pc monitor for photo editing

CanonFan · July 14, 2010

I need help. I got a new Acer monitor last year and have been using it in my photo editing. I'm no techie but have noticed that the old crt monitor I used for a long time gave me a nice view that didn't change if I moved left/right or up/down in relation to the monitor. This new lcd flatscreen view changes if I move 2 inches in a direction. I know some monitors are better about this and need some suggestions. I used a Viewsonic at work that seemed a lot better and was very sharp and had great color.
I'm looking to keep the price under $300 but can anyone recommend a flat screen that looks the same if you move around the screen area, instead of changing so much? Did that make sense?
Thanks!

mehampson · July 14, 2010

What you want is a monitor using IPS technology (compared to TN or VA -- these all have to do with out the LCD actually displays things). I've heard good things about Dell's 2209WA (~$250), but I know there are other good options too -- I'd look around for reviews that compare that to other models to get a sense of what's out there in that price range.

Newsy · July 14, 2010

CanonFan wrote: »

I need help. I got a new Acer monitor last year and have been using it in my photo editing. I'm no techie but have noticed that the old crt monitor I used for a long time gave me a nice view that didn't change if I moved left/right or up/down in relation to the monitor. This new lcd flatscreen view changes if I move 2 inches in a direction. I know some monitors are better about this and need some suggestions. I used a Viewsonic at work that seemed a lot better and was very sharp and had great color.
I'm looking to keep the price under $300 but can anyone recommend a flat screen that looks the same if you move around the screen area, instead of changing so much? Did that make sense?
Thanks!

Sounds like your Viewsonic uses a "TN" TFT LCD panel.

Here's a post on the subject from a month ago. It has a list of recommendations in your price range and web sites with monitor reviews.

http://www.dgrin.com/showpost.php?p=1393648&postcount=4

I'd add the following to the list of monitors.

HP ZR22w
.... 21.5" 1920x1080
.... 96% sRGB
.... recently introduced
.... can be found for $280 USD

I strongly suggest you start saving your pennies and also acquire a hardware colorimeter to calibrate your new monitor. A full featured calibrator can be had for about $200 USD. Regardless of brand, all new monitors are not optimally calibrated fresh from the factory. Some come close but regardless, they do change over time. Asides from RGB accuracy, brightness is a big issue for print matching if you're editing your images. Many basic colorimeters do not offer measurement of white luminance which is the key to brightness levels.

I suggest one of these next two which do actively allow you to target and measure your brightness level in addition to custom gamma and temperature points.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/465156-REG/X_Rite_EODIS2_i1Display_2_Colorimeter_Monitor.html

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/525541-REG/Datacolor_DC_S3EL100_Spyder3Elite_Display_Calibration_System.html

PS... use Search in this forum to look-up other posts of mine or search on "e-IPS" or "S-PVA" and you'll find more posts like the one I linked to.

.

Tim Kamppinen · July 14, 2010

What you want is an IPS monitor. I just got one to replace my ancient CRT. I went with the Viewsonic VP2365wb. At $300, it's pretty much the cheapest IPS monitor out there, but it's a great value for the price IMO.

Although, this thread should be moved, as you posted it in the for sale section.

ivar · July 15, 2010

Looks like you accidentally started two threads, I've merged them for you

Pupator · July 15, 2010

Just wanted to chime in that I recently went through this process and I, too, settled on the Viewsonic VP2365wb. I've been very pleased with it.

Kinkajou · July 20, 2010

Hey there. I'm in the process of looking for a new monitor for work. I'm doing some photography and marketing materials and I need to make sure that the monitor can be calibrated and that the images are spot-on when it comes time to print. For the sake of discussion, let's say that money is no object.

I have looked at the Dell 2209WA and found a review that said this:

"Work that requires precise colors matching will be problematic with Dell UltraSharp 2209WA. For photo editing / web design, color calibration will be mandatory, due to incorrect gamma curve. On the other hand, precision, grayscale, lack of color inversion and price make this monitor more attractive for the purpose.

We wouldn't recommend it for print-target media processing."

This is a big red flag for me.

Are there any other options out there? I've heard good things about NEC monitors and will start researching those.

Newsy · July 20, 2010

Kinkajou wrote: »

Hey there. I'm in the process of looking for a new monitor for work. I'm doing some photography and marketing materials and I need to make sure that the monitor can be calibrated and that the images are spot-on when it comes time to print. For the sake of discussion, let's say that money is no object.

I have looked at the Dell 2209WA and found a review that said this:

"Work that requires precise colors matching will be problematic with Dell UltraSharp 2209WA. For photo editing / web design, color calibration will be mandatory, due to incorrect gamma curve. On the other hand, precision, grayscale, lack of color inversion and price make this monitor more attractive for the purpose.

We wouldn't recommend it for print-target media processing."

This is a big red flag for me.

Are there any other options out there? I've heard good things about NEC monitors and will start researching those.

The Dell 2209WA can be had for about $220 USD when it goes on sale which it seems to do every three months or so.

I question placing a lot of weighting on that one review from a site that only hosts 2 reviews as compared to these next three sites which review many monitors.

http://www.prad.de/en/monitore/reviews.html

http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews.htm

http://www.flatpanelshd.com/reviews.php

In particular, I'd give a lot more weighting to the Prad review than to any other. They do comment on the gamma a couple of times. Once for the default factory calibration which I would hope you will not be using and another for the UGRA rating.

http://www.prad.de/en/monitore/review/2009/review-dell-2209wa-part10.html

For $220 USD you get a very competent monitor.

However, it is not in the same class as the NEC PA241w which you definitely should consider.

Prad has a review posted for the PA241w on their German language site - they rate it "Very Good" (same as the Dell 2209WA btw). Normally the German reviews take about 6 weeks to be translated and posted to the English side of their site so I expect it to be posted any day. It looks like there may be a fee to read the German review - I have no idea if it will apply once in English.

But there are also reviews for the PA241w on the other two sites.

You can find the NEC PA241w in the USA for about $1100 and add another $250 for the matching NEC colorimeter (before taxes).

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?ci=6559&N=4294542210+4291324108+4294949064

Keep in mind that the Dell 2209WA offers a standard sRGB color space while the NEC PA241w is a "wide gamut" monitor offering full coverage of the sRGB and also AdobeRGB color spaces. Having a wide gamut monitor means you must be up to speed on the issues of color management and use software that is color managed.

This is more than simply having a good quality hardware calibrator generating an ICC profile for your now calibrated monitor.

PS.... I recall from a few months ago you were dealing with Spyder3 issues on a Mac. One point to note is that the Dell 2209WA does not have DisplayPort connectivity whereas the NEC PA241w does. Several other recent budget monitors also offer on board DisplayPort connectivity. I know there are DVI to DisplayPort adapters out there but I don't know much about them.

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angevin1 · July 23, 2010

Kinkajou wrote: »

Are there any other options out there? I've heard good things about NEC monitors and will start researching those.

I just got the NECPA241W, a 24 inch monitor and it is very nice. When I performed calibration, it barely moved it's adjustments to compensate...and yes, it has an internal LUT and writes to it, itself.

Overfocused · July 24, 2010

@newsy

Huey pro is a very good monitor calibration tool for $75 that has brightness taken into account (not pinpoint but you still have a reference for it)

Kinkajou · July 26, 2010

Newsy, thanks for all of your help!

I think that we are looking for something in the $600 range at work, and I've heard good things about the NEC monitors, so maybe I'll do some more research to see if there is anything in that price range.

You bring up a good point about my review... I had just quickly googled the Dell monitor and read the first couple of reviews that I saw as I didn't have the time right at that moment to do any serious research but didn't want to get stuck with something that I wasn't confident could do to the job (i.e., editing materials for printing/display).

As far as calibration and my personal monitor situation goes, I now have a new 27" iMac (waaay better to work on than my 13" macbook!) and am getting ready to upgrade my Spyder per others' suggestions so that I'll be able to control gamma.

Thanks again for your help and I'll keep you posted on what I come up with.

Newsy · July 27, 2010

FactoryPhil wrote: »

Thanks for the info. I was looking at best buy and I can not find a single IPS monitor they offer. Does anyone know of an IPS based monitor that they sell? I know they are there, but I just do not know what to look for.

Thanks,

Phil, I think they don't have any in store unless they just started handling one of these models:

HP ZR22W
HP ZR24W
NEC EA231WMi
Viewsonic VP2365WB

I know they handle Dell as well but I think Dell keeps their Ultrasharp models for themselves.

Dell 2209WA
Dell U2211H
Dell U2311H
Dell U2410 (I'm not a fan of this model)

Someone recently pointed me to an online only listing for a DoubleSight DS-245W monitor being sold under the Ingram brand name.

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/Ingram+-+24%22+Widescreen+Flat-Panel+LCD+Monitor/9895081.p?id=1218190974939&skuId=9895081&st=lcd

I find this listing very strange. Why is a DoubleSight monitor being sold under a different brand name? Did they go bankrupt? Ingram Micro is a very large master distributor of high tech products so I suspect they may have taken control for some reason. The deal here is that you order it online from Best Buy and they ship it to you direct from the Ingram Micro warehouse. This is a common practice in this industry btw.

The DoubleSight monitor is a generation old and I think they would have very little stock left. The price is atrocious. The HP ZR24W can be had in the USA for about $400 USD.

I wouldn't buy it simply because of potential lack of support issues.

.

canderson · August 2, 2010

A friend that does gaming uses a HDTV with VGA/DVI/ or HDMI inputs for his desktop. Was wondering if anyone tried this for photo editing? Seems like a good way to go for a larger display at a resonable price if the quality is there. Thoughts?

colourbox · August 2, 2010

FactoryPhil wrote: »

Thanks for the info. I was looking at best buy and I can not find a single IPS monitor they offer. Does anyone know of an IPS based monitor that they sell? I know they are there, but I just do not know what to look for.

That's really tough because manufacturers usually quote specs on the box that don't really mean anything for photo editing, and they rarely tell you if it's an IPS panel. You kind of have to go by lists like this one:
http://www.pchardwarehelp.com/guides/s-ips-lcd-list.php

Print it and take that to Best Buy.

canderson · August 2, 2010

colourbox wrote: »

Print it and take that to Best Buy.

<belch!> Bestbuy? We have a Fry's here!!!<img src="https://us.v-cdn.net/6029383/emoji/thumb.gif" border="0" alt="" >

angevin1 · August 3, 2010

canderson wrote: »

A friend that does gaming uses a HDTV with VGA/DVI/ or HDMI inputs for his desktop. Was wondering if anyone tried this for photo editing? Seems like a good way to go for a larger display at a resonable price if the quality is there. Thoughts?

That is the same situation I came from...using a large Monitor for gaming with my Child AND doubling it as a photo editor. I was able to calibrate it and did use it. And I thought downsizing would be an issue. I was wrong both on the size thing and the quality. Downsizing to my range of affordability while up scaling the quality has left me better off for the photo editing I do.

SO while what you suggest can/has and is being done, there is simply no comparison to a true photo editing-worthy monitor. And if time is taken to read reviews suggested by Newsy (and others?) finding a [GOOD] monitor in most price ranges can be done.

pc monitor for photo editing

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