high end monitors: eizo, quato, nec

[nicholask]

I am looking to buy a very high quality lcd monitor for retouching work, as my CRT has died (surprise surprise).  

I have worked on the Eizo Color Edge ones, which are great, but costly.  Quato offers very similar quality, but also at a price.  On the other hand I have read favorable posts about the far more affordable NEC Multisync 80 series, which cost $1,200 as opposed to approx $3000.  

Has anyone done a comparison bwn these monitors, or can anyone give feedback on the NEC?

Thanks,
Nicholas

[Nill Toulme]

I haven't seen, much less done, a comparison on these monitors.  Good photography-oriented monitor reviews are very difficult to find.  

I can tell you though that I am extremely pleased with the NEC 2090uxi.  The 90-series is this year's replacement for last year's 80-series, which was what you had read about.  Currently it includes the 19" 1990sxi (1280x1024 I think), the 20" 2090uxi and the 21" 2190uxi (both of the the latter 1600x1200).  Later this month they're supposed to start shipping wide screen 24" and 26" versions, the 2490 and 2690wuxi.

I did a lot of research and concluded that the 2090uxi represents a "sweet spot" for the serious photographer on a ~US$1k budget who wants 1600x1200 resolution.  I've had it for about six months now and remain very happy with it.

It calibrated very easily and well with my Eye One Display 2 and Eye One Match v3.6, including direct DDC/CI calibration.  I've since gotten the NEC Spectraview II software which uses the Eye One to directly calibrate the monitor via its internal 12-bit LUTs, and the process and results are even better.  

If you already have a compatible puck you can buy the software separately.  Or you can buy the software and Eye One Display 2 puck included with the monitor in the "SV" package versions. [CAVEAT:  This is true in the U.S.  In Europe the software is different and I'm not sure that you can buy it separately from the SV package like you can in the U.S.]

Highly recommended.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net

[nicholask]

I haven't seen, much less done, a comparison on these monitors.  Good photography-oriented monitor reviews are very difficult to find. 

I can tell you though that I am extremely pleased with the NEC 2090uxi.  The 90-series is this year's replacement for last year's 80-series, which was what you had read about.  Currently it includes the 19" 1990sxi (1280x1024 I think), the 20" 2090uxi and the 21" 2190uxi (both of the the latter 1600x1200).  Later this month they're supposed to start shipping wide screen 24" and 26" versions, the 2490 and 2690wuxi.

I did a lot of research and concluded that the 2090uxi represents a "sweet spot" for the serious photographer on a ~US$1k budget who wants 1600x1200 resolution.  I've had it for about six months now and remain very happy with it.

It calibrated very easily and well with my Eye One Display 2 and Eye One Match v3.6, including direct DDC/CI calibration.  I've since gotten the NEC Spectraview II software which uses the Eye One to directly calibrate the monitor via its internal 12-bit LUTs, and the process and results are even better. 

If you already have a compatible puck you can buy the software separately.  Or you can buy the software and Eye One Display 2 puck included with the monitor in the "SV" package versions. [CAVEAT:  This is true in the U.S.  In Europe the software is different and I'm not sure that you can buy it separately from the SV package like you can in the U.S.]

Highly recommended.

Nill
~~
www.toulme.net
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[nicholask]

thanks for that info, Nill, most helpful.  I haven't looked at the NEC in person yet, but I will go into a retailer and check one out.  It would definitely represent an ideal solution given its price point.

Nicholas

[frankric]

Another vote for the NEC. I replaced an aging Sony G400 CRT with an NEC 2180UX about 6 months ago.

I calibrate it with an original Eye One Display and Eye One Match 3.6.

I'm very happy with it.

Regards

Frank