My trusted CRT blew this past weekend, so I bought a new LCD at costco, and after the fact am learning about the limitations of an lcd for accurate color reproduction. We currently have a Samsung 2443BWX. We don't have $1000 to spend on an NEC or other professional-quality monitor right now. I am getting the distinct feeling from my research that either you spend the big bucks to get one of the top level monitors, or else you are going to have problems regardless - e.g. there is first place, and then there is everyone else. In-store demos are almost worthless for me, because none of the shops have the monitors hooked up with DVI, etc.

Is there a mid-range LCD out there I should be looking at otherwise, that is known to have more consistent and accurate color for the demanding, but not yet professional, photog?

Thanks

Samsung makes a couple LCD monitor that use fluorescent lamps (not LEDs) for backlighting: the 245T and the 275T. Samsung uses proprietary tech to control the individual RGB values (they call it "MagicSpectrum Technology"). This allows the monitor to be calibrated to a chosen color temp and overall brightness, and when this is combined with profiling software you can get quality ICC display profiles and a reliable display.

These monitors don't compare well to pro LCD monitors with LED backlight tech, but they cost definitely less.

Look at the HPs. 2465, 2475, 2275 and 2065.

Thanks Chris, DarkPenguin, I'll check those out.

Of the lcd's I mentioned the 2065 is about 50-50 mva (or pva, I can't remember) and ips. The 2475's are all ips panels. FYI.

I like my 2465 but it is not an IPS panel.

FWIW I have a god bit of experience with the Dell 2407 and I can't recommend it. Illumination is very uneven an even calibrated the monitor is far more magenta than any other monitor in the studio. Further, getting a good curve often takes three or four calibrations for the Gretag profiler, and it seems to drift pretty fast.

Thanks Gandalf.

Well, I'm on my 4th monitor now; I settled on the Samsung T240, and while it may not be the best available, it is the best I found in my price range. Now, I am having problems getting a calibration profile to work. My EyeOne Display 2 is a paperweight, for now :S

That Samsung T240 looks to use a TN panel. 6 bit.

What is a TN panel? I couldnt' find anything in the driver, windows, etc. relating to the 6 bit operation of the monitor - I've seen that referenced in another forum, and didn't know what it was. One thing I noticed, even if it is 6 bit, it doesn't have anywhere near the banding that the first samsung did, so I considered that a bonus.

Unfortunately, things are really tight right now. I cant' go any higher for a monitor than what I have, at least until this hobby starts paying for itself :S.

It is very hard to not get a TN panel these days. They are much better than they used to be but are still limited in gamut.