Feedback on the BenQ SW2700PT 27" monitor?

[iRuss]

Looking for some feed back on the BenQ SW2700PT 27" monitor. I will be using this monitor for color work in Photoshop. It says it has a 99% Adobe RGB color space. Is 99% close enough? My budget is around the $600. mark.

Thanks,

-Russ

[D Fosse]

The monitor has its own, native color space, and there's no reason it should match Adobe RGB or any other color space. The percentage is unimportant.

Just so you're warned, a wide gamut monitor can only be used with fully color managed software. It must be properly calibrated and profiled to work as intended. Just mentioning this because a lot of people are unprepared for this.

The BenQ is probably fine, but check it for panel uniformity.

[iRuss]

To calibrate the monitor I have the X-rite i1Display Pro. And it's on their list of preferred calibration devices for that monitor.

Panel uniformity and dead pixels are always in the back of my mind when buying a new monitor. I’ve returned many over the years.

[D Fosse · Accepted solution]

Good, the i1 Display pro is the best mainstream sensor on the market, so you're well covered there.

Just as a general comment, I'm continually amazed at how the monitor manufacturers fill up their spec sheets with totally meaningless nonsense, while leaving out the important and relevant stuff.

Percentage of Adobe RGB - yes, it gives a general idea of whether this is a wide gamut unit or not. But the number in itself means absolutely nothing and is completely irrelevant. It's right up there with contrast ratio and brightness (always way too high for practical use anyway). Even worse, dynamic contrast, which is just the difference between max brightness at full blast vs. hitting the "off"-switch. Really useful indeed. Billions of colors, sure. And so on and so on.

Panel uniformity is conspicuously absent. Which makes this a premium spot to cut corners, for manufacturers who compete on price and aim to sell as cheaply as possible. Panel uniformity is expensive. Raw panels from the manufacturers vary enormously in this regard, and the budget brands shop for the cheapest deal, meaning the C and D batches.