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Here it is - our evaluation of the simply exquisite Eizo CG2700X.
In a simple sense, this monitor is just the 4K version of the CG2700S. You'll definitely want to also read our CG2700S evaluation to get the full picture, as these articles have been written as companion pieces.
But of course, there's more to it than just more pixels - here we focus in on some of the deeper aspects of ColorNavigator, 4K, HDR, and mixed content creation.
If you want just the executive summary - this is the finest 27" colour accurate monitor we've ever seen or used. If you're looking for the best of the best for content creation work, especially if you work across both the still and moving image domains - you've found it.
This is a serious professional tool, with an equally serious price tag. But the CG2700X really delivers on all fronts - features, quality, support, and ease of use. If you do the sort of work that demands this quality, it won't let you down.
Here we have the companion model to the new Eizo CG2700S. Hopefully you've already read our evaluation of the Eizo CG2700S - and if not, you should do before carrying on here, as we're not going to repeat a lot of what is covered already in that evaluation.
This is the second of the new Eizo Flagship monitors for content creation work. This is the 4K model (technically, UHD - 3840x2160). Some would, reasonably, argue that you can't really call a non-4K monitor a flagship in 2023. Which really misses most of the point of monitors like these - which are all about incredibly colour accuracy, first and foremost. But - to a certain extent we agree (and indeed, we have been raising this point for several years now). We'll get into the 4K side of things more below, but in all honestly, for my own use, I've hit the point that I consider 4K essential. So for me, as we'll see below, the choice is really actually between an absolute favourite of ours - the Eizo CS2740, and this, the Eizo CG2700X. Of course for many the CG2700S is the right decision, though. You'll want to read and think about the 4K side of things, below.
Right - let's get into things. First, the Key Specifications - and quite how they differ to the Eizo CG2700S
As with the CG2700S (again, read our evaluation for the full picture of these new options!) - this monitor is designed to be a professional workhorse across multiple domains - including both still image and video work.
The reality is that most content producers are working across those domains. Of course to different degrees, but it's increasingly common to need professional tools to support both workflows. That's the key thinking behind these new Eizo options.
For still image makers, it would be fair to argue the Eizo CS series (and most notably the Eizo CS2740) - are already excellent tools. One of those with an external calibrator is noticeably cheaper than these models, and would suit all but the absolute most demanding of still image work (with complex technical things like Art Reproduction being the exception, and the sort of place you'd likely choose CG over CS models). Of course you might also simply want these CG models for their not-to-be-underestimated workflow benefits - like the fully automatic, in-built calibration.
But more likely the issue that might decide things for you is video. Especially as these sorts of monitors are usually installed for a minimum of 5 years (and in practise we find most are actively used for more like 8+ years!) - if you even anticipate moving in to the professional video space, then you'll want to strongly consider these models with their significant video features and performance improvements.
Here are the highlights:
The key operative differences between this model and the CG2700S are of course the resolution - UHD 3840x2160 - and the higher peak brightness (500 vs 400 cd/m2).
The resolution difference is immediately obvious. A pixel density of 164 vs 109 is definitely noticeable. But, it's not that noticeable, in fact, in image and video work. It's really text work - browsing, emails, spreadsheets, graphic design etc, where you really notice the difference.
I had a longer discussion of this here, but as this is such a common issue/concern/question, I decided to move my current thoughts on 4K into a separate article:
The second key difference is the 500 cd/m2 peak brightness. This is the current peak for Eizo CG monitors.
Desktop monitors, and especially high quality colour accurate ones, are just not going to hit the peak brightness figures of HDR standards, or home TVs etc. However, due to the reality of HDR signals, it's still absolutely possible to edit and grade HDR work on monitors with lower brightness figures. But of course, the closer you can get, the better, and the difference between the 400cd/m2 of the CG2700S and the 500 cd/m2 of the CG2700X is a distinctly noticeable improvement. More on this in the HDR section below.
When all is said an done, the CG2700X offers really all the features/specifications I expect in a modern high end monitor, and the superb quality of an Eizo CG monitor. There are other monitors out there with flashier specs - higher peak brightness/contrast, or 5K or more. But those extras don't count for much when the quality just isn't there. It's really a tremendous combination of both quality and features that the Eizo CG2700X delivers.
Who is the Eizo CG2700X For?
Look - you're not going to be considering a roughly five thousand dollar monitor like this unless you're pretty serious about your imaging and/or video work. (Of course, if money is really no object and you're just one of those folks who wants the best - you can basically stop reading now. This is it, and you should definitely buy it!).
But for everyone else - this is a significant investment for sure. There are plenty of pretty good monitors for considerably lower prices out there. So what would lean you towards this model?
For still image work - this is the best, most precise, AND easiest to use colour accurate monitor made at this size. I say that based on over 20 years of professional imaging work and having sat in front of just about every model from Eizo, NEC, BenQ, Apple, HP, Dell, and more over those years. This is just - the best. It's that simple. For high end still imaging work, there's simply no better choice. 4K at 27" works really very well, offering great sharpness (sure there are bigger monitors, which are great if you need or want that - but they distribute the same number of pixels across more area, so aren't as sharp). This is the best panel Eizo offer, and you get Eizo's fully automatic, super easy to use calibration system. It just absolutely nails everything you need and want in a monitor for still imaging work. I know of no better tool for tricky jobs like Art Reproduction, or high end photographic work. If you make your living from colour (or just love colour!) - it's a 'no-brainer' as they say.
But as I said above, realistically, it's likely to be video work, or the potential for future video work, that makes this the right monitor for you. Even within the video context, the CG2700X is really about serious, modern video work. If you're just knocking out basic YouTube tutorial videos - then this is, realistically, overkill. But if you're doing that higher level or work (Broadcast, TVS, Motion Picture etc...) - or aspire to, or see it in your future - then the CG2700X is the monitor that supports all your high end still imaging work AND your higher end video work, in one elegant and refined package.
Quite simply, at time of writing, this is the King of content creation and editing monitors.
Who is the Eizo CG2700X Not For?
Whilst this monitor is a very effective HDR grading tool (see below) - it's not the ultimate tool for that sort of work. That's what 'Broadcast/Studio' monitors are all about. But those...are a different breed, and come with very substantial price tags. And are really used for projects where those things are specified, and there's a corresponding budget to match. So when you need one of those - you'll know it (and hopefully someone else will be buying it for the edit suite!).
But there are an increasing number of smaller players in the video, VFX and content creation markets that this monitor will suit. It's definitely usable in almost all HDR grading scenarios, and Eizo have seen a tremendous uptake by all the big names in the business (Industrial Light & Magic, Pixar, Weta, Studio Ghibli etc.). Indeed, we were told these CG models took so long to come to market in Australia because so many were snapped up by the larger production houses, so there simply wasn't stock available for smaller studios. This is a clear sign these monitors are a great match to the sort of work those studios are doing. And if they're good enough for them....they're clearly good enough for just about every smaller studio as well. Eizo really have made giant strides in this area in recent years, and are now a trusted part of the modern HDR workflow.
For some, 27 inches is just too small. If you really want to do large print work, and get a better sense of your work at a larger scale, say. Or you're using your monitor as a presentation device for your wedding/portrait customers (present big & they buy big, as all such photographers know...). Of course, there are a number of reasons why you might conclude a larger screen might be required. For you, we have the Eizo CG3100X as a marvellous choice, and the BenQ SW321C (being the best model BenQ have made to date) - is a good budget alternative.
I won't repeat all the basics here.
Our CG2700S evaluation has comprehensive info on unboxing, connecting (these monitors make great docking stations!) - and ergonomics. All of the points made there hold true equally for the CG2700X. Including the lack of documentation (I mean, does it make any sense to anyone that you get more documentation about the monitor hood than the monitor itself??).
Again we get a personalised measurement sheet, showing the quality of the panel.
I will repeat the links to our handy guides that fill in the massive gaps in the Eizo documentation. And to be fair - this is pretty much the default modern scenario from all the brands. Almost nothing we sell now comes with a decent manual or a Getting Started guide beyond the absolute basics. It's all single sheets of obscure, Ikea-like cartoons. If you do go to the manufacturer's website, there are usually resources available, but long experience tells me customers are looking for more hand holding than they are getting, and this is really an area that could so easily be improved.
(I'd even say, flat out, that better documentation is a very effective sales tool that these brands are simply over-looking. If you explain to people, in simple and clear terms, why and when they might want to use certain features, and the practical benefits that will result - then more people will want to use and buy your tools. It's really that simple!).
This is for once quite simple.
The Eizo CG2700X monitor is, all things considered, the finest desktop monitor I have ever seen or used to date.
(And, as a prime partner to all of Eizo, BenQ and NEC (when NEC were still in the game) - I have probably actually used more high end imaging monitors than just about anyone else in this country, realistically!)
The combination of superbly accurate colour, SDR and HDR abilities, 4K clarity, incredible backup and support, AND the tremendous ease of use - is simply unmatched by any other monitor.
I personally consider 27" the perfect size (there's always the Eizo CG3100X for those who really need or want bigger, of course!).
It's as close to ergonomically and visually perfect as I've ever seen, and quite simply the platonic ideal of a desktop monitor for still imaging work. It's also thoroughly capable for a lot of video/VFX work as well. Despite it's substantial cost, it's without a doubt still excellent value - a professional tool I'll use for many years, to support all the work we do here at Image Science.
If you have the budget for it, and colour is important to you, you should buy this monitor above all others. (Except the Eizo CG3100X, if you want bigger!).
The only criticism I can really think of is that, like all IPS panels, some 'IPS Glow' remains, even at this level (both the CG2700S and CG2700X still have some, albeit both noticeably less than the CS2740). So, as with all LCDs, you'll experience best performance not using these in dimly lit environments. Ultimately, this is the minor price paid for the excellent colour performance in pretty much all other areas.
Looking at my past evaluations of monitors, from various brands, I can see myself very often repeating that Eizo monitors are simply the best at the hardest things - deep shadow colours/details, and the neutrality of neutrals, and this is an area where the competitors simply don't seem to really be catching up.
Neutrals are all about the quality of the panel and the calibration system - and I think it's an area that ColorNavigator simply focuses more of its attention on than other solutions. Most other calibration systems seem to spend all their optimisation time on the boundaries of saturated colour - and you can see this in their validation systems, which often measure little to no colours along the neutral scale. But there's no doubt about it visually - it's something I always notice with Eizo ColorEdge screens - the neutrals are noticeably just more neutral (i.e. free of slight colouring), than other brands manage to achieve.
As to shadows, there are several reasons for this, but two of the main ones are screen hoods, and screen coatings.
Hoods are physical light shields - they stop stray light from bleeding into the deep shadows and affecting your perception of those shadows. Indeed, stray light can simply make it impossible to accurately interpret your dark tones. So a hood is a great asset in protecting against this - although of course, the primary thing you can do is sensible light control in your working environment.
In the case of hoods, Eizo's hoods are very good - certainly with their magic magnetic attachment system, they are superbly easy to attach and remove - so much so, they even no longer have the little holes in them to pop your calibrator's cord through (and also, because of course the CG models have in-built calibrators anyway!). But - to be honest, their hoods are not overall the best - as they're shallower than they should be. For example, BenQ hoods are quite distinctly deeper - this of course makes them more present and bulky, in terms of the space you work in, but a bigger shield simply blocks more light and I think the Eizo ones are a bit too shallow and sleek - another 5cm on their depth would definitely improve their light shielding performance.
The second aspect is screen coatings. To date only one other monitor I have seen really comes close - the BenQ SW321C, which is easily BenQ's best model at time of writing (the SW271C, which came out after the SW321C, was a bit of a disappointment, one of the main reasons being that it did not feature this much improved coating). That model has a coating that, in all, seems close to the Eizo ColorEdge performance - and it's the main reason that model stands head and shoulders over the rest right now (new models are around the corner, though, we believe...).
But, Eizo's entire ColorEdge range all have simply superb matte coatings on them. Coatings which seem just leagues ahead of most monitors - in that they don't introduce any 'rainbow' effects as seen on most cheaper monitors, and that work magic for diffusing any light that falls on shadow areas - the net result being that Eizo ColorEdge monitors remain far ahead in their ability to show you exactly what is going on in your deep shadow regions - with both great tonal placement (i.e. tones at the correct levels) and control of the colour of those very low tones. It's an area Eizo consistently excel in. And a lot of interesting images exist in, and work because of, their use of those marginal tones.
I've been asked over the years why I make a point of mentioning this. Usually by iMac owners, with their visually-pleasing-but-wholly inaccurate 'fused glass' panels. I ask them to do a simple test. Wear a bright coloured shirt (ideally red) - and then do some work on your favourite really low key black and white image. And then you will very quickly notice that all your shadows are (at best) looking weirdly warm - because the ridiculous glass coating is reflecting the colour of your shirt and making you think your shadows are warm when they simply are not. (At worst you just won't be seeing your shadow detail at all, because the tonal placement behaviour is pretty awful). I'll admit, those glossy things look pretty great when watching movies simply because they elevate the contrast - but as working tools they're just rubbish for working on low key images, because you're simply not accurately seeing what's going on in those shadow regions.
ColorNavigator is the long standing calibration system for Eizo ColorEdge monitors. With version 7, it received a substantial upgrade. At first it was a little rough, but Eizo have ironed out the kinks and it is now in a very good place. (At time of writing it's up to version 7.1.10.3).
The vast bulk of users will likely do some initial setup work in ColorNavigator (defining one or two key calibration targets) - then set the monitor to auto-calibrate on a regular basis, and then basically never think about calibration again. This is, likely, the appropriate approach for a lot of the users of this monitor - get it to a level of very good accuracy, trust it to look after itself, and carry on with your work.
But of course, one can go further with ColorNavigator. With colour management, there's always another level. So I thought it might be useful to go through some of the more advanced aspects of ColorNavigator.
With the CG2700X (and CG2700S, and CS2740 - basically, most modern Eizos) - you get 10 full hardware calibration slots (versus, typically, 3 slots on most other colour accurate monitors).
This model comes with an expansive set of presets and you can just pop the monitor into one of those and carry on, should you wish. Here's a list:
BT.2020
BT.709
DCI-P3
PQ_DCI-P3
HLG_BT.2100
Adobe®RGB
sRGB
The first 5 are video related presets, of course, and the latter two are the main standards for still image work. The CG2700X manual (PDF found online) has a table showing the actual settings for all those presets, but if you're familiar with them there won't be any surprises (and it's good to see the still image presets default to 100 cd/m2, which is a typical sort of figure for people doing print related work). But presets are really just a starting point, so of course most people working with a machine of this level will want to calibrate their monitor to a target more specific to their actual needs.
Each calibration slot in your Eizo can be set to Standard or Advanced mode. The Standard mode is basically for those presets (and note even those can be edited to some degree, e.g. if you want your AdobeRGB preset to use a lower brightness, for example), but it's the Advanced mode most people will be using, as it is in this mode that you can fully define your own calibration target (and when automatic recalibration occurs, it will re-calibrate all of your targets).
All 10 slots can be set to use custom targets if you wish. This is ideal for the increasing number of people working across many domains - from web-based image delivery, through to CMYK print work, and on again to video tasks. Or, if you want very specific modes for each media type you print with.
Our standard guide to ColorNavigator 7 covers the creation of custom targets and the subsequent calibration to those targets. This covers the general use for almost everyone. But what if you want to take things even further?
Above and beyond basic calibration, ColorNavigator offers the possibility of further improving your calibration to tackle very specific scenarios.
An example of this might be if you're printing for an exhibition and wish to make your screen a very exact match for the media you're using. The reality is, for most people, 'normal' calibration will get them to a point of accuracy that is more than sufficient, but the best possible match for specific things can be achieved by further tweaking. This is accessed subsequent to the initial calibration through the 'Manual Adjustment' option:
As this information is really relevant to any Eizo ColorEdge monitor, we've moved this content out of this article and into a separate KnowledgeBase article:
Also under 'Advanced Functions' are the Validation options.
These are designed to tell you how well/accurately your monitor is performing for certain conditions.
Personally, I think general RGB display validation of a monitor, using the same sensor that was used to calibrate, is pretty much a fundamentally flawed thing. It will pick up certain gross errors (e.g. double profiling, where some old software it still doing something it shouldn't in the background - you did follow your Preparing For Monitor Calibration guide, right, and remove all of that...?). But beyond that, in terms of actual measurement of the quality of post-calibration results, a sensor is only going to repeat the measurements it made during calibration, so I can't help but think this is methodologically flawed. I am probably wrong about this, but other than detecting gross errors and occasionally running validation purely out of curiosity, it's not something I often do in practise because it simply takes time and I can't do much, if anything, with the resulting information.
That being said, there are contexts where you want to know how capable your device is for a certain task - e.g. CMYK proofing. This can be useful (indeed, it's essential if you're looking to be certified in these areas, of course). If you're going to do this, do note that setting up for it is non-trivial in terms of complexity (as you need to display CMYK targets in software external to ColorNavigator, so that it can assess your full, actual path) - and you will definitely want to read the full advice in the ColorNavigator manual for this.
(This section is only relevant for studios / multiple monitor installations, so skip down below the yellow if you're only concerned with single monitor installs!).
Managing multiple monitors can be a point of significant friction in the studio environment. Even harder is managing monitors across multiple sites - with members of your team quite possible spread across the globe, how does a studio keep everyone working in the same way?
With traditional monitors, this involves either a significant training burden (visiting each site and training someone to calibrate the various monitors, which can often involve multiple different calibration systems if there's a typical hotch-potch mix of hardware) - or a significant time burden for a single technician to do all of this work across multiple machines and even sites.
Eizo, uniquely, have two key technologies to help solve this common issue.
(See the diagram below showing how the client/server relationship fits together).
In-Built Calibration Sensors
The Eizo CG2700S and CG2700X of course feature in-built calibration sensors, as do all Eizo CG monitors (but note, not CS models). Built directly into the monitor's bezels, this provides the ultimate solution for consistency and ease of use. This removes the need to buy, install and store separate calibration units for each unit/location.
Each of these in-built sensors are high quality, tuned to the model it comes with, and for most installations this sensor will be used as-is for calibrations and will easily provide sufficient accuracy for most work. Each monitor can have calibration targets set up or imported from previous installations, and then regular calibration automatically scheduled from then on, meaning there's really next to no training burden or extra hardware costs for each install beyond the monitor itself.
The in-built sensors can even also be cross-correlated against an external sensor as part of the initial set up process, for greater consistency and accuracy.
For example, your studio might invest in one very high grade 'probe' (i.e. calibration sensor - in the video industry these always seem to be referred, rather confrontingly, as 'probes'). Upon each initial install of new Eizo CG monitors (whether on the same or multiple sites), each internal sensor can then be cross-correlated to this 'master' probe. Of course this does not truly provide the full accuracy of that probe to all calibrations, but it's a remarkably effective way of improving the general accuracy and consistency of calibrations between units.
Eizo ColorNavigator Network
In-built sensors greatly simplify the hardware and training issues that multiple installations raise.
But Eizo offer even more in this area - a centralised control system for their monitors called Eizo ColorNavigator Network.
Each local installation of ColorNavigator can be connected to this system, for centralised settings management and control.
Imagine you're a creative studio trying to co-ordinate the setups of your various creatives scattered across the globe - some doing VFX/compositing, others grading, others cutting etc. Typically, managing all this can be a bit of a nightmare. However, if you install Eizo ColorEdge monitors and use Eizo's centralised control system approach, you can manage this complexity across all your creative stations, even on a per-project basis.
To enforce consistency and safety across installations, you can even lock the users out screen controls, and use headless software (rather than install ColorNavigator) on each of the client stations.
To our knowledge, this system is unique to Eizo. Certainly outside of the broadcast hardware space, we're yet to see a system that comes close to this - and it should not be under-estimated how useful this reduction in complexity and risk really is.
Another key domain this is useful for is higher education - e.g. photography departments can centrally manage all their student lab calibration needs. Combine this with a RIP to manage your printing and output colour management and you can implement a highly controlled fine art printing environment (with very little risk that students can break things, although God knows they will still try!).
Several BenQ models come with a nifty external control dial (with a wireless version in the works, I believe), which allows you to map key functions, such as switching to a particular calibration/colour mode, to buttons. Once tailored to your work, it can make adjusting to your different workflows a very fast process.
Eizo ColorEdge models don't come with such a controller, but there is a Custom Keys function - that is, there are two keys you can program for quick access to commonly needed functions/modes on the monitor. I think a lot of people overlook this, but more advanced users are more likely to be changing aspects of the monitor's display often, so this can be really handy - making accessing your most needed things pretty much a one-touch operation (technically it is two touches - one touch to wake up the controls, and another to select the F1 or F2 custom key).
However, it's also fair to say this system is rather limited - with BenQ you have great flexibility with the programming, but with Eizo you can't e.g. attach a particular mode to each of these. There is an option to switch to 'Previous Colour Mode' but that's not ideal and it's easy to get out of sequence. Of course, there's a dedicated mode-changing option easily accessed in the menus, but with that you have to cycle through them which can be irritating if there's a bunch of them (especially if they vary significantly - going through a high brightness HDR mode on the way to a printing mode can be very jarring!).
A very easy extension Eizo could make here would be to allow a bit more flexibility in what these programmable custom keys can do. Commonly used things, like BT.709 gamut warning, are available here, so it seems Eizo's intention for these is more about tweaks to the display, relying on that mode menu for mode changes. Not perfect, and with some easy room for improvement, but still definitely handy.
(I'd like to preface this section by saying I am not, and will never be, a professional video editor in any way, shape or form. My thoughts and knowledge here are, ultimately, all second hand - coming from discussions (extensive, across many years) with working video professionals, and with the monitor makers. Any mistakes are mine, and corrections are gratefully accepted!).
As I have harped on about at length previously, more pixels just isn't that much of importance to imaging work. Anyone who has moved from an HD to a 4K TV knows that. The sharpness improvements are nice, but hardly earth shattering.
In fact, it is not resolution and pixels that have changed modern imaging so much, rather it is High Dynamic Range. In simple terms, this means the contrast of the real world can be more effectively captured and displayed than ever before.
This is not yet particularly relevant to still imaging work, given most of the outputs there (print, web, etc), are nothing like the out HDR outputs of, say, a living room TV. No - those domains are almost always SDR (if your images are destined for screens) or inherently very different - low contrast, reflective paper is just nothing much like an OLED panel pumping out 1000+ nits of brightness in an HDR mode. Chalk and cheese. Still image workers will turn HDR off at both the operating system and monitor levels as a matter of course.
The reality is that even most video work, in practise, remains SDR/1080p. But of course we are beginning to see more and more 4K work (again, that's a minor difference), and HDR work. And when you watch an HDR video, you can immediately see the difference - a much more radical difference than just a bit of extra sharpness.
It's important to understand that Eizo CG monitors (like BenQ SW monitors) - are NOT the full equivalent of 'proper' HDR grading monitors. Eizo have their CG Prominence (with a dramatically different price tag!) - and there are other offerings from the usual players in the Broadcast/Mastering space. And yet these monitors can in fact be used very effectively for a lot of HDR work (and all other aspects of the Video/VFX workflows) - as they increasingly have been.
Eizo CG monitors don't come anywhere near the peak brightness of true HDR displays. The CG2700S tops out at 400 and the CG2700X at 500 cd/m2 (aka 'nits' - honestly, the language used in the video space really is a bit bizarre!). Of the two, if you're looking to do HDR work, you'd certainly lean towards the CG2700X as that extra brightness is not insignificant.
But of course, living room OLEDs typically have a peak brightness of 800+ nits, and LCDs are often 4000nits or more! This is a dramatically different peak brightness.
So how can a monitor like this even really be that useful in an HDR workflow? Can a smaller studio use a monitor like this to do effective HDR work, if they don't have the budget for a true grading panel?
Yes, they can.
Eizo recommend their CG range of monitors for all aspects of video and post-production work, barring high end grading tasks. This is how they position the range:
...and of course, they'd love you to buy a Prominence for your grading work. And very often, if you're doing this sort of work for a high end company like Disney or Netflix, there will be budget for such a screen, or an edit suite available with something like this.
But also very often such a thing is, in reality, out of budget - especially for individuals or smaller production companies. So let's look at using a CG model for HDR work, and what we can achieve with it.
But - fundamentally - this is using an inherently SDR panel to do HDR work. There's no getting around that - no magic to suddenly make these screens output the very high brightness or display the very high contrast levels that true HDR displays offer. If you really need perfect HDR grading, then you're going to need to look at considerably more expensive options.
But you really can do a lot of useful HDR stuff with these screens, and that's because even with HDR the vast bulk of the signal is nearly always not AT the peak brightnesses. As long as you have a system that can accept and correctly display the types of HDR you need to work with, then the lack of the really high peak brightness is not really such a huge practical problem for effective work.
Let's just re-visit the key video/HDR related specifications of the CG2700X:
These are great specs for a desktop monitor, but for an HDR reference monitor, they are, in fact, not really even close - the key issue being the lack of brightness and the resulting relatively low contrast ratio (by video mastering standards, anyway!).
There are many different ways you could set up an Eizo CG2700X in a video workflow, with the main ones being:
In general, if you're working in the third way, you'll already know what you're doing and how this all gets set up - so we're going to talk about the first two options really, both of which we see in common use in smaller studios / solo installations.
Single Monitor Video
In the first, most simple setup, you're using one Eizo ColorEdge monitor for everything. This has some fundamental limits of course - for example, pretty much all desktop (GUI)
monitor display is at 60Hz. Meaning that when you're playing back
video, you're not seeing the native timing of the video (e.g. your
mastering for 24fps, but your playback at 60fps will result in the need
for frame interpolation to remap those 24 frames to 60). Of course, you
can change your desktop to a different refresh rate to help deal with
this, but it's a janky way of working (and GUIs are barely workable in
24hz, with quite visible judder). This may or may not matter to you -
it's irrelevant to, say, corporate video work or typical client-based
work like wedding video - all of that is generally fine to shoot, edit, and master at 60 of course.
And, in this first scenario, when you're reviewing your work, you're completely bound by the capabilities of this single display. Which are clearly quite some distance away from what a lot of video may ultimately be viewed on. A monitor like this is not a fantastic HDR viewing device even if it can accept an HDR signal and is in fact useful for HDR work. Again, it's fine for simple scenarios (real estate promos etc.) - but if your work is going to end up in the broadcast or motion picture spaces - so to be watched in lounge rooms, home theatres, and as projected film - then you're likely going to want to use a secondary device to get a more concrete idea of how your work will look in these scenarios.
This is what we think of as an entry level video setup - it's the least investment and probably the minimum entry point for at least some serious video work. It's better suited to SDR than HDR, but HDR work is still possible (see below).
GUI Monitor plus 'Reference/Client' Screen
This brings us to the second setup, and this is the one we most
commonly see in practise.
In this, an Eizo CG2700X is used as the GUI monitor - i.e. the monitor on which the work is mostly done - and a second monitor/panel is attached to what used to be called a 'breakout box' - basically a secondary external video card. Black Magic devices are a very popular option here. Attached to one of these, the most popular option is an OLED or a high quality LCD TV. Whilst these external panels won't realistically have the colour accuracy of the Eizo, they provide a much higher brightness/higher contrast HDR screen, with native and easy support for all video timings, to be used as a 'reference' device - i.e. to check your work is indeed looking the way it should be, in this more realistic environment (i.e. one that much better matches the final viewing conditions). Purists will tell you that consumer OLEDs also can't be used as a truly professional HDR grading device (and they are right, as particularly at peak and the lowest brightnesses their colour behaviour begins to fall apart) - but they certainly provide a much more realistic context on which to check your work, and for many, as setup like this is already at the top of the available budget.
The total investment for this setup - which is overall a much more versatile setup than just a 'one monitor does it all' setup - and is in practise used by many people doing quite high end video work - is still dramatically lower than investing in a proper broadcast monitor.
This is, we think, the setup suitable for most professional video work in both SDR and HDR for smaller studios - at least until the budget for Broadcast level hardware comes along (and then look to the Eizo CG3146 Prominence!).
Eizo have a very useful video on this.
You can tell they are at pains not to eat into their Eizo CG3146 Prominence business, so the constant refrain of 'this is not for critical grading' is perhaps a little too frequent, but the video shows some of what you can practically achieve and see with HDR on Eizo ColorEdge monitors that support HDR.
What this shows, in short, is that for the example here - a fairly typical outdoor scene shot in open shade, with some highlight areas in the background (sky, a few specular reflections etc) - even with that, the vast bulk of image content can indeed be completely successfully displayed on an SDR panel with support for an HDR gamma curve. Yes, those highlights are clipped, but the bulk of the image looks as it should (and can thus, quite realistically, be worked on and even to a fair extent, graded, in this scenario).
Even better, you can use the compressed mode to check those highlights for detail (which does then also compress the rest of the image, of course).
It's not as perfect as a single display that can show it all at once, of course - but even with HDR footage the reality is that almost all of it fits within the displayable range of these monitors - particularly the higher brightness ones like this CG2700X with its 500 nit maximum brightness - which makes these monitors quite workable with HDR tasks.
The video shows this much better than a few words can, so here it is ( although note beyond what this video covers, the CG2700X has PQ options for 500, 1000, 4000 and 10000 nits):
EIZO SDR Monitor HDR Functions
So a monitor like this, and particularly when combined with an external reference monitor for further checking, brings HDR editing work thoroughly into the realms of possibility for production companies operating on lower budgets.
I said it above, and it's worth repeating.
This is the best desktop monitor for still imaging and video work available at this time. For me personally, as someone who primarily edits still images, it's the absolute best monitor, from the best range of monitors. Eizo CG monitors have long set the standard by which all other imaging monitors are judged, and for my use this is the ideal combination of size, resolution, and ergonomics - and the quality is simply unsurpassed. On top of that, it is an excellent device for bridging a transition into video work as well.
It's hard to imagine a better option for the increasing number of people already working across the still imaging and video domains. Really - for anyone working in the visual arts space - those looking for the best quality tool to support high quality work will find it in the Eizo CG2700X.
Unequivocally recommended. This will be my primary work monitor for the next several years (with my beloved CS2740 now heading to my home office for work there!).
Eizo have created a simply wonderful, delightful, versatile device here, and I know of no better company in terms of standing by their product. With its 5 year warranty, and with Image Science's product lifetime support, you can be sure this monitor will provide ample return on your investment over the years.
