100% Adobe RGB least expensive options?

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Wilkie

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Oct 30, 2013
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I need a monitor with 100% Adobe RGB coverage for pre-print proofing of photographs with significant areas of highly-saturated colors outside of sRGB. Not ready to commit to high-end Eizo or NEC, I am looking for the least expensive options.

Any thoughts about or experiences with the Lenovo ThinkVision P27u-10? I have a credit with Lenovo, so the price would be great, but I have never read anything about ThinkVision being used for color-critical work. https://www.lenovo.com/us/en/access...16270UP0-27-inch-Monitor-HDMI-CD/p/61CBGAR1US

Refurbished Dell u2713H is very inexpensive, but should I be concerned about buying an older model used?

Others to consider?

I also plan to get an X-Rite i1 Display Pro.

I have been happily using an HP z24i and feel no other reason to upgrade.

Thanks.
 
What do you want to spend? If you’re already aware of Eizo and NEC, then you know that you get what your pay for.

I personally ended up getting a used LG 31mu97. I got it for a song, which I think is only possible because now people are chasing HDR. This monitor doesn’t even support FreeSync. But for video and photo work in rec 709 it has basically all the relevant specs.

Full 10 bit (not 8+FRC)
95% DCI-P3
>100% Adobe RGB
Full fat DCI-4K
Excellent Uniformity for this price range
DP, Mini-DP, HDMI

The only missing spec for me is contrast ratio. It’s listed at 1000:1, but calibrated at 100 cdm2 I’m getting closer to ~800:1 actual. It’s sufficient, but I’m working with 14bit raw photos and 14 stops of dynamic range in film and I know I can’t see all of that. Below 10 IRE on my scopes as an example it all looks black or nearly black.

The color on this is nothing short of spectacular though. I can see far more than on my 15” MacBook Pro display or on my older 27” iMac or other previously used desktop monitors. Calibrated I know I’m seeing far more than I ever could before and I’m able to make much better grading decisions. Gradients look spectacular in 10-bit, and I can see more subtle gradations in skin tones. It also has the side benefit of making other people’s content more enjoyable to look at. I definitely think it’s excellent bang for the buck.

There are other used gems out there if you’re looking though. The NEC PA272w is still a gem if you can find one cheap that wasn’t abused. If you’re willing to spend $1k on this, which I would say is the minimum for new, a lot of options open up.
 
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Thanks for the detailed recommendation of LG 31mu97, UnknownSouljer. I ended up getting a (new) ThinkVision P27u-10, in large part because my Lenovo credit, a Lenovo sale, and a coupon all stacked to yield a fantastic price. The ThinkVision isn't true 10-bit, though, only 8 + FRC. For my usage, it's possible I would see a difference, but the jump from sRGB-only to wide gamut is more important. I haven't seen many reviews of the ThinkVision P27u-10, so I might post one once I've had some time with it. If I'm disappointed in it, I'll definitely look into a used LG 31mu97.
 
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