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Thread: Computer Monitor

  1. #1

    Computer Monitor

    Hello,
    It's been a while since I posted, but I have a question.
    I just put together a new computer (PC) with the thought of doing more Photoshop. I'm still using my old monitor which is a 17" Dell with a Trinitron tube. It's not a bad monitor but I was thinking of upgrading and was wondering what everyone liked. There are so many monitors on the market now and I live out in the boonies so looking at a lot of different ones is a bit hard. So brand, model, size, CRT or LCD? what does everyone think?

    Thanks, Ed Candland

  2. #2
    Ted Harris's Avatar
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    Computer Monitor

    The only CRT's worth considering taht are still being manufactured and/or readily available in the 'new' pipeline are the 1500 Sony (which is considered the gold standard) and the LaCie electron blue in either 19" or 22" and La Cie has now announced the discontinuance of both of these but you can still find them for the moment. There are now some fine monitors to choose from to do graphics work in the LCD world. Many like those from Eizo (sp) although I have never tried one. I use an Apple 23" Cinema Display and it is excellent; the Samsung 24" uses the same panel as the Apple but is a bit more expensive. LaCie and Microtek also offer good choices. The Apple, Samsung and larger LaCie's are all in the 1200 - 1600 price range so not cheap.

    The LaCie 22" CRT is an exceptional monitor at a great price assuming you have the desktop real estate to handle it.

  3. #3

    Join Date
    Dec 1999
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    Computer Monitor

    I have the 19" LaCie get good results. Depending on which graphics card you have, you might be able to configure dual screen in a way that allows you to put your image and one or two menus on the main screen and store your remaining menus on the other. I also have an old Dell monitor and use the Dell for the extra screen. It's very handy and avoids clutter.

    Unless whatever LCD screen you get allows for separate adjustment of contrast and adjustment of each color (R-G-B), consider going with a CRT. The LaCie allows for these separate adjustments, in addition to overall brightness. This makes for better color management, although one needs something like the Monaco XR profiling software and colorimeter for building the profile and setting the adjustments.

  4. #4
    Daniel Geiger
    Guest

    Computer Monitor

    I guess it depends a bit what you want to do with it, and whether desktop real estate is a consideration. It seems to me that the CRT/LCD question is more a question of preference than anything else. Size wise, most will argue bigger is better. So desk space becomes an issue. Ever seen a 21 inch CRT in the flesh? They are monsters. I used to be a CRT afficionado, but now work with a 30 inch apple cinema display. Has a hefty price tag, but it is gorgeous to look at. Particularly, spotting larger image files is much easier, as you scroll quite a bit less. Also for page layout (I use InDesign) it allows you to see whole spreads of pages and have the pallets on the side. No need for second monitor anymore (IMHO).

    I use it with Monaco color management system, and colors are spot on with the Epson R1800. Had a look at "Real World Colormanagement" volume, and they seem to be quite even handed re the CRT/LCD debate.

    my 2c x 100K (or so).

    Daniel

  5. #5

    Computer Monitor

    Thanks for the input. It seems rather difficult to determine which monitors are well suited to photography by reading the specs on most sites. I’d think a higher contrast ratio would be better, (1000:1 for example) having more steps between black and white but I guess that’s misleading considering many of the highly rated LCDs don’t fall into this category.

    Thanks again, Ed

  6. #6
    tim atherton's Avatar
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    Computer Monitor

    The major problem is that there used to be a number of reasonably priced CRT's that were pretty good for photography. They weren't the top of the range - the LaCie's and Sonys etc, but neither did they break the bank. Now, however, almost nobody is making CRT's and none in that sort of pro-sumer range. And there don't yet seem to be the LCD's that fit the same bill - they either tend to be awful for photography/graphics, or really good, but cost twice as much as your computer (and as much as a decent LF camera...)
    You'd be amazed how small the demand is for pictures of trees... - Fred Astaire to Audrey Hepburn

    www.photo-muse.blogspot.com blog

  7. #7

    Computer Monitor

    Tim,

    A decent LF camera costs about $250. Two words: Speed Graphic. :0

  8. #8
    tim atherton's Avatar
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    Computer Monitor

    "A decent LF camera costs about $250. Two words: Speed Graphic. :0 "

    I've had a few Speed Graphics - they're okay Press Cameras... ;-)
    You'd be amazed how small the demand is for pictures of trees... - Fred Astaire to Audrey Hepburn

    www.photo-muse.blogspot.com blog

  9. #9

    Join Date
    Sep 2003
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    Computer Monitor

    I posted my "review" of a Samsung 213T LCD monitor in another forum...this is it below....

    The monitor is really nice. Is it an Ezio...no but for $600.00-+ after rebate it's really worth the price and more. Is it perfect? Well it comes close!



    http://www.buy.com/retail/product.asp?sku=10354201&loc=101&sp=1



    A client of mine has a dual 213T setup on his G5. Calibrated with an Eye-One Display and Chromix profiles for his Epson 4000 and 2200 output is right on most of the time.



    Viewing a one-hundred patch grayscale displays as very neutral...is it dead neutral on all patches...no...but if there is a color shift it's so subtle that most will not be aware of this. I've been in photography for about 30 years and I'm very sensitive to color...I can see color differences less than .025CC (that's color correction filters in the olden days.) What I see is differences less than that and only if I stare at it long enough and have a long debate about it with myself.



    Black Point is Black for sure. The Eye-One does a nice job calibrating as I can see the differences between the 100% and 99%...it's very subtle.



    The overall grayscale seems a little warm to me - a touch towards yellow - but I feel the Eye-One could be making it so. I will say I like my grayscales on the cool side towards blue, so I think this is more a personal preference.



    There is no color banding on gray gradients whatsoever.



    The 100% white point is white with no color shift that I can see.



    As a Mac user I have two options that could improve the display a touch further.



    Install an ADC/DVI adapter to run the monitor off my main card - NVIDIA GeForce4 MX with 64 MB of ram or buy a new card. I feel my old ATI 7000 Mac card with 32 MB of Ram is doing an admirable job but when I move windows around the movement is a little choppy. And I'm sure with newer cards color signals are improved than cards made four years ago.
    John V.
    ScanHi-End Moderator

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