NEC PA231W vs Imac

[HSakols]

Hi,
I've been editing my images on a first generation intel 24in imac calibrated with a Syder 2.  I'm planning on upgrading to the latest mac os and will need a Syder 3.  Now I'm thinking that maybe I should go ahead and invest in a higher quality monitor such as the NEC PA231W.  I'm curious if I will get significantly  more accurate color management by changing monitors?  When I calibrate the imac, I can't make any monitor adjustments like I could with the old crt.  Has anyone else gone from an Imac to something more suited for accurate colors and tones? 

Thanks
Hugh Sakols
www.yosemitecollection.com

[Tim Lookingbill]

Maybe this demonstration on a 2004 G5 iMac:

http://photo.net/digital-darkroom-forum/00UT1m

will give an indication most displays can be made to match even when using an eyeball calibrator.

Pick a display you like, calibrate it and end the concern about getting split hair exact color. It's physically impossible due to so many other variables some of which include differing human perception and optical tricks on the eyes.

This is suppose to be fun, ya' know, not rocket science.

[digitaldog]

I'm curious if I will get significantly  more accurate color management by changing monitors? 

Well accurate is kind of a marketing buzz word. Will you get consistency day in and day out (unlike using eyeballs)? Yup. Will you have a high (14-bit) panel that was designed from the ground up for calibration using a software to do so and a mated sensor? Yes. Is it a lot easier for the user because of this? Yup, you just select the target calibration and walk away while the product does the calibration and builds the profile. Does this provide greater precision than using OSD and pressing buttons to achieve the target calibration? Yup. Can you build multiple calibration targets (and profile), and switch on they fly? Yes you can. Can you control the contrast ratio of the display, again making differing ones based on the papers you’ll use? Yes you can. If you liked the control you had over those old CRTs then yes, you’ll have a far larger degree of control using the PA with SpectraView II software.

[HSakols]

I've been looking at the NEC monitor, after reading a write up about it from West Coast Imaging.  However, I'm still confused.  Looking at the specs, it states that the NEC PA231W only has an sRGB color space - not exactly a wide gamut.  So why all the features but only sRGB? 

[rmyers]

The 231 is not wide gamut. P221 and PA241, PA271 and whatever the number is on the 30" are wide gamut.  I guess the 231 is for people that don't want wide gamut but do want the calibration and software features.  There must be a market for high end non wide gamut monitors.