I have this computer monitor that is a 20" 1080 LG, something like 12 years old maybe and it’s difficult to see a clear image on it at an angle. When i look at my images directly, it’s kind of nice, it’s was a 145$ screen only.
I think about replacing the screen with a better one that is more tolerant to views at an angle and maybe, even nicer to look at, i won’t go bigger then 24" of diagonal and I need the 4 screws on the back for my wall support.
What is bothering me is the resolution of the screen, I wonder if it’s going to be tougher for my computer with a 4K screen for instance. I don’t play games with the computer so gaming is not really an issue here. I would not mind picking another 1080p16:9, no curve screen in the range of 300CAD maximum.
On best buy they have Gaming monitors or 4K monitors, i don’t know if the gaming features are useful for photo work with Darktable. Or if a gaming monitor can be a general purpose monitor, it’s kind of confusing.
The 4K monitor, my computer is still very good for my needs but not young, i5 8400 + GTX 1050 ti GPU with Display port. I would not want to create a struggle for the computer with a 4K screen, it’s not clear if it would be asking more from this computer to do everything in 4K.
What do you think would be an interesting monitor?
My recommendation is not going to fit your specifications but it might give you food for thought. I personally have bought a 43 inch 4K monitor and it has made my editing so much more enjoyable and easier. At work I have been supplied a 32 inch wide screen 4K monitor and this is also very good. The wide screen gives room for the module panels on the side without encroaching upon the image in the centre. I feel a wide screen monitor may be best for your needs. With a 4K monitor the text and icons are often small compared to a lower resolution monitor and this can make it hard to read them so bigger monitors benefit here.
I personally would hate to go back to anything less than 4K, but I have a friend who prefers his 2K monitor for editing. I don’t feel gaming monitor features are of benefit to DT or still image editing as they are more concern with frame refresh rates for smooth gaming experience. However, gaming computers on the other hand are a good option for editing in DT as they have great graphic cards.
Ive been using one of these Specter monitors. You will be able to find one that fits your budget. I think the 2k is a good enough vs the 4K. It uses IPS and they have HDR and 100% sRBG coverdage options. Check on Amazon for more options.
I recently upgraded my monitor, and the biggest I could fit on my desk was a 27" model. I was previously using a 24" Asus ProArt standard format model, which I was very happy with. So, I decided to stick with Asus and purchased the Asus PA279CRV 27" 4K HDR Monitor. It was within my budget and I think I made a great decision. I wanted a monitor that would best suit my photography hobby, and i didn’t care about response time for gaming. This model comes factory calibrated. I can’t vouch for it’s accuracy but, for what it’s worth as a hobbyist, I feel the color accuracy is good enough for me. Once i got my profiles dialed in, my darktable output is consistent across all of my displays. I don’t do much printing, so I haven’t tested the color matching there yet. But so far, it’s been a great monitor.
I have the 27" PA278QV - might be an older model now.
Generally it’s a good monitor, and quite cheap too. But you switch between PCs (for me between desktop and notebook) it’s a bit annoying, it takes quite a few clicks on the monitor.
Activate On Screen Menu
Click menu
3 clicks to Input Select menu
click ok
1 click up or down to DVI or HDMI
click ok
That’s 8 clicks. At least it has multible inputs and you don’t have to fiddle with cables.
Other than that I can recommend the monitor. That was for the 27" PA278QV, the new 27" PA278CGV might be different. With one PC/Notebook connected this is irrelevant anyway.
4K is a lot for 24". Higher resolutions are a mixed blessing for photo editing. They’re generally “retina”, i.e. higher resolution than your eyes, which makes it impossible to see pixels at 100%. And they slow down editing programs considerably. On the other hand, text looks deliciously crisp on a high resolution screen, and perhaps pixel peeping at 100% is not good for your soul anyway.
Personally, I run 4K at 27". But for 24", I’d consider 1440p.
Otherwise, make sure the screen covers close to 100% sRGB and comes with a decently accurate color profile. You can fix colors for color-managed apps with a color calibration device, but most apps are not managed, and will look bad on a bad default profile.
You could opt for a Display-P3 screen, which has superseded sRGB in TVs, and provides better guarantees with regards to color accuracy. But it is not currently well supported on PC, with most apps still rendering in sRGB. But going Display-P3 may future-proof the monitor.
I agree, resolution wise it’s not worth it to go under 1440p in my opinion, be it a small laptop or desktop monitor. Higher res monitors are very cheap and in my opinion, whilst resolution isn’t everything, it’s far more enjoyable to see your pictures in a higher resolution monitor. Just like seeing them on blurry cheap vs good prints makes a difference.
Photographers used to put work on their viewing medium (prints) so why would we be content down scaling our images to 2.1MP (1080p) and mostly viewing them that way?
When it comes to viewing angles any IPS or OLED will give you a good experience on that front.
My only input to add to what’s been said is to make sure you get one that has a sRGB gamut of at least 99-100%. You can get a lot better, with more coverage of bigger gamuts, but for most practical purposes (IMO) full sRGB is good enough.
Also consider a getting a calibration/profiling device, like a Spyder or ColorChecker. While they can’t necessarily remove all objectivity from the monitor setup, they do give reassurance that the colours you’re seeing are in fact what any other calibrated screen (or print supplier) is seeing.
Edit: sorry @bastibe somehow missed your post. Didn’t intend to duplicate!
@st.raw the 27" PA278QV ok I don’t see it on Amazon.ca, like you said it’s probably discontinued. I don’t hot switch my screen from laptop and desktop, Linux mint can’t handle that very well, I find.
@bastibe 1440p for 24 ok I keep this in mind. Yes, it would be a nice upgrade to have a 2K resolution, if the price is reasonable.
@hatsnp another 2k vote, ISP and OLED for angle viewing.
@123sg 99-100% sRGB gramut, ok + Profiling device and color checker.
If you plan on buying multiple monitors, buy them all at once. I bought mine at two different times, and they’re not the same, even after calibration (identical model numbers).
Thanks for the advice, I’ll go visit some stores today to see screens. Meanwhile I tried a Asus screen, bottom of the line model, and i learn something I’d never seen before at such a critical level Backlight bleeding.
That screen was a Asus VY249 23.x inches 1080. it’s the worst screen I have ever seen when looking at a film in the dark, the 4 corners and the edges are all brightly illuminated.
I always loved LG screens, I would like to get a LG screen honestly.
