Is a wide-gamut monitor worth it for photography, or should I choose a good sRGB IPS display?
Asked 2/21/2013
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I’m replacing a failing monitor and want a 27-inch screen that will be used for several things: gaming, everyday desktop work, occasional video editing, watching movies, and frequent photo editing. I’ve already ruled out TN panels and am looking at IPS or PVA/MVA options.
My main question is whether a wide-gamut display is really worth it for an enthusiastic photographer who edits carefully and sometimes makes large professional prints, but is not a full-time pro. I’ve read that Adobe RGB only helps in certain color ranges, that wide-gamut screens can make normal sRGB content look wrong unless managed properly, and that switching modes can become annoying.
Would I be better off with a high-quality standard-gamut monitor that covers sRGB well, or is wide gamut a meaningful advantage for photo work? Also, is panel quality and bit depth more important than gamut in practice?
Originally by Photography Stack Exchange contributor. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
Photography Stack Exchange contributor
13y ago
2 Answers
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The real key is going to be that you'll want true 8 bit color resolution rather than the 6 bits that most TN panels get. Off angle color changes is also a key issue when looking at choosing a good screen for any color sensitive work. Having a wider color gamut is helpful, but if I had to choose between a more limited color gamut on a S-IPS panel with good color consistency and contrast vs a TN panel with a super wide gamut, I'd go for the S-IPS without a second thought.
The main place that color gamut is going to be helpful is being able to view things more lifelike when using images that support the gamut and might be helpful for better emulating color spaces for other presentation mediums.
Originally by user11392. Source · Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0
user11392
13y ago
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For your mix of uses, panel quality matters more than wide gamut. A true 8-bit IPS/PVA-style display with stable viewing angles and good color consistency is a better choice than a TN panel, even if the TN advertises a wider gamut.
At minimum, look for a monitor that covers sRGB well. Since most digital content is effectively sRGB, a display that shows sRGB accurately will make everyday desktop use, web images, video, and games look more correct.
Wide gamut can help when working with images and workflows that actually use those extra colors, but it adds complexity. If not managed properly, standard sRGB content can look oversaturated. A wide-gamut monitor is most useful if it can be calibrated internally to emulate sRGB accurately; calibrating only through the graphics card can introduce banding.
So if photography is serious but not strictly professional color-managed work, a high-quality, well-calibrated IPS monitor with excellent sRGB coverage is usually the safer, more practical buy. If you do choose wide gamut, make sure it has good hardware calibration and a reliable sRGB mode.
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