Advice on a new monitor: I presently use a Dell 8500 XPS computer with an NVidea gt 630 graphics card and a 22 inch seven year old Samsung Syncmaster 2235 monitor. The bug is hitting...

grichie5

I presently use a Dell 8500 XPS computer with an NVidea gt 630 graphics card and a 22 inch seven year old Samsung Syncmaster 2235 monitor. The bug is hitting for a new and bigger, perhaps 27 inch monitor.
My main use is as an amateur editing photos in Photoshop and Light room. Nothing wrong with the present monitor. Can anyone suggest whether or not a newer monitor might be better for photo editing and if so suggest a brand and model. Have seen many offered in the $250 to $400 dollar class.

BebuLamar

You would have to decide whether you want more pixel count or accurate color rendition. Well if you want both I think it will exceed the $400.

grichie5

BebuLamar wrote:

You would have to decide whether you want more pixel count or accurate color rendition. Well if you want both I think it will exceed the $400.

I should have mentioned the card resolution max is 1920 x 1080. Any monitor with greater resolution would be a waste.
Mainly looking for better color rendition.

BebuLamar

grichie5 wrote:

I should have mentioned the card resolution max is 1920 x 1080. Any monitor with greater resolution would be a waste.
Mainly looking for better color rendition.

I don't know if your video card would support 1920x1200 because if it does most of the 1920x1200 have better color rendition than those with 1920x1080.

jeryh Loc: Oxfordshire UK

Best bet is the Eizo Coloredge 27", a lot of Pros' use them here.

burkphoto Loc: High Point, NC

grichie5 wrote:

I presently use a Dell 8500 XPS computer with an NVidea gt 630 graphics card and a 22 inch seven year old Samsung Syncmaster 2235 monitor. The bug is hitting for a new and bigger, perhaps 27 inch monitor.
My main use is as an amateur editing photos in Photoshop and Light room. Nothing wrong with the present monitor. Can anyone suggest whether or not a newer monitor might be better for photo editing and if so suggest a brand and model. Have seen many offered in the $250 to $400 dollar class.

Look for a monitor that can display 98% to 100% of the Adobe RGB (1998) color gamut. That will include sRGB, so the monitor will be able to display all the colors in either space. Such monitors can be found for $400 and up. BenQ, Dell, NEC, and several other companies make them.

DO NOT buy a monitor for gaming. You want a monitor made specifically for photo and video editing. They are optimized differently! Gaming monitors are way too bright and contrasty. Photo monitors are made for precision.

Whatever your budget, if you really are looking for accurate color, it must include a color calibration and profiling kit, either sold with the monitor, or as an add-on item. Datacolor and X-Rite are the companies that sell the add-ons.

It is very important to calibrate your monitor monthly. Let the software create a custom ICC profile for it, and then activate it. That will ensure that you are looking at accurate, international standard color.

DON'T make it too bright! The #1 complaint from users who print at home or use a lab is that their prints come out darker than their monitor. Photo monitors need to be used in a dimly lit room, with no bright colors on the screen or in the user's peripheral field of view. So:

Black Point aim is 0.5 candelas per square meter (cd/m^2)
White Point aim is 105 cd/m^2 (80 to 120 is the range)
Gamma is 2.2
Color Temperature depends on brightness. Follow the software's recommendation. It's usually 5800K, give or take 800K (5000K to 6500K).

I can't stress enough that if you throw money at a monitor without understanding ICC color management's role in keeping it honest, you will not see an improvement in your prints.

"But Bill, I don't print. I just post images on the Internet — on social media and sharing sites. Why do I need to calibrate when almost no one else does?"

The answer is that even when others' monitors are not calibrated perfectly, your images will look better to a wider number of people on a wider array of devices if they appear perfect to YOU on YOUR calibrated monitor.

grichie5

BebuLamar wrote:

I don't know if your video card would support 1920x1200 because if it does most of the 1920x1200 have better color rendition than those with 1920x1080.

NVidea tech support advised that the card will support up 1920x1080. This what my present monitor uses.
Just wondering whether the years have brought any noticeable improvement to color rendition if used at this resolution. My wife thinks I am wasting time.

grichie5

Thanks for your help. I have concluded that a new monitor without a new graphics card would be futile since my present card is limited to 1080 x 1920 resolution. Can you suggest a moderately priced card that would allow for a higher resolution without breaking the bank. I've have seen some for about $200, but wonder if I'm kidding myself.

johnst1001a Loc: West Chester, Ohio

I recently bought a 32 inch Samsung monitor and am completely happy with it. I don't have model number with me. It is 4k supposedly. I also have an IMAC and the Samsung matches the image quality or at least very close. monitor calibration, haven't tried but the photos i have printed are essentially the same as the monitor.

Retina Loc: Near Charleston,SC

burkphoto wrote:

Look for a monitor that can display 98% to 100% of the Adobe RGB (1998) color gamut. That will include sRGB, so the monitor will be able to display all the colors in either space. Such monitors can be found for $400 and up. BenQ, Dell, NEC, and several other companies make them.

DO NOT buy a monitor for gaming. You want a monitor made specifically for photo and video editing. They are optimized differently! Gaming monitors are way too bright and contrasty. Photo monitors are made for precision.

Whatever your budget, if you really are looking for accurate color, it must include a color calibration and profiling kit, either sold with the monitor, or as an add-on item. Datacolor and X-Rite are the companies that sell the add-ons.

It is very important to calibrate your monitor monthly. Let the software create a custom ICC profile for it, and then activate it. That will ensure that you are looking at accurate, international standard color.

DON'T make it too bright! The #1 complaint from users who print at home or use a lab is that their prints come out darker than their monitor. Photo monitors need to be used in a dimly lit room, with no bright colors on the screen or in the user's peripheral field of view. So:

Black Point aim is 0.5 candelas per square meter (cd/m^2)
White Point aim is 105 cd/m^2 (80 to 120 is the range)
Gamma is 2.2
Color Temperature depends on brightness. Follow the software's recommendation. It's usually 5800K, give or take 800K (5000K to 6500K).

I can't stress enough that if you throw money at a monitor without understanding ICC color management's role in keeping it honest, you will not see an improvement in your prints.

"But Bill, I don't print. I just post images on the Internet — on social media and sharing sites. Why do I need to calibrate when almost no one else does?"

The answer is that even when others' monitors are not calibrated perfectly, your images will look better to a wider number of people on a wider array of devices if they appear perfect to YOU on YOUR calibrated monitor.

Look for a monitor that can display 98% to 100% of... (show quote)

Although this is old hat to most members here, I really appreciate your review of these monitor basics.

mborn Loc: Massachusetts

Dell has a number of good monitors at reasonable price

Dikdik Loc: Winnipeg, Canada

burkphoto wrote:

DO NOT buy a monitor for gaming. You want a monitor made specifically for photo and video editing. They are optimized differently! Gaming monitors are way too bright and contrasty. Photo monitors are made for precision.

Response was excellent with particular emphasis on the above.

You may want to look into a free software package called 'Flux'. It adjusts the colour during the day.

Dik

olemikey Loc: 6 mile creek, Spacecoast Florida

burkphoto wrote:

Look for a monitor that can display 98% to 100% of the Adobe RGB (1998) color gamut. That will include sRGB, so the monitor will be able to display all the colors in either space. Such monitors can be found for $400 and up. BenQ, Dell, NEC, and several other companies make them.

DO NOT buy a monitor for gaming. You want a monitor made specifically for photo and video editing. They are optimized differently! Gaming monitors are way too bright and contrasty. Photo monitors are made for precision.

Whatever your budget, if you really are looking for accurate color, it must include a color calibration and profiling kit, either sold with the monitor, or as an add-on item. Datacolor and X-Rite are the companies that sell the add-ons.

It is very important to calibrate your monitor monthly. Let the software create a custom ICC profile for it, and then activate it. That will ensure that you are looking at accurate, international standard color.

DON'T make it too bright! The #1 complaint from users who print at home or use a lab is that their prints come out darker than their monitor. Photo monitors need to be used in a dimly lit room, with no bright colors on the screen or in the user's peripheral field of view. So:

Black Point aim is 0.5 candelas per square meter (cd/m^2)
White Point aim is 105 cd/m^2 (80 to 120 is the range)
Gamma is 2.2
Color Temperature depends on brightness. Follow the software's recommendation. It's usually 5800K, give or take 800K (5000K to 6500K).

I can't stress enough that if you throw money at a monitor without understanding ICC color management's role in keeping it honest, you will not see an improvement in your prints.

"But Bill, I don't print. I just post images on the Internet — on social media and sharing sites. Why do I need to calibrate when almost no one else does?"

The answer is that even when others' monitors are not calibrated perfectly, your images will look better to a wider number of people on a wider array of devices if they appear perfect to YOU on YOUR calibrated monitor.

Look for a monitor that can display 98% to 100% of... (show quote)

Goods stuff Bill!!

lsupremo Loc: Palm Desert, CA

Two questions:

1. What’s wrong with what you have now?
2. How much do you want for your Dell?

grichie5 wrote:

I presently use a Dell 8500 XPS computer with an NVidea gt 630 graphics card and a 22 inch seven year old Samsung Syncmaster 2235 monitor. The bug is hitting for a new and bigger, perhaps 27 inch monitor.
My main use is as an amateur editing photos in Photoshop and Light room. Nothing wrong with the present monitor. Can anyone suggest whether or not a newer monitor might be better for photo editing and if so suggest a brand and model. Have seen many offered in the $250 to $400 dollar class.

Polock

investigate these
Benq EW277HDR
I'm happy with mine