I need a monitor.

[The General]

My MacBook Pro display just isn't cutting it ... I'm looking at getting a new monitor. I don't play games, but I do some photography. I'm not too serious about it, so those really expensive EIZOs and what not are out of the question. I want to keep the price less than say ... $400, but I want the best quality and biggest one I can find around that.

From looking on NewEgg, this seems to be the best match for my needs:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824005088

3000:1
2ms
16.7 million colours

Has anyone used or owned this display before? Could anyone give any insight as to how this will do for colour represention and what not? I'll be getting a colour calibrator soon as well.

Thanks.

 

[saunders45]

Get one of these:

http://accessories.dell.com/sna/productdetail.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=dhs&cs=19&sku=320-5123

and one of these:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16824999037

 

[combatcolin]

big Dell widescreen's.

 

[ChrisA]

3000:1
2ms
16.7 million colours

Technology changes but a very fast response time like 2ms likely means the color is not so good and the display is optimized for games and watching movies, not photos. Notice that Apple's ACD are much slower.

Good background info here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TFT_LCD#Types

You can look up some data here
http://www.flatpanels.dk/panels.php

Check the type of panel your monitor uses, S-IPS is best for photography but maybe cost is an issue too? Other technologies may have caught up? I don't know. Do make sure your LCD uses an 8-bit DAC. "16.7 million" would seem to imply so but some times they get it by dithering 6-bit pixels.

Dell used to use Phillips s-ips panels (same as in Apple ACD) but now buys from multiple sources so it's a lottery if you get the good s-ips panel or something else.

This is what http://www.flatpanels.dk says about the LCD monitor:

LG L226WT (widescreen) has a 22 inch 2 ms (g2g) TN panel

"TN" is the best choice of cost is the primary concern but near the bottom of the list if color photography is the primary use of the display. But it might be "good enough" for casual use if you don't make a living at this. You really have to look. make prints and compare the prints to the screen and so on.

Get a hardware colorimeter like the "eye-one display2".

 

[Cult Follower]

If you can afford it always go with Apple cinema Displays.

 

[xfiftyfour]

I'd opt for the dell display.. I haven't had any problems whatsoever thus far, and the price is amazing. they're also what we use at work (International Paper) in the prepress department, so they've gotta be doing something right.

 

[eddx]

Definitely go for the Dell, 20inch or 24inch if you can afford it. The 24inch would certainly be worth saving up for but if it is out of the question the 20inch is the one for you...make sure you get the wide-screen one, and check the resolution spec before you buy, they have different versions I think.