Wot monitor?

[GetCarter]

OK guys & gals;

If my accountant doesn't laugh too much I'm upgrading the PC and monitor. (This one made it to over 3 years old - which is, I think, a record)

Pretty sure on the swift PC with humumgous sized HD's and 4gb ram - but haven't really started looking for a decent LCD flat panel screen that will be good for photo editing in PS.

I'm not going anywhere near CRT's before the purists jump in!

I don't need huge (20"-23" would be fine) but I need sharp and accurate. It's not going to be used for games BTW.

Any thoughts or decent reviews? Dell ultra-sharp 20.1" (£370) seems ok as a starter for 10? I use 2 Apple 30" cinema displays on my Mac... perhaps a 23" one of them?

TIA

Steve
]

Edited by GetCarter on Sunday 30th December 21:05

[DanH]

Have you got a calibration tool? I've got a Dell 24" (2407) and I'm having terrible trouble with colour rendition, but I haven't got a calibrator yet so its probably down to that. Otherwise I'm a big fan of it and its a useful size.

[sgrimshaw]

I've been using Samsung monitors for some time now and been very pleased with them.

This 22" gets very good reviews and is not too expensive.

http://www.pcw.co.uk/computeractive/hardware/22020...

Simon

[fergusd]

I have a dell 2407wfp - 24" job - very good - nice size and loverly colours - I've calibrated mine with a borrowed cal tool from our local camera club . . .

As an aside I've just moved to mac for every day use . . . bought one of the new macbook pro's with the LED backlit screen . . . reconditioned from apple . . . very nice and fantastic screen . . . awaiting calibration . . .

I hope to kill off my microsoft dependance very soon . . .

Fd

[Andy M]

GetCarter said:

I use 2 Apple 30" cinema displays on my Mac... perhaps a 23" version of one of them?

TIA

Steve

Don't know about you but I have a pink border to the edge of my Apple screen (23" aluminium). Pi55es me off, as I thought they were the best without going into big £££.

[RobDickinson]

All but 1 22" ws use the same TN 6 bit panel (I have one) its OK but not near being a good one for correct colour & the pixel density isnt great.

IMO go for a good dell 20 - i know some camera shops here rent calibration devices.

[DanH]

fergusd said:

I have a dell 2407wfp - 24" job - very good - nice size and loverly colours - I've calibrated mine with a borrowed cal tool from our local camera club . . .

As an aside I've just moved to mac for every day use . . . bought one of the new macbook pro's with the LED backlit screen . . . reconditioned from apple . . . very nice and fantastic screen . . . awaiting calibration . . .

I hope to kill off my microsoft dependance very soon . . .

Fd

Good to hear it can be made to look good with a calibrator. I guess I need to get one. Now to find one that works properly with vista64...

[Gingerbread Man]

I've herd the Dell monitor range are your winners.

So bearing that in mind, I'd put a put for the 24" Dell.


Ginger One.



No excuses, 'wot' is not how it's spelt!

[DanH]

One thing I'd add is that if you are serious about this, all these 'budget' LCDs are 8 bit. These are considered a bit crap for digital imaging etc...

Lacie offer 12 bit ones, but we are talking a significant increase in cost.

[Vixpy1]

Dell 24, there is not compition, except maybe the 30'

[Mattt]

I have the Samsung 206BW, was the best all-rounder when I got it, and I still love it

[flat-planedCrank]

RobDickinson said:

All but 1 22" ws use the same TN 6 bit panel (I have one) its OK but not near being a good one for correct colour & the pixel density isnt great.

IMO go for a good dell 20 - i know some camera shops here rent calibration devices.

Thats was my thinking when i bought a monitor a few months ago. Had a look at some 22" ws screens from the usual suspects, samsung, etc.. but decided on a Dell 20" monitor that seems to get good reviews.

Its a dell 2007FP (the non-widescreen one (it has a higher overall pixel count, and i also have a non-ws tablet)), about £270, 1600x1200, S-IPS panel.

I know games aren't a problem in this decision, but with a reported refresh rate of 16ms (!), i've seen no problems playing the latest fps titles
(...i did read something about different manufacturers quoting different stats for refresh rates, some quoting black-to-white times (longer), while other quoting grey-to-grey times (shorter). Not sure about the accuracy of that info but it made me a bit skeptical of the seemingly-undue attention payed to refresh rates.)

Cheers.

[Zad]

I was looking into 24" monitors and was told that Dell are bringing out a new one some time around March. 8 bit rather than 6 bit, and hopefully with improved electronics that will fix the ghosting problem that some people have had.

[DanH]

Zad said:

I was looking into 24" monitors and was told that Dell are bringing out a new one some time around March. 8 bit rather than 6 bit, and hopefully with improved electronics that will fix the ghosting problem that some people have had.

Have you found anything concrete saying the 2407 is 6 bit? I never did.

http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=75537

This is interesting in comparison to the apple cinema displays. It has a 20% wider colour gamut. Dunno if the apple one is 6 bit?

http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.3bc31e2b

[GetCarter]

DanH said:

Zad said:

I was looking into 24" monitors and was told that Dell are bringing out a new one some time around March. 8 bit rather than 6 bit, and hopefully with improved electronics that will fix the ghosting problem that some people have had.

Have you found anything concrete saying the 2407 is 6 bit? I never did.

http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?t=75537

This is interesting in comparison to the apple cinema displays. It has a 20% wider colour gamut. Dunno if the apple one is 6 bit?

http://www.adobeforums.com/webx/.3bc31e2b

According to apple: They are all 8-bit, the only 6-bit one is the 20" Alum iMac.

[andybuk99]

Formac

[NWMark]

sgrimshaw said:

I've been using Samsung monitors for some time now and been very pleased with them.

This 22" gets very good reviews and is not too expensive.

http://www.pcw.co.uk/computeractive/hardware/22020...

Simon

Another vote here for the 226BW an excellent monitor, but if you want much better colour reproduction pick up the 226CW, uses a much better panel for colour reproduction (20% wider colour gamut than the BW) and costs about another £60 more than the BW.

Although if you want pixel density aswell your still better off with the more expensive still Dell monitors, which have higher resolutions, than the 1680x1050 of the samsung panels.

Edited by NWMark on Monday 31st December 12:42

[_dobbo_]

NWMark said:

Another vote here for the 226BW an excellent monitor, but if you want much better colour reproduction pick up the 226CW, uses a much better panel for colour reproduction (20% wider colour gamut than the BW) and costs about another £60 more than the BW.

Having long been a fan of greater real estate over ultimate quality, I'd spend my cash on two Samsung 226CWs, and infact probably will do so in the next month or so.

[Qoda]

Have a look at EIZO.
Colour quality, brightness and sharpness constant across the screen,
About £2300 though

Regards
mike

[rlw]

Samsung Syncmaster 245B is very good indeed straight out of the box and at 1900 x 1200 is just right for three pages of A4 or editing those pesky alternate shots...great colours, very sharp and very tailorable to individual requirements.