20"(1600x1200) vs 19"(1280x1024)

    Dear All,


    My quest for a good LCD for photography work continues.


    I'm starting to narrow the options down:


    In 19" the Iyama E481s looks like a good deal at £260 ().


    But.....2 more questions:


    1. I got referred to the 20" NEC 6020UX+ and it looks great. What I am wondering is if the higer resolution (and thus smaller dot size) makes the text too small and thus make it harder to use daily.


    2. Is there a 19" which has 10bit gamma correction like the NEC? I'm looking at the lower cost end of the spectrum.


    Thanks for your help,
    Rav


    PS I saw the Lacie Photon19Vision in a shop and the picture was beautiful....somehow the Iiyama e481s with the same panel did not seem as good - any thoughts?


    PPS Thanks to Sleepy and Totamec for your posts - I learnt lots. I did see the 'crystal' effect on the Iiyama. It looks like a slight grainy depth to the screen, like very very fine sand catching light. It was easier to see on bright colours. But not a big problem.

    Hi Rav,


    I agree the Iiyama E481S is a great deal at the moment, I'm giving it a second look, finding a black version in stock is not so easy.
    I don't think you will get any better lower cost for the spec then the E481S.


    As for a 19" monitor with 10-bit gamma correction, have you looked at the NEC 1980sxi? Savastore stock it for a reasonable price:



    Hope the quest continues well.

    Einmal editiert, zuletzt von Toaster ()

    I assume you mean the NEC 2080UX+? Many people complain about text being too small on a 20" with 1600x1200 resolution, however for photography work the added resolution is certainly a plus (fine pitch of 100dpi, more "real estate" to work on in Photoshop, etc). I'm afraid the only way to judge if text is not too small is to see for yourself...


    BTW, the 2080UX+ does not have 10 bit gamma correction.


    Cheapest 19" with gamma correction is probably the Eizo L768 but it has a PVA instead of IPS panel. Second cheapest would be NEC 1980SXI or the newer NEC 1980FXI (no tests of this monitor available yet), which are both priced the same.


    The Lacie and the Iiyama have the same panel but most probably have slightly different electronics. That may partially explain the difference you saw. But the difference should not be too large. Most probably, both monitors were set differently (different contrast/color/brightness setting) in the shop - makes it hard to judge. Anyway, the Lacie is certainly a good choice, Sleepy is very happy with this monitor and it was the editors choice in the Belgian edition of PC Magazine.

    Yes - sorry, the NEC2080UX+ ..... too many late nights staring at the wrong panel.


    Thank you, again for your replies.


    So, my latest thoughts after some research and everyone's advice, is to go for the Iiyama 481s in black - looks like a good option for now at a great price.


    R


    PS Savastore are showing the black one in stock in one week. Let's hope that's accurate - I've just ordered a Dell PC that arrives in a week.

    Ok - a quick update that might be useful to some folk out there.


    I finally decided on the e481s in black. Bought it from Savastore today - picked it up from the shop. I have to say the customer service at this place is non existent - if this were not a simple box, and if I didn't feel the need to get it today, I would defenitely not have bought from them. Misco were willing to match the price of £224+VAT. They both have the black one in stock at the moment.


    I decided not to get the 1600x1200 20" as the text is way too small....better off with two Iiyamas.


    First impressions:
    -The quality of the picture is excellent in colour rendition - matches some of my prints quite closely.
    -No dead pixels in any colour - am I lucky?
    -In daylight, the tonal range is good, however at 3% onward for black, it is hard to distinguish the shades....does anyone know of a way to correct this.
    -The blue 'on' light is very bright - worth covering this with some tape.
    -Black is definitely a good colour - doesn;t look at all cheap or plasticky. Also the speakers are hardly noticeable in this colour.
    -Shame there are no quick preset settings to choose from - anyone help? maybe this is software driven?
    -I haven't installed any special drivers - just running as a default monitor.
    -No DVI cable, can't complain at the price.
    -The white seems to be very slightly creamy/yellow
    -1024x768 (ie. non-native) looks blurred - only did this briefly as I was swapping PCs


    Overall, I'm very happy with the first impression. Now to find a calibrator and do some detailed testing.....anyone that has ideas on distinguising the blacks would be a star!


    HTH,
    Rav