Eizo ColorEdge CG243W Monitor - The Search for the Perfect Monitor

- Page 1

McMullin and McNamee visit Colour Confidence at their swanky new offices

Eizo ColorEdge CG243W Monitor

Colour Confidence have moved into new, out-of-town premises on the outskirts of Birmingham. This has two significant benefits to their ever-growing customer base: the place is very easy to get to (just off J3 of the M5) and they have room to show off their monitors (in particular). Above all other devices that the photographer may purchase, the monitor needs to be 'looked at' before you buy. Of all the decisions it is the one you will have to live with all day, every day - very little that you do will not pass across your computer screen at some stage, but even your camera is likely to have occasional days off!

Patch Tool Compare And so it was that the authors pitched up in Birmingham, B32, credit cards warmed up and ready to go. We had no intention of leaving without a monitor each, but needed to 'feel the merchandise' before we loaded them into the back of the car.

Colour Confidence are specialists in colour. What they do is described by Marketing Manager, Javan Bramhall (one of our hosts for the day) as 'adding value to colour-based purchasing'. If the item has a requirement, or ability, to control colour, then they are interested. The company formed as Typemaker about 25 years ago, serving the pottery industry in their plate-making activities (that's plates you eat dinner off not print magazines with!). If you think that getting ink onto a page as the right colour is hard, try it when it has to go onto a pot and then be revved up to about 1,000° centigrade!

Such were the origins of the company but, as the making of fine potttery has declined, they have diversified into the newer colour technologies, mainly based around digital and including both the press and photography sectors. They now employ around 40 staff and have technically supported outlets in Germany, Spain, France, Poland and the Benelux countries. Despite tough trading conditions they grew 29% year on year between 08–09 and 09–10.

The new offices extend across 10,000 square feet and they have additional warehousing and palette-handling facilities in a unit next door. The available space is yet to be fully utilised and plans are afoot for more show space and offices with the possibility of a small seminar space as well.

The Monitors
We had a clear idea of what we wished to see, having done some homework on the Colour Confidence website. There the monitors are graded (nominally 1 to 5 stars). We aimed at one monitor in each category but specifically wished to compare the Eizo 243W and NEC 2960, both of which we have reviewed over the past year. Both are rated 5* and between them they are the only 'Pre-qualified' Fogracertified monitors in the frame, ie under £1,500. The larger NEC reference monitors also qualify but we have said our piece on large screens when we reviewed the NEC 2690 Spectravision. The Colour Confidence star rating is based upon colour gamut, physical screen size, uniformity, viewing angle, resolution, facilities such as software and hoods, along with a couple of less tangible criteria such as how a monitor 'feels' when it is in use. The average reported error on validation seems of little use in the quest for a 'perfect' monitor, almost all the Eizo range (for example) are capable of delivering excellent statistics using the 'built-in' validation, be it Color Navigator, Gretag Eye 1 Validation, or ColorEyes. The one that did separate the sheep from the goats was the BabelColor Fogra Certification routine and it was to this we eventually turned (more on that later).

Patch Tool Compare After a lot of staring and talking we ended back at our original choice between the NEC 2690 and the Eizo 243W. Comparing the two side-byside was both comforting and confusing. Both were excellent but our test of comparing the Canon proof and screen view again proved to be the most difficult. We were all in agreement that the print did not perfectly match the screen view, but whereas on the previous test the Eizo was let down by the rendering of blues and the NEC the reds, this time it was reversed. In all cases, then, we remained unconvinced of a perfect match. However, I think by this time (and during subsequent testing) that we are at peace with ourselves, the match is as good as it is going to get and we have to get on with it. In the end we went for the Eizo over the NEC. We preferred the tighter pixel pitch (which makes for smaller icon sizes) – the NEC has to stretch its 1920 pixels across 26", the Eizo only 24". The detail is thus more close packed. This would not suit all tastes and viewers; your editor has especially short-range reading spectacles and works far closer to the screen than most people would find comfortable, if you work at a more normal 20 to 24 inches you might find the NEC more to your taste. The gamut of the NEC is almost 10% larger and this shows when you view the icons on your desk-top in the 'unmanaged' Windows environment – they really are very bright and saturated.

Find more articles on Digital Imaging

Read related digital articles Jane Conner-ziser Marylin Sholin Vikki Popwell

Page 1 - Page 2

What our members say
Why I like the Societies: A media in which i am able to see where members are in my area plus view there websites and - Russell B
Find out more about the Societies here

Convention testimonials Nicola Hutchison: feeling rather tender after @TheSocieties convention but wow, buzzing with ideas and inspiration!
Find out more about the Convention here

Photo Quote: We photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing, and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth can make them come back again. We cannot develop and print a memory. - Henri Cartier-Bresson

There are 227 days to get ready for the SWPP Convention and Trade Show at The Hilton London Metropole Hotel ...
which starts on Tuesday 8th January 2013