps!

[@xRaptorScreamx]

@@paranoidpanzerpenguin5262 how do you know that? None of all the videos/posts I saw, had that as an issue

[@paranoidpanzerpenguin5262]

@@xRaptorScreamx Because I had it. Also... one of the reviewers on youtube mentioned that small prints would fail on it unless he put a large raft around the prints, it's because of the auto leveling. There's no auto "leveling" or tramming involved, it just squishes the plate into the screen which is mounted on springs until the screen is approximately "level" for the initial layers. I tested it with paper and it's tight as hell and uneven, not properly leveled like you would do manually. It's like ramming the hotend into the build plate of a prusa style FDM printer and saying that it has auto leveling. It squishes the initial layers and causes print failures. I'm sure reviewers got cherry picked units with good, flat build plates too, because I didn't. I expect to see a lot of complaints about it once more people start getting normal production units. A properly leveled build plate wouldn't have failed at all. The only good thing I can say is that the print fail detection does work and it caught the multiple failed prints it had. If that, ACF film, and potential headaches are worth the extra $100 over the regular M5 to you then go for it, otherwise I would just get the regular m5 or one of the Saturn 3s. The Saturn 3 and 3 Ultra have an extra 60mm of Z-axis height too. It's worth more than the print fail detection imo but the regular saturn 3 has that dumb ball joint leveling system

[@xRaptorScreamx]

@@paranoidpanzerpenguin5262 Since I preordered it, i got it at the same price as the M5, i'll wait a bit more to get some info if I keep it or cancel and get the M5. I dont want Saturn, it's 110$ more expensive, even with the extra Z height

[@smokehead5318]

Do You plan to review mars 4 ultra 9k or mars 4 9k?

[@FauxHammer]

Yep, both of them if they ever turn up

[@smokehead5318]

@@FauxHammer what does it mean? I thought they are waiting for the review :)

[@TomasBelen-f4u]

Hi! first of all it´s a really good video about this printer. I just wanna add something to the comment you do around the 10:20 min of the video about not been able to use the R.E.R.F feature because of slicing in Chitubox. I used to do it in a Photon Mono X and in a Photon Mono X 6K , slicing in Chitubox and saving the file with the name (written by had when saving) "R_E_R_F.pwmx" with 200ms intervals for the first printer and "R_E_R_F 6K.pwmb" with 250ms interval for the second one. Maybe there´s a way to change the file name after slicing and saving with Chitubox for this printer?

[@behrouzmolaei96]

Can i use craftsman resin with m5s?

[@danielmontgomery8011]

How did you get that exposure for the rerf? I can't seem to edit the rerf that my m5 came with.

[@FauxHammer]

You use the Anycubic Slicer and just save it withthe same file name with 8 objects within the invisible grid of 2x4

[@danielmontgomery8011]

@@FauxHammer I've been like watching videos and reading stuff for like 2 days and that's all it takes? 😅😅 thank you!

[@FauxHammer]

@@danielmontgomery8011 I should make a video.

[@JC02102]

What's the rationale for big jumps on your best 3d printer list? Is that just you figuring out more about them over time? e.g. M3 Premium

[@FauxHammer]

What do you mean by “big jumps”?

[@JC02102]

​@@FauxHammer One part poor choice of words, another part not just pulling up an older list to reference. The specific example I was thinking of was the M3 Premium now being #2, overtaking the Mini 8K S and D2 (most recent old list I can find in archive is from June 24, saying last updated June 5). Seems like the Saturn 2 did a similar overtake. Also, having 2 lists up, I noticed the M3 Premium now has the Mini 8K S stats and both the Mini 8K S and Mini 8K now have a Print Volume Y dim of 720 (mm).

[@stormycatmink]

To be honest, I'd much rather get rid of layer and voxel lines than double the sharpness beyond like, 50um. So, glad I just got my M5S in. I'm assuming the quality won't be noticeably worse for just making miniatures.

[@FauxHammer]

You can do that by enabling Antiailiasing. Check out @Dennys Wang videos on how to calibrate a printer for best aa settings. That will solve layer and Voxel lines on any modern printer.

[@stormycatmink]

@@FauxHammer THis would be replacing my Anycubic Mono X, so I'm expecting a decent upgrade, since that was plenty sharp enough for me. I also have a D2 I've not had much chance to toy with, due to work, so if I need sharpness, that should work too. But I think either will give me fine minis.

[@YeeKongChan]

I agree. Comparing how many K is confusiong and misleading. Printer companies should start to describe their printer's resolution in pixel size.

[@canalfalamatheus]

I think ill be waiting till November to choose

[@FauxHammer]

don't blame you, that would allow some others to enter the consideration too. but mum's the word.

[@brib9716]

Is the GKtwo still tops in your opinion?

[@FauxHammer]

Easily, I've tested the Saturn 3 also.

[@Loddog]

@@FauxHammer i cant find Review on the Saturn 3 and in your List the 2 is Saturn 2 is recommended but the question is: is the Saturn 3 better than the 2 ? so would the Saturn 3 be the new Spot Number 5 in your List ? thanks Faux !

[@mackbolan1733]

Thanks for the video and sharng your results aswell as the information given by Anycubic. I feel that it is a poor path to take making AA a feature of the hardware, rather than allowing full control of this feature in the slicer. Now I'm even more glad I cancelled my pre-order of the M5s and instead ordered the Elegoo Saturn 3 Ultra 12K (I hope they haven't done the same thing with AA). I really wish Anycubic was still selling the M3 Premium 8K...that is a really good printer...

[@Gromic2k]

They probably added that AA to hide the strong stepping effect that the screen causes. Which was clearly visible in the M5s video

[@mackbolan1733]

@@Gromic2k Agreed...a bit of damage control, in more ways than one...

[@666Azmodan666]

@@Gromic2k 19x24um pixels and you can still see them so the AA is so faint it's practically non-existent. The S3 Ultra, despite the better light and film, does not look any better and the film itself I saw that makes a big difference. This AA is also software, so it's possible that if the community reacts, they will release software with aa turned off.

[@LaBigodera]

M5 resin vat is compatible with the m5s?

[@FauxHammer]

Yep, same thing

[@2headedsnail]

Where is the rerf video

[@Wweuniverse.mainevents]

M5 or saturn 4 in your opinion wich one you like for best result ?

[@FauxHammer]

Saturn 4, easily.

[@Wweuniverse.mainevents]

Thankyou il go for satun 😁 did you see any diference from saturn 4 and 4ultra due to new relese film ?

[@FauxHammer]

@@Wweuniverse.mainevents Yah, PCA is slightly sharper. I prefer PFA

[@balkenkreuz2063]

I’m honestly a bit more confused now, lol. I didn’t pull the trigger on the mini 8ks during the promo window because I thought this was going to blow it out of the water, but so far, even tho reviews are not bad, the m5s seems to be an “inferior” printer. Sure , it has some cool features, decent printing area, and got it for $399 with a bottle of fast resin. However, I’m starting to think of I wouldn’t had been better off with the mono 2 😅

[@kueppe]

Be safe and buy the Saturn 3 ;) Elegoo has far better customer service.

[@rmfberry261]

that is really interesting they choose to go with a hardware aa vs a software. it really makes the printer less versatile. the only case i think this is good is if the software aa isn't capable with the same level of aa as the hardware implementation.

[@peterkiss1204]

As they have full control over their file format and what information the sliced file contains there shouldn't be any limitations on software implemented AA. The slicer should calculate the subpixel information and generate slices which don't need further AA processing by the hardware.

[@jerrywheatley5509]

can i use it for dental technology?

[@FauxHammer]

anything can be used as dental technology if you;re brave enough!

[@jsrogers6464]

Question .. shopping for my first 3d printer. Is it ok to let a print stay on the build plate over night? Say I started a print at 2pm, could I leave it there til 5am?

[@FauxHammer]

I leave them on for days when I’m busy

[@Nightscape_]

I could care less about print time and just want the best looking details possible. I do wish the build plate was a couple inches larger. I wanted to at least double the size of the build plate from my Photon Mono 2 to justify upgrading.

[@larry7236]

there is something that does not quite convince me, so I am going to have to omit these printers

[@hxdt1107]

Because of you I changed my order 1 month ago from the M5s to the "normal" M5. I just need good prints, the speed doesn´t matter for me :) Thank you

[@FernandoCarril]

Why not m3 then ?

[@hxdt1107]

@@FernandoCarril to be honest: i didnt had that on my list. Was looking for the M5S and didnt look further. 😀

[@echo-hotel]

How do you even talk to them? They canceled my order simply because they had too many difficulties with English…

[@TunneLVisioN42]

So mate, I know you've done a lot of testing here, and It's enjoyable to see someone being more technical as the 3D printer space becomes more "Mainstream" and a lot of content creators just print a model, do very little technical work or break down and basically just advertise that as a good consumer you should buy the new printer. But, I'm sorry to say. You're wrong on the ACF film, that is not what was causing your woes with the XP2 Validator showing signs of both under and over exposure, I have had a Saturn 2 for some time, it has given me a lot of grief, even with sirayatech NFEP and a good amount of slack, it would tear things apart and the peel force was insane, I purchased ACF film direct from Phrozen and installed it, I ran calibration tests for dimensional accuracy like the XP2, like the Ameralabs tiny town, and J3D's cubes, and I can promise you that you would be unable to tell which was printed with NFEP and which with ACF film besides the fact that ACF film comes out more matte, thats it. One other thing to consider as an influencer, the ACF Film makes absolutely no peel force or sound, even on large hollow cross sections ( a Warhammer sized tank) this is absolutely outstanding and it's going to be a major boon for Novices that aren't the best at supporting yet, they are going to get MANY less failures. I cannot tell you what you were running into with the M5s but I have no reason to think from my own experiences that it is ACF film, if you wanna contact me and have me run any tests on a Saturn 2 with ACF I would be happy to. Sorry to throw a wrench in the gears of your troubleshooting.

[@darwking8188]

Great intro. Have to say it was worth it for just that

[@FauxHammer]

haha, i;m doing it again on next week's video. I wonder who will see where i was inspired.,

[@CGDreamsTutorials]

Thanks.

[@xXKisskerXx]

I agree with calling them a standard micron size of a printer, and using the Worst of the XY values to do it. I also agree that no one, with just the naked eye, can tell the difference between a 33micron and 29micron print. I personally appreciate the insane level of testing you do - thank you. They help quickly (for us in review) identify issues and possible solutions, and goes through the story of what you already tried, so if anyone else has any ideas - they can feel free to chime in. Again, thank you.

[@FauxHammer]

Thanks kindly

[@dkev0]

I cringe every time you pour your resin over the top of the build plate.

[@dishierosprey2798]

Maybe its the necessary?

[@zackarybrown6752]

I think it's a way of mixing that reduces bubbles maybe?

[@orishavit]

Have you heard of our lord and savior, mesh filter???

[@ericwheelhouse4371]

Get over it

[@justhereforthalolz]

Whoever told him that it's energy, not light, should literally have been fired on the spot. Replacing the FEP does fix it's issues at the cost of slower prints which defeats the purpose of the printer in the first place which is speed. But if u have 2 trays ready to roll, who cares :D Use one for speed and the other for the finished product.

[@ingoliebig6206]

You still get the benefit of failure detection and resin fill-calculation, right?

[@FauxHammer]

Not on the m5. but if you swap to FEP on the M5s, yes you do

[@FauxHammer]

agreed!

[@markburton5292]

@@FauxHammer sounds like i will be swapping to the nfep. I ordered this m5s printer to replace the epax e10 8k i have. i always seem to have issues with that printer with strange print aberrations on it. has done this since day one. I think its due to they way the made the screen it appears to be two 4k screens with no border. not sure if that's it but i get strange blobs in some prints and adhesion issues one side will adhere fine and the other side doesn't or its to hard(overexposed) on one side and fine on the other. the exposure isnt uniform when i try printing two test prints so really as long as it is giving me decent prints i will be happy. wonder if there is a way to turn off the automatic aa that it does though.

[@mad_wolf9636]

On M5 very bad film out of the box. Cloudy. My film was tensioned to 175Hz. No one success print at this time. Waiting for ordered normal nFEP. On my other Anycubic printers was same issues. Replacing a film solved 80% problems, even if use anycubic's FEP, but properly tensioned.

[@TheCombatartist]

If you’re in the “historical/military” genre of miniatures, the sharper the detail the better. I haven’t entered the arena of 3d printing as of yet, and am not sure I want to at my age (60+), but I am interested in understanding the processes involved so I can order miniatures from freelance designers and printers. Thank you for making this information comprehensible for this Boomer 👍🏻

[@ROMCOM309]

I pushed my father in law into 3d printing as I was getting worried when he retired he'd sit around, do nothing and have no purpose. You're already in the hobby so why not?

[@Marorrai]

Never too old!

[@polaco1243]

Beside the price and the "12K" resolution (24micron)... The M3 Premium (28,5 micron) looks better...

[@FauxHammer]

It is. Much better.

[@tonberryhunter]

Im not sure you understand how most plastic parts are made. If they come on a parts tree they are injection molded. Almost all toys and figures are injection molded or 2 part molded in some way not vacuum formed. Vacuum forming is limited to thin walled plastic parts. I cant think of any toys or figures that are actually vacuum formed.

[@FauxHammer]

i'm not sure what you mean? I know how HHIPS works.. What do Vacum formed plastics have to do with anything?

[@kurogiza]

I think they are referring to 7:16 where you say "you know the vacuum form stuff that you usually get on sprues".

[@Fidhrrjdjejd]

Who won the 3d printer for 50k views.

[@FauxHammer]

nobody yet

[@Fidhrrjdjejd]

👍

[@666Azmodan666]

we already know that a more transparent film gives a sharper detail... so the m5s is still the best choice.