What color space are you guys using now?

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BigUncle

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#83302 13-May-2011 23:16

Hi there,

I'm seeking to upgrade my monitor and struggling what color space to use?

My decision requirements and facts:

1. I define myself as any amateur photographer.
2. Sometimes I'm a gaming user.
3. I usually use sRBG color space.
4. Most software are not color aware or managed, especially some games will become weird under wide gamut display.

So my target is NEC MultiSync 2490WUXi2. But it is hard to find in New Zealand.

Any suggestion for you guys?

timmmay

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#468959 13-May-2011 23:26

I'm a professional photographer, i'm very familiar with color, and i've read a honking great technical book on color.

My monitor's a cheap Samsung, calibrated by hardware (DTP-94 with ColorEyes display pro). The NEC you're talking about is a nice monitor, but HP, Dell, and even Acer do decent monitors too, if you choose the right models. Dell monitors with IPS panels are quite cheap and easy to get hold of, and once calibrated are meant to be ok, better than most consumer monitors. Honestly though you don't need anything fancy, my monitor works fine and I do color critical work with no problems all the time.

I use multiple color spaces:
- My print lab (who print my album) asks for Adobe RGB, that's the widest color space I need, so that's my master color space.
- Customer CD images and web images are in sRgb. The have to be, there's no option here.

ProFoto's a wider color space, and it's what Lightroom uses internally, but only high end inkjets can reproduce it so it doesn't really help much. Even then there are only a few extremely saturated colors that it can show that sRgb can't, and it has less graduations of color, which might make a small difference if you have blocks of solid color graduated slowly, like the sky.

BigUncle

3 posts

Wannabe Geek

#468964 13-May-2011 23:39

Hi timmmay,

I agree with u. And NEC 2490 is pro standard gamut display with 100% sRGB coverage. As far as I know, like Dell or HP, the wide gamut display also support switching between standard-gamut and wide-gamut mode. The question is that do I need to re-calibrate back and forth while switching to the different each time, per ur experience? Because I may use wide gamut when retouching photos and standard gamut while gaming.

thanks,

timmmay

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#468969 14-May-2011 00:05

I don't know the answer to that, I've never had a wide gamut monitor. I've never needed one. I didn think sRgb was wide gamut.

I can check my color book if you like, plus I know a couple of color experts. I'd just put it in wide, calibrate, and leave it there unless games looked terrible.

timmmay

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#469079 14-May-2011 15:22

The Asus PA246Q is meant to be quite good, and good value, though it's not overly cheap in NZ.

http://pricespy.co.nz/product.php?p=823703

Putneydigital

2 posts

Wannabe Geek

#473572 24-May-2011 18:47

Hiya. Def go with Adobe RGB colour space. See your lab to see if they have a colour calibration chart sheet they can send you in PDF, and also get a high quality print out of. Keep it safe out of the sun, and check your monitor display against this. Most PCs (Especially Macs ;o>_ allow you to individually adjust colour and Gamma, When you do save the profile with todays date. Recheck monitor at differing times of day to see how it varys> Good luck Dave

timmmay

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#473599 24-May-2011 19:33

The problems with any color space other than sRgb include:
- Possibly (probable) user error
- Lack of lab support
- Must be converted to sRgb for the web

I'm not sure how helpful adjusting a monitor by eye is, if you're getting to that level hardware calibration is probably mandatory. I calibrate mine once every few months.

Putneydigital

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Wannabe Geek

#473627 24-May-2011 20:28

Yes weekly wih a spyder is best. But at least get some guys to do basics eh?

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timmmay

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#473649 24-May-2011 20:47

Spyder 3 are decent enough, you can use the puck and upgrade to something like color eyes pro later if needed.