Screen: which one to buy? (post-processing)

nicolasnico · Sep 19, 2016

Hello,

I have a DELL laptop (Latitude E6530). Not the best for photography maybe. I've ordered a screen calibration tool (Spyder 5 pro) but beside this, I'm looking into options to get a better screen. I see different options, but I'm not sure which ones are realistic. Any advice?
1) Buy a good quality screen (which one?) and connect it to my laptop, will it change something? Is that even possible?
2) Buying a whole new computer to work on my pictures?
Thank you!

Ysarex · Sep 19, 2016

nicolasnico said:
Hello,

I have a DELL laptop (Latitude E6530). Not the best for photography maybe. I've ordered a screen calibration tool (Spyder 5 pro) but beside this, I'm looking into options to get a better screen. I see different options, but I'm not sure which ones are realistic. Any advice?
1) Buy a good quality screen (which one?) and connect it to my laptop, will it change something? Is that even possible?
2) Buying a whole new computer to work on my pictures?
Thank you!

Your laptop is equipped with a 15 inch LED backlit TN LCD display. You're right it's not the best for photography. First of all it's 15 inches -- you really can't see what you're doing in 15 inches. Second the TN tech has a number of problems for photo editing. TN displays are very sensitive to viewing angle. Edit your photo and get it just right then move your head up 3 inches or tilt the screen a little more or less and you get a whole new image. Which one is the right one? TN displays typically can't reproduce the color gamut of our photos. We use different color spaces to process photos the smallest of those being the sRGB color space. A good desktop IPS panel display can reproduce the entire sRGB (100%) gamut or at least 90%. If you have a better TN display on your laptop you may be lucky and be able to reproduce as much as 65% of the sRGB gamut -- and you may be unlucky. I've tested TN laptop displays that came in around 40%. Arguably it's hard to edit a photo when your laptop can't display 60% of the range of color that may be in your photo.

Nonetheless calibrating the laptop display will help and you should do that.

Your laptop is equipped with an HDMI out port. You can plug in an external display and use that. It will make a world of difference. Once attached to your laptop you can calibrate the external display and you should do that. You will then be able to do a good job editing photos as you will have enabled the one most important function that photo editing requires -- you'll be able to see what you're doing.

The external panels: Bigger is better but also more expensive. You can be happy with something between 24 and 32 inches. A cheap 24 inch panel is now at or bellow $100.00 but don't buy cheap -- defeats what you're trying to do.

Shopping is tricky because you're looking for something that no one wants. When you walk into a brick and mortar store and start asking questions like, "what kind of tech is this, TN, IPS, PVA and what's the sRGB coverage percent the sales staff will go blank. If you ask Google for similar specs shopping online you'll get 15 pages of advertising cr*p you don't want to read. Here's a little help: X-bit’s Guide: Contemporary LCD Monitor Parameters and Characteristics - X-bit labs

There are two basic technologies out there: TN and IPS/(variants). I noted PVA above -- it's an IPS variant where the difference is primarily manufacturer: IPS is Philips LG and PVA is Samsung. You'll be happy with either. TN is the one you want to avoid. TN remains popular because it's less power consumptive (say laptop battery) and it has a faster response time (game players). You will be able to get a serviceable IPS panel that you can successfully use for photo editing for between $150.00 and $200.00. It won't be the best but it will serve. (CALIBRATE IT!!!). If you can afford more you can get a higher res, bigger, better backlit, etc. IPS panel for under $500.00 that will be really nice. And then of course there's these: ColorEdge Professional Color Management Monitors (you don't really need one of those but it's instructive to know they exist).

Your two shopping questions are: 1. Is this an IPS/variant display and NOT a TN display? 2. What percentage of the sRG (and also aRGB) color gamut can this reproduce. For that second question you'd like a figure above 90% for sRGB (you can live with that). aRGB is a larger color space and we refer to aRGB displays as wide-gamut. They can come with headaches (software compatibility) and unless you're a working pro in the business and doing your own gallery display prints you probably don't need either the headaches or the cost -- stick with a nice sRGB compliant display.

Joe

Andrew_Smith · Sep 19, 2016

I am using an Acer GN246HLBD 24" as my daily driver. Please note that I am huge PC Gamer, so this screen serves my needs for my competitive gaming (144Hz refresh rate). It is also a TN panel, BUT I must say the colours is really not that bad at all. Viewing angles are okay, I have seen worst on other TN panels. So I do not have problems editing my photos. I also check on my smartphone if the image's colours and etc is correct, lucky I can edit my images on my smartphone too if I needed to.

But coming back to your question, I would say go for an external screen, I have two screens I will definitely recommend:

1. Dell P2416D
2. Dell SE2416H

All depends on your budget. One of my friends is using the P2416D and it is an absolutely amazing display. That QHD really helps when editing. If your budget is tight, the SE2416H is a solid choice! I had the older model (S2340L) and was also impressed with the colours and overall display.

Good luck!

KmH · Sep 19, 2016

You want an IPS (In-Plane Switching) type display, preferably AH-IPS with GB-R LED backlights, that can display most of the Adobe RGB color space.

A decent display is not inexpensive.
NEC Monitor PA272W-BK-SV 27-Inch Screen LED-Lit Monitor

Really good displays are had for several thousand $$$$s.

nicolasnico · Sep 20, 2016

THANK YOU everyone for the information you sent! I appreciate that! (Joe, thanks for the detailed infos, definitions, and even shopping tips, wow! thanks! that really helps!). So, sRGB above 90%, and an IPS (or PVA depending on the manufacturer) seems to be the must for a good monitor use to work with pictures. It's good to know the option to plug-in an external monitor on my laptop could make a world difference! The Eizo screens might not be for me (or my budget) at the moment, but it's interesting to know.

KmH · Sep 20, 2016

IPS (In-Plane Switching) and PVA (Patterned Vertical Alignment) are distinct TFT-LCD (thin-film-transistor liquid-crystal display) display technologies.
PVA displays, a less expensive to make display type, usually use dithering and frame rate control but do not measure up to IPS type displays.
Samsung and Sony have a joint venture making what they call S-PVA displays, that offers a faster response times than regular PVA displays.

Samsung has a display technology they debuted in 20011 they call Super PLS (Plane Line Switching) which has similarities to IPS panels, but isn't IPS. Samsung claims Super PLS delivers improved viewing angles and image quality, increased brightness, and lower production costs.

nicolasnico · Sep 21, 2016

Hi Keith,
thanks for the additional info, I appreciate it! It's good to know! (I'm checking into buying an external monitor. I see what I'll be able to find (order) here in Kyrgyzstan where I live. Outstanding country, by the way). Thank you!