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RogerC
08-12-2013, 09:14 PM
Hi one and all,

(Edited in response to Pisquee/Janners posts below)

I've recently started looking around for a new monitor. The requirements are 27 inch, 2560x1440 Resolution and colour accurate (or able to be calibrated) for Adobe RGB or at a push sRGB.

Price range .......a max of £500.00 but might push it a little higher. IPS panel is an obvious requirement (edited insert after reading Pisquee post below).
So do any of you have one or one you would recommend? Brand and model number or supplier details would be great.

Also once this is sorted I'll need a monitor colour calibrator........so once again anyone got/use one they would recommend? Model detail would be appreciated, not just Colourmunki or Spyder because I found those myself (Thanks Janners, (post below).....what model do you have?). Not having used either brand it's your experience/recommendations with them I would appreciate.

Thanks folks. :biggrin:

JMugs
08-12-2013, 10:34 PM
I use colormunki for monitor/printer/ camera. No idea about the camera side, that's Mrs J's department. Screen and printer profiles brilliant, and simple.
Janners.

pisquee
08-12-2013, 10:38 PM
You'll need an IPS type monitor (not TN) IPS montitors are more expensive, and usually have IPS in their model name, or advertising to make sure you realise. If it doesn't mention being IPS then assume it isn't.
Never assume that a monitor will be accurate out of the box - when they arrive (or are in a shop) they are set up to look good and pleasing to the eye, rather than being accurate. Monitor calibrating systems cost around £50 - either a DataColor Spyder (What we use) or a ColorMunki (which some others on the forum use)
If you want a system that can also calibrate your printer, and so do your own ICC profiles for your ink/printer, then expect to pay around £200-£300 for the equivilent Spyder or ColorMunki packages.

RogerC
09-12-2013, 11:36 AM
OP edited. Thanks Pisquee & Janners.

I knew I need an IPS panel and not to accept out of box calibration hence the questions. I've done loads of research and as usual there's a wide range of reviews mostly saying XXXX model is brilliant or crap. For instance some reviewers love Dell IPS panels but others say avoid like the plague because of warranty issues arising mainly over dead pixels which is worrying because of Dell's 'dead pixel' policy. Strange how reviews never seem to give a balanced picture but incline to one or other extreme, hence asking here because I am sure I'll get 'real and reliable' information.

Anyway over to you folks once more...........thanks.

pisquee
09-12-2013, 01:51 PM
Also, be careful buying from somewhere like Dell, as sometimes two monitors with the same model number may actually have different panels in them - one batch maybe TN and in a few months time they swap to IPS, and a few months later back to TN. So important to get one you are sure is IPS.
We recently got a used HP LP2065 (and I'm tempted to get another) ... but as above, make sure it's an IPS one, as there are TN ones too

For ICC/Calibration stuff we use a Spyder 3 Studio, which has the sensors for measuring your printers and monitors, and all comes in a nice little brief case thing. Got it used on Ebay for a good price. Now superceded by the Spyder 4 which has better sensors, so used 3s may come down further in price.

Justin
09-12-2013, 03:33 PM
Tried a couple of expensive monitors which were both letdowns so eventually imported a Yamakasi Catleap from Korea and its first class. Same panel as Apple use but far cheaper even after taxes.

RogerC
09-12-2013, 03:46 PM
Also, be careful buying from somewhere like Dell, as sometimes two monitors with the same model number may actually have different panels in them - one batch maybe TN and in a few months time they swap to IPS, and a few months later back to TN. So important to get one you are sure is IPS.
We recently got a used HP LP2065 (and I'm tempted to get another) ... but as above, make sure it's an IPS one, as there are TN ones too

For ICC/Calibration stuff we use a Spyder 3 Studio, which has the sensors for measuring your printers and monitors, and all comes in a nice little brief case thing. Got it used on Ebay for a good price. Now superceded by the Spyder 4 which has better sensors, so used 3s may come down further in price.

Thanks for the information Pisquee.

Regarding panels..........I have read of many problems with Dell though not using TN instead of IPS. Of course there a lot of very satisfied Dell customers out there but it's the 'issues' that concern me. I read that the same model but from different 'series' of production have differing problems. Apparently the only way to avoid this is to ensure one gets the latest 'series'....A03 not A00 but unfortunately Dell are not always 'honest' and send out what is actually a A00/A01 series relabeled or in some instances customer returns ...........now that's naughty.

daviddeer
09-12-2013, 06:54 PM
If your budget will stretch a little more then get an nec spectraview the older ones display the full sRGB gamut and they are warranted for pixel drop out for life. Roughly around the £250-300 mark for used ones. the latest models will display the full adobe RGB spectrum.
Used ones are hard to get as the owners keep them forever
like this one (http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/100012667-NEC-SpectraView-/300969900700?pt=UK_Computing_Other_Computing_Netwo rking&hash=item4613343a9c) on fleabayor

Or an eizo coloredge some here (http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_sacat=0&_sop=15&_nkw=coloredge&rt=nc&LH_Auction=1) (the first one comes with a colourimeter if you fancy driving down to Eastbourne) watch that they can still be fully adjusted as the brightness and contrast may fall outside the detectable range of the profiler which occurs on the lacie electron blue ctx models.

RogerC
10-12-2013, 12:03 PM
Thanks for the info Daviddeer..........unfortunately the Eizo 27 inch (don't want anything smaller) is way beyond my budget and the NEC link you sent got my wallet all excited until I looked into it more and it's a sale (over £200) for just the hood.....

daviddeer
10-12-2013, 02:48 PM
Sorry about that had mouth watering too. here's a link to the latest self calibrating model (http://www.jigsaw24.com/eizo%2027%20inch%20coloredge%20cg276%20self-calibrating%20ips%20display%20&%20hood%20-%20black/eizo-displays/-/fcp-product/11713) to make you really jealous. Mind you at £1500 it would !!

arthur.daley
11-12-2013, 06:09 PM
hi

you really sure you want a 27 inch screen?

how about 2 screens and a dual head graphics card? For photoshop work in the studio I used to have one high spec (as high a spec and as large a screen as I could afford at the time) whcih all the actual editing work is done on and then another cheap screen where all the pallettes get dumped and you run other applications on as the same time as photoshop - such as your email client, iPlayer etc.

Just a thought


Arthur

RogerC
12-12-2013, 12:10 AM
hi

you really sure you want a 27 inch screen?

how about 2 screens and a dual head graphics card? For photoshop work in the studio I used to have one high spec (as high a spec and as large a screen as I could afford at the time) whcih all the actual editing work is done on and then another cheap screen where all the pallettes get dumped and you run other applications on as the same time as photoshop - such as your email client, iPlayer etc.

Just a thought


Arthur

Hi Arthur....unfortunately I don't have desk space for 2 monitors hence going for a 27 inch which will just fit.