One of the frequently asked questions from our readers and friends is “What is the best monitor for Photography?”. Since there is no simple answer to this question, I decided to write a quick article on choosing the best monitor for professional photography needs.
Currently, there are three main types of monitors that are being offered by manufacturers:
- CRT – the oldest type of monitor that has been almost completely phased out and replaced by newer LCD/LED technologies.
- LCD – currently the most popular and the most widespread monitor type.
- LED – future technology that will replace LCD.
I won’t talk much about the above, since you can find a lot of useful information on the Internet that explains the differences. Basically, CRT monitors are almost dead and we are currently in between LCD and LED technologies. LED (OLED) is a new technology and although it will eventually replace the current LCD technology, it is still in its early stages of development and there are not many good products out there for professional photography needs.
Therefore, I will concentrate on LCD monitors and talk about different technologies used in LCD monitors, after which I will provide some suggestions on what you should consider for potential investment.
Most people do not know the fact that there are at least four different types of LCD technologies that differ substantially in the way they reproduce colors and tones. Accurate color reproduction is extremely important for every photographer and one needs to have a thorough understanding of these technologies before investing in a monitor, especially if it will be used for professional work.
1) Four LCD Monitor Technologies
When it comes to monitors, they are primarily manufactured in four distinct panel types:
- TN (Twisted Nematic) – the most popular and the cheapest type of monitor used today by almost all manufacturers. These monitors are great for watching movies and playing games, because they have fast refresh rates. But these monitors have very limited viewing angles and in most cases, cannot accurately reproduce colors. In addition, these monitors can only represent 6-bits of color (they use dithering to display all colors) and therefore they are only capable of displaying a very limited gamut of colors.
- IPS (In-Plane Switching) – compared to TN, IPS monitors are true 8-bit (full color reproduction with no dithering), have much wider viewing angles and are capable of accurately reproducing a much bigger color gamut. Some of the older generation IPS monitors suffered from low response times, but most of the latest models offer reasonably good response times/refresh rates as well. IPS monitors are expensive and they are primarily used for professional photography and design. Many of the high-end Apple monitors, including the new iPad use IPS displays.
- MVA (Multi-domain Vertical Alignment) – sits between TN and IPS, offering good viewing angles and fast refresh rates, better brightness and color reproduction than TN, but definitely worse than IPS. Similar to IPS, MVA monitors are also 8-bit.
- PVA (Patterned Vertical Alignment) – an alternative version of MVA, but with a higher contrast ratio. The latest “S-PVA” offers excellent viewing angles, fast response times, 8-bit color gamut and very good color reproduction.
2) What are you using today?
So, do you know what type of monitor you are currently using? If you bought your monitor for less than $300, you are most likely using a TN monitor. It is very easy to find out if you have one of those – just stand up about a foot above the screen and look at your monitor from the top and see how much of the picture is visible. If you can barely see the screen content, you have a TN monitor. If you can still see everything but some of the brightness is gone, you might have an MVA or PVA monitor. Either way, I highly recommend checking your monitor against TFT Central’s monitor database to identify the type of monitor you are using. For example, when I typed “214T” for Samsung SyncMaster 214T monitor that I use as a secondary monitor in a dual monitor setup, it returned “21″ Samsung S-PVA (LTM213U6)”, which means that it is a PVA monitor.
Why is this important? Because if you have a TN or a very old MVA/PVA panel, you need to consider replacing it with an 8-bit IPS or S-PVA/P-MVA/S-MVA monitor (depending on your budget). If you are thinking about buying a new monitor for your photography needs, definitely skip all TN monitors and first consider IPS and then PVA/MVA.
3) Does the brand matter?
No, it doesn’t. While there are some brands such as Eizo that specialize on high-end monitors, most other brands that dominate the LCD market such as Samsung, ViewSonic/Sony, Hitachi and NEC offer all kinds of different displays from TN to high-end IPS models. No matter what brand you look at, the first thing you need to do is pay attention to the type of technology that is used on the monitor. If you cannot find it, simply go to the same monitor database link that I provided above and perform a search. Also try searching for the detailed monitor specifications on the manufacturer’s website and try Google as well.
4) What to look for in a monitor
Here are some of the things you should look for in a good monitor for photography:
- Minimum 8-bit colors
- Preferably IPS for best color accuracy and reproduction
- Widescreen instead of square (because most DSLR cameras produce widescreen images)
- Large monitor size of 21 inches and above (preferably 24 inches and higher at 1920×1200 resolution and above)
- Wide-viewing angles
- Good black depth
- Extended color gamut
- Good uniformity with minimum or nonexistent color tinting and shifting
- Minimum of 1 DVI (digital) connector
- Fairly good response time (if it will be used for videography as well)
There are many other things that could be important for you, such as additional USB ports or connectors, so feel free to add more to the above list based on your requirements.
4) Recommendations
It is tough to make specific recommendations, because they vary based on your budget and your needs. I decided to divide my recommendations to three groups:
a) High Budget ($1,000 and above) – for those who are looking for the best on the market.
b) Medium Budget ($500 to $1,000) – for those with medium budgets, looking for a solid performer and a good price/performance ratio.
c) Low Budget (under $500) – for low-budget PVA/MVA monitors and sizes lower or equal to 24 inches.
4.1) High Budget
The best monitors in the industry today, without a doubt, are Eizo’s ColorEdge and FlexScan monitors. Eizo’s monitors have the most color gamut, superb color accuracy and top-of-the-line overall performance. Expect to pay more than $1,000 for their smallest monitors and $4,000+ for the large models. Some of Apple’s cinema displays are also worth noting and they are also superb when it comes to color reproduction and accuracy. B&H carries most of the Eizo monitors with accessories. A good 24″ Eizo monitor like the ColorEdge CG243W 24.1 is a little shy of USD $2K.
4.2) Medium Budget
For medium budget monitors, I recommend looking at 24″ monitors by Dell, NEC, HP and Asus. Specifically, Dell U2412M, Dell U2410, HP LP2475W, NEC LCD2490WUXi and Asus PA246Q have all been getting great reviews from a lot of websites. I personally own the Dell U2410 monitor and I decided to go with it after doing some extensive research. It is a 24″ IPS monitor with 6 ms response time, superb color reproduction and 102% color gamut with factory-calibrated presets. I bought it from Dell direct at around $500 when they had a promotion, so it is definitely the cheapest in this category and sits between low and medium budget. Although some people reported having issues with tinting on early models, I never had a problem with this monitor and it works great for my photography needs, so I highly recommend it! B&H also carries some of the higher-end medium budget monitors from Dell, NEC and HP. The Dell U2410 is listed at $534.95 (as of 10/28/2011), but its price sometimes drops down a little during holidays, when Dell has special promotions. You might be able to buy it cheaper from Dell directly, especially if you buy it together with a PC.
4.3) Low Budget
When it comes to low budget monitors, you will have to compromise size for a good panel type. Therefore, I recommend to look for sizes of 21″ or lower, as long as the panel is good. There are some monitors at this price range that have IPS panels, so definitely look at those first. There are too many to list, but the brands that have some solid performers are: Dell, Samsung, NEC, HP, ViewSonic and Asus. A cheap 23″ IPS panel that is less than $200 is Asus ML239H LED-Backlit monitor. Another great 23″ IPS alternatives are NEC EA232WMI-BK at $299 and Viewsonic VP2365-LED at $350. All three are good e-IPS monitors (e-IPS stands for “economic IPS”), but I would personally go for the Viewsonic, since it has a good 6ms response time and comes with a very useful 4-port USB hub.
If you are having a difficulty finding a particular monitor for your needs, I recommend checking out TFT Central’s monitor selector tool, which always picks the best monitors based on their extensive research.
Please let me know if you have any questions in the comments section below!
About Nasim Mansurov
Here is another link to find a monitor’s panel type: http://www.flatpanelshd.com/panels.php
Wasz, thank you for the link! :)
I still use 19″ CRT monitor, and it definitely displays colors better then LCD ones.
Avaz, it depends on what LCD you compare it with. Try comparing your CRT to a quality IPS panel and you will clearly see the difference…
How about laptops?
I know Fujitsu laptops screens are pretty good, but the laptop itself a bit clunky and old fashioned.
Would you recommend any laptop brand over another for photography?
Something for sub-$1K price range and something for $1-2K range.
I think a separate article with comparisons and suggestions would be a great idea.
Mukhsim.
Mukhsim, that’s a good idea…I should probably write about laptops as well.
Obviously, the top pick is going to be Apple laptops (Most professional photographers use Apple desktops/laptops for processing photographs), due to their nice screens and optimized Photoshop/Lightroom experience.
When it comes to PCs, I’ve heard a lot of good things about “HP EliteBook” and some of the Dell Precision laptops that have great monitors. Obviously, the bigger the monitor size, the better, so a 17″ laptop screen with 1920×1200 resolution is optimal. But big monitor size also means large and heavy laptop and I just don’t see the value in those. Many photographers showcase their work on laptops and I think the new Apple iPad is going to replace laptops as showcase instruments very soon…
When i connect my Sony HDR-CX520E camcorder directly to LG HDTV fullHD to view still photos and videos, the results blew me away. However, when i play them back on my Lenovo T61p, the results are only 30% of what HDTV could achieve in terms of color, sharpness and etc.
My question is, will any current IPS monitor by Eizo or Apple product beat HDTV?
Len, laptop displays are not the best for photography and your TV might be over-saturating colors to make everything look very vivid.
Without a doubt, a good IPS monitor from Eizo or Apple will give you a much more accurate color than an HDTV would.
A very useful article. You’ve saved us hours of research! Thank you.
You are most welcome Tom!
Changing from PC to Mac for photography. Debating on the MacPro 15 0r 17 or iMac 27. I can also get the 24inch Apple LED Cinema Display with the laptop to dock in. I am writing a book also so that is why I was leaning towards a laptop plus if I need to eventually upload photos on site (not doing that yet). Is the Apple a good monitor for photography or am I better off with the Dell Ultrasharp. Was trying to save some money. Just don’t know which is the best way to go.
Susan, Apple monitors (especially the Cinema displays) are superb, much better than the Dell Ultrasharp. If you are converting to Macs, I would stick with the Apple displays – they are worth every penny.
I’m finally giving up on my iMac 24″ because what I see on the screen is not what I get when I print on my Epson photo printer. I have done everything I can think of: calibrating, dimming, printer controls color, no color managment, Elements controls color, research on the internet, calling Apple support, Epson support, my old darkroom buddies–but I have spent more time struggling with the #@^%$& computer than producing any photos, while my husband is doing just fine with his workhorse Dell. One of my biggest complaints about the monitor is that it is too bright. I tried dimming it with DarkAdapted, but that made it hard to see color. It seems to me that the iMac is made for producing images that look great on the computer, but not on paper.
I appreciated your article. There is way too much information out there so I’m grateful to you for figuring some of it out.
Sheila, I have heard mixed things about the iMac monitors. Some swear by them and others like you have problems with calibration. I personally use a custom PC that I built and I use two 24″ Dell IPS monitors as shown in this article. I do not have any problems with prints…
what i would recommend is using either a spyder or eyeone printing a colour swatch through your printer (ie 912 colours) using the ink and the type of paper and creating a colour profile specifically for that printer and paper scanning them into your computer and setting your room luminance to 90 (dull lighting, just a note also the colour of your walls also can add a colour cast in your screen giving you false indication 18% grey walls with a matte finish will help thats also) or turn your monitor down to 3 of the 16 squares, that would be a good start also dont forget to apply the colour profile in photoshop for your profiles to be used when printing this may take a wee trail and error first time around :) hope that helps there are also more steps i could mention if you need more help with colour profiling just ask.
How about LED display? is it good for photography? how about samsung PX2370?
Rieza, there are no true LED screens available. All of them are backlit.
I’m debating between the Dell 2410 and HP 2475 for photo editing. I’ve read many negative reviews about the 2410 and few about the 2475… Any suggestions as to which one is better?
Ron, I have two 2410 monitors and I love them. I had one of the monitors replaced recently though, since it started fading a little after 2-3 months of heavy use. The second monitor has no problems though.
The biggest complaint on the Dell 2410 is its QA – some batches are terrific, while others have issues with image fading and other problems. The HP2475 seems to be better in that regard.
Nasim,
Thank you for the article and info. It’s very helpful. I need a new monitor for work, (standard business apps.), and I also enjoy photography. I am considering LG E2250T-PN (22″), Samsung BX2440X 24″, and Acer S243HL bmii 24″ Do you have any recommendations between these or any other monitor in the under $300 category? Thanks much!
Larry
Larry, there are too many monitors under $300 category to compare. Both LG and Samsung monitors are great, I would personally go for the latter, since I have been using Samsung for the last 10 years and have always loved using their monitors.
Hi!
I just came across this blog looking for an IPS monitor.. Aaaand I couldn’t help but notice that you say that LED-lit monitors is an entirely new category of displays.
They’re not.
LED monitors are still LCD panels, and I can’t emphasize this enough(!!!), they are just backlit by Light Emitting Diodes (LED) instead of CCFL as we’re used to.. It’s not a new type of display – nothing’s really different. What’s lighting the monitor is just more efficient, brighter and doesn’t need to warm up. Don’t believe all the marketing BS retail stores are shoving down your throats!
OLED on the other hand – now THAT’s a new type of display technology… But you can google that yourself.
Sorry if I came across as some know-it-all-guy.
Mads Faerch, I did not say anywhere that LED-lit monitors are entirely new category of displays, I just said “LED”, which is basically “OLED” in today’s terms. LED-backlit monitors are still LCD and they are definitely not OLED, as you have pointed out above.
Thank you for your feedback, I truly appreciate it and please do not be sorry – this is very important for those who are looking at LED-backlit monitors, thinking they are much different from LCDs.
Out of about 50 website reviews I found this one covered many points clearly and concisely. The only problem is that things change in a matter of months :-)
Anyway, now I know what to look for when I go shopping – thanks.
Andy, that’s true – it is hard to keep up with all the new stuff that comes out pretty much on a daily basis :-)
Hello,
I want to purchases new monitor. I am professional graphic designer, & color is most important for me. you say above that IPS panel is good for about colors. I want to buy 22 inch monitor. I am looking Dell UltraSharp U2211H. Is it good for me or can suggest other monitors in 22 inches. One other thing I want to tell that I also play games. so its also good for games or not ? dell website say its 8ms (Gray to Gray). its good for all game or not ? and i don’t understand properly mean of 8ms. & what is the different between 8ms & 5ms. hi is 8ms or 5ms create major difference. what is (Gray to Gray). some lcd say that ( black to white), what is that ?
Color is most important because of my profession & then for game. Will you suggest Dell UltraSharp U2211H for my profession & for games.
PLz help me, I am so confused, can you reply me fast because of I am looking monitor & purchasing with in 2or 3 weeks.
So plz fast
Thanks,
NJ
Nitin, yes, an IPS panel is what you want if you want good color reproduction. Look at the monitor database link that I provided in the article and search for the monitor you want to buy. If it says IPS, it should be a safe buy.
Excellent article Nasim… I wish I had run across it two weeks earlier, my
research to replace my 19″ CRT monitor with a quality photographic type
display would have been so much easier. I too came to the same conclusion as
you that the Dell U2410 seems to be a very good monitor. I noticed it has great
specs and some extra features that are unique (Picture-in-Picture and
Picture-by-Picture Multi-Views ) plus a good price, especially when on sale.
I would just like to make a couple of comments if I may:
As far as i know, HP seems to have a very real problem with customer support.
They make good products but they apparently do not stand behind them.
Also, Eizo monitors are excellent ( and very pricey) but they seem to have a
very slow refresh rate. I think they are excellent for stills but I have no idea how they might be for videos.
And, as # 16 mentioned, OLED is not LED. From what I’ve seen in my recent
research, if a screen is OLED the retailer is more than happy to say so. The same seems to be true for LED backlit LCD screens.
Thanks for a great article….
Winsig, thank you for your feedback.
You are right about OLED not being LED. I have just read a technical document that shows differences between the two. Seems like “LED” is a name for a product that sits between LCD and OLED, so it is basically a hybrid display.
Ok I’m looking at the possibility of either the Eizo SX2462W,or the Apple 27″ LED both are IPS monitors. This monitor will become the primary monitor in my photography studio. Which one would you recommend and why?
Walter, I personally like the Apple IPS monitors, since they look cooler than Eizo :)
Other than that, I do not own both so I cannot make a good comparison.
Hi Nasim:
I took a good look at both monitors and I have decided to go with the Ezio. The Ezio worked out to be about a $100.00 USD more expensive, and came with a 5 year warranty. I feel that, 2 extra years is probably worth the 100 bucks. What took me away from the Apple Cinema display was the glossy screen, I have worked on a few laptops with a glossy screen and it drove me a little crazy with me constantly changing my position to look at various parts of screen.
The Ezio works for me, but I am writing this to thank you for a very helpful Blog.
Walter
Thank you for your feedback Walter, glad you found what you were looking for! Eizo monitors are superb!
Thanks for the info Nasim.
I’m actually a videographer, but am also looking for a LCD monitor as I do all my own editing (up to now on my macbook pro).
I’m actually looking for something under 20″ in size as I’ll be driving down to Central America and don’t want too big an item in the car. Plus once I get down to where I’m going, I’ll need to be able to stash the monitor quickly when I go out (for security). I was looking at the Dell 2211H but I’m afraid it might be slightly too big …
Was also looking at a Dell 1909W but it sounds like the technology in that one is a little behind the time for HD editing.
Cheers!
Dave
Dave, I apologize for a late response. The Dell u2211H is a very good IPS panel. You certainly do not want to get something like the 1909W, since it is a TN panel. For your type of work, I would go with an IPS panel for better color reproduction.
Will the Dell UltraSharp U2412M 24-in Widescreen IPS High Performance Monitor be good for PC gaming?
thanks,
Fred, absolutely! 8ms response time is more than enough for most games out there.
Your article is great, Thank you! I am doing more in studio presentations of clients animal photo proofs. (The shoots are always on location at clients house/stable.) Can I just get a larger monitor to hook into my laptop? Or, should I get an HDTV or the projectors which I’m guessing is not as ideal anymore…(Right now I have an ASUS 18″(?) laptop I work on. I really don’t want to spend over $2000 and $1,000 would be more in my budget.
Thanks,
Debby
Debby, your best bet would be to get one of those nice LED TVs that they sell in Best Buy. You can get a 30-40 inch LED TV for less than $1,000 nowadays – just make sure that it is 1080p, so that your images look good on the screen and that the TV has a VGA/DVI input so that you can connect your laptop to it.
Thank so much. I tried to get my ASUS hooked up to the 1080 tv in the living room and it didn’t recognize it/work. I think I’ll bring it to Best Buy and have them hook it up to a tv in the store. :=)
Hello Nasim,
I’ve done quite a bit of research but I have not been able to decide on the following three monitors:
1. HP ZR22W, s-ips
2. Dell U2311H, e-ips
3. NEC EA231WMi, e-ips
They are all under the $300 dollar range. I am an architecture student and do 3d rendering/modeling, using systems like CAD, MAYA, Rhino, Maxwell. My thoughts:
ZR22W size would not be a big problem, I am buying two. How comparable is it to the ZR24W?
U2311H has been criticized for bad uniformity and not best colors.
NEC EA 231WMi has great reviews, but is it outdated in comparison to ZR22W?
Any advice would help, I am having a hard time committing to either of these. Or do you recommend any other within this range?
Thank you,
Avo, I think the HP ZR22W looks like the best buy in this case.
I am an amateur photographer and am seriously considering the Dell U2711 monitor. First of all, do you like this monitor and secondly, how do I deal with possible problems as Dell does not have a store front (In Ottawa, Canada). Thanks. I loved your article!
Thanks for all this info. I’m a professional photographer and I’m currently working on a 15″ Macbook Pro. I need a bigger screen so I was considering a bigger monitor that I can hook up to our PC and my MAC as the program I want to use for wedding albums isn’t yet made for a MAC.
I was looking at the ASUS PA246Q Black 24″ 6ms P-IPS Height/Swivel/Pivot Adjustable LCD Monitor w/2 USB hub, Card Reader & Display port 400cd/m2 50000:1 DCR that I found on newegg.com but I prefer to spend less and I don’t need all their extra features. I do like that it swivels for the vertical shot but I don’t think I need the USB port as I will be importing all my photos into my MAC anyhow.
Any advice is appreciated. Thanks!
I just bought the ASUS PA246Q and so far it is fabulous!
Hi Nasim,
What is your opinion on the imac in regards to the glossy glass reflective screen.
I know most say its personal preference, but is there a legitimate concern with this type of dispay in regards to photo editing that should make someone reconsider the purchase for something else with a Matte finish instead, like dell etc..?
Thanks!
I bought a terrific NEC monitor that would not/could not connect with my MACbook for love or money
(NEC and APPLE both officially gave up after 3 days and multiple downloads, cables, et.al)
Just to be sure, do the monitors you recommend in the mid-range like macbooks? (or more specifically, ‘recognize’ macbooks?)
Nasim, I like most of your advice, and I definitely plan on referring to it if/when I buy a new monitor. I would take issue only with one recommendation:
“Widescreen instead of square (because most DSLR cameras produce widescreen images)”
Personally, I hate “shortscreen” (because most of the time, that’s what “widescreen” is) – and if you do most of your photography in portrait orientation, as I do, it’s of very little use. Unfortunately, the vast majority of new monitors are of widescreen design, so it’s almost a moot point now. You could rotate your monitor to have the long axis vertical, but that kind of stinks for most other desktop work…I guess the only answer is to have two monitors, one horizontal and one vertical!
Hey,
My question is this. Many photographers use their Macbook Pro laptops to view the shots as they fire them. I want to utilize this option because my 17″MBP has an amazing screen and it would enable me to instantly know that I got the shot while the lights reset. Is there any way to connect my Canon 7D to my MBP using the MBP as a monitor only?
And great article! Thanks for breaking down all of the different types.. I couldn’t understand why the differences were so drastic before reading this. Apple cinema displays are quite great for editing. I have to agree with you. I find that I can see the most subtle flaws when editing! Good tools create powerful results.
Hello Nasim Mansurov! Thank you for this helpful article. After reading this, I decided to look for a new monitor for my editing . So I just have a minimum wallet to spend on the new monitor. I was looking for a lot of monitor from brands you mentioned on the article and I found NEC EA232WMI-BK . So would u please look over this for me and give me your opinion about this one. Thanks.
Cooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooool
Ame ziiiing yar
Very useful article. Thank you. I am not a professional photographer but too much into it as a hobby. Considering Viewsonic VP2365wb. Mostly for photo editing and graphic design. Any insights with the regards to this particular model. The price of that unit is very attractive, simply hard to believe, considering specs. it has. Thanks.
Hi all,
What do you guys think of using the new 27-inch Apple LED Cinema Display as monitor for photography? Would the glossy screen be an exclusion criterion for you?
Best,
Christian
Christian, Apple LED monitors are IPS, so they are among the top choices for photography.
Many thanks, Nasim.
I currently have a 23-inch Apple Cinema Display and need bigger screen. Since I am highly pleased with this display, I would like to stay with Apple. I often read that glossy screens would not be the first choice for photographers due to calibration issues. But now, I will go for it.
Best regards, Christian
I’m a firm believer that it’s good to learn something new every day and I’ve just learned a valuable amount form discovering your article.
I’m presently looking for a monitor no bigger than 21″ and I understand now what to look for. You say there are ‘too many to mention’ in the budget section…but could you mention just a couple to get me started?….thanks for your good work.
Gareth, I updated the article with some 23″ IPS monitor recommendations for the low budget. Hope this helps.
Nasim,
You have an error in your article — IPS panels can also use dithering. There are different types of IPS panels (P-IPS, H-IPS, S-IPS, E-IPS, etc) which have different features and quality.
For example, Dell U2412M which you wrote about actually has 6-bit + AFR dithering. It is based on E-IPS panel and while it can work with full 8 bits according to specs, Dell opted to 6-bit + dithering to be able to make it so affordable.
Hi Nassim,
EIZO monitors can work with both sRGB and Adobe RGB color space (the technical specification). This also applies to Apple Cinema Display monitor and display for the Mac Book Pro laptop? The technical specification of color spaces is not even mentioned.
Best regards, Eugene
Nasim,
Thank you for taking the time to answer all of these questions. I just purchased an LED 1080p television to use as my primary monitor. I am connecting via a DVI to HDMI cable. While the picture is bright and vivid, I am not getting accurate colors. Any photo that I edit looks great on the new monitor but terrible on all others. I have tried to calibrate using the tv menu, the Windows menu, and the graphic card’s menu and I have not come close. Did I make a bad purchase or is there a way to calibrate this HDTV to use as a monitor?
Exceptionally well information you have shared here. We really impressed with your great information
Dear Nasim,
I am going to by a desktop + monitor which will be used for Photoshop CS5 frequent working. I am interested in editing but not a pro. Could you please give some advice regarding an optimal solution for this ? You can write about both Windows and Mac. At monitor I am interested in the least harmful for eyes. Thank you very much.
Nasim,
Regarding your medium budget IPS monitor recommendations–specifically, the Dell and Asus– do I need to also buy a colorimeter or other calibration device to ensure screen vs printer accuracy? Or, are there enough “controls” on the monitors to get it calibrated/synched with a Canon or Epson printer?
Greg
Hello,
I am on a very low budget and need a monitor as soon as possible. I am relatively new to digital photography (I have NEX-5n) and I will use the monitor mainly to view photos and apply minor edits. Can You please give an opinion on LG IPS225V? I have also read that it is factory color calibrated and according to some reviews it gets relatively good results. Here are the specifications :
Series: IPS LED Monitor
Screen size: 21.5′ (54.61 cms)
Resolution: 1920 x 1080
Brightness (nit): 250
Contrast Ratio (DFC): 5000000:1
Response Time(ms): 5ms (GTG (σ))
HDCP: Yes
HDMI: Yes
178/178 viewing angle
Price: £99, $155, €118
http://www.lg.com/in/computer-products/led-monitor/LG-IPS225V.jsp
Thanks!
Nasim,
Thank you; seems this article is still providing good advice. I’m leaning toward the EIZO monitors but wanted to do some research on video cards before I jump into that. After all; the best monitor in the world will be far less effective if a weak video card is selected. Unfortunately I have seen “professional” cards priced from a few hundred bucks to almost $12K. Can you provide any guidence here?
thanks again,
Kevin
Nasim,
Any comments on tablet/monitors such as the Wacom Cintiq 24HD (H-IPS)? The Cintiqs as I am sure you know are designed to be drawn on, as they a fancy tablet. Would you consider them a monitor which I know owners also use them as such? Of course, they are expensive.
Thanks, Allan