Dual Monitor set up for Lightroom only - which two sizes?

Hi all,

I have read a few threads with answers to similar questions, I hope no one minds a specific, albeit similar query from me...

I am buying a new desk top for Lightroom work - my old family laptop isn't really up to the job. Base spec will be along the lines of:

i5 3.2Ghz processor
240GB SSD for software and live work
500GB HDD for archiving etc
8Mb RAM

This is sucking up most of the budget, but I have allowed for a 24" Dell U2412M IPS monitor. The PC has two video outputs, one DVI and one VGA - I am considering buying a second monitor also.

I anticipate using the 24" as my main 'Develop' screen, with the second monitor, (20"?) for a live version of the image I am editing - not sure why, but that is what I have in my head...

The laptop I am currently using has a 15" screen and with the side tool bars there isn't masses of space left for the actual image, so the thought of a nice big dedicated version is quite appealing.

My question(s) are:

Do I even need a second monitor to go alongside the 24"?
Does this use of two monitors sound sensible - or is there a better way?
Which should I feed from the higher quality DVI and which from the VGA?
If I feed the 'live final image' to the smaller screen using the DVI, am I wasting money on the, (for my budget) high spec U2412M if I feed it from the VGA port?

Dang, that's more questions than I anticipated when I started typing the post...

Maybe an easier question is - how do you guys recommend I configure two monitors, one DVI and one VGA and what sizes/specifications do you recommend?



I would really appreciate your experiences and suggestions.

regards,

Rob

My own personal experience:
My computer is a laptop. Attached to it I have a 23 inch, 1080x1920 monitor which I use only for photo work. Initially I would have LR on the laptop with a secondary image filling the screen of the 23", but I found it annoying to be constantly looking back and forth between the two. Now I use only the 23" with only the right LR Develop panel open, Shift+F used to hide the menu bar and the T key used to toggle the tool bar as needed (usually off). This gives me an adequately large image area plus editing interface on one monitor. YMMV.

I use a second screen in LR, like this:
https://photography-on-the.net …p?p=10526121#po​st10526121

Thanks for the suggestions - I guess it all comes down to personal preference...

Rob

I use my second monitor to watch netflix and pirated movies while editing

I have a 19" widescreen and a 15" 4x3 screen that I got for $20 at a thrift store, but neither are big enough for my liking. I'd like to make my 19 my secondary and a 24" IPS screen my primary.

To add my 2c:

I have a U2410 as my "secondary" panel. What I mean by that is that I have my U2410 filling up the image being edited as LR's secondary monitor. That means my non-IPS 22" in portrait is the "main" monitor with the main image and sliders. What I do is make edits on the right where the sliders are, and the "secondary" monitor is where I see the results of the edits. It helps me see the the image as a whole on the bigger monitor to spot any oddities with edits.

If you can't picture it, I can take a picture if you're interested.

That sounds like exactly like what I intend to do, m3thods...

It'd be great to see a pic of your set up if possible, thanks!

Rob

Sure thing- I'm currently at work but I'll get that done once I get home.

Just a heads up- I plan on reformatting the PC to give it a kick in the pants, but lately (tail end of my LR3 and now with LR5) has been fairly laggy with 2 monitors in use. What I mean by lag is the dreaded "Loading" status, as well as edits not taking effect on the photo for 1-5 seconds. When moved to a single screen, the lag mostly disappears.

The hope is that a reformat will fix that up nicely.

My specs are:

AMD 6-Core
8GB Ram (I really wish I bumped up to 16 when RAM was cheap)
560Ti
128 SSD
1TB for archive (with several external HDs)

And I'm not sure if you're thought about it, but there really is no point to buying a nice IPS screen without having it calibrated. You should allocate the 150-200 dollars for a calibrator. Most mid-level ones even allow calibration on multiple screens.

I have a u2711 as my main and u2410 as a secondary.

I don't usually run LR across bth screens as I find the 27in is fine by itself - however so you can see what it looks like :

^That's pretty much identical to what mine looks like, except mine is flipped.

My 24 is on the left showing the image by itself in landscape. My 22 in portrait shows all the sliders and the image living on the right side. I like portrait because I don't have to scroll too much for the slider that I want.

Thanks for saving me having to take a picture of my ugly desk :P

Dual screen are awesome for culling. I love my dual 23".

Dell U30 plugged into my laptop. All the screen I need.

Thanks for your insights all...

Nightstalker - appreciate the photo, really helps with my decision...

M3thods - never thought about a portrait orientation, but I can see how that would work with the LR toolbars - I have to set them to 'solo' at the moment or it gets messy!

I think I will go with a 24 U2412M to start with and see how I get on...

Cheers,

Rob

I hope it is GB of RAM, not MB .

As to monitors: I used a 13" laptop with 1280*800 for ages, that was fine. Then I got a 24" monitor with 1920*1200 and that is my baseline now - and at university (engineering department) I have a 1920*1200 and 1920*1080 monitor.

-> If you have one monitor, you can always need another one. Basically, you have that extra "space" (in the form of resolution) so you will use it.
Having said that: I would most definitely recommend two identical monitors when using a dual setup if you can afford to do it. (I severely dislike the discrepancy between the screens at university - but hey, at least I have two - not a lot of other people have two on our floor - though my computer at university is ancient... from May 2007... yes, my laptop beats that - June 2008...)

Edit: One more comment - go digital at that resolution, either DVI or HDMI or Display Port. (DVI at uni, Display Port at home)
My experience with VGA at these resolutions is that it is too susceptible to interference and a flickering screen. Maybe better shielding would work, but digital signals are simpler and better.

Just to be complete and save you from using your imagination with my setup:

IMAGE LINK: http://www.flickr.com/​photos/vangeles/107610​80605/