BenQ Monitors: Adobe RGB '98; 10 Bit; 14 Bit LUT

[neil poulsen]

I don't know that much about monitors, but . . .

I just purchased a BenQ SW240 graphics quality monitor with which I'm very pleased. It claims to have a gamut that is 99% of Adobe RGB (1998) and 100% of sRGB. It's a 10 bit monitor (most monitors, including Apples' are 8 bit) and has a 14 bit lookup table. You can check the price at B&H; suffice to say, it's affordable.

The color is beautiful. I've been working with my wife on an illustration project, and I hadn't yet had time to color manage it. (I'm using an older Apple Mac Pro computer.) So, it was a bit of a surprise to me, when I saw that a BenQ.ICC display profile had been somehow installed and designated for the monitor. Some time ago, I created a scanner profile, which I applied to portions of her illustration that had been scanned. It finally came time to print her illustration, and I was really struck by the close match between the print and the monitor. Note that I'm using this monitor in low light circumstances.

Prior to purchase, I inquired about the monitor on the Color Mgt. forum of Luminous-Landscape, and two individuals posted positive comments. It's cousin, the SW270 received very favorable and more detailed reviews in other threads. When ordering, the B&H sales person made some positive comments about the monitor, and said that BenQ was one of the few companies that make their own screens. Many other monitor makers purchase 3rd party screens.

I'm not suggesting necessarily that people go right out and purchase a BenQ monitor. But for those in the market, this one merits consideration.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

I own 3 BenQ 27 in photographic monitors. Love them! I calibrate with i1pro2 may upgrade to the i1pro3. Haven't done the hardware calibration yet the monitor allows which is supposed to be way better than software calibration that we typically do.

I would highly recommend them and to calibrate them in the AdobeRGB1998 setting.

[Peter De Smidt]

Make sure to turn on 10-bit in the video card's settings.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Didn't know that I could do that. I need to see if my card allows that. Running a Mac.

[Peter De Smidt]

To get 10 bit per channel color you need the software to be capable of it, i.e. Photoshop has a setting, your video card has to be capable of it, and it has to be turned on in the video driver, as well as the monitor has to be capable of it. Well, the connection matters, too, but these days that shouldn't be a problem. Honestly, I've had a 10-bit system for a long time, and I question it's usefulness.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

I just did a hardware calibration of my BenQ with their Palette Master software and my i1pro2. 16bit LUT calibration stored in the monitor hardware itself. There is another software from Germany that also does the hardware calibration and uses the LUT and stores the new LUT in the monitor hardware too. But Palette Master is comes with monitors.

Seems to work well.

I need to look on the mac driver for my video card and see if I can set the 10 bit. But if the monitor is doing 16bit LUT should I even bother with setting the 10bit in PS and the video card?

[Peter De Smidt]

Yes.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

The only place I could set it is PS and it was already set to 30bit.

[Peter De Smidt]

Maybe Macs are different. I had to also set this in the video driver. Maybe this will help: https://petapixel.com/2015/10/30/os-x-el-capitan-quietly-unlocked-10-bit-color-in-imacs-and-mac-pros/

[Steven Ruttenberg]

It shows already enabled for the video drive.

[Peter De Smidt]

Good! You know, right, that all this will get you is a chance of less banding in the image on the monitor. It only has to do with how the file is displayed on your monitor.

[Steven Ruttenberg]

Yep, I usually get that when working on an image that has a rather uniform sky and is displayed very small (which with my native image size is around 12% of full size) When I zoom in it goes a way. Also, goes away once I flatten all the layers, probably because I use a totally non-destructive editing work flow which are just overlays. The flattening actually alters the image which is most likely why the banding disappears at the small display percentage.

[neil poulsen]

I'll have to follow up on information here, and on using Pallet Master. But given the surprising accuracy that I obtained, I don't feel like it's an urgent need. (But, will color manage none the less.)

[neil poulsen]

I'll have to follow up on information here, and on using Pallet Master. But given the surprising accuracy that I obtained, I don't feel like it's an urgent need. (But, will color manage none the less.)

Thanks for the comments, though. I was unaware of some of these details.