Another Monitor Question

Jao

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Adrian
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I know there are some real experts here so I'd welcome some advice.

I am using a 2013 Mac Book Pro and want to replace an old and failing external monitor, a cheap LG 22" Widescreen 1680 x1050, It has served me well and I have certainly had my money out of it.

I use LR4 on the Mac Book Pro to tweak my scanned images from film. I also use Photoshop Elements, but only for dust and scanning artifact removal. I do not undertake heavy processing, I am old school and set out to get as much right in the camera as possible.

I have been looking at the 27" Dell Ultrasharp U2713HM, which seems to have had some good press and is a good price.

I spotted this new monitor, the Dell Ultrasharp U2515H QHD IPS and wondered whether anyone has knowledge of it? Although a little smaller , its still bigger than I am used to.

It seems a bit on the cheap side at around £299, there are a couple of internet reviews but not enough to assist me in seeing if it is a contender. If it is any good at that price it could be a good choice for a matched pair.

There is of course the Apple 27" Thunderbolt display, which I could run too but it would wipe out my current photo funds for a while.

I will pull the trigger on something over the next week or so as the current external monitor is playing up, I have some leave on the horizon and will be doing some scanning and processing for a personal photo book project that I want to complete.

I should add I am a keen amateur and photography is my escape from a busy professional life and although I like to have good kit and try and produce the odd pleasing image, I am far from having the needs of a pro tog!

Any advice gratefully received.
 
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I am guessing that the Dell Ultrasharp 2515H is very new and not out there in use much yet?

I think the Dell Ultrasharp U2715H might be the way to go.

I am assuming that the 3rd and 4th digits in the monitor model number are the year of manufacture, so the U2715H is the latest version of the U2713H?
 
I am guessing that the Dell Ultrasharp 2515H is very new and not out there in use much yet?

I think the Dell Ultrasharp U2715H might be the way to go.

I am assuming that the 3rd and 4th digits in the monitor model number are the year of manufacture, so the U2715H is the latest version of the U2713H?

U2715H replaces U2713HM - both standard gamut 27" quad HD screens. I don't think the U2713H has been replaced yet. The newer model has much thinner bezel and no longer has the legacy type connectors for DVI and D-Sub, just Displayport and Mini Displayport and HDMI.
 
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Is your workflow all sRGB? If so take a look at the tft central review of the U2715H: http://www.tftcentral.co.uk/reviews/dell_u2715h.htm, or the U2713HM....neither can be hardware profiled though.

Otherwise try the U2713H, nrgit shop on ebay do some good warrantied deals on Dell refurbs.

Steve, many thanks for this, sRGB is fine from my pedestrian work flow, very helpful advice and really great review link, so thanks



U2715H replaces U2713HM - both standard gamut 27" quad HD screens. I don't think the U2713H has been replaced yet. The newer model has much thinner bezel and no longer has the legacy type connectors for DVI and D-Sub, just Displayport and Mini Displayport and HDMI.

Adrian thanks for this, the updated version of the U27 sounds just what I need! thanks for the input it is appreciated

Do you mean you can't use a spyder, i1 etc. on them?

Frank, I'm no expert so others may come along that know better, but what Steve was saying is that the monitors I am considering cannot be Hardware profiled. You can use a Spyder or similar to profile them, but the profiling is done at the video end in the computer. Higher end monitors are profiled at a hardware level. Some one might come by to correct me on this though.
 
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Do you mean you can't use a spyder, i1 etc. on them?


Hardware profiling means you program the monitor's LUT itself. Ordinarily, with most cheaper monitors, when you profile them with a Spyder, or i1 DIsplay etc., you're actually loading the profile into the video card, NOT the monitor. Screens that can be hardware profiled, allow you to load the profile into the monitor itself. This is better because it will be at 10, 12 or even 14bit level, whereas all video cards, except proper workstation cards like NVidia Quadro or AMD Fire cards are 8bit. You get smoother gradients and more accurate colours with hardware profiling.
 
Hardware profiling means you program the monitor's LUT itself. Ordinarily, with most cheaper monitors, when you profile them with a Spyder, or i1 DIsplay etc., you're actually loading the profile into the video card, NOT the monitor. Screens that can be hardware profiled, allow you to load the profile into the monitor itself. This is better because it will be at 10, 12 or even 14bit level, whereas all video cards, except proper workstation cards like NVidia Quadro or AMD Fire cards are 8bit. You get smoother gradients and more accurate colours with hardware profiling.
Thanks
 
If you don't play games, go for 27" Dell Ultrasharp U2713HM, though if it was me and I had the money, I'd look around for something better than either of those. However, both of them are pretty good deals.
 
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