Anycubic Photon Mono M5 Printing Size of 7.87'' x 8.58'' x 4.84'' 12K Resin 3D Printer with 10.1'' HD Monochrome Screen

photon mono M5 review

I’ve had a standard Photon (hereafter just Photon) for a few months and decided to get a second printer. I decided on the Photon S. To cut to the chase I like it and I think the extra cost is definitely worth it.

Why?

If this is your first resin or SLA printer then you should know there is a remarkably smaller learning curve than FDM or filament style printers which usually, depending on the printer, require much more work to dial in prints and more frequent maintenance on the machine itself. Resin printers, specifically these AnyCubic brand models, are very easy to get into and get quality prints from time after time. With a bit of time spent learning slicing techniques, hollowing (if needed), and supporting, you can get mind blowing results. I recommend joining one of the Photon or Photon S Facebook groups and searching Photon on YouTube. These are excellent resources to find tutorials and troubleshooting help should you need it. And of course Anycubic’s friendly and responsive customer support is fantastic.

The Photon is a great printer at its price point. If you’re a wargamer or tabletop RPG player this is the gateway to shelves of amazing quality miniatures for prices as cheap as, or cheaper, than the lowest quality muddy detail minis you can find. Its amazing what these machines can do.

So what does the Photon S offer over the Photon? Three things; faster, quieter, better prints.

Print times are cut down by about 10% due to a more “powerful” UV light. So you’ll be able to pump out prints faster.

The z-motor (up and down axis) on the Photon S is significantly quieter than the Photon. I was 5’ from it while printing and had to really listen to hear it move. And the fan was about as loud as a computer sitting idle. The Photon is more a case of you getting use to the sound and it becoming background noise. More likely you’ll put your Photon in spare room. The Photon S could be in your living room and you wouldn’t even notice it working unless you turned everything off a really listened for it. I see many 3D hobbyists say that their family complains about noise pollution. The Photon S is your “green” solution.

Lastly and most importantly is quality. The Photon S has dual Z slide rails as opposed to a single rail on the Photon. What does that mean? The only movement both printers make is up and down. One axis, the Z. The Photon with a single rail is like an in-line roller skate. If you push it forward and backward it is very likely to lean slightly from side to side. This is called Z wobble and it is bad. Think about your print like a stack of pancakes. You want those pancakes laid down perfectly, one on top of the next with no overhang on any side (sometimes you do want overhang but only when you, or your print for that matter, calls for it. Not because the build plate shifted slightly). Back to the roller skate analogy if the Photon is an in-line skate then the Photon S is a traditional roller skate with a wheels like a car. Push it back and forth and no lean. Those gorgeous pancakes get laid down right where you want them. That means no layer shift and those small details on your print come out just how you want. The Photon can be upgraded to dual rail slides with aftermarket parts for around $140. That’s very nearly the price difference between the Photon and the Photon S. And its already installed and ready.

There’s also better air filtration, slightly easier leveling, and some other small details I’m forgetting. The Photon is an excellent machine. The Photon S has all the most desirable upgrades done for you for less than it would likely cost you to do them yourself.

Absolutely worth the money.

【10.1’’ 12K High Resolution】Anycubic Photon Mono M5 boasts a 10.1-inch monochrome LCD screen with 11520*5120 resolution, bringing model details to life with near-microscopic precision. Additionally, the impressive contrast ratio of 480:1, ensuring that the edges well-defined

【Anycubic APP】With the Anycubic APP, users can achieve online slicing, one-click printing, and monitor printing progress from their smartphones. The APP also supports OTA online upgrades, enabling to unlock new features anytime, anywhere. And the practical help center allows to view tutorials at any time to enhance printing experience

【Upgraded Slicer Software】Anycubic Photon Workshop 3.1 offers an improved slicing experience in punching, supporting, shelling, and layout arranging. The new support algorithm reduces damage to the model surface, making support and bottom valve removal easier. In additional, the software allows for one-click repair of damaged models and significantly improves slicing speed, resulting in a more user-friendly experience

【Stable print structure】Photon Mono M5 Adopts a high-stability and precision dual linear rails lead screw Z axis, combined with a high-wear-resistant POM clearance nut, to ensure the precise operation of the Z-axis micron-level without shaking, effectively eliminating the layer grain and displaying the beauty of details

【Improve print success rate】Using the laser-engraving process for the printing platform, allows the build plate to have a better flatness than the sandblasting platforms, which can effectively enhance the adhesion of the model, reduce the situation of the printing model falling off and warping, and greatly improve the printing success rate

photon mono M5 review

TLDR: Highly recommend. 15 minutes of youtube videos gets you started, it's basically plug and play with great looking prints.

This is my first SLA printer. I have had my FDM printer for a few years now and have gone through lots of spools of filament so far. I wasn't exactly sure if I was going to like the SLA but I have been loving it. It is a lot quieter and less obtrusive than my FDM printer. My family doesn't even know that I'm using it except for the slight smell. It is so quiet when running I have to check if it is moving. It is a lot different than FDM and requires more work on the cleaning side once it is done but doesn't need constant attention from replacing parts. Before I suggested 3d printing only for computer geeks and people who are really into tech. This printer makes me think that almost anyone could 3d print as long as they follow the instructions.

After receiving the printer I was expecting hours to set it up. My other printer is an Anet A8 and took me hours to assemble, level, and get started. I sat down and watched the 3 videos for setup and running and only 15 minutes had passed. It was a breeze to set up. You only have to level the bed and that is it for set up. (Make sure you do that well or you will have failed prints). Before printing anything else I printed the test print. Most of it looked great but I hadn't leveled well enough and that was total user error. Once set up correctly the prints look amazing. The green filament that came with it worked well and I haven't had any complaints about the resin.

The software is easy to use once you watch a couple of the videos. The problems I had were all understanding the differences between different types of 3d printing. Hollowing out parts, adding drain holes, and adding supports were the main issues. The software does all this but you do have to learn where to put things. Once you know the terms it is so easy to download and set up a print. It is nice that the software comes from the same company that makes the printer so default settings are there that should work and requires less fiddling than if you have to use software from another company.

The build of the machine internals seem very sturdy. The metal parts and connections are solid. I really like the ball joint that is used to hold the build plate and how easy it is to adjust it to be level. If you get this machine you won't understand the pain of leveling a heated bed on a "regular" 3d printer. The housing does feel a little more flexible than I would like but it isn't too much of an issue as it is not structural.

My favorite part about this printer over my FDM printer is not having to worry about it burning my house down. There aren't any parts heating up to 200 degrees C to melt plastic so there isn't the heat to worry about. It does have a slight odor to the resin but the box and filters seem to do a pretty good job keeping that inside the machine.

I was not expecting the extra stuff that I needed to have on hand and was rushing to find stuff once I was printing. Make sure to have plenty of alcohol, paper towels and a couple tubs to clean in. After you get done cleaning make sure you can cure the resin as well. The company has a neat looking product for this but I haven't purchased it yet.

In conclusion, I would suggest this printer to anyone who wants to get into 3d printing but doesn't want to need a mechanical engineering degree with a minor in programming. This product was so much easier to set up and use than I thought could be possible with a 3d printer. The convivence of this machine is amazing, it is quiet, safe and sturdy. Prints are easy to start. Calibrations for your z axis take only a minute or 2. And finally the prints look amazing with so much detail.

photon mono M5 review

TLDR: Highly recommend. 15 minutes of youtube videos gets you started, it's basically plug and play with great looking prints.

This is my first SLA printer. I have had my FDM printer for a few years now and have gone through lots of spools of filament so far. I wasn't exactly sure if I was going to like the SLA but I have been loving it. It is a lot quieter and less obtrusive than my FDM printer. My family doesn't even know that I'm using it except for the slight smell. It is so quiet when running I have to check if it is moving. It is a lot different than FDM and requires more work on the cleaning side once it is done but doesn't need constant attention from replacing parts. Before I suggested 3d printing only for computer geeks and people who are really into tech. This printer makes me think that almost anyone could 3d print as long as they follow the instructions.

After receiving the printer I was expecting hours to set it up. My other printer is an Anet A8 and took me hours to assemble, level, and get started. I sat down and watched the 3 videos for setup and running and only 15 minutes had passed. It was a breeze to set up. You only have to level the bed and that is it for set up. (Make sure you do that well or you will have failed prints). Before printing anything else I printed the test print. Most of it looked great but I hadn't leveled well enough and that was total user error. Once set up correctly the prints look amazing. The green filament that came with it worked well and I haven't had any complaints about the resin.

The software is easy to use once you watch a couple of the videos. The problems I had were all understanding the differences between different types of 3d printing. Hollowing out parts, adding drain holes, and adding supports were the main issues. The software does all this but you do have to learn where to put things. Once you know the terms it is so easy to download and set up a print. It is nice that the software comes from the same company that makes the printer so default settings are there that should work and requires less fiddling than if you have to use software from another company.

The build of the machine internals seem very sturdy. The metal parts and connections are solid. I really like the ball joint that is used to hold the build plate and how easy it is to adjust it to be level. If you get this machine you won't understand the pain of leveling a heated bed on a "regular" 3d printer. The housing does feel a little more flexible than I would like but it isn't too much of an issue as it is not structural.

My favorite part about this printer over my FDM printer is not having to worry about it burning my house down. There aren't any parts heating up to 200 degrees C to melt plastic so there isn't the heat to worry about. It does have a slight odor to the resin but the box and filters seem to do a pretty good job keeping that inside the machine.

I was not expecting the extra stuff that I needed to have on hand and was rushing to find stuff once I was printing. Make sure to have plenty of alcohol, paper towels and a couple tubs to clean in. After you get done cleaning make sure you can cure the resin as well. The company has a neat looking product for this but I haven't purchased it yet.

In conclusion, I would suggest this printer to anyone who wants to get into 3d printing but doesn't want to need a mechanical engineering degree with a minor in programming. This product was so much easier to set up and use than I thought could be possible with a 3d printer. The convivence of this machine is amazing, it is quiet, safe and sturdy. Prints are easy to start. Calibrations for your z axis take only a minute or 2. And finally the prints look amazing with so much detail.