software or a new monitor for photo-editing?

Q. I have a very limited budget. I'm using a computer I built myself a few years back and the pc specs are fine but I'm toying with two options and wondering what you think. Right now I'm using photoshop cs2 to edit photos but I'm really in need of something to help with organizing as I'm getting more serious about my photography. The monitor I am currently using is the Dell M782P CRT and I can afford to either get a decent sized LCD monitor or buy Adobe Lightroom 3 and the pantone huey pro so I can calibrate my crt. Which option would you say would be the most prudent and why?

A. The calibration tool is the best way to go for now.

I still use a CRT for my critical colour correction. There are very, very few LCD monitors that can be used to adjust contrast, brightness and colour. Those that can cost upwards of $2500 and more. Those LCD monitors are designated to AdobeRGB standards. Some less costly ones have a sRGB setting, but are still not recommended as monitors for producing "contract" proof quality images.

Lightroom 3 is an amazing product for shooters.

There is one thing you may want to budget for in the next few months. That is the Xrite Colorchecker Passport ($99).

Here is how that works when using it to custom white balance all of your shoots.

http://www.xritephoto.com/ph_learning.aspx?action=webinarsarchive&eventid=803&eventdateid=4460

Original Question

What are some of the better LCD computer monitors for editing and viewing digital photos?

Q. That is if you could get whatever you wanted within a somewhat reasonable price! Thanks!

(As in something under $1,500)

A. See http://www.popphoto.com/cameraaccessories/3831/which-monitor-should-i-buy.html for some ideas.

They mention the 21" Gateway FPD2185W for $450 and the 23" Apple Cinema HD for $1,000, but state that neither one can display the full gamut of Adobe RGB. For that, their pick is (sorry) the $2,000 Samsung SyncMaster XL20 LED BLU.

The conclusion: "If you can afford it, the Samsung SyncMaster XL20 LED BLU monitor has the widest color gamut, best viewing angle, longest lifespan, and highest calibration stability of any LCD monitor we've seen for $2,000 or less."

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

How Good is LED monitor Compare to LCD Monitor For photo Editing and Gaming?

Q. I have thinking to Purchase LED or LCD monitor monitor for my photo editing purpose but also for GAming, but my question which are the best for editing?

A. For those who don't know, LED monitors are just LCD monitors that use bright white LEDs instead of fluorescent bulbs as the backlight.

The main advantage of LED monitors is that they consume much less power than traditional monitors. They can also have improved contrast ratios since LEDs can be dimmed over a wider range of brightness (the backlight is dimmed when displaying dark colors).

For accurate color reproduction when photo editing, either LED or LCD technology would be fine. The best monitor for the job would depend on other factors such as panel type. A more expensive IPS panel would be better than a cheaper TN panel that would have significant color shifting when the viewing angle changed.

Original Question

Dell U2412M monitors for photo editing?

Q. I currently have two TN LCD monitors and am really displeased with the image quality. I would like to upgrade and found the Dell U2412M, which seems to be very reasonably priced.

Does anyone have this monitor? Is it OK for photo editing?

A. Whatever monitor you use, you need to calibrate and profile your monitor on a routine basis.

The optimal monitor would be one that can reproduce the AdobeRGB gamut like the Color Edge monitors made by Eizo.

http://www.eizo.com/global/products/coloredge/index.html

Most people do not want to invest so heavily in a monitor so buy a monitor that is sRGB compliant. With such a monitor and using a monitor calibration tool like the Xrite Eyeone Pro. Here is how that works

http://www.xritephoto.com/ph_learning.aspx?action=webinarsarchive&eventid=1029&eventdateid=4825

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

LCD Screen brightness and Photo-editing conflicts! Any advice?

Q. After uploading my pictures from my camera, I usually edit them and put some on Deviantart (a website where you can post artwork). BUT. I edit my photos on my laptop, which has an LCD screen. It looks fine on my screen, where I have the brightness set the way I like it, but I just recently discovered that my photographs look WAY different on regular computer monitors, so when people are viewing my photographs, they are not seeing them in the way I edited them to look the way I wanted.

Is there anything I can do with my laptop to fix this problem? Is there maybe a brightness setting on or for LCD screens that is like that of a regular monitor?

A. You can get close by setting the gamma level of the screen and customizing the colour profile of the LCD (not sure how to do this in Windows... should be under displays). That said an LCD is never the best option for true colour, and a laptop (most of which don't have dedicated graphics cards) will be even worse. What I do is I bought a cheap used VGA CRT monitor that I plug in to give me accurate colour and light representation.

Original Question

What's a good monitor for photo editing?

Q. I have an LCD monitor, but when I edit my photos on it I tend to over/under-do certain colors, because they don't show as well as they would on my laptop. On the laptop, my photos appear to be a lot sharper. I'm wondering if there's a such thing as a monitor that's used or made specifically for photo editing.

A. 1. They need to be calibrated...
I use a spyder three express (it is apart of their affordable range)
http://spyder.datacolor.com/product-mc-s3express.php

To learn more about colour calibration
http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/article_pages/CM_intro.html

2. Monitors can only display a limited range of colours.
Most monitors will be more than enough for most applications.
Many photographers prefer the consistency of apple monitors (because it is consistant compared to all the other brands on the market for windows.

Some of the best monitors include the
Dell UltraSharp (http://www.dell.com/content/topics/topic.aspx/global/products/landing/en/ultrasharpmonitor?c=us&l=en&cs=04)
and anything from
Eizo (http://www.eizo.com/global/)

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What kind of graphics card is compatible with my pc and monitor?

Q. I�m upgrading my pc from Win XP to Win 7 OS and need to get a new graphics card that has/supports DirectX 11. I don�t know what type graphics card is compatible with my machine, but it has the following:

1. Athlon64 4200 Dual Core (2.2Ghz) CPU
2. MSI K9N4 Ultra F motherboard , NVIDIA nForce 500 Chipset based with PCIe x 16 slot
3. Acer model P205H LCD monitor with 1600 x 900 resolution

I recently added more RAM to accommodate Windows 7, but now need to upgrade the graphics. I don't game; I mostly use my computer for financial management, photo editing and storage, and some web surfing. I'd also like to be able to stream movies. Please help me determine what kind/type of graphics card is compatible and meets these needs along with being under $150. Thank you!

A. What motherboard?

Original Question

What is the difference in LCD monitors?

Q. I am planning to buy a new monitor for a new PC, and I wasn't sure what kind to get. I do web design on it and I watch a lot of movies. I also do photo editing and digital drawing. I want something with nice sharp picture, but I wasn't sure what all the numbers mean on the listings. I have been looking at Tigerdirect. Could someone explain the differences and what all the little numbers mean for each?

23" 1366x768 / 720p Native / 8ms / 700:1 Contrast Ratio / HDMI / ATSC Tuner / HD LCD TV

Samsung SyncMaster 216BW 21.6" Widescreen LCD Monitor - 5ms, 1000:1(DC 3000:1), WSXGA+ 1680x1050, Gloss Black, DVI-D, D-sub, 300 cd/m2

The 1000:1 thing and the 720p are what I dont understand at all. Please impart your knowledge upon me.
I know one listing is a monitor and one is a tv, but assuming they will both work with my computer, what do you think.

A. The number 720 stands for 720 lines of vertical display resolution, while the letter p stands for progressive scan or non-interlaced.

1000:1 is a contrast ratio this explains it:
The contrast ratio is a measure of a display system, defined as the ratio of the luminosity of the brightest color to the luminosity of the darkest color that the system is capable of producing

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What kind of graphics card is compatible with my pc and monitor?

Q. I’m upgrading my pc from Win XP to Win 7 OS and need to get a new graphics card that has/supports DirectX 11. I don’t know what type graphics card is compatible with my machine, but it has the following:

1. Athlon64 4200 Dual Core (2.2Ghz) CPU
2. MSI K9N4 Ultra F motherboard , NVIDIA nForce 500 Chipset based with PCIe x 16 slot
3. Acer model P205H LCD monitor with 1600 x 900 resolution

I recently added more RAM to accommodate Windows 7, but now need to upgrade the graphics. I don't game; I mostly use my computer for financial management, photo editing and storage, and some web surfing. I'd also like to be able to stream movies. Please help me determine what kind/type of graphics card is compatible and meets these needs along with being under $150. Thank you!

A. What motherboard?

Original Question

What is the difference in LCD monitors?

Q. I am planning to buy a new monitor for a new PC, and I wasn't sure what kind to get. I do web design on it and I watch a lot of movies. I also do photo editing and digital drawing. I want something with nice sharp picture, but I wasn't sure what all the numbers mean on the listings. I have been looking at Tigerdirect. Could someone explain the differences and what all the little numbers mean for each?

23" 1366x768 / 720p Native / 8ms / 700:1 Contrast Ratio / HDMI / ATSC Tuner / HD LCD TV

Samsung SyncMaster 216BW 21.6" Widescreen LCD Monitor - 5ms, 1000:1(DC 3000:1), WSXGA+ 1680x1050, Gloss Black, DVI-D, D-sub, 300 cd/m2

The 1000:1 thing and the 720p are what I dont understand at all. Please impart your knowledge upon me.
I know one listing is a monitor and one is a tv, but assuming they will both work with my computer, what do you think.

A. The number 720 stands for 720 lines of vertical display resolution, while the letter p stands for progressive scan or non-interlaced.

1000:1 is a contrast ratio this explains it:
The contrast ratio is a measure of a display system, defined as the ratio of the luminosity of the brightest color to the luminosity of the darkest color that the system is capable of producing

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

How Good is LED monitor Compare to LCD Monitor For photo Editing and Gaming?

Q. I have thinking to Purchase LED or LCD monitor monitor for my photo editing purpose but also for GAming, but my question which are the best for editing?

A. For those who don't know, LED monitors are just LCD monitors that use bright white LEDs instead of fluorescent bulbs as the backlight.

The main advantage of LED monitors is that they consume much less power than traditional monitors. They can also have improved contrast ratios since LEDs can be dimmed over a wider range of brightness (the backlight is dimmed when displaying dark colors).

For accurate color reproduction when photo editing, either LED or LCD technology would be fine. The best monitor for the job would depend on other factors such as panel type. A more expensive IPS panel would be better than a cheaper TN panel that would have significant color shifting when the viewing angle changed.

Original Question

Where can I find a generic driver for my new 19 inch LCD monitor?

Q. My old CRT monitor died, so i trotted down to Best Buy and bought an inexpensive 19 inch LCD monitor. When I got it home, I discovered that the drivers on the disc are only for Windows Vista, and my computer uses XP. I have also checked the company's website, no luck. I wouldn't care much, except I use this system for photo editing. All of the graphics are stretched to fit the wider screen. Any suggestions?

A. you dont need drivers for almost all monitors. the basic ones windows install work fine and there will be no difference

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What kind of graphics card is compatible with my pc and monitor?

Q. I�m upgrading my pc from Win XP to Win 7 OS and need to get a new graphics card that has/supports DirectX 11. I don�t know what type graphics card is compatible with my machine, but it has the following:

1. Athlon64 4200 Dual Core (2.2Ghz) CPU
2. MSI K9N4 Ultra F motherboard , NVIDIA nForce 500 Chipset based with PCIe x 16 slot
3. Acer model P205H LCD monitor with 1600 x 900 resolution

I recently added more RAM to accommodate Windows 7, but now need to upgrade the graphics. I don't game; I mostly use my computer for financial management, photo editing and storage, and some web surfing. I'd also like to be able to stream movies. Please help me determine what kind/type of graphics card is compatible and meets these needs along with being under $150. Thank you!

A. What motherboard?

Original Question

What is the difference in LCD monitors?

Q. I am planning to buy a new monitor for a new PC, and I wasn't sure what kind to get. I do web design on it and I watch a lot of movies. I also do photo editing and digital drawing. I want something with nice sharp picture, but I wasn't sure what all the numbers mean on the listings. I have been looking at Tigerdirect. Could someone explain the differences and what all the little numbers mean for each?

23" 1366x768 / 720p Native / 8ms / 700:1 Contrast Ratio / HDMI / ATSC Tuner / HD LCD TV

Samsung SyncMaster 216BW 21.6" Widescreen LCD Monitor - 5ms, 1000:1(DC 3000:1), WSXGA+ 1680x1050, Gloss Black, DVI-D, D-sub, 300 cd/m2

The 1000:1 thing and the 720p are what I dont understand at all. Please impart your knowledge upon me.
I know one listing is a monitor and one is a tv, but assuming they will both work with my computer, what do you think.

A. The number 720 stands for 720 lines of vertical display resolution, while the letter p stands for progressive scan or non-interlaced.

1000:1 is a contrast ratio this explains it:
The contrast ratio is a measure of a display system, defined as the ratio of the luminosity of the brightest color to the luminosity of the darkest color that the system is capable of producing

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers

What is the difference in LCD monitors?

Q. I am planning to buy a new monitor for a new PC, and I wasn't sure what kind to get. I do web design on it and I watch a lot of movies. I also do photo editing and digital drawing. I want something with nice sharp picture, but I wasn't sure what all the numbers mean on the listings. I have been looking at Tigerdirect. Could someone explain the differences and what all the little numbers mean for each?

23" 1366x768 / 720p Native / 8ms / 700:1 Contrast Ratio / HDMI / ATSC Tuner / HD LCD TV

Samsung SyncMaster 216BW 21.6" Widescreen LCD Monitor - 5ms, 1000:1(DC 3000:1), WSXGA+ 1680x1050, Gloss Black, DVI-D, D-sub, 300 cd/m2

The 1000:1 thing and the 720p are what I dont understand at all. Please impart your knowledge upon me.
I know one listing is a monitor and one is a tv, but assuming they will both work with my computer, what do you think.

A. The number 720 stands for 720 lines of vertical display resolution, while the letter p stands for progressive scan or non-interlaced.

1000:1 is a contrast ratio this explains it:
The contrast ratio is a measure of a display system, defined as the ratio of the luminosity of the brightest color to the luminosity of the darkest color that the system is capable of producing

Original Question

What is the difference between a regular LCD Monitor and an HDTV or HD Monitor?

Q. I am in the market for a 22-24" monitor for my computer. I will use it for web surfing, photo editing, and the occasional watching of videos via YouTube or Hulu. Is it worth the investment to get a HD or HDTV monitor? What benefits does it offer that a regular LCD does not?

A. Sounds like you need just a regular LCD monitor, the only time someone needs a HD Monitor is if they are gaming, also watching TV if it has a built in tuner or advanced video or photo editing.

Original Question

Powered by Yahoo! Answers