EIZO, NEC and Wide Gamut Questions

[oak3x]

As being fairly new to Post Processing and Home Printing, I am reaching out to you experts for some advice.

I am in the process of purchasing a new Monitor for Post Processing and General Web Browsing. The two Monitors I am considering are the:

Eizo CG241W (96% of Adobe RGB)
NEC LCD2490 (75% of Adobe RGB)

My output printer is a Canon Pixma Pro 9500 MKII. From my reading in regard to the specifications of this printer, it outputs 65% of aRGB. I shoot in RAW


Question 1 - With my Canon 9500 Printer only outputting 65% of Adobe RGB, would there still be an advantage to purchase the Eizo (96%)?

Question 2 - How does a Wide Gamut Monitor (Eizo) look for general Internet Web Browsing.


Both monitors have good reviews, but I am trying to justify the additional $500 for the Eizo...based on my equipment.

Please share your thoughts and expertise.

Thanks

[Jonathan Wienke]

Question 1 - With my Canon 9500 Printer only outputting 65% of Adobe RGB, would there still be an advantage to purchase the Eizo (96%)?

Yes, for two reasons:

• You aren't going to be outputting to that printer forever; printing technology has imgroved greatly just in the last decade. Ten years from now, you may have a printer that can print 120% of aRGB.
• Best editing practice is to make a master version of the image that is as uncompromised as possible regarding color gamut, and then make a printer-specific copy of that master image that compromised the smallest degree possible given the constraints of the output device. The better your monitor, the more closely you can adhere to this ideal.

Question 2 - How does a Wide Gamut Monitor (Eizo) look for general Internet Web Browsing.

Oversaturated, since web browsers generally aren't color managed. If you can run dual monitors, you can use an older standard-gamut monitor for PS palettes and web browsing, and the wide-gamut monitor for image editing.

[Paul Sumi]

I don't know if you are wedded to the 24" LCD, but you may also want to consider the NEC 2690.  It is a 26" wide gamut display which covers 94% of aRGB, and is less expensive than the Eizo.

The over-saturation in web browsers that Jonathan references is not an issue if you use color-managed browsers like Firefox 3.x or Safari.

Paul

[digitaldog]

I don't know if you are wedded to the 24" LCD, but you may also want to consider the NEC 2690.  It is a 26" wide gamut display which covers 94% of aRRB, and is less expensive than the Eizo.

Good point, a much better comparison would be a similar wide gamut unit like the 2690.

[fotoman1527]

For what it's worth, I'm using the Eizo CG243W on the left for Photoshop, which relegated my Apple Cinema Display 23" monitor to the right, used for less color critical viewing.
I considered the 30" option and other manufacturers, as well, but what settled me on Eizo were three things; their reputation for excellence, the fact that they are the default choice for
professional editing in many shops, and the belief that if they screw up color, they're toast. If some of the other players screw up color, it's a small part of their corporate product line.
I've been very happy with my choice, and the dual monitor display. Good luck!