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Choosing a Good monitor for photo editing


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Hi, been reading a lot of info that is provided laitley on this forum and articles. And they are most helpeful.

Like everyone I to am looking for a good photo editing monitor. I play games sometimes, but I have another monitor I'll use for that I think.

Been looking at the Dells. The Ultrasharps.

Not sure if I should get a 16:10 or 16:9 for editing. I will want to try and get close to 100% sRGB after reading articles from here.

So choosing between the Dell Ultrasharp U2412M, the  Dell Ultrasharp U2515H. I also looked at the UP2516D, but thought it would be an overkill.

On the Dell sit for the U2412M, what does 82% (CIE 1976) cover? sRGB or Adobe RBG. Just not sure what CIE is.

Any help would be most appriciated in choosing a monitor. Even any others that may also be good that I have not talked about.

I also have a xrite eyeone display pro calibrator.

I shoot in RAW all the time.I do also save for the web and print. The places I get my prints done only ask for Jpeg. 
I have not as of yet found one that will do more then jpegs.

 

Thanks 

                          Jamie

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The U2412m display is an excellent choice, but has been discontinued by Dell. (It's a few years old.) So if you find one at a good price, I'd buy it. The other UltraSharps are also good. Just make sure the display is IPS Based and either is a Matte Screen or at the very least, a Matte Coating. You really want to avoid glossy screens. 

I wouldn't worry about the CIE 1976 color gamut. Or anything else other than sRGB. People obsess over the "Wide Gamuts" because they think it's better. In a sense, it is...but not in a real-world sense. Photographers who spend extra on a wide-gamut monitor and obsess over colors, only to hand over a disc / Thumbdrive of images, that will be displayed on the client's crappy screen...are kidding themselves. Same thing goes for those photographers who think AdobeRGB is the only way to go, but when they print their photographs, the labs that they use print using only sRGB colors, so prinrs don't always match the screen. 

Before you buy a monitor, what kinda of ports are on your video card? 

Also, a 16:9 is the same shape (aspect ratio) as a normal flat screen TV. (Oh, before anyone asks, NO...it is not a good idea to use your flatscreen as a monitor to edit on! Anyway, the 16:10 are a little bigger on the top and bottom. There is just more surface area. Honestly, 16:9 is fine. So is 16:10, but since you play games, I'd lean towards the 16:9 displays. 

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I think the 2415 is just the current incarnation of the 2412. I've seen the U2412m in person at a photographer friend's house. It's AWESOME. 

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Thanks for your help Brian.

Would you still choose the U2412M over the new U2415?

From what I have read from Dell Australia, all screens are IPS and a matte finish.

My video card is a Asus HD7970-DC2T.      4 Displayports, 1 VGA,  2 DVI

The U2412M is selling at the moment for $429

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Cool.

Thanks for all your help Brian.

Do you by chance have any tips for calibrating this monitor?

Also, what are your thoughts on refurbished monitors?

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Refurbed monitors should be ok, provided they come with some sort of manufacturers' warranty. I don't like refurbished equipment that comes with a store's warranty, it's so easy to have a warranty claim denied. 

I mispoke earlier. Use the DVI port with the U2412m. New 2412 displays come with a (white) DVI-D cable. 

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Hi Brian,

Its been a while since we last talked.

I got the Dell U2412M, which preset should i calibrate in. (Still a Newbie).

Standard, Multimedia, Movie, Game, Text, Color Temp or Custom Color.

I assume that i need to get close to  6500k?

And also if my prints are coming back dark and underexposed, does that mean my monitor is to bright?

And would you recomend me moving from snapfish to Digital Works (Australia) for printing?

Thanks again for any help you can send my way.

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I just read that Digital Works uses printer profiles for soft proofing. Should I concern myself with this or Just calibrate for the print that I receive from Digital Works.

I have not read much into soft proofing for printing as of yet.

http://www.digitalworks.net.au/owners/Help/hlp_cspace.htm

Edited by Blair58
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6 hours ago, Blair58 said:

I just read that Digital Works uses printer profiles for soft proofing. Should I concern myself with this or Just calibrate for the print that I receive from Digital Works.

I have not read much into soft proofing for printing as of yet.

http://www.digitalworks.net.au/owners/Help/hlp_cspace.htm

Don't worry about soft-proofing until after you've calibrated. More info on it here: http://www.damiensymonds.net/2010/03/bit-about-soft-proofing.html

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