Monitor selection for post processing

[Barry N]

What is the best type of monitor used for post processing raw files. I still use an old CRT. Are the new LCD monitors as good ? What works best to display true print color?

[PM01]

How critical are you on color? Budget?

[SoaringUSAEagle]

I'm in the same boat... trying to research monitors to replace the ones we have here at work. We are critical on color because we print a lot, and budget isn't an issue.

[picturecrazy]

There was a previous thread on this...
http://photography-on-the.net/forum/...d.php?t=452036

[PM01]

NEC 2690wuxi2. NEC 3090wqxi. Lacie 526 (older model produced by NEC). Eizo.

I wouldn't even consider Apple as a serious monitor for color critical applications. Nor many of the other so called "photo editing" monitors. Their color gamut is far too limited and will never match what you have on the output side, no matter how much you try to calibrate the screen. I had an apple monitor - very glad I dumped it.

Go for something that will list a 12 bit LUT, and is DDC compatible. Get the calibration software/hardware package with the monitor - it will make calibration much easier and it's mostly automated.

Prices start at around 1100 for an NEC.

Also, look at the warranties. Lacie is 3 years. NEC is 4. Eizo is 5. If I remember correctly, some of the Eizo monitors have more green in the available gamut. They are also quite expensive, being 2000 or more for a 24 inch panel.

[amfoto1]

Coming from a CRT to an LCD you absolutely should plan to calibrate the monitor. So budget for that, too. Even if you already have some sort of monitor calibration tool, it might not work on an LCD.

But even the best calibration doesn't address one thing... LCDs are considerably brighter than CRTs. Many who switch to them find their prints way to dark initially. That's because the screen exaggerates the brightness of their image.

There have been some articles in Shutterbug "Help" column about how to handle the overly-bright monitor issue. I'm sure you could check it out on their website. Also, there have been a lot of discussions of monitors to "fit" different budgets in Shutterbug, both in articles and in columns.

[PM01]

The high end monitors you can tune to 80cd/m2, which is ideal for photo editing. Many of the mid to low end monitors will say "brighter is better", but that definitely isn't true. Colors get washed out, black points aren't black.

It still amuses me to no extent that a company will splash "400cd/m2" on their specs...like as if that's a good thing for serious photo editing or prepress.

Just simply turning down the brightness on the non high end monitors will often cause color shifting due to the backlight. It's not in the "sweet spot" or anywhere near white. Kinda like turning down a CCFL light bulb - lots of other colors involved.

Too bad they don't make neutral density sheets in screen size (23/24/30 inch, etc). That would be interesting!

[KAS]

I can attest to the accuracy of the Lacie 526. Of course, if cost really isn't an issue, go for the 724

[PM01]

From what I've seen, the Lacie 724 is a rebadged Samsung XL24. Save the bucks and get the XL24, if you can find one.

As for the Lacie 526, it's a rebadged NEC 2690wuxi. Save the bucks and buy the NEC.

Monitor wise, Lacie seems to do a lot of rebadging. And charge more for the monitor because of their name, with a shorter warranty than the original manufacturer.

[KenjiS]

I'm just going to be honest here, But what if you DONT want to blow a grand on one guys? :P

All of those monitors you jsut listed are well over a grand..also i ponder if they look nice for anything -besides- printing photos on a printer

[PM01]

NEC Multisync. P221W. Slightly smaller screen, 10 bit LUT. About 400 through Provantage. 92% of Adobe RGB. That's pretty good.

[KenjiS]

Originally Posted by PM01

NEC Multisync. P221W. Slightly smaller screen, 10 bit LUT. About 400 through Provantage. 92% of Adobe RGB. That's pretty good.

22" :P

What about something like this:

http://accessories.us.dell.com/sna/p...9&sku=320-8277

24" 96% Adobe RGB, 110% sRGB and a 12-bit internal processing engine for $550

I cant wait for a 27" version to be honest

[PM01]

Yes, but is it fully compatible with the standard DDC for the LUT? Dells have always had a problem in this regard. Not sure about the 2410.

[KenjiS]

Originally Posted by PM01

Yes, but is it fully compatible with the standard DDC for the LUT? Dells have always had a problem in this regard. Not sure about the 2410.

Unsure on that, But from a lot of the other things its listing it sounds like it was built to be a pro monitor...so im definately curious..

[PM01]

Would be interesting to get feedback from the U2410 owners on this. If it's DDC compatible for programming the LUT, then I'd say go for it. If it isn't, then it's just not "quite there" for calibration.

I tend to calibrate the monitor every week. Always nice to have it automated.