Eizo or NEC Europe

I am tech stupid. It's probably important that you know that first.

My current monitor, which I bought in Thailand is at the end of it's life (it's started flickering when the mac comes out of sleep). It's time anyway to upgrade to something better now that we are back in Europe.

So I have been reading about monitors (mostly this confuses/frustrates me) and have decided that I likely will buy either an Eizo or a NEC monitor in an attempt to have the most accurate colors.

But my fear is that I will end up with a monitor that is so confusing to me that I will not be able to calibrate it correctly, which means I would have an expensive monitor without accurate colors. Given the cost of these things, that's quite frightening.

Can anyone offer me advice about what monitor is fairly simple to calibrate to an accurate color state? I'm looking at 24" monitors. I'd rather not go smaller than that, and I don't think I can afford the 27 or 30" models.

Thanks for your help!

The calibration process is identical, no matter the monitor. It's just that some monitors are better than others with some things as uniformity, bleed through etc. The question really is paying more for one over another. The law of diminishing returns applies to monitors as it does to buying anything else.

I calibrate the monitor I have now (Samsung + Sypder2), but it seems so very much simpler than all the technical details involved in calibrating more advanced, professional monitors. I don't understand some of the values discussed in the reviews, so have no idea how I'd know at what value to set them.

They are the same values.... relax

You can always come here for help if you get stuck

So if I go the NEC way, I need the spectraview version (called Spectraview Reference 241 here) and I can use my Spyder2? Or based on your experience, do you suggest I try to order the NEC calibrator (which is not for sale here in Europe, would have to be imported from the US I think)?

Athena wrote in post #11764077
So if I go the NEC way, I need the spectraview version (called Spectraview Reference 241 here) and I can use my Spyder2? Or based on your experience, do you suggest I try to order the NEC calibrator (which is not for sale here in Europe, would have to be imported from the US I think)?

You cannot use your Spyder2 hardware as it cannot calibrate a wide gamut monitor. Use whichever puck is recommended by NEC for the European software. I'd find a Spyder3 Express kit and use that puck.

In Europe you would want to buy the Spectraview version of the monitor. They sell that monitor and the Spectraview calibrator in a kit, together. Do not buy the standard version of the monitor since they crippled it (you can't program the monitor LUT).

Or buy the non Spectraview version of the monitor (cheaper) and buy the Spyder3 kit, for the puck, and buy the BasICColor software separately. The NEC software, in Europe, is a repacked BasICColor.

I already had the Spyder3 puck and bought the BasICColor software separately. I have the North American version of the NEC PA241 monitor.

The first option, for you, would be the simplest, imo. It will also cost about the same as the second option.

ChasP505 wrote in post #11764182
You cannot use your Spyder2 hardware as it cannot calibrate a wide gamut monitor. Use whichever puck is recommended by NEC for the European software. I'd find a Spyder3 Express kit and use that puck.

Thank you - so I'll have to replace the calibration device no matter what.

bohdank wrote in post #11764303
In Europe you would want to buy the Spectraview version of the monitor. They sell that monitor and the Spectraview calibrator in a kit, together. Do not buy the standard version of the monitor since they crippled it (you can't program the monitor LUT).

Or buy the non Spectraview version of the monitor (cheaper) and buy the Spyder3 kit, for the puck, and buy the BasICColor software separately. The NEC software, in Europe, is a repacked BasICColor.

I already had the Spyder3 puck and bought the BasICColor software separately. I have the North American version of the NEC PA241 monitor.

The first option, for you, would be the simplest, imo. It will also cost about the same as the second option.

I know you can get a bundle in the US that has the calibrator included (PA271w-bk-sv), but are you SURE that the calibrator is packaged with the Spectraview European version? I think it's just the monitor, software and hood. I'd really love to be wrong about that though.

ps: the non spectraview version here costs around US$1545 and the spectraview version is US$2377.

Athena wrote in post #11764367
Thank you - so I'll have to replace the calibration device no matter what.

Yes. And what Bohdank says about the software is correct. If you click the download link from the page you cited, it takes you to a special section of the BasicColor website.

http://license.basicco​lor.de/login.asp?oemId​=3&language=en

And the colorimeter? Are we sure it's included with the European Spectraview Reference? I am worried it is not.

Athena wrote in post #11764427
And the colorimeter? Are we sure it's included with the European Spectraview Reference? I am worried it is not.

It's not.

Scroll down until you get to the Spectraview section. It's explained there.

http://www.tftcentral.​co.uk/reviews/nec_pa27​1w.htm

You are right it is not included. In NA, they do sell the monitor + calibration tools in a kit.