Reading mode: Light Dark

Best monitor for editing/retouching

Go to last post
B

burevestnik

Active member
Messages
90
Reaction score
2
Location
US
I am looking to buy a 25 to 27" monitor to use for photo editing/retouching. What is considered the best nowadays? I am looking at Samsung T260HD, T260, HP monitors, and LG 27". I am not sure if there is anything else in US market...
Any help will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
 
Generally speaking, any monitor with an ips panels would be best.
 
burevestnik said:
I am looking to buy a 25 to 27" monitor to use for photo editing/retouching. What is considered the best nowadays? I am looking at Samsung T260HD, T260, HP monitors, and LG 27". I am not sure if there is anything else in US market...
Any help will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Click to expand...
"the best" implies you have an unlimited $$$ budget....is this true? Do you have $2000 in spare change ready to be plunked down?

Don't bother with the Samsung T260 series - they use "TN" TFT LCD panels and are FAR from the best. Likewise the LG 27".

For a bit of background on the TFT LCD monitors please check out my thread:
http://forums.dpreview.com/forums/read.asp?forum=1004&message=32608747

There are a number of monitors discussed in posts in the thread.

The NEC LCD269WUXi2 linked in the other post here is an excellent monitor, possibly "the best" 26" out there though others may think the Lacie 526 is "the best" and that may be only because Eizo does not make a 26 or 27" monitor.

http://www.lacie.com/products/product.htm?pid=10897

http://www.eizo.com/global/products/coloredge/index.html

&nbsp

A web site you should definitely browse after reading about the panel types in my thread is Prad:

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

Check out the "Very Good" reviews.

.

--


Newsy http://newsy.smugmug.com

.
 
The Eizo's, Lacie's, and NEC's can be purchased with optional hardware calibrators and software to directly address the LUT's internal to those monitors.

Other monitors without internal addressable LUT's still need to be calibrated.

Most, if not all, TFT LCD monitors are not all that accurate straight out of the box.

You'll need hardware calibrator like shown here:

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

.

--


Newsy http://newsy.smugmug.com

.
 
NewsyL said:
The Eizo's, Lacie's, and NEC's can be purchased with optional hardware calibrators and software to directly address the LUT's internal to those monitors.

Other monitors without internal addressable LUT's still need to be calibrated.

Most, if not all, TFT LCD monitors are not all that accurate straight out of the box.

You'll need hardware calibrator like shown here:

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

.

--


Newsy http://newsy.smugmug.com

.
Click to expand...
True, but that goes for all high end monitors, it seems! Even the 4000 dollar eizo has to be calibrated.
 
I have to apologize for not stating the request correctly...

I do not have unlimited budget. That means that professional monitors such as the ones mentioned in your reply are out...
Also, many monitors are not really available in US.
Let me re-phrase: I am looking for a "better" consumer monitor... :-)

Thanks!
 
burevestnik said:
I have to apologize for not stating the request correctly...

I do not have unlimited budget. That means that professional monitors such as the ones mentioned in your reply are out...
Also, many monitors are not really available in US.
Let me re-phrase: I am looking for a "better" consumer monitor... :-)

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Look into the cheaper eizo, nec, lacie or dell monitors, as siad before, preferably with ips panel.
 
Now the 30bit (display-port) Eizo's have been the standard for a while now. However, having now used HP's 30bit dreamcolor monitor.. I have to say, it's quite simply displaying colours and depths I've never seen on any LCD's before. I'm kinda surprised it hasn't been mentioned more when people talk about 'the best' lcd monitors for photo-editing. Movie studios are using this more and more now (it's the go to monitor for colour correct screens sans a CRT).

I'm not a huge fan of HP in general, and quite honestly bang for buck the 25.5 inch NEC that is suppose to be 97% accurate in Adobe RGB is a 'good' monitor despite not having a display port. As for now though, having now used Eizo ColorEdge CG242W, the HP Dreamcolor (at work), and owning a NEC MultiSync 2690WU2-BK-SV .. There is honestly very little question in my mind.. the HP wins.. I'd be interested to hear why people don't talk more about the HP (it's price tag is awful, but it's effectively the same as the good Eizo)..

n
 
This actually only matters if you are shooting in jpg or tif. Raw files do not make use of S RGB, Adobe RGB, or Photopro (which is what I suggest going to post raw).

n
 
A budget is very important to the question. A IPS based panel is really the only way to go and they can be had for under a grand now.

n
 
ndw1138 said:
Now the 30bit (display-port) Eizo's have been the standard for a while now. However, having now used HP's 30bit dreamcolor monitor.. I have to say, it's quite simply displaying colours and depths I've never seen on any LCD's before. I'm kinda surprised it hasn't been mentioned more when people talk about 'the best' lcd monitors for photo-editing. Movie studios are using this more and more now (it's the go to monitor for colour correct screens sans a CRT).

I'm not a huge fan of HP in general, and quite honestly bang for buck the 25.5 inch NEC that is suppose to be 97% accurate in Adobe RGB is a 'good' monitor despite not having a display port. As for now though, having now used Eizo ColorEdge CG242W, the HP Dreamcolor (at work), and owning a NEC MultiSync 2690WU2-BK-SV .. There is honestly very little question in my mind.. the HP wins.. I'd be interested to hear why people don't talk more about the HP (it's price tag is awful, but it's effectively the same as the good Eizo)..
Click to expand...
Simply because HP does not have the reputation of Eizo, Lacie, and NEC. But also, I question how long it will be available for because it uses the A-TW filter/polarizer which is no longer provided to HP or NEC by their supplier.

.
--


Newsy http://newsy.smugmug.com

.
 
ndw1138 said:
I'm not a huge fan of HP in general, and quite honestly bang for buck the 25.5 inch NEC that is suppose to be 97% accurate in Adobe RGB is a 'good' monitor despite not having a display port. As for now though, having now used Eizo ColorEdge CG242W, the HP Dreamcolor (at work), and owning a NEC MultiSync 2690WU2-BK-SV .. There is honestly very little question in my mind.. the HP wins.. I'd be interested to hear why people don't talk more about the HP (it's price tag is awful, but it's effectively the same as the good Eizo)..
Click to expand...
I talk, it is the king of color...
 
with the complete SpectraView calibration software and wide gamut puck -- this system will provide 97% of the aRGB colorspace. It has a 12 bit look-up table built in so the video card does not have to do as much work nor be the latest and greatest.

MikeSp
 
ahh apologies, that question seems to come up a lot, and granted it's a little confusing as RAW is really a strange format in the computer world..

n
 
I found this Dell monitor 27 inch WS Ultrasharp 2709W. It is about $700, which is reasonable enough. I am not 100% sure it is IPS, but it displays 1.06 billion colors as opposed to standard 16.7 million
 
burevestnik said:
I found this Dell monitor 27 inch WS Ultrasharp 2709W. It is about $700, which is reasonable enough. I am not 100% sure it is IPS, but it displays 1.06 billion colors as opposed to standard 16.7 million
Click to expand...
It's an S-PVA panel.

Where did you see that if offers 1.06 billion colors?

It is only an 8bit panel (8bit Red + 8bit Green + 8bit Blue) so 16.7 million colors at most though it is a wide gamut offering 97% of sRGB and 97% of the AdobeRGB color space.

http://www.prad.de/en/monitore/review/2008/review-dell-2709w.html

It is an overly bright monitor and very difficult to get it down to 120 cd/m2 for print matching. You may have to do your editing and adjustments of levels in a well lit room.

.

--


Newsy http://newsy.smugmug.com

.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Keyboard shortcuts

f
Forum
m
My threads
Mobile site
About
Editorial content
Cameras & Lenses
Community
All content, design, and layout are Copyright © 1998–2025 Digital Photography Review All Rights Reserved.
Reproduction in whole or part in any form or medium without specific written permission is prohibited.
When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.
©GPS Media - Guides, Products, Services.
Back
Top