p.1 #1 · Need help with monitor selection for professional family photography
I'm a professional photographer as of recently, and am shooting family, newborn, and maternity photos. I'm currently using a 30" Apple Cinema Display that I LOVE but it's not that accurate with it's colors anymore. I don't want to get rid of it, but I feel the need to so I can make sure I'm editing my photos correctly.
With all that said, I'm stuck about what monitor to get to replace it. I want at least 27" in size, and would prefer 30", but I don't see many (any) monitors in that size. A hard requirement is for it to be a matte screen. I prefer the look of those screens, like my 30" (so that rules the Apple Studio Display out, unfortunately).
Other than that, I'm not sure. I don't know how important it is to have aRGB coverage, given that my photos are mostly delivered digitally in sRGB, although some clients do choose to print. Most clients seem to have iPhones / Macs, so presumably they are looking at the photos in a P3 color space.
So, what would you recommend? I'd like to keep it under $1500, and ideally under $1000.
p.1 #2 · Need help with monitor selection for professional family photography
My experience is limited so keep that in mind.
I have been using a BenQ SW271 since 2019 and I have been very pleased with it. It is easily calibrated using a Datcolor SpyderX calibration tool and it's way of doing the calibration. Unfortunately I did not have much luck using the Palette Master calibration system native to the BenQ line, but they kinda gave up on updating it a few years ago.
Within the last 6 weeks I replaced the 27" monitor with the 32" BenQ SW321 (+/- $2k). The SpyderX coupled with the Palette Master calibration system dedicated to this monitor seems to work quite well with this monitor....so far. I am very happy to have upgraded to a 32" monitor.
As an aside...I use Qimage as my dedicated printing software. It does an outstanding job of making all the color profiles play well together and I get prints that match my monitor every time.
Again....just my experience. Good luck in your search.
p.1 #4 · Need help with monitor selection for professional family photography
Having a monitor whose colors are not accurate by itself does not necessarily mean you must get a new monitor especially if you are staying with sRGB.
Here is what can go wrong over time with your monitor.
It uses older CCFL backlighting, not modern LED or mini-LED technology.
CCFL backlights age significantly over time:
brightness drops
white point drifts warmer/yellower
Edge uniformity worsens
gamut shrinks
Many aging 30" Cinema Displays develop a yellow tint or uneven edges.
A modern calibration can substantially improve:
white balance
grayscale neutrality
gamma tracking
shadow tone accuracy
You'll be surprised how much better it can look after profiling.
However, after calibrating, it still has any of the issues below:
obvious yellowing
pink/green tint shifts across the panel
dark corners
inability to hit neutral gray
low brightness even at max
poor shadow separation
flickering or instability
Then the backlight is the limiting factor, and a new monitor would for sure be the way to go.
Just something to consider since you indicated that "you love" that monitor.
John Wheeler
p.1 #5 · Need help with monitor selection for professional family photography
LarryBeemer wrote:
My experience is limited so keep that in mind.
I have been using a BenQ SW271 since 2019 and I have been very pleased with it. It is easily calibrated using a Datcolor SpyderX calibration tool and it's way of doing the calibration. Unfortunately I did not have much luck using the Palette Master calibration system native to the BenQ line, but they kinda gave up on updating it a few years ago.
Within the last 6 weeks I replaced the 27" monitor with the 32" BenQ SW321 (+/- $2k). The SpyderX coupled with the Palette Master calibration system dedicated to this monitor seems to work quite well with this monitor....so far. I am very happy to have upgraded to a 32" monitor.
As an aside...I use Qimage as my dedicated printing software. It does an outstanding job of making all the color profiles play well together and I get prints that match my monitor every time.
Again....just my experience. Good luck in your search.
Thank you, that is really helpful. I would *really* like a monitor larger than 27", but the cost is hard to justify for me. So perhaps the SW271 or SW272U is it for me. Still a bit expensive, but they seem like some of the best around.
Question for you - is it a true matte display? Or is it glossy glass with some coating applied a la Studio Display nano texture? I'm hoping for a true matte display, like the 30" I have. It makes me think I'm looking at paper in some ways, and I like that.
p.1 #6 · Need help with monitor selection for professional family photography
John Wheeler wrote:
Having a monitor whose colors are not accurate by itself does not necessarily mean you must get a new monitor especially if you are staying with sRGB.
Here is what can go wrong over time with your monitor.
It uses older CCFL backlighting, not modern LED or mini-LED technology.
CCFL backlights age significantly over time:
brightness drops
white point drifts warmer/yellower
Edge uniformity worsens
gamut shrinks
Many aging 30" Cinema Displays develop a yellow tint or uneven edges.
A modern calibration can substantially improve:
white balance
grayscale neutrality
gamma tracking
shadow tone accuracy
You'll be surprised how much better it can look after profiling.
However, after calibrating, it still has any of the issues below:
obvious yellowing
pink/green tint shifts across the panel
dark corners
inability to hit neutral gray
low brightness even at max
poor shadow separation
flickering or instability
Then the backlight is the limiting factor, and a new monitor would for sure be the way to go.
Just something to consider since you indicated that "you love" that monitor.
John Wheeler
Thanks for that. I actually bought a calibration device thinking I might be able to calibrate my 30", but after many tries, I just can't get it to look anything like my Macbook Air. I know that the Macbook Air is also likely not calibrated, but ultimately, I'd rather go with something I know I can trust instead of constant fiddling and worrying. But yeah, I do love my 30" and am figuring out what else I can use it for...
p.1 #7 · Need help with monitor selection for professional family photography
Anyone here have experience with the Asus ProArt monitors? They seem to be way cheaper than the BenQ, but I assume there's a tradeoff. I'm just not sure whether the tradeoff might be worth it for me.
p.1 #9 · Need help with monitor selection for professional family photography
BigBabyMoses06 wrote:
Love my ProArts. Have 2 side by side. You absolutely need a color calibrator, however, for any monitor. I use the "cheap" Calibrite 123.
p.1 #10 · Need help with monitor selection for professional family photography
weezintrumpete wrote:
Thank you, that is really helpful. I would *really* like a monitor larger than 27", but the cost is hard to justify for me. So perhaps the SW271 or SW272U is it for me. Still a bit expensive, but they seem like some of the best around.
Question for you - is it a true matte display? Or is it glossy glass with some coating applied a la Studio Display nano texture? I'm hoping for a true matte display, like the 30" I have. It makes me think I'm looking at paper in some ways, and I like that.
I hesitate to answer your question because I'm not confident that I know what a "matte" screen is. The screen is not really "glossy" but it's not really "matte" either. Perhaps the BenQ site has an official description?
p.1 #12 · Need help with monitor selection for professional family photography
LarryBeemer wrote:
I hesitate to answer your question because I'm not confident that I know what a "matte" screen is. The screen is not really "glossy" but it's not really "matte" either. Perhaps the BenQ site has an official description?
No worries! It's a bit of an esoteric question. I just love how my 30" display looks, almost like I'm looking at paper. There's some texture to the display, kind of like grain. I love it. Hoping for some of that in a new display, and it seems like the SW272U gets at least part of the way there, claiming that they designed the screen to look a bit like paper.
Just ordered the SW272U and am excited to try it out!
p.1 #14 · Need help with monitor selection for professional family photography
weezintrumpete wrote:
Thanks! I noticed that those don't have Adobe RGB color space coverage. Is that a big deal to you? Do you print your photos?
It isn't a big deal for me, and no I do not print my stuff yet, but I have sent some photos to printers and everyone has been happy with them so far. But, that doesn't really answer your question, sorry!
