thinking of a seperate monitor....

[EandSphotography]

Could someone take a look at this link to this monitor that i was thinking of purchasing. It almost seems to cheap but comparing it to some of the more expensive stuff, i dont see that much in difference of specs. If i could get some feedback i'd appreciate it. I was thinking for the price of it, I could get a Spyder3 and still come out cheaper then what some of the more expensive 24'' monitors are running.

Thanks,
Erik
Sceptre X246W-1080P 24" Widescreen Monitor - 1080p, 1920x1080, 40000:1 Dynamic, 1000:1 Native, 16:9, 2ms, VGA, DVI, HDMI at TigerDirect.com
Here's the link...

 

[Big Mike]

If you are buying a monitor specifically for photo editing, you should look for one that is meant for that type of application....ie: it will calibrate well.

Most monitors are too bright for good calibration...but bright is good for games, movies and just about everything else.

I'm not an expert on monitors, but there are some older threads around here, with a lot of good info.

 

[el_shorty]

That monitor is not good for photo editing, just like Big Mike said, most monitors are too bright.
Some things to look for on a monitor for photo editing

LCD Panel types. there are three types,
TN, which is the cheapest and you should avoid it if it's to be used for photo editing, they have a faster response time which makes perfect for gaming, most monitors have this kind of screen.
PVA, middle of the road and quite good, they have better color reproduction and wider viewing angle than TN panels, but with a lower response time, which shouldn't matter with photography.
IPS, the best for image quality, color accuracy and viewing angles, but also the most expensive.

Contrast Ratio
High contrast ratios are good for gaming and movie watching, but impractical for imaging. The best monitors have a contrast ratio no higher than 1000:1

Brightness
Like it was said before, most monitors are too bright, avoid monitors with brightness greater than 400cd/m². A properly calibrated monitor has a brightness of between 90 and 120cd/m².

Viewing Angle
One of the biggest problems with monitors is the viewing angle, cheap monitors look brighter or lighter depending on the angle you view it. the best monitors have a viewing angle of 178 degrees.

Gamut
The best monitors have a wide color gamut of 130%, this means that they are capable of showing more vivid colors than the average monitor, but those monitors come at a price, but any monitor that has a gamut wider than 100% will work fine for photo editing. TN panel only show 72%, not good enough for photography, specially with vivid colors, one more reason to avoid them.

If you are looking for a good monitor at that size, I would recommend the HP LP2475w, which I own, and the Dell 2408WFP, those are the best monitors you can find between the $400 and $600 price range.

 

[FrankLamont]

Cheapest IPS panel monitor is the Dell 2209WA, some $300~.

Then the Dell new something U****24 inch. IPS also.

Then you have EIZO, NEC, Benq, and such.

 

[el_shorty]

Cheapest IPS panel monitor is the Dell 2209WA, some $300~.

Then the Dell new something U****24 inch. IPS also.

Then you have EIZO, NEC, Benq, and such.

Yes, the Dell 2209wa does have an e-IPS panel, but it only has an 83% color gamut, in my opinion too low for photo editing.

 

[Garbz]

Well your opinion covers 99% of the screens out there. Many ARE currently used for photo editing, and many are still sold by companies like NEC and Eizo.

I would actively suggest an sRGB screen such as the 2209WA to anyone since a) you can still take and print colour photos without a wide gamut screen, b) most photos fall nicely into the gamut including every colourful one you have ever seen posted on the internet, and c) it doesn't mean you have to change your entire computer lifestyle, internet browser, picture viewer, etc because operating systems don't support colour management.

The utility of wide gamut screens for photography is small enough without having to annoy your entire computer experience because of it (Skype logo looks like **** on a 97% screen, as do word documents and anything else at all I try to do). Great if you have a studio dedicated to photography work. But a bad idea if you don't know everything about colour management or actually want to use your computer for something else.

 

[EandSphotography]

I've come across this one from HP and can get a good price on it at B&H photo. what do you think of this one...hp lp2275w. It's a 22'' widescreen with similar features to the dell you had suggested. I found an open box special from BH for $239. For right at $400, i can get the monitor and a spyder3 to calibrate it and my laptop. Seems like a good deal, but thought i'd ask your opinion first and see what you think.
it has 178 degree viewing angle,1000:1 contrast ration and and 92% color gamut