Monitor recommendations

[eclipse13]

I am currently working on a 15.4 inch monitor on my laptop. I want to buy a 19 or 20 inch flat panel to use for PS and whatnot. What would you guys recommend. I don't really know anything about monitors, so I don't know what kind of response, contrast ratio, resolution, etc. I need. I need to keep the price around 200.

[Ronald S. Jr.]

I got a lovely Samsung SyncMaster 223BW from Sam's Club for $269. Slightly higher than you were hoping, but it's big, and it's beautiful. 5ms response, 1680x1050 resolution, I think either 800 or 1000:1 contrast. I think the size said 21.6". It's quite nice.

[savona]

I am a fan of CRT's, I feel like they represent colors better, but this is one subject I definitely am not any help, sorry.

[boss_302]

Apple sells a monitor called "Cinema" (Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel) that would correct the short comings of the LCDs but it ant cheap (abt $900). I went from a CRT to an LCD (SAMSUNG) at work and the only problem I've noticed is the print will be slightly darker than what I see on the screen.

[Adaptive]

Apple sells a monitor called "Cinema" (Apple LED Cinema Display (24" flat panel) that would correct the short comings of the LCDs but it ant cheap (abt $900). I went from a CRT to an LCD (SAMSUNG) at work and the only problem I've noticed is the print will be slightly darker than what I see on the screen.

YES!! The Apple Cinema display is nice!

I use 27" iMac & I'm loving it, would recommend to everyone.
I don't know much about any other monitors unfortunately.

[TX_Gulf_Coast]

Ok, this is a subject I kow quite a bit about, as we have out own production lab in house and Color Management from capture to print is very critical for a quality print/product. I have been ask many times, "what LCD monitor woudl you suggest I buy?" All depends! IF you have a professional lab printing your work, a mid-level LCD will work fine, AFTER you calibrate and correct based on a reference print from the lab. Most of the LCD's on the market are optimized for 'general' comptuer use, not graphics and photography. We use Samsung's as intermediate monitors and keep them calibrated with Colormunki weekly. These LCD will provide very good color rendition and if calibrated correctly, a correct print. One of the main problems with "general' LCD's is that they are too darn bright! This generally leads to prints that are too dark and depending on the monitor, it can be hard to get the correct brightness level.

Most higher end monitors (Level II LCD's) have the ability to be correctly calibrated, in the hardware. Quite a difference from those that are only calibrated via the LUT (Look Up Tables / Software) running the monitor. Some of the key specifications that you want to watch for in an LCD for PHOTOGRAPHY is 200cd/m2 (brigthness); @1000:1 contrast ratio (Too much is not an added plus); 14 bit LUT/Gamma Correction (12 Bit at the least), 178 Degree viewing angel and S-PVA panel type. ms response time isn't much of a concern as they are all in the 5-6ms range on most monitors except most economy LCD's.

I took part in an industry LCD Side by Side comparison of over 40 various LCD's. Each monitor was hidden behind a black mask (you couldn't see any identification marks) and all were calibrated using the same tool/software and under the same light. You were given Three reference print to compare to the print on the LCD. When you found the one you thought matched the reference print the best, you placed the print in the slot for that monitor. The results were quite surprising. I can't remember if Samsung was in the top 10, but I do know that Apple wasn't in the top 15. (Surprise!) The Top montior? Ezio. It won by a very healthy margin followed closely by LaCie, NEC and a couple of others I can't remember. Of course, most of these monitors are costly, starting out in the $1K range up to more than $5K for a 30" Ezio.

In my Studio ALL color critical and photoshop work is carried out on LaCie 720's. (There are calibrated as well, and proofed against reference prints at least a couple of times a month.) However, all of our work is printed on site and if we don't have solid color management, we have no one to blame but ourselves.

I will say this, I have a LACie 720 and Two Samsung monitors at my work station, and all three are calibrated weekly and the light is very controled in the room, and I can see a VERY marked difference in the blacks when I drag an image from the LaCie to the Samsung. My LaCie's are capable of showing the ENTIRE Adobe RGB color space...most other monitors can only handle about 79% +/- of that color space. Pretty important when working with today's digital bodies.

So if you just need a decent monitor, there isn't a need to spend 1K plus on a monitor. On the flip side of this however, if you handle color critical, brightness/contract adjustments on your images and NO ONE else is proofing that before it hits the printer, you better have a monitor capable of handling color critical work.

Most of your professional labs run Ezio and LaCie (and some NEC) monitors with the specifications similar or in the same range for the color critical work they are preforming for you.