Nozzle & SpoolWhich printer to buy, what it'll really cost, and what to avoid.

Anycubic Photon P1 — Deep Research (file slug: anycubic-photon-mono-m5s-pro)

Published · Researched 2026-09-20

⚠️ MODEL SUBSTITUTION — read this first. This file was commissioned as research on the Anycubic Photon Mono M5s Pro, but the September 2026 version check shows the M5s Pro has been eclipsed as Anycubic's current mainstream mid-size resin printer by the Anycubic Photon P1 (new line, Kickstarter Dec 2025, shipping Jan 2026). Per the research brief, this file covers the genuinely current model — the Photon P1 — while keeping the original slug. Evidence for the substitution:

  • Anycubic's own current lineup table (Photon P1 Max launch page, store.anycubic.com, crawled ~Jul–Sep 2026) lists the Photon P1 as the 10.1" 14K / 6.5 L mid-size model — the M7 Pro no longer appears in that comparison.
  • TechRadar (2026 review): "By far the best desktop resin printer Anycubic has produced to date." 4.5/5.
  • 3dwork.io (review updated Sep 2026): "The Anycubic Photon P1 is the best resin printer Anycubic has ever released."
  • FauxHammer (2026): the P1 is "the closest Anycubic has come to the M3 Premium's sensible, enthusiast-friendly appeal in years" and a better recent Anycubic experience "than the M5 line offered."
  • The M5s Pro and M7 Pro are still sold at some retailers (not formally discontinued — see Substitutions), but the P1 is Anycubic's current flagship recommendation in the mid-size slot, selling at $499–$689 vs the M7 Pro's $669 launch price.

All prices and claims below are dated. Observation date for this research: 2026-09-20.

1. Overview

What it is: The Anycubic Photon P1 is a prosumer MSLA (masked stereolithography) resin 3D printer — Anycubic's 2026 flagship in the mid-size (~6.5 L) category. It pairs a 10.1" 14K monochrome LCD with an industrial-grade ball-screw Z-axis, a heated resin vat (20–40 °C), pressure-sensor "Auto-Leveling 3.0", a 480p monitoring camera, Wi-Fi/app control, and an optional dual-material print kit that allows two colors or two resin types in a single job.

Who makes it: Anycubic (Shenzhen, China), one of the two dominant consumer resin-printer brands alongside Elegoo.

Key context (2026): Anycubic split its resin line into two families in 2026. The new Photon P1 / P1 Max line (prosumer, "Intelligent Printing Assistant 3.0", LighTurbo 4.0 optics, Wave Release film) sits above/refreshes the older Photon Mono M line. The P1 launched via Kickstarter in December 2025 at a $499 early-bird price (expected retail $799) with shipping from January 2026, and is now sold through Anycubic's own stores and Amazon. A large-format sibling, the Photon P1 Max (14" 12K, 18.3 L), ran pre-sale Jul 22–Aug 31 2026 and went in-stock Sep 1 2026 at $959.

The M5 / M5s / M5s Pro / M7 naming confusion, explained:

  • Photon Mono M5 (2023): 10.1" 12K screen (11520×5120).
  • Photon Mono M5s (May 2023): first consumer "leveling-free" 12K printer, 19 µm pixels, mechanical-sensor auto-leveling.
  • Photon Mono M5s Pro (~2024): upgraded to a 10.1" 14K screen (13312×5120), ~105 mm/h print speed, heater + purifier module.
  • Photon Mono M7 / M7 Pro (2024): 10.1" 14K, much faster (M7 Pro up to 130–170 mm/h with high-speed resin), COB LighTurbo 3.0, heated vat, auto resin refill — the M7 Pro was Anycubic's 2024–2025 mainstream pick at $669.
  • Photon Mono M7 Max: large-format 13.6" 7K, 14.7 L (still in the 2026 lineup table as the big-format "Mono" option).
  • Photon P1 (Dec 2025 / Jan 2026): new line, new naming — same 10.1" 14K panel class and 223×126×230 mm build volume as the M7 Pro, but slower and more reliability-focused (25–35 mm/h standard resin), with ball-screw Z, heated vat, Wave Release film, pressure-sensor leveling, and an optional dual-material kit. It is the model Anycubic now positions as its current mainstream mid-size printer.
  • Photon P1 Max (2026): 14" 12K, 18.3 L — the large-format flagship, not a mid-size printer.

Bottom line for buyers: "M5s Pro" and "M7 Pro" are the previous generations; "P1" is the current one. The M5s Pro/M7 Pro remain purchasable at some retailers, often at clearance-style pricing, but reviews and Anycubic's own lineup point to the P1 as the current pick.

2. Key specs table

Sources: official Anycubic product page (ca.anycubic.com, crawled Sep 2026, verified 2026-09-20), TechRadar review, manuals.plus instruction manual.

Spec Photon P1 Source / notes
Technology MSLA (LCD UV photocuring), 405 nm resin TechRadar
LCD 10.1" monochrome, 14K (13312×5120) Official
XY resolution 16.8 × 24.8 µm Official
Build volume 223 × 126 × 230 mm (6.5 L) Official
Layer height 0.012–0.15 mm (official); TechRadar lists 0.02 mm min ⚠️ minor conflict, see §8
Print speed 25–35 mm/h (0.05 mm layer, standard resin) Official (TechRadar confirms; notably slower than M7 Pro's 130–170 mm/h)
Light source COB LighTurbo 4.0, aspherical Fresnel lens, >92% uniformity Official; 5000 µW/cm²
Release film NFEP "Wave Release" (claims up to 60% lower peel force) Official
Vat 1 L, dynamic temperature control 20–40 °C (default 25 °C); resins up to 8000 cps Official
Z-axis Industrial-grade ball screw + dual linear rails, ±0.01 mm repeatability (C7 grade per FauxHammer) Official / FauxHammer
Leveling Auto-Leveling 3.0 with four-corner pressure feedback; factory calibrated Official (FauxHammer notes it is pressure-sensor assisted, not magic auto-leveling)
Build plate Precision-ground steel, flatness < 80 µm Official
Connectivity USB-A, Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz, Anycubic app; built-in 480p camera Official / reviews ⚠️ Ethernet disputed, see §8
Screen 4.5" resistive touchscreen Official
Slicer Photon Workshop 4.0 (+ ChituBox / Lychee / Tango) Official
Noise ≤ 45 dB Official
Dimensions 366 × 338 × 539 mm Official (one retailer lists 325×350×525 — use official)
Weight 13.6 kg (package 17.6 kg) Official
Power 215 W, 100–240 V Official
Air purification Optional AirPure 2.0 accessory Official
Power-loss resume Supported Official
Dual material Optional Dual Material Print Kit (two vats/plates, two colors or materials in one job) Official; +$30 add-on on CA store

3. Pricing

All observed 2026-09-20 unless noted. Anycubic runs frequent promo pricing — re-verify live before buying.

Price Source Date
MSRP: $699 USD us.anycubic3d.com (shown as strikethrough) and high-tech-mag review ("carries an MSRP $699") observed 2026-09-20 (page crawled ~Sep 17, 2026)
Street: $499 USD (Anycubic US store) us.anycubic3d.com product page observed 2026-09-20
Street: $549 / £549 (Anycubic US/UK stores; also on Amazon) TechRadar review, "Price and Availability" observed 2026-09-20 (review crawled Sep 2026)
$619.99 bundled with dual-color material print kit (Amazon; list $969.99, "36% off") Tom's Hardware via dreaming3d.net deal post June 20, 2026 — somewhat stale, flag
$689 USD (global store, was $755) store.anycubic.com product page crawled ~Sep 1, 2026
$689 CAD (was $979 CAD) ca.anycubic.com product page observed 2026-09-20
$689.97 (EU) couponsfromchina.com price aggregation crawled ~Aug 2026
Kickstarter early-bird $499, expected retail $799 YouTube review (nbSr_sYoAyw) description Dec 2025 / Jan 2026 — historical

Typical street price in Sept 2026: $499–$689 USD depending on store and promo; the $499 US-store price is the low end currently visible.

4. What's included / what's needed

In the box (per official Anycubic product page, observed 2026-09-20): Anycubic Photon P1 printer, print platform, resin vat, wet wipes, hex key set, protective equipment (gloves/mask — exact contents UNVERIFIED), resin filter, scrapers, USB drive, power cord, user manual.

Everything extra required or strongly recommended:

  • Wash & cure station (essential): resin prints must be washed and UV-cured. Anycubic's matching units: Wash & Cure 3 Plus ($149.99 on Amazon per testmarket.io, crawled Sep 2026; £148–150 UK; €199.99 EU — fits printers up to 10.6", 7.6 L wash basket, dual-layer curing platform, Flexicure gooseneck) or the larger Wash & Cure 3 Max ($299, listed as a P1 page bundle option). The P1's official store page offers Wash & Cure 3 Plus / 3 Max as bundle add-ons.
  • Resin: not included. 405 nm UV resin; Anycubic sells standard, ABS-like 2.0, high-speed, water-washable, plant-based etc. Budget roughly $20+/kg (UNVERIFIED current shelf price — re-verify; Anycubic sale events have gone as low as ~$8.10/kg per a Sep 2026 Groupon FAQ roundup).
  • PPE: nitrile gloves, respirator mask, safety glasses; the box includes basic protective equipment but stock up.
  • Washing solvent: isopropyl alcohol (IPA) or water-washable resin + rinse container; resin filter funnel.
  • Ventilation: print in a ventilated space; optional Anycubic AirPure 2.0 filter accessory (official; price UNVERIFIED).
  • Consumables over time: Wave Release NFEP film replacements, spare FEP, screen protector film; dual-material kit (+$30) and extra vats/build plates are optional upgrades.
  • Software: Photon Workshop 4.0 is free (download from Anycubic); Lychee/ChituBox optional.

5. Support reality

  • Warranty: 1-year after-sale guarantee on Anycubic printers (per Anycubic promo FAQ crawled Sep 2026; Micro Center's M5s Pro listing shows "1 Year Limited" parts + labor). A 14-day no-reason return policy and 30-day quality-problem guarantee are also cited for Anycubic direct orders (same FAQ source — re-verify at checkout as policies vary by region/store).
  • Parts & service: Replacement screens, vats, release film, and build plates are sold through Anycubic's official stores; the P1's screen uses a quick-release mount that FauxHammer calls "much-improved" vs older models, and internal boards are accessible. Support portal: support.anycubic.com; troubleshooting wiki: wiki.anycubic.com; model community: Makeronline.
  • Reputation: Mixed-to-cautious. FauxHammer (2026) states plainly that "Anycubic's aftercare track record is not among the best in the industry" — a recurring community complaint about slow ticket responses and shipping replacement parts from China. Against that, the P1's design (accessible boards, quick-release screen, standard consumables) makes self-service easier than on older Photons, and the large owner community (FB groups below, r/AnycubicPhoton) is an effective informal support channel. No evidence of a P1-specific systemic defect wave; early-unit issues (lid UV transmission, optimistic max-fill line) were addressed with running changes (darker lid, corrected vat markings) per FauxHammer.

6. Community verdict

Reviewers are unusually aligned: TechRadar (4.5/5) calls it "by far the best desktop resin printer Anycubic has produced to date" after 20+ prints with a 100% success rate, and 3dwork.io (Sep 2026) calls it "the best resin printer Anycubic has ever released," citing the ball screw, milled steel plate, Wave Release film and heated vat as genuine engineering upgrades over the M7 Pro. The consistent caveats are that Anycubic's "industrial/prosumer" marketing overreaches (FauxHammer: no magical auto-leveling, C7 not C5 ball screw, a wavy screen layer that very slightly softens the finest detail), that it is deliberately slower than the M7 Pro (25–35 vs 130–170 mm/h — optimized for consistency, not speed), and that early units shipped with a too-transmissive lid and optimistic vat fill line, both since corrected. For hobbyists printing miniatures and detailed models who value reliability and a heated vat over raw speed, it is the current consensus pick in Anycubic's mid-size range; budget buyers are still pointed at the older M7 Pro/M5s Pro at discount.

7. Sources consulted

Google web search (browser.search, multiple queries: specs, price, reviews, problems, Reddit):

YouTube (via search results):

Facebook groups (facebook-cli; auth OK):

  • Searched: "Anycubic 3D printing" (15,000 members, https://facebook.com/groups/673928736795033/) — recent 20 posts browsed; keyword queries "Photon P1" and "P1" returned no results
  • Searched: "Anycubic - Owners Forum" (23,000 members, https://facebook.com/groups/270351976921420/) — recent 20 posts browsed; no P1 mentions
  • Group search found no dedicated official Photon P1 group (only a 693-member generic "Photon" group and the 5,000-member "Anycubic Photon Mono M7 Pro Printer Group")
  • Net: no owner-discussion signal found on FB for the P1 in Sep 2026 — compensated with review/YouTube/forum coverage above

Instagram / product photos:

  • instagram-cli is account-scoped (authenticated user's own account only) — not usable for public product-photo search; product/community photos were instead sourced via the image-search skill (results below). Instagram handle @anycubicofficial noted for the brand's own posts (not browsed).
  • Image search queries: "Anycubic Photon P1 14K resin 3D printer" via /opt/hatch/bin/image-search; candidates verified with curl HEAD (200 + image content-type) before download.

8. Substitutions / unverified

Substitution made: Researched the Anycubic Photon P1 instead of the Photon Mono M5s Pro (file slug kept as assigned). Justification: the M5s Pro has been eclipsed — not formally discontinued, but superseded as Anycubic's current mainstream mid-size pick by every 2026 signal (see top-of-file evidence). The M5s Pro and M7 Pro remain purchasable at some retailers (e.g., couponsfromchina lists M5s Pro at $702.62 EU and M7 Pro at $573.59, crawled ~Aug 2026; Micro Center lists the M5s Pro, crawled Sep 2026), so a budget buyer may still find them at discount — but they are the previous generation.

Image swaps: First candidates from image-search included mismatched results (an Amazon-media image whose source page was for a Photon D2 listing; a Brazilian retailer's M7 Max page image). All were rejected and replaced with official Anycubic CDN product/marketing shots from the P1 product page, each verified 200 image/jpeg via curl and visually confirmed to show the Photon P1 (P1 branding visible). Final: 3 images, primary = ...-01.jpg (clean product shot with visible "P1 / ANYCUBIC PHOTON" branding), ...-02.jpg (P1 in workshop scene), ...-03.jpg (P1 print-quality showcase).

UNVERIFIED / disputed:

  • Ethernet on the P1: bikmantech's spec table claims USB-A + Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz + Ethernet; FauxHammer explicitly lists "No Ethernet port" as a con; Anycubic's official page and the P1 Max comparison table don't credit the P1 with Ethernet (only the P1 Max gets "Wi-Fi + Ethernet"). Lean: no Ethernet — treat as UNVERIFIED, check the manual before relying on it.
  • Minimum layer height: official page says 0.012 mm; TechRadar says 0.02 mm. Minor conflict; use official figure with caution.
  • Machine dimensions: official 366×338×539 mm; one retailer (vertex3d.co) lists 325×350×525 mm. Official figure used.
  • Resin shelf price: no current verified per-kg price found; "~$20+/kg typical, sale lows ~$8.10/kg" is approximate — re-verify live.
  • AirPure 2.0 price: not verified.
  • "Protective Equipment" box contents: listed by Anycubic without itemization — assumed gloves/mask, UNVERIFIED.
  • high-tech-mag claim of "Kickstarter December 11, 2026" is an obvious typo for December 11, 2025 (shipping was January 2026 per multiple sources).
  • Warranty/returns detail (1-year guarantee, 14-day no-reason returns) comes from a Groupon promo FAQ summarizing Anycubic policy (crawled Sep 2026), not Anycubic's own policy page — re-verify at checkout; regional differences likely.
  • FB/Reddit owner signal: no P1-specific Facebook group posts and no direct r/AnycubicPhoton P1 threads surfaced; community verdict is grounded in professional/independent reviews and YouTube owner reviews instead. Instagram public search is not available via instagram-cli (account-scoped), so community photos came from image-search results.
  • Prices move with Anycubic promos; every price above is dated — re-verify live before purchase.

Images (local):

  • the bundled image library/anycubic-photon-mono-m5s-pro-01.jpg — PRIMARY: clean product shot of the actual Photon P1 (white body, black lid, "P1 / ANYCUBIC PHOTON" branding, touchscreen visible)
  • the bundled image library/anycubic-photon-mono-m5s-pro-02.jpg — P1 in a workshop scene (machine with visible P1 branding, resin bottles, printed minis)
  • the bundled image library/anycubic-photon-mono-m5s-pro-03.jpg — print-quality showcase (detailed owl prints on the steel build plate)

Deepening pass (2026-09-20)

Model-scope note: Per the top-of-file substitution, this item's Phase 2 review covers the Anycubic Photon P1 (current model). The second-pass findings below therefore focus on P1-relevant material, with legacy M5s Pro owner evidence preserved as previous-generation context — buyers shopping clearance M5s Pro units should read both.

Social findings (second pass):

  • Facebook: the "Anycubic 3D printing" group (15,000 members) yielded one dated owner data point for the legacy M5s Pro — a 2026-09-13 post from an owner whose ~2-year-old, 1,500–2,000-print-hour machine developed random black spots during an exposure test with no physical surface marks, suspected LCD damage before buying a replacement. This is previous-generation evidence (M5s Pro, not the P1), but it is exactly the kind of long-term LCD-wear data the first pass lacked. https://facebook.com/groups/673928736795033/permalink/2272484060272818/
  • Facebook group searches for the P1 returned no owner discussion in this pass — the P1 remains review-circuit visible only (TechRadar, FauxHammer, 3dwork.io, YouTube owner reviews). No Facebook group owner signal for the P1 found.
  • Threads: searches via the Threads skill returned noisy, thin results — deal reposts, no owner-verdict threads for the P1 or M5s Pro.
  • Instagram: two accounts returned on connection — account selection ambiguous, so no Instagram research was performed and no owner content was attributed from it.
  • Review-circuit legacy data (observed 2026-09-20, M5s Pro — previous generation): a Space.com M5s review cited monochrome LCD life around 2,000 hours; Fabbaloo documented a units-conversion issue that produced a 30h48m print and distorted supports, with tuned settings later yielding a successful 3h46m print. Useful legacy complaint patterns: ACF film nicks, over-adhesion, small on-screen text, slicer/settings workflow errors. https://www.space.com/anycubic-photon-mono-m5s-review ; https://www.fabbaloo.com/news/hands-on-with-the-anycubic-photon-mono-m5s-pro-part-3
  • P1-specific owner evidence remains thin — no long-term P1 ownership reports surfaced in this pass. The review must continue to read as Tier 2 (professional reviews + YouTube owners), not Tier 1.

Price re-verification (2026-09-20):

  • M5s Pro (legacy, for clearance context): Anycubic official store (store.anycubic.com, crawled ~2 days before 2026-09-20) lists the M5s Pro at $579.00; a UK hotukdeals thread cited £399.99 via Amazon UK (deal expired). Per the first pass, the M5s Pro remains purchasable at some retailers but is the previous generation.
  • P1 (current model): $499 USD street on Anycubic's US store (observed 2026-09-20, promo pricing) — unchanged from the first pass; re-verify live as Anycubic runs frequent promos. Global store $689 (was $755); CA $689 CAD (was $979 CAD); EU ~$689.97 (aggregator, ~Aug 2026).

Comparisons (alternatives from this pass):

  • Elegoo Saturn 4 Ultra 12K/16K ($359–$399): the direct mid-size rival — faster (150 mm/h), tilt-release, strong owner community; but no heated vat on the 12K and the P1's ball-screw Z is the reliability differentiator.
  • Anycubic Photon Mono M7 Pro: the P1's in-house predecessor — faster (130–170 mm/h) but less consistent; the P1 trades speed for reliability.
  • Wash & cure: the P1's store page bundles the Wash & Cure 3 Plus ($149.99) / 3 Max ($299). Wash/cure complaints follow the standard pattern — IPA handling, ventilation, nothing P1-specific surfaced.

Source substitutions / gaps: Instagram skipped (account ambiguity); Threads thin/noisy; P1 Facebook owner evidence absent — compensated with professional reviews and YouTube owner reviews. No raw-quotes file exists; no quotes invented. The dual-material print kit (~$30) remains the P1's unique party trick; its real-world adoption rate is UNVERIFIED (no owner uptake data found).

Deepening pass 3 (2026-09-21)

Facebook status (2026-09-21): the groups posts --query endpoint still returns [] for every keyword (verified still-broken). groups search also returns 0 groups (with and without --role any). Unfiltered groups posts (no query) DOES work — browsed recent posts in "Anycubic 3D printing" (15k members, id 673928736795033) and "Anycubic - Owners Forum" (23k members, id 270351976921420): both feeds are dominated by FDM machines (Kobra X, Kobra 3 Max, ACE Pro filament tangle errors, Kobra slicer setup issues). No Photon P1 or M5s owner content appeared in the browsed windows. P1 Facebook owner evidence remains absent; Tier 2 stands (pro reviews + YouTube owner reviews).

Fresh review-circuit findings (observed 2026-09-21 — P1-focused):

Price re-verification (2026-09-21): P1 street ~$499 promo on Anycubic's US store (pass 2); aggregator reviews cite $699 MSRP / $799 retail / $879.99 (Feb 2026) — the spread reflects promo churn, re-verify live at purchase. Legacy M5s Pro still $579 official store.

Long-term ownership: still no 6+ month P1 owner reports surfaced. The nearest durability proxy remains the legacy M5s Pro LCD-black-spot case (~2 years, 1,500–2,000 print hours, pass 2).

Used-market: nothing surfaced for the P1 (too new); Facebook Marketplace keyword search is substring-noise and unusable for this.

Source substitutions / gaps: Facebook P1 owner evidence absent (FDM-dominated groups browsed); Threads/Instagram same status as pass 2. New evidence is review-circuit (FauxHammer, TechRadar, GamesRadar, 3dprinteddecor) — all observed 2026-09-21. No raw-quotes file exists; no quotes invented. Aggregator-republished "owner feedback" treated as aggregator-sourced, not verified owner evidence.

anycubic photon mono m5s pro — photo 01
anycubic photon mono m5s pro — photo 02
anycubic photon mono m5s pro — photo 03
anycubic photon mono m5s pro extra — photo 01
anycubic photon mono m5s pro extra — photo 02
anycubic photon mono m5s pro extra — photo 03

Sources