New Mac Studio Display or 27" EIZO?

raymondg

Senior Member
Messages
1,141
Solutions
1
Reaction score
526
Location
Victoria, AU
I am planning to update my early 2009 Mac Pro and NEC screen. I will go for the Mac Studio but which screen?

Mac Studio Display or 27" EIZO?

Your thoughts are appreciated.

--
======================
Warmest Regards - Ray
http://www.500px.com/raymondg
http://www.1x.com/member/raymondg
“We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.”
- Roald Dahl
 
Last edited:
I am also wondering about the Studio display, so would be interested to exactly which Eizo monitor you want to compare it against.
 
I would probably go with the Eizo ahead of the Apple. Apple has a lot 0f bells and whistles in their monitor, but I would lean more toward Eizo if you are looking at printing your work vs video production. It’s not a huge difference, but Eizo reproduces 99% of Adobe rgb, while the Apple monitor is a P3 monitor. I chose a BenQ SW271C over the Eizo because of budget considerations, and am really happy with the monitor. But if I had the extra $500 in my budget, the Eizo would have been my choice. For anyone doing a lot of video production, I think the Apple monitor will probably be a good choice. As far as the Apple Studio computer, I wish I would have stuck with my MacBook for a few more months. The M1 Mac Mini was a big improvement, and for an old retiree it’s all I really need, but I really want one of those Studio computers.
 
EIZO makes great monitors but I went w/ the Studio Display because everything else being equal to me 1) I'm use to it, having editing with a 27" iMac for the last 5 years, 2) it's designed to work w/ the Mac, i.e., no separate power button, having to muddle though a 3rd party settings menu, etc., 3) I like the over look and feel all metal build. It's a small thing but I'll be living with this for many years. I also like that it gives me 3 more 10Gbps USC-ports.
 
I am replacing an NEC PA302 monitor with the new Apple Studio display. I have no doubt that the Eizo (or the NEC equivalent) is a “better” monitor for critical work. Even my old NEC with Spectraview and hardware calibration is probably better. Better uniformity for example. Nevertheless I am switching to the Apple. There are several reasons for this, mostly just having to do with aesthetics and it working more seamlessly with my other Apple products.

This monitor is going in my home, not an office. I value things like how it looks and very importantly how much it can reduce cable clutter on my desk. Apple simply can’t be beat in these respects.

I’m confident the Studio Display will be good enough for my work. If I was doing commercial or advertising work that required precise color accuracy maybe my decision would be different. For landscape and wildlife photography I don’t think it will matter.

My concern is whether I want the nano texture option or not.

Keith
 
My concern is whether I want the nano texture option or not.
One option would be to buy one without, and if you find reflections are problem in your work environment, exchange it for one with.
 
The new Mac monitor looks interesting, but I already have an Eizo CS2740 plus hood and it's outstanding. So personally I'll stick with that, despite the Mac being a nicer looking unit in the home.
 
EIZO makes great monitors but I went w/ the Studio Display because everything else being equal to me 1) I'm use to it, having editing with a 27" iMac for the last 5 years, 2) it's designed to work w/ the Mac, i.e., no separate power button, having to muddle though a 3rd party settings menu, etc., 3) I like the over look and feel all metal build. It's a small thing but I'll be living with this for many years. I also like that it gives me 3 more 10Gbps USC-ports.
my sentiment as well - color accuracy and LUT aside the 5 k displays from Apple have been very good and once you're used to the iMac 27" display everything else looks crap.

5 k is a game changer and I know that there are many self announced specialists that think otherwise.

The proof is always in the pudding. The 5k 27" display is a really good compromise in the current iMACs and the extra features are a welcome addition.

I am planing to add that to my desktop as well - have to look whether the company PC will work as well?
 
I am planning to update my early 2009 Mac Pro and NEC screen. I will go for the Mac Studio but which screen?

Mac Studio Display or 27" EIZO?

Your thoughts are appreciated.
I don' t care too much for looks and my 2019 27" iMac ofcourse still serves me well. I use the X-Rite i1 Display Pro and a Canon Prograf1000 for printing.

Eizo announced 2 27" monitors for this year (CG2700s and CG2700X), and these look very interesting. Without any personal experiences with either this new Mac Studio Display or a wide gamut Eizo ....I definitely and without any doubt, choose Eizo. Mostly because of reputation/tests/reviews/etc. In fact, that's s the combination I' m looking at for future purchase (Mac Studio M1 Max and Eizo CG2700X..depending on price). I never ever read or heard a negative report on Eizo CG monitors (or even CS series/wide gamut). Nothing at all.

The new Mac Studio Display looks nice, but for photography / colour accurate work / printing)...I'll take my chance with Eizo. Beside that, I don' t think these monitors are ugly. On the contrary.

One thing I' m not yet 100% sure of (although 90% sure ;-) ), is how well these Eizo monitors work with Macs. I' ll find out though.
 
Last edited:
I ordered a Mac Studio M1-Ultra along with the Studio Display Tuesday evening, although I am still considering a different monitor.

However, what are your thoughts on the Studio Display stand. If I stay with that monitor, I'm considering a table top VESA rather than the base Apple stand.
 
I am planning to update my early 2009 Mac Pro and NEC screen. I will go for the Mac Studio but which screen?

Mac Studio Display or 27" EIZO?

Your thoughts are appreciated.
I don' t care too much for looks ... but for photography
I know - this is shrinking your comment to an unwanted compactness but it says it all.

As a photographer it's almost all about the looks and that includes my tools as well.

I predominantly care about the looks and calibrating the 27" 5k iMac display leads to very good results - without any doubt good enough for photographers.

I know few people that print . I own for years now giclee printers with self calibration and super wide gamut - I've never had a single problem with proofing in my iMac and Apple LED display.

After all - built in speakers and camera makes any display a much more attractive offering.
 
I am planning to update my early 2009 Mac Pro and NEC screen. I will go for the Mac Studio but which screen?

Mac Studio Display or 27" EIZO?

Your thoughts are appreciated.
I don' t care too much for looks ... but for photography
I know - this is shrinking your comment to an unwanted compactness but it says it all.

As a photographer it's almost all about the looks and that includes my tools as well.
Not for me...tools that is. Images yes. I would take images with a pink, plastic Micky Mouse camera, if results would be superior. Don' t care.
I predominantly care about the looks and calibrating the 27" 5k iMac display leads to very good results - without any doubt good enough for photographers.
I have to say that's my experience as well. I like the looks of Macs in general, but I also like the looks of Eizo monitors very much. Like I said, hardly important to me.
I know few people that print . I own for years now giclee printers with self calibration and super wide gamut - I've never had a single problem with proofing in my iMac and Apple LED display.
I have to agree. But...once an Eizo screen...just teases me. I know, could be a severe case of GAS. Happens often, and I don' t mind:-).
After all - built in speakers and camera makes any display a much more attractive offering.
Remains to be seen. What wide gamut CG Eizo monitors did you use? And how did you like/dislike the experience?
 
EIZO makes great monitors but I went w/ the Studio Display because everything else being equal to me 1) I'm use to it, having editing with a 27" iMac for the last 5 years, 2) it's designed to work w/ the Mac, i.e., no separate power button, having to muddle though a 3rd party settings menu, etc., 3) I like the over look and feel all metal build. It's a small thing but I'll be living with this for many years. I also like that it gives me 3 more 10Gbps USC-ports.
my sentiment as well - color accuracy and LUT aside the 5 k displays from Apple have been very good and once you're used to the iMac 27" display everything else looks crap.

5 k is a game changer and I know that there are many self announced specialists that think otherwise.

The proof is always in the pudding. The 5k 27" display is a really good compromise in the current iMACs and the extra features are a welcome addition.

I am planing to add that to my desktop as well - have to look whether the company PC will work as well?
 
EIZO makes great monitors but I went w/ the Studio Display because everything else being equal to me 1) I'm use to it, having editing with a 27" iMac for the last 5 years, 2) it's designed to work w/ the Mac, i.e., no separate power button, having to muddle though a 3rd party settings menu, etc., 3) I like the over look and feel all metal build. It's a small thing but I'll be living with this for many years. I also like that it gives me 3 more 10Gbps USC-ports.
my sentiment as well - color accuracy and LUT aside the 5 k displays from Apple have been very good and once you're used to the iMac 27" display everything else looks crap.

5 k is a game changer and I know that there are many self announced specialists that think otherwise.

The proof is always in the pudding. The 5k 27" display is a really good compromise in the current iMACs and the extra features are a welcome addition.

I am planing to add that to my desktop as well - have to look whether the company PC will work as well?
Same here. If this display is the same as my 2019 5k iMac, then it will be good enough for photography and printing. I also like the simple seamless integration into the Mac ecosystem.

In the past, I would calibrate the iMac with an i1 display pro device. However, it seems these new panels are so accurate that you can just put it in the photography reference mode (and make custom versions at different brightnesses) and be done with it. Matt Kloskowski has been recommending not calibrating in his recent tutorials and he prints a lot too.

My main end goal is to be able to get decent prints off my Epson P900 that match the screen close enough. This was no problem with my iMac and the P900 and my old 3880.

Thoughts on this?
fully agreed - I don't calibrate any more too - the small difference is down to nuances that I hardly see. Out of the box the new miniLED displays are nothing short but stunning and even my iMac Pro Display from 2018 is exquisite.

We've come a long way with color management. Apple has made it accessible to all of us even to tooth that don'Ät care about color management and simply get out of the box so close to perfection that it's almost magic.

I've spent a decade calibrating displays and printers - today I use veverythig out of the box with similar results.

That's user experience that I love.
 
I am replacing an NEC PA302 monitor with the new Apple Studio display. I have no doubt that the Eizo (or the NEC equivalent) is a “better” monitor for critical work. Even my old NEC with Spectraview and hardware calibration is probably better. Better uniformity for example. Nevertheless I am switching to the Apple. There are several reasons for this, mostly just having to do with aesthetics and it working more seamlessly with my other Apple products.
A common reason.
This monitor is going in my home, not an office. I value things like how it looks and very importantly how much it can reduce cable clutter on my desk. Apple simply can’t be beat in these respects.
Agreed - Apple is the best looking ecosystem in the business when it comes to what I want on my desks.
I’m confident the Studio Display will be good enough for my work. If I was doing commercial or advertising work that required precise color accuracy maybe my decision would be different. For landscape and wildlife photography I don’t think it will matter.
If you're not working on a singe project with other authors/users/artists, then the colour issue is moot. Apple's offerings are definitely (and easily) accurate enough for my work, however I do calibrate the main monitor that I work with. One reality to be cognizant of is that aside from prints, it doesn't matter to what hair's width of a degree you calibrate a monitor for web work, since web traffic will use monitors that reflect varying calibrations no matter how slight, whether or not they're calibrated by their user, or not.
My concern is whether I want the nano texture option or not.
Please figure that out before you buy, so not to be one of the many people who return items that wind up being restocked and too often sold new to unsuspecting buyers thinking that they're getting an unused product. Research before you buy.

If I pull the trigger on the Apple monitor, I'm skipping the nano texture. If you need to, wait until you tubers do a side-by-side test of the two options before you buy... OR... head to the closest Apple Store and try it out there. Whatever you do, have your purchase decision down to a science before you pull the trigger. The store is where you try things... not through internet purchases.
Best of luck with your purchase decision and your photography Keith!
 
fully agreed - I don't calibrate any more too - the small difference is down to nuances that I hardly see. Out of the box the new miniLED displays are nothing short but stunning and even my iMac Pro Display from 2018 is exquisite.
I could be mistaken, but I don't think the 27" Apple Studio Display is a miniLED display. Where I've seen Apple advertise miniLED backlighting or other XDR technology is for
  • The 12.9" iPad Pro
  • The 14" and 16' Apple Silicon MacBook Pros
  • The 6K Pro Display XDR (not quite a mini LED display, although MacWorld wrote that "it is very nearly" one).
The specifications for the screens in the 27" Studio Display and the iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020) seem to be identical except that the iMac has 500 nits brightness, while the Studio Display has 600 nits brightness.
 
fully agreed - I don't calibrate any more too - the small difference is down to nuances that I hardly see. Out of the box the new miniLED displays are nothing short but stunning and even my iMac Pro Display from 2018 is exquisite.
I could be mistaken, but I don't think the 27" Apple Studio Display is a miniLED display. Where I've seen Apple advertise miniLED backlighting or other XDR technology is for
  • The 12.9" iPad Pro
  • The 14" and 16' Apple Silicon MacBook Pros
  • The 6K Pro Display XDR (not quite a mini LED display, although MacWorld wrote that "it is very nearly" one).
The specifications for the screens in the 27" Studio Display and the iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020) seem to be identical except that the iMac has 500 nits brightness, while the Studio Display has 600 nits brightness.
Correct; no mini led display
 
I would really like to see these displays side by side. I'm sure you might notice a difference, but this debate feels, to me, like pixel peeping my image files. I have old 10mp images printed huge that were processed on a display with unknown color gamut specs. I often look bad at some of these images to make me stop comparing colors, sharpness, resolution, etc.

Is stepping out of the apple integrated display ecosystem worth the slight color gamut benefit ? And would this benefit help me make better prints? Or would it just make me feel better about prints matching the screen? Because that's the end goal, right...your printed work on your printer matching your own screen. I've always printed, but gotten gotten away from it in the last couple years. I now want to print weekly and make books regularly. Almost all the book making companies require sRGB output. Blurb then even converts it to their own profile, so the benefits of the Adobe RGB display are not there for external book making companies.

I commented on the ArtisRight video here asking about the display for photography and he responded with some very interesting answers:


My Question: I ordered this display for the Mac Studio to replace the 2019 27” iMac I am selling. I always found the iMac good enough for photography and printing when calibrated with the i1 display pro. It seems this monitor may be the same but without the need to calibrate by just putting it into the photography reference mode. Would you agree with that? Is there a specific alternative display you recommend? And would that alternative need calibrated? It seems there is a new debate whether calibrating with a device is needed with the accuracy of 2022 displays. Thanks!

ArtIsRight Answer: Lots of unpack here. If you are ok with the setup that you have and believe that putting the display in photography reference mode will work well then I would say go for it, though I don't necessary agree. I know that Apple has tweaked their P3 color calibration from the conformity standard slightly and calibrating the display is still better than not calibrating. Photography reference mode or preset is not the end game and should not be for pro photographers but some would think otherwise. I do have plenty of displays that I would recommend for pro photography work BenQ SW, Eizo CG / CS line would be a few. These are all hardware calibrated 99% Adobe RGB display. Where as Apple is software calibration only, can one visually tell a difference now a days? May be, may be not, but I still go through the debate with people who wants true 10 bit vs 8 bit + FRC. So all of this comes down to the need, the workflow, gamut spec and at the end of the day personal preferences. "It seems there is a new debate whether calibrating with a device is needed with the accuracy of 2022 displays." It is not a new debate per say, it has been on going and calibration in 2022 is not any better than what it was a few years or even a decade ago from the factory. It is just that our tools got more sophisticated as we are too. Some will just live their happy lives doing pro work with these display not knowing what they are missing and that is ok until they run into a print matching issue. I think the debate now a day is more along the line of, I do everything for web and I don't print, are these good enough? And the answer to this is again not a resounding yes or no, but rather depending on the level of accuracy one wants from the work and what they can see.
 
I would really like to see these displays side by side. I'm sure you might notice a difference, but this debate feels, to me, like pixel peeping my image files. I have old 10mp images printed huge that were processed on a display with unknown color gamut specs. I often look bad at some of these images to make me stop comparing colors, sharpness, resolution, etc.

Is stepping out of the apple integrated display ecosystem worth the slight color gamut benefit ? And would this benefit help me make better prints? Or would it just make me feel better about prints matching the screen? Because that's the end goal, right...your printed work on your printer matching your own screen. I've always printed, but gotten gotten away from it in the last couple years. I now want to print weekly and make books regularly. Almost all the book making companies require sRGB output. Blurb then even converts it to their own profile, so the benefits of the Adobe RGB display are not there for external book making companies.

I commented on the ArtisRight video here asking about the display for photography and he responded with some very interesting answers:


My Question: I ordered this display for the Mac Studio to replace the 2019 27” iMac I am selling. I always found the iMac good enough for photography and printing when calibrated with the i1 display pro. It seems this monitor may be the same but without the need to calibrate by just putting it into the photography reference mode. Would you agree with that? Is there a specific alternative display you recommend? And would that alternative need calibrated? It seems there is a new debate whether calibrating with a device is needed with the accuracy of 2022 displays. Thanks!

ArtIsRight Answer:
Lots of unpack here. If you are ok with the setup that you have and believe that putting the display in photography reference mode will work well then I would say go for it, though I don't necessary agree. I know that Apple has tweaked their P3 color calibration from the conformity standard slightly and calibrating the display is still better than not calibrating. Photography reference mode or preset is not the end game and should not be for pro photographers but some would think otherwise. I do have plenty of displays that I would recommend for pro photography work BenQ SW, Eizo CG / CS line would be a few. These are all hardware calibrated 99% Adobe RGB display. Where as Apple is software calibration only, can one visually tell a difference now a days? May be, may be not, but I still go through the debate with people who wants true 10 bit vs 8 bit + FRC. So all of this comes down to the need, the workflow, gamut spec and at the end of the day personal preferences. "It seems there is a new debate whether calibrating with a device is needed with the accuracy of 2022 displays." It is not a new debate per say, it has been on going and calibration in 2022 is not any better than what it was a few years or even a decade ago from the factory. It is just that our tools got more sophisticated as we are too. Some will just live their happy lives doing pro work with these display not knowing what they are missing and that is ok until they run into a print matching issue. I think the debate now a day is more along the line of, I do everything for web and I don't print, are these good enough? And the answer to this is again not a resounding yes or no, but rather depending on the level of accuracy one wants from the work and what they can see.
I don' t know if Art is right, but this sounds credible to me and mirrors my thoughts on this subject.
 
Last edited:
fully agreed - I don't calibrate any more too - the small difference is down to nuances that I hardly see. Out of the box the new miniLED displays are nothing short but stunning and even my iMac Pro Display from 2018 is exquisite.
I could be mistaken, but I don't think the 27" Apple Studio Display is a miniLED display. Where I've seen Apple advertise miniLED backlighting or other XDR technology is for
  • The 12.9" iPad Pro
  • The 14" and 16' Apple Silicon MacBook Pros
  • The 6K Pro Display XDR (not quite a mini LED display, although MacWorld wrote that "it is very nearly" one).
The specifications for the screens in the 27" Studio Display and the iMac (Retina 5K, 27-inch, 2020) seem to be identical except that the iMac has 500 nits brightness, while the Studio Display has 600 nits brightness.
Where did I say, that the new studio display is a mini Led one? I am pretty sure my iMac Pro 2018 had the identical panel built in and my miniLed in my 14.2“ MBP is a good deal better.

💁
 

Keyboard shortcuts

Back
Top