After a long time I resume the normal activity of the blog. As for everyone, 2020 has been a complicated year but happily I see that, at least little by little, everything is getting back to normal.
As many of you know, they are ambassadors for the fantastic BenQ monitor brand. Although this is a blog about lighting techniques, I thought it was important to emphasize how essential it is to have a good monitor to be able to manage the color of our photos effectively and professionally. Therefore I resume the posts with this monitor that I have been left to test.
Upon opening the box of the SW271C professional monitor, we find the “Color Confidence” warranty certificate that has been prepared for each monitor and shows how the gamma curve as well as the Adobe RGB and sRGB presets have been calibrated. This monitor arrives perfectly calibrated from the factory, and with several checks included, such as Pantone and Calman, ensuring accurate color reproduction.
Compared to the SW271, released in 2017, it has some significant improvements. The LUT is 16-bit, the power consumption is somewhat lower (37W vs. 43W), it has USB 3.1 ports and a Memory Card SD slot. As for the Hotkey Puck G2, which improves work efficiency, it is second generation. A new dial has been added in the center to control the OSD menu more quickly, adjusting brightness, contrast and volume to suit your needs. In my case it is particularly useful for viewing the photo in B&W and color or changing the working color space.
Its size is 27 inches with a 4K resolution (3840 x 2160 pixels) and it has a color reproduction with a ΔE of less than 2, covering 100 % of the sRGB color scale, 99 % of the Adobe RGB and 90 % of the P3. Pixel density is 163 ppi, with a contrast ratio of 1000:1, maximum brightness of 300 cd/m2 and a response speed of 5 ms. Color reproduction is 10-bit true color with a 16-bit lookup table.
It can be hardware calibrated through a BenQ-specific tool called AQCOLOR, which is compatible with several X-Rite colorimeters. AQCOLOR is specifically developed for accurate color reproduction at all times, and features a high uniformity panel – almost the most important thing for these professional panels – with hundreds of individually adjusted subregions on the screen, instrumentation for gamma, color and temperature correction. In fashion photography it is very important that the garments are reproduced with the exact color of the fabrics of the collection so having the monitor very well calibrated becomes an indispensable necessity for any professional work.
The monitor is provided with a removable visor that eliminates reflections as much as possible. It is easy to install and has a non-reflective soft velvet coating that further dissipates any stray light. It should be noted that it can also be adjusted in height up to +150 mm, its inclination between 5º and 20º and pivoting 90º. This screen is IPS (In-Plane Switching) which allows a wide viewing angle, offering 178º of viewing both horizontally and vertically. This is especially useful when several people are viewing the photos on the screen at the same time. The wide viewing angles offered by IPS monitors help provide exceptional color when viewed from different angles.
Third-generation technology uniformity extends the scope of adjustments and can be applied to almost all color modes, with the exception of HDR and DICOM, to reduce on-screen problems for accurate, wide color. A big advantage over the SW271 monitor which was only for Adobe RGB and sRGB. When I want to compare several photos from the same session at the same time on the screen, it is very important that the color remains the same, for example, for the same garment, at any point on the screen.
Something I also really like is the Paper Color Sync software, BenQ’s proprietary technology, which allows you to simulate print results on the monitor. I can edit photos efficiently and confidently from screen to print with minimal color difference between monitor and hard copy. Simply choose the color range of the photo, the printer model and the paper type to get a reliable preview.
The SW271 includes a variety of connectivity, such as two HDMI 2.0 ports, one DisplayPort 1.4, one USB Type-C compatible USB 3.1, 60W charging and DisplayPort, and two USB 3.0. It also includes an SD card reader.
Finally, in reference to its video capabilities, it is compatible with Calman and LightSpace video calibration software, which can directly adjust the monitor’s 3D LUT to meet various video editing/color grading demands.
A great professional monitor who provides a lot of confidence.
PhotoVue 27″ Monitor for Photographers
Paper Color Sync
Palette Master Element
