High end monitor

[Devin Johnston]

So I've been using a Samsung SyncMaster 2220WM for several years and recently when calibrating them I've discovered they can't produce the brightness they used to. They have been good monitors with the exception of a limited field of view vertically where people standing above them looking at them see a lighter less saturated version of what I'm seeing with the monitor's center being at my eye level. I also sit very close to a skylight and when the sun comes out it really washes out the screen. I'd like to get some new monitors (3 of them) that at have a better field of view, are a little bit larger, and have great color value. Are there any that come to mind?

[Nic H]

well sittign near a skylight wont be that good even with an expensive monitor!

as far as value for money goes and quality you cant go past the higher end dells i think

 

i got a 27" Dell recently and have been very happy with it - it comes hardware calibarted to either adobeRGB or sRGB out of the box

excellent brightness clarity and contrast - better than the eizo I used to have which was more expensive. very soild build, adjustable, and lots of connection options also has a good anti glare coating.

 

it cost me around $700 AUD and Id buy another given teh chance.

 

http://accessories.ap.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=au&l=en&s=dhs&cs=audhs1&sku=210-31399&baynote_bnrank=6&baynote_irrank=0&ST=dell%20u2711%20deal&dgc=ST&cid=33101&lid=783203&acd=10589619862341422

 

if you want real 'high end' then you would be looking at a 10bit monitor. i think NEC and Eizo do them but they are really much more expensive and i have not personally used one.

[Peter M. Gruhn]

Check here too...

 

http://www.amazon.com/Recommended-Monitors/lm/RH26WGK8GIK6/ref=cm_lm_byauthor_title_full

[afterglow]

I agree with Nick... Dell U2711 is amazing value and quality. It's matt so can be a bit grainy, but that's better than reflections. Keep in mind it's a wide gamut monitor so you have to make sure you have your head wrapped around colour management etc.

[Ismael]

Glad to hear the 27" dell is working good for you nicnic. I have been looking at getting one of them since finally got the Munki of my back (got the ColorMunki Photo). I am using a SyncMaster SA300 the wife dragged in the house- at my unawares. It is working fine and profiled even better. Not bad for the field of view either.

[Devin Johnston]

I use an eye1 plus color calibration system to calibrate my monitors so that shouldn't be a problem, the dell does look nice!

[Ernest Burden III]

Eizo

[Jeff Mottle]

If all three of those displays are just for you, you could use that budget and get the 30" display I have. The NEC PA301W http://www.cgarchitect.com/2011/09/cgarchitect-reviews-necs-flagship-graphics-display. It has a 178 degree Field of view and about as good of color money can buy. It's come down in price since I purchased it last year, but still not cheap (around $2000)

[RyderSK]

I vote for 27" Dell ultrasharp as well. Actually have a few of these. My brother has an older version with pva panel, I have the new one with ips. I haven't seen the high-end monitors like Eizo or Nec in real life, so I don't know what these could improve on, but I can't find fault on my Dell. High quality for decent price.

[Devin Johnston]

I guess I should have mentioned I need 3 of them, as much as I like the NEC the Dell is in my price range. Just out of curiosity what would the real difference be in these two monitors, I mean what makes the NEC worth 2K?

[Jeff Mottle]

I've had a wide gamut Dell and most of what you are paying for with the NEC is build quality and accurate color across the entire screen. The Dell is good, but as you move from the center of the screen both color and gamma tend to shift and over time it's not going to be as good as the higher end displays. You also pay for things like on-board LUT which means the color translations happen on the hardware rather than through software on your PC. I did notice the better color consitency across the display and field of view (I had an older Dell wide gamut), but the rest is kind of like buying a Mercedes vs a Honda Accord. When you drive the Mercedes you definitely appreciate the difference, but if you don't need all the fancy bells and whistles and can do without the best, then the Accord is plenty reliable and it going to get you from A to B in style.

[Dimitris Tolios]

Really expensive NECs are using selling points as the higher and more constant gamut range. Few photographers swear by those, but such expensive monitors are usually used in medical applications were absolute clarity / shade / saturation accuracy etc is needed to properly diagnose conditions. Thus you will find some ultra-pricy NECs, but some times this price might include hardware colorimeter to calibrate it etc.

 

Other than the already mentioned Dell Ultrasharp U2711, the HP ZR2740w is a classic 1440p choice in 27" IPS, comes a bit cheaper than the Dell and has better response times in real life than most choices with this panel size/resolution. Eizo's are great, but I would not go above the 2711's price range. I would rather get 2x 2711s (or HP ZR2740s) than a single EIZO / NEC for the same price.

Edited June 11, 2012 by dtolios