Good dual monitor recommendations?

[Kirk Gittings]

For me like Bob, the second monitor is just for tools and I don't care about the quality or calibration. I adjust it manually to taste and darken it a bit down so it doesn't compete visually with my image monitor. Michael, do a search on Luminous Landscape. There has been extensive discussion about monitors there over the last couple of years.

[Kuzano]

Kuzano, it depends on the card, from what I'm told. Some do, some don't. There is a applet downloadable from Microsoft that allows you to assign different color profiles to each monitor

Thanks, I will check that applet for a solution.

[Lenny Eiger]

Can anyone make a specific recommendation of fairly inexpensive monitors that will calibrate well, have good color and are suitable for this application?

Thanks,

---Michael

Apple's are great. I use two 23 incher's and I'm very happy. That would be a bit expensive to replicate with Eizo, altho' they are obviously the top of the line. Apple's suffice quite nicely, however. Personally, I wouldn't want to use anything less - they aren't that expensive. They are also nice and crisp, making those long hours easier...

I don't worry at all about profiling them both, as someone else has already stated, one uses only one for the image...

Lenny

[JohnnyV]

Earlier this spring the question was raised about the best "affordable" monitor on Apple's Colorsync list.

The 25.5" NEC LCD2690WUXI-BK-SV was the one recommended. It's about $1300.00, but from what I've read, thinking of getting one myself, it's the best bang for the buck. Instead of buying two $600-$700 monitors that are above average monitors, I'd recommend the NEC 2690 and a cheap 19"-20" tool monitor. Or just use the one NEC 2690 and see if you'd need a second monitor.

John

[neil poulsen]

It's too bad that CRT's are no longer available. I paid $374 for mine, and the LCD that corresponds is upwards of $800! That's progress. I keep it off, except for image work.

[Joanna Carter]

A friend just had a person who does color calibration in to calibrate his monitors (2). The person doing the calibration could only calibrate one monitor. He said it was because my friend used a twin-head graphics card (two ports on one card with one graphics chip). Even though the card was a high end 512mb card, only one calibration would work.

You don't need two cards to profile two monitors, you simply need a quality of twin-port card that ensures that the one card has to separate colour tables. All Macs seem to have this so, no problem there. The cheaper PCs tend to have video cards with two ports but only one colour table. The cheapest option could be just to get a better twin port card.

Any thoughts or suggestions here. My friend paints his art from viewing the artwork on the monitor, but the monitor on his desk does not portray identical colors.

If a monitor is correctly profiled to match the colour temperature of the light in the room, then what you see on the screen should match what you see in the room.

But do bear in mind that what you see on a monitor is a backlit "transparency" and that doesn't have the same qualities as a picture which reflects light.

It's a bit of an issue, and the consultant also said he needs to buy the equipment to calibrate because an LCD display only holds calibration for about a week as oppose to 3-4 weeks on a CRT.

Certainly, it would be more cost-effective to buy something like the Monaco EZColor or Huey systems, so that the monitors can be re-profiled regularly, compared to employing someone to come in and do it for you every couple of weeks. After all, it only takes a matter of minutes to do.

[Michael Mutmansky]

Thanks for the recommendations, folks. I'm looking into the LaCie, NEC, and a few Eizi monitors. It seems the 25.5" NEC and LaCie are a real good performance:cost consideration, especially considerating the color gamut of the two monitors.


---Michael

[Greg Miller]

I also only calibrate my primary monitor. Since the secondary monitor is only used for tools ans other apps that don't require on color accuracy I don't see a need to calibrate that monitor.

[Dizzle]

I've had incredible luck with using Westinghouse's 37w3

I had a dual setup for a good while, but got really tired of bouncing back and forth. As most have mentioned, when working in Photoshop, you're really limited to one screen for the image. Now I find myself peaking into my 22" screen like looking through a bathroom window.

Another plus, it can be delivered to your door for under a grand now.

Kind Regards,

Jamin

[Darryl Baird]

We have Eizo, Apple Studio, Apple Cinema and LaCie LCD in different studio spaces. I use a single EIZO for work at home where I have a small space available. It's a small 17" Flexscan. Next, I have dual Apple Studio monitors on my scanner station and the Lacie LCD on my printer with another Apple Studio (in a dual setup) in my studio. Of these the Apple Studio monitors are the oldest and the cheapest, can be more expensive due to their failure (bulbs) and repair or replacement frequency. I keep them as tool displays rather than repair them. I'm very fond of the Eizo and the LaCie for their detail, brightness, contrast and accuracy. My wife has the Apple Cinema and for less than $600 it is stunning. I have her old Apple Studio with the Lacie... it has a darkish bottom from a failed bulb, but still works for my purposes.

On thing to consider with a dual setup, you can manage with a smaller unit since you are gaining much more screen real estate.

Bang for buck is the Apple, get the Apple Care coverage. You can have two 20" units for less than $1200.

I can buy an Eizo a bit cheaper through (MAC) educational pricing, but the Color Edge monitors are more expensive than my Flexscan, so it would be a hard decision if I had to replace the Eizo right now.