Eizo Premium Imaging Monitors
Eizo are a Japanese company that have earned themselves a sterling reputation in the graphics, photography and imaging markets.
While Eizo monitors are not the cheapest option out there, they offer clear quality advantages over other panels that more than compensate for their higher price tag. Unlike, say, Apple Cinema Displays, these screens are not simply re-badged panels from a variety of third party manufacturers that vary wildly in quality and consistency.
Eizo's control of the complete manufacturing process, and strong commitment to quality and testing, is what gives them the their edge over the competition - and Eizo back their monitors with a five year warranty, unlike any other brand we're aware of.
Using an Eizo screen (like the one in front of me right now), is a real pleasure. Superbly sharp, great viewing angles, and consistent, accurate, and repeatable colour are the key things - they calibrate so easily and accurately, and consistently over time, it's quite remarkable. When comparing it to a top of the line NEC/Mitsubishi panel we have here as well, the difference is simply night and day. A lot of the electronics in Eizo screens are specifically devoted to stability and consistency - things largely ignored by other brands but of great importance in professional imaging.
If you're serious about photography/image making, then Eizo screens are well worth the price of admission. Combined with an accurate, simple monitor calibration system you will find your ability to visualise, accurately soft-proof, and make subtle, precise adjustments to your images is remarkably improved.
We use Eizo screens ourselves, and we will be happy to help you with any set-up and configuration questions you might have. They're really very simple to use, and we offer extensive notes on calibrating an Eizo Flexscan screen with an Eye One system, or calibrating an Eizo ColorEdge screen with any compatible calibrator.
A full range of accessories, such as monitor hoods and mounting arms, are also available.
Please note only black models are available by defualt. White/Grey models are available through special order but typically take an extra week or two to arrive (by air freight), and this attracts an extra charge of $50.
Link to Eizo's warranty information.
A quick breakdown of the Eizo ranges:
- ColorEdge Models offer the most advanced features, best qualtiy, and most comprehensive warranty and support. These models all include direct hardware calibration if you own/buy a compatible monitor calibrator (packages available!).
- Flexscan Premium Monitors offer most of the features of the ColorEdge line of monitors, but do not offer direct hardware calibration. You can still use traditional 'software calibration with a hardware device', such as the Eye One Display or Spyder calibrators, and achieve superb results.
- Flexscan monitors are the entry level Eizo monitors - these monitors still offer very high quality panels and extensive calibration controls, but they do not have advanced features like wide gamut support or dynamic uniformity enhancement - they are however still a huge leap forward in colour terms over other panel brands like Apple/Dell etc.
The ColorEdge Range
The ColorEdge monitors are Eizo's premium graphics monitors.
These monitors offer superb image quality, and fast, very accurate direct hardware calibration and superb image quality. (N.B. you must still buy a compatible monitor calibration device to use the calibrationfeatures!).
The ColorEdge CG-221 is the flagship model in the range and considered by many to be the best display available in the world today. Covering the entire gamut of AdobeRGB (independently verified by RMIT), this is a superb imaging device that allows for unparalleled accuracy in soft-proofing.
The CG241W model is the most popular model with professional photographers offering almost all the features of the CG-221 and a larger screen area, at a very reasonable price for the level of technology on offer.
Details and Pricing for ColorEdge Screens
The Flexscan Premium Range
The Flexscan Premium range of screens offer superb quality at an affordable price.
These monitors are the ideal screens for professional photographic use.
These models have extensive hardware calibration controls (meaning monitor profiling is easy and accurate) but do not offer direct hardware calibration like the CG models. This means calibrtion involves a little more effort but the final results are still excellent.
Several models offer new feautures like DUE (which makes the display even across the entire field) and wide gamut coverage.
We have an L997 monitor here in the office - it's the monitor we use on our scanning workstation, a very important part of our business. It's performance is superb and helps us to offer the most respected scanning service in the country.
Details and Pricing for Flexscan Premium Screens
The Flexscan Range
The Flexscan screens offer superb quality at an affordable price.
These monitors are the ideal screens for day to day photographic use - they're sharp, and have a good gamut with highly accurate and repeatable colour.
We use an older model S2110W here at the office and it remains quite simply superb for the price - far superior even to the superb aperture grill CRT it replaced! The clarity, stability, and colour accuracy are all vastly improved. It's been used professionaly for several years now and its performance remains excellent.
Details and Pricing for Flexscan Screens