Monitors.

[Zampa]

Helloooooo

Im looking at getting a new monitor, it will mostly be used for photoshop work, not for gaming or viewing movies etc

Most seem to be widescreen these days but do I need it? and will it be detrimental to the images on screen..i.e....stretching images horizontally?

I cant see the point in buying a widescreen then cutting down the picture ration when I could have spend the extra on a better quality square flat screen

Im looking at sending 70-90 quid ish...

Thoughts?

Thanks.....

 

[Spark123]

Widescreen doesn't squish the images like you sometimes see on a normal telly - that is providing you set your graphics card to output the correct resolution.
It is fairly handy having a wide screen, you can use a bulk of the screen as one window and have things like messenger running in the spare space. It also helps when someone enters a great big long url on here

 

[^woody^]

You'll also find that typical images from digital or scanned negatives don't fit properly on a "square flat screen", and are more suited to wide screen

If you are photoshopping, then choose the panel carefully and not just on price. Narrow viewing angles, uneven backlighting, low resolution and poor contrast are typical of cheap panels and are bad for image work.

 

[Zampa]

Thanks Woody and Spark....

How do these two look?

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/159374

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/144797

Image distortion does have a baring on this...from what I have read on the net it seems widescreen is more aimed at people who watch films and play games...wereas the squarer ones seem to be suited for image work

I dont take pictures from slides..only straight from the camera

I might even conseder going for a 17 inch but trading that off against a higher spec...

 

[Spark123]

Are they widescreen? They look like normal TFT monitors to me?
I have a Samsung widescreen (226BW) which is spot on (now obsolete tho) - I would look at buying another samsung once this one goes.

 

[^woody^]

The second one seems to have a glossy screen - which you should avoid as these are prone to distracting reflections if not positioned at certain angles. Glossy screens are for watching films

The other one just seems like an everyday monitor. Google for reviews before deciding.

With regards to widescreen distortion, well they don't distort images. The PC will output the display in terms of pixels, and if you set the output to match the native resolution of the panel (which you should do anyway for TFT panels) then you don't get any distortion, but more room on the sides of the screen.

I use a 24" Dell widescreen and a 19" 4:3 in a dual monitor set up. I do CAD and image work on the widescreen and things fit on much better in widescreen than on the 4:3 screen - and its not due to size, just proportion. The 4:3 screen is just good for web browsing, document reading and word processing.

With a widescreen and photoshop, you can have the image in its window and the paletes/tools to one side. With a 4:3 monitor the tools palettes will obstruct the image unless you make the image window smaller

 

[Zampa]

Brilliant cheers fellas..im on the case now I have a bit more guidence..

 

[empip]

http://www.ciao.co.uk/Dell_E207WFP__Review_5839982

http://www.twenga.co.uk/prices-E207WFP-DELL-LCD-TFT-monitor-137207-0

Came with my machine, 18 months of use - very pleased.
£100 and less from above, possibly cheaper elsewhere... Quite cheap I thought. Not a graphic designer's anvil, but then would I notice enough difference to warrant tipping the wallet upside down several times ?

-p-