Steven Wandy wrote:
You are probably going to get a lot of very divergent opinions. I have a Samsung SyncMaster 213T LCD and am very happy with tie way it works with PSCS2 and some other photo programs. I use Monaco to calibrate it. Many people will say that unless you get one of the very high end ones the black will not be as good as a CRT monitor. Maybe for professional use that is true (don’t know your situation – I have what I feel is a very decerning eye but I am not a professional either photographer or graphic designer), but for most others the LCD’s have improved greatly over the past few years.
I’ve been using a LaCie CRT monitor for my Photoshop work. Until
now, I’ve
understood that LCD screens didn’t have the depth necessary for good
color
work. I’d like to hear some opinions on this subject – in
preparation for
purchasing my next monitor. Thanks………
I think that LCD monitors are ready for professional use. You will hear some incredible sticklers say that they can’t compete with the highest end of professional CRTs, and to some degree they may be right, but as an entry-level professional, I couldn’t afford one of those top-of-the-line CRTs, anyway.
LaCie is into their second generation of color-calibrated LCD displays (complete with very professional-looking hoods just like their CRT predecessors), and there are plenty of other LCDs on the market with equal performance ratings.
Just remember, let the buyer *beware*! There are so many LCDs on the market right now that buying just any old LCD with a good sync rate and/or contrast ratio isn’t going to guarantee that it won’t completely screw up your colorspace. Right now on my desk at work I have two Dell-branded LCDs, a 17" and a widescreen 21". The 21" is by FAR more color accurate than the 17" (both calibrated with Monaco EZcolor Optix).
Samsung and Philips both make excellent LCD panels in their higher-end models, and Philips also manufactures the panels used in the Apple Cinema HD displays, such as the four-year-old 23" display I use at home for my serious work. I have had truly excellent experiences with that display (after calibration, of course), and so I would expect that a comparable higher-end Philips display would perform as well.
READ REVIEWS, especially on design- and photography-oriented websites before making the final purchase!
Let us know how you make out.
—
Aaron
"Mankind are greater gainers by suffering each other to live as seems good to themselves, than by compelling each to live as seems good to the rest." — John Stuart Mill