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If you're new to colour accurate monitors, start here to know what to look for, and why.
Monitors have become the single most important tool in the modern imaging workflow.
We've worked hard to become Australia's high end monitor experts.
We're the only company to carry all the major brands in this area - Eizo, BenQ and NEC, and we have developed excellent relationships with all of these companies.
We offer unbiased advice on all brands and love to sit down and help our clients make the right investment in what has become perhaps the single most important tool in the modern imaging workflow.
We're based in Melbourne, but we supply (and just as importantly, support ) - colour accurate monitors to image makers all over the country.
These monitors are the Best of the Best for still image work. If you really love colour, want unparalleled accuracy, and ease of use, then these are the monitors for you.
These Eizo CG monitors have fully automatic direct hardware calibration and an inbuilt full calibration sensor.
You can set this up once (takes about 10 minutes) - and then sit back and enjoy your monitor for the next 5+ years as it self-calibrates with absolutely no further intervention required. It can even do this in the middle of the night so it doesn't interrupt your workflow! It simply doesn't come any better, or easier to use, than this.
Eizo don't currently make a model larger than 27", other than their very expensive 4K model, so we've also included BenQs best larger model as the best of the large screen options at a reasonable price...but do note it's obviously not in the same league as the Eizo CGs, so we recommend sticking to 27" unless you absolutely need a bigger size, or 4K.
Personally, I consider the Eizo CG279X the finest monitor Eizo make for general purpose imaging use. I find it more comfortable than the 4K models where you can still hit tiny text issues, and the colour accuracy and ease of use is quite simply as good as it gets.
The big question of late is 4K or not 4K?
Colour accurate 4K monitors remain generally quite expensive and in practise 4K makes very only minor difference in the image editing context. Yes, your images render a bit more sharply on 4K screens, but this is of far less importance than colour accuracy.
Our advice is definitely buy a better colour accurate model before buying one with a lot of pixels. That said, if you can afford both, there's no harm in 4K - it's more comfortable on the eyes, and modern software really now behaves very well with 4k screens, so you don't need to worry about tiny text and so on, as you once might have.
If you do want the extra sharpness then at last there is a realistically priced option from Eizo - the exquisitely good Eizo CS2740. We expect this to be a hugely popular model, with superb quality from the most trusted name in monitors.
Alternatively, the BenQ SW271C below provides good colour accuracy and a charging USB-C input for one cable hook up. It's cheaper, and still pretty good.
Of course if you do have the funds, then the 4K wide gamut hardware calibration options from Eizo are simply exquisite and as good as monitors get right now. The CG319X is, quite simply, the absolute best of the best right now.
If you want to go REALLY big, then the SW321C is the flagship of BenQ's range and the best monitor they have produced to date (2021). It really is huge and beautiful.
While Eizo's CG monitors remain the king of the best-of-the-best, most people will find a model from Eizo's CS or BenQ's SW ranges a great choice for general imaging work.
BenQs are priced very competitively. With BenQ you tend to lose just a little refinement in the screen itself – you get slightly lower quality neutrals, slightly less uniformity and the BenQ warranty (3 years) is not as long as Eizo's excellent warranty (5 years).
However, they still have excellent reliability (much better than general consumer brands), offer good uniformity, and excellent clarity. We strongly suggest adding a compatible calibrator and with BenQ SW series this really means the i1Display Pro.
The Eizo CS models are their entry level ColorEdge models.
They are very similar to the NEC PA and BenQ SW models but noticeably more refined - most noticeable in deep shadows and the quality of neutral tones, and the extremely refined software for calibration.
They come with Eizo's calibration software, ColorNavigator, included and with two years extra warranty over the BenQ/NECs, so they offer great value - you just need to add a calibrator and you've got everything you need.
On a budget or just getting to that level where you want a significant improvement over your typical desktop monitors from office brands like Dell, Apple etc?
We still generally recommend you stick to the BenQ SW series, specifically designed for photographers and other professional visual artists. But you could aslo consider the PD Designer series, if your usage is mainly general purpose and you're just after something significantly better than average. It helps the PD models look so lovely, too!
But for photographic and image editing work, there is simply be no other monitor to touch the BenQ SW240 in terms of combination of quality, features and value.
Given the BenQ SW240's smaller size, and ridiculously low price, this model also makes a perfect cheaper option for your second monitor, or a dedicated monitor for tethered studio shooting or on location work.
Read more about this model here.
If you're looking more for a general purpose high quality monitor, then Eizo also have their EV range. Go for the BenQs if you're looking for photo editing models, but if you're just after a really excellent quality 'business graphics' monitor with great ergonomics, consider the Eizo EV models as well.
These monitors are the first big step up from your standard computer monitors. And yes, overall they are a BIG step up from popular 'higher quality' models like Dell Ultra-Sharps and Apple Cinema Displays etc. These are simply a lot more accurate, respond better to calibration, and have better attention paid to ergonomics, particularly with respect to issues like eye fatigue.
They also come with longer warranties and Eizo's general reputation for quality and support remains unmatched in the industry.
