Dell’s UltraSharp 27 4K PremierColor Monitor (also known as Dell UP2720Q) is designed specifically for professional photographers and graphic artists, who need a high-resolution 10-bit IPS display that produces accurate colors when editing images. This 27″ 4K monitor is world’s first to feature both built-in colorimeter and Thunderbolt 3 in this size and resolution, and it is the first Dell monitor that can directly compete with other high-end offerings from companies like EIZO. In this review, we will take a close look at the Dell UP2720Q monitor and see how it performs for photography needs.
The Dell UP2720Q is a significant improvement over its predecessor, the Dell UP2718Q, which does not have a built-in colorimeter or Thunderbolt 3 connection options. It also has slightly better color accuracy. However, the IPS panel’s backlighting on the UP2720Q is also quite different, only having a total of 250 nits of brightness. In comparison, the UP2718Q has 1000 nits of brightness, which allowed Dell to incorporate HDR10 support. As a result, Dell had to drop HDR10 from UP2720Q, making it a more specialized display for color critical photo work, and not a particularly appealing choice for viewing HDR content. Personally, I see no point of having HDR on my screens, since it is way too bright anyway. My BenQ monitors have HDR and I can’t remember the last time I used it.
First, let’s go over the specifications of this monitor.
Table of Contents
Dell UP2720Q Specifications
| Description | Specification |
|---|---|
| Screen Size | 27″ |
| Resolution | 3840×2160 |
| Pixel Pitch | 0.1554 |
| PPI | 163 |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:9 |
| Panel Type | IPS |
| Backlight Technology | White LED Edgelight System |
| Color Depth | 10-Bit |
| Viewing Angle (Vertical / Horizontal) | 178° / 178° |
| Response Time | 8 ms (normal mode); 6 ms (fast mode) |
| Refresh Rate | 60Hz |
| Color Gamut | CIE1931 Adobe RGB 100%, CIE1976 DCI P3 98%, CIE1976 BT.2020 80% |
| Delta E | ≤ 2 (average) for CIE 1976 DCI-P3 98%, ≤ 1 (average) for CIE 1931 Adobe 100% |
| Color Modes | DCI-P3 D65 G2.4 L100 / BT.709 D65 BT1886 L100 / BT.2020 D65 BT1886 L100 / sRGB D65 sRGB L250 / Adobe RGB D65 G2.2 L250 / Adobe RGB D50 G2.2 L250 / Native / Custom 1 / Custom 2 / Custom 3 / CAL1 / CAL2 |
| Uniformity Compensation | Yes |
| HDR | No |
| Gamma | 1.6 – 2.6 |
| HDCP | 2.2 |
| VESA Wall Mount | 100x100mm |
| Display Screen Coating | Anti-glare treatment of the front polarizer (3H) hard coating |
| Built-in Colorimeter | Yes |
| External Colorimeter Support | Yes |
| Color Calibration, Management Software | Yes, CalMAN® Ready for Dell (sold separately), Dell Color Management, Dell Calibration Assistant |
| Factory Calibration Report | Yes |
| Input Ports | 1 x DP 1.4 (HDCP 2.2), 2 x HDMI 2.0 (HDCP 2.2), 1 x Thunderbolt 3 (DP 1.4) |
| Other Ports | 1 x Thunderbolt 3 Downstream (DP 1.4), 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Downstream, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Downstream (1 x BC 1.2 charging capability at 2A max) |
| Power Consumption (On / Sleep) | 44W (typical), 230W (maximum) / |
| Dimensions (With Stand) | H: 433.4mm ~ 563.4mm, W: 611.9mm, D: 212.0mm |
| Net Weight (Panel Only) | 5.55 kg kg |
| Net Weight (With Stand) | 9.71 kg |
| Tilt | -5° / 21° |
| Swivel | -45° / 45° |
| Pivot | -90° / 90° |
| Height Adjustment | 130mm |
| Operating Temperature | 0°C – 40°C |
| Operating Humidity (non-condensing) | 10% – 90% |
| Manufacturer Warranty | 3 Years |
| OS Support | Windows 7 – 10, MacOS, Ubuntu |
| Price (MSRP) | $1,999 |
While a number of specifications of this monitor are very similar to those of other 4K IPS monitors, the ones that really stand out are: color accuracy, built-in colorimeter, uniformity compensation, as well as Thunderbolt 3 connectivity. With the monitor being able to reproduce 100% of Adobe RGB at Delta ≤ 1, 98% of DCI-P3 and 80% BT.2020, it matches or exceeds some of the best panels offered by HP, NEC and EIZO. The built-in colorimeter feature is the first of its kind for Dell monitors, and a very welcome addition, as it removes the expense and the hassle of hooking up an external colorimeter to calibrate the display (plus, you can set the monitor to periodically calibrate itself). In addition, Dell’s UltraSharp Color Calibration Software (DUCCS) has been historically buggy, unreliable and limited in features, so it is nice to be able to get away from that with the hardware colorimeter.
Similar to some high-end monitors, the Dell UP2720Q comes with uniformity compensation feature, which allows the screen to maintain even brightness across the screen. I tested the monitor’s uniformity using DisplayCAL software, and you can see the results by scrolling down below.
Lastly, being able to connect the monitor via Thunderbolt 3 is a pretty big deal, because it allows communication of both video and data, as well as simultaneous charging! That’s right – if you hook up this monitor to your laptop, it will be able to charge it with up to 90W of power. With Thunderbolt 3 being the standard on many Mac and PC devices now, all you have to do is hook up the power and one cable, and you have everything working, including the USB hub that hosts 4x USB 3.2 ports, and the extra Thunderbolt 3 downstream port. Further down below, I go through my experience using this monitor with my iMac Pro. If you want to connect the monitor via DisplayPort, you can do that too – the monitor supports HDCP 2.2 standard for both DP and HDMI input ports.
Does the Dell UP2720Q live up to expectations, and can it truly be a competitor to professional-grade EIZO, HP and NEC monitors? Let’s take a look at the monitor in more detail and see.
Monitor Setup, Overview and Build Quality
Setting up the monitor is easy – once you unpack it from the large box, first assemble the stand (which comes in two pieces), then attach the monitor to the back of the stand. Connect the power cable and put it through the cable management hole on the vertical arm of the stand. If you are going to be using the Thunderbolt 3 port, connect the cable to the 90W upstream port – this activates all downstream ports. If you connect via HDMI or DisplayPort, make sure to use the provided USB Type-C to USB Type-B cable to connect the upstream port to your computer to enable the USB hub.
I connected the monitor to my iMac Pro using the Thunderbolt 3 cable. Once attached, the monitor immediately recognized the connection and turned on. It is nice that the built-in hub provides another Thunderbolt 3 downstream port. This way, the monitor is not eating up another port on the iMac, and I can still connect other Thunderbolt 3 or USB devices to it.
If you have overhead or side lights in the room, it is a good idea to attach the provided monitor shading hood. The shading hood comes in a single piece with rubber dividers, making it very easy to attach to the sides of the monitor via magnets. Unlike some of the flexible plastic hoods on other monitors, this one will only work in horizontal orientation.
Build quality of the monitor is excellent. Dell engineers did a great job designing the screen, the navigation buttons and the on-screen display (OSD), which is very intuitive to use. The buttons are standard push-style buttons, not touch-sensitive ones that you can find on some of Dell’s monitors. The screen has a nice matte coating that does a good job at reducing reflections and glare.
The bezel is very thin, but the screen does not extend all the way to the bezel (about 3mm black area from left, top and right sides, and about 6mm from the bottom). That does not bother me personally, but it is something to keep in mind when using a dual screen setup. The stand is very strong and sturdy, allowing the monitor to be raised up to 130mm. You can set the monitor to either vertical or horizontal orientation. The screen tilts -5° to 21°, swivels -45° to 45° and pivots -90° to 90°.
Initial Impressions
I have been running the BenQ SW271 alongside my iMac Pro for a while now, so I already knew what to expect from a similar 4K monitor. I changed the Display options on the iMac Pro to “Scaled” and picked option #2 from the left, which made the fonts about the same size as on the primary display. Pressing the Info button revealed 3840×2160 resolution at 60 Hz, which is the native refresh rate of the monitor.
After I set everything up, I opened up a white document on the screen to see if there are any dead pixels – there weren’t any. With uniformity compensation turned on, brightness of the monitor looked pretty even, and I did not see any green / magenta tint issues that I have previously seen on other monitors, including the BenQ SW271. Using the OSD, I navigated to Uniformity Compensation and turned it off, then again inspected the screen. I honestly could not see much difference between the two, which is why it was more meaningful to run a DisplayCAL uniformity test to really see how even the brightness of the monitor is (further down below).
Factory Calibration Accuracy
Every Dell UP2720Q comes with a color calibration factory report, which shows calibration data for sRGB, Adobe RGB, DCI-P3, Gray-Scale Tracking, Gamma, Brightness Uniformity and Color Uniformity. My report showed excellent results for both sRGB and Adobe RGB (less than 1 Delta) and DCI-P3 was also good (less than 2 Delta). Brightness uniformity showed 98-100% uniformity in 25 measured areas, while color uniformity ranged from 0.22 to 1.27, with the extreme left corner being the worst (all other areas were less than 0.9 Delta).
Still, I decided it was a good idea to test the accuracy of the factory calibration using the X-Rite i1Display Pro colorimeter. I fired up DisplayCAL and measured Adobe RGB. Below are the results:
This is an excellent result from factory calibration. As promised, average Delta was less than 1 and Maximum Delta was less than 1.5. I tested the accuracy of sRGB and DCI-P3, which were also within the norms.
Hardware Calibration via Built-in Colorimeter
From there, it was time to fire up hardware calibration using the built-in colorimeter and see how it does when compared to the i1Display Pro. This is the part I was a bit worried about, since differences in colorimeters can sometimes create issues when assessing colors.
Starting up hardware calibration was a breeze – you can do it directly from the OSD without having to run any software tools. Once you bring up the menu, simply go to Calibration, select Calibration Target (I picked CAL1 as the target for DCI-P3, D65, G2.4, L120 and Uniformity Compensation turned on), set Calibration Speed to Comprehensive for better accuracy, then select Calibrate Now to start the process (make sure the monitor is turned on for at least 20 minutes before you start). The monitor turns off the feed from your computer, enters calibration mode, and a round circle drops to the bottom of the screen. From there, the door on the bottom opens up, and the colorimeter rises vertically to calibrate the screen:
With the Extended Calibration turned on, the colorimeter spends quite a bit of time with gray colors, then towards the end runs all the colors. Once done and the circle gets to 100%, the colorimeter goes back in and you are presented with a message on the monitor, asking if you want to review the calibration results. That’s it, the monitor is now hardware-calibrated! The process is very simple and straightforward, and best of all – it works like a charm!
After hardware calibration was done, I decided to fire up DisplayCAL and verify DCI-P3 D65 calibration with the i1Display Pro colorimeter. Here are the results:
Wow! It looks like Dell’s hardware colorimeter is excellent – look at how well it measures with the i1Display Pro. I was skeptical about the hardware colorimeter on this monitor, but it looks like Dell did a great job with it, and it matches the best consumer-grade colorimeter on the market today!
After this was done, I decided to calibrate the second CAL2 target to sRGB, D65, G2.2, L120, with Uniformity Compensation turned on. I followed the same process, which worked out really well, according to DisplayCAL.
For the first time with Dell, I was actually happy to be able to do all this without having to download and run DUCCS. Having seen how often DUCCS crashed and presented problems before, I would rather not deal with extra software if I don’t have to. Still, I went ahead and downloaded the Dell Calibration Assistant, which worked fairly well on macOS Catalina 10.15.3. This software tool is not meant to calibrate anything – it is there to assist with setting up hardware calibration and verification. For example, you can click on which color space you want to calibrate and how often:
I set up mine to calibrate every 200 hours, but you can schedule calibration to be run as often as every day.
DisplayCAL Software Calibration
To make my display look even better and more consistent with the iMac Pro, I decided to software-calibrate it using DisplayCAL. The goal was to create two color profiles for the monitor: DCI-P3 for CAL1, and sRGB for CAL2. As long as I don’t forget to switch between these via System Preferences -> Display when toggling between CAL1 and CAL2, it was going to work great. For editing photos, my goal was to default to DCI-P3 color space for both hardware and software calibration.
As always, calibrating with DisplayCAL was a breeze. I picked the same 6500K target whitepoint, 2.4 gamma and medium calibration speed in the calibration tab, while leaving white and black levels “As measured”:
In the Profiling tab, I selected Single curve + matrix and Extended testchart for LUT profiles that resulted in 175 color patterns, which was good enough for my recalibration process. I went ahead and clicked “Calibrate & profile” to start the process. Dell’s hardware calibration did a pretty decent job with adjusting RGB channels and target luminance:
I went ahead and clicked “Continue on to calibration”. The calibration process took about 25 minutes. Below is the profile information, showing the DCI-P3 color gamut:
And a visual representation of DCI-P3 vs sRGB gamut coverage:
Here is the final measurement report after software calibration:
That’s a little better compared to hardware calibration earlier. It seems like this step is not necessary for most photographers out there – hardware calibration by itself should be sufficient.
Evaluation of Uniformity
Unfortunately, the built-in colorimeter of the Dell UP2720Q only scans the bottom part of the display and it is unable to measure brightness uniformity, so we have to rely on other tools to do the job. Thankfully, DisplayCAL is a wonderful tool to do this in combination with an external colorimeter like the i1Display Pro.
I selected a 5×5 grid and measured each part of the square, placing the X-Rite i1Display Pro colorimeter in the middle of each one. Below is the result, showing DeltaC deviations:
As you can see, Dell did an amazing job at keeping the screen of the UP2720Q uniformly bright – the DisplayCAL uniformity test passed every square with recommended tolerance, something I have not yet seen from a Dell monitor. This is in line with results from high-end EIZO and NEC monitors!
Summary
As you can see from this review, the UP2720Q is Dell’s first true professional monitor that delivers superb results. The monitor came with very accurate factory calibration (which I was able to verify using DisplayCAL), and the built-in hardware colorimeter worked as well as X-Rite’s i1Display Pro for calibrating the screen, which was rather surprising to see. The built-in colorimeter is a game-changer for Dell, and the first of its kind for the company’s professional line of monitors. Although the provided color spaces worked out quite well out of the box for photo editing, I was able to accurately calibrate the monitor for DCI-P3 and sRGB color spaces without any issues. Once fully calibrated, it was a pleasure to see that the colors and tones of images looked identical between my iMac Pro and the Dell UP2720Q, something I had a hard time achieving with other monitors in the past. The Uniformity Compensation feature also worked very well, keeping the whole screen equally bright.
Combined with 4K resolution, Thunderbolt 3 connectivity and a myriad of different input and output ports, the Dell UP2720Q is arguably one of the most feature-rich monitors on the market today. I applaud Dell for making such a fine tool for professionals. It is finally nice to see a worthy competitor to EIZO, HP and NEC.
For more information about this monitor, please see the Dell UP2720Q page on Dell.com.
Where to Buy
If you are interested in this monitor and would like to purchase it for your needs, please consider buying it from our affiliate links below in order to support our efforts.
Dell UP2720Q
- Features
- Build Quality
- Resolution
- Color Uniformity
- Brightness Uniformity
- Connectivity Options
- Ergonomics
- Power Consumption
- Factory Calibration
- Calibration Potential
- Value
Photography Life Overall Rating
What do think about this Dell monitor versus the BenQ SW 271
Olav, you can read my thoughts in the BenQ SW271 review. In short, it is an inferior panel that has color and uniformity inconsistencies. If you are OK with that, and you are willing to go through some samples to find one that is decent, then you can give it a try. This Dell is a whole different level, in line with the likes of EIZO, HP and NEC.
Der Nasim,
thank you for the useful review.
I edited my photos for years on a 19 inch Eizo monitor and plan buying the Dell UP2720Q to improve my work and to use it to watch high resolution blue-ray videos.
Up to date I have edited my images with a 19” Eizo monitor connected to a HP Z240 work station, using an Intel HD Graphics 630 card.
If I buy the 27 inch 4k monitor, would I run into problems with the provided graphics card? And furthermore, are there still problems with scaling Lightroom fonts on a Windows 10 computer (somebody told me that the letters in Lightroom on a 4K monitor may be hardly readable).
I was browsing the internet and found no clear answer to this problems, only some work arounds that I tend to avoid.
Very grateful for a response,
Klaus-Henning Hansen
You need to be more specific in your HW, or contact HP for display support.
-DisplayPort 1.2 should be able to run [email protected], but check if it does it in MST/SST (computer sees display as 2 displays or 1), same for UP2720Q which IDNK, @Nasim may check it on monitor side. It may be tricky and display go blank.
-With HDMI 1.4 you won’t be able to run [email protected] 8bit 4:4:4… so do not even try
Contact HP, it’s important… they usually label iGPU as Intel UHD instead of HD if there were no such limitations.
HD 630 over DP should be able to drive a [email protected] display like Eizo CS2731.
Some low cost integrated computer packages pack DVI output as single link. You won’t be able to drive [email protected] this way, just 1920×[email protected] Check this too. IDNK which specific model-cpu-year you have.
Upgrading computer if possible with a dedicated GPU may solve a lot of issues. IDNK if it is possible. If not, for future computers consider this upgradeability as mandatory.
Even if you can run a [email protected] display with that iGPU… performance in UHD videos may be be very bad.
TL;DR:
-Contact HP for specific display output resolutions AND Hz at each one
-Consider upgrade GPU
-Consider a 27″ QHD realiable display instead of UHD.
Dear Nasim,
Thank you for sharing this detailed review.
I am about to go buy a new monitor and doubting between the Dell UP2720q and the BenQ PD2720u. Main usage of the monitor will be for photo editing besides some MS Office work and watching (Youtube) video’s.
I like that the Dell comes with the shading hood and calibration tool, just wonder if the lack of HDR support will be a big miss (something the BenQ offers)? Other then that do they seem to look similar including in price. I have a little concern about the build-in calibrator tool of the Dell, whether it will keep functioning well over time, anything you can say on the build quality of it?
Hope to hear from you soon, thank you in advance,
EJ
All Benq widegamuts have color uniformity issues or destroyed contrast.. with few VA “just p3″exceptions. Also PD2720u is SDR.
People usually misunderstand “accept HDR content” and “translate that HDR input to SDR panel” as HDR monitor, but it is not. It’s an SDR monitor. All monitor con do the same (and better that HW unmodificable translation in OSD) with proper software.
It lacks of HW calibration too. It’s a waste of 700 euro.
For thjose task you may want sRGB monitors from Benq PD line instead of UP2720Q or that PD2720u.
Thanks for the feedback, appreciate it.
Choice been made to go for the Dell UP2720q
I hope yor unit’s uniformity is as good as Nasim’s.
Consider using DUCCS as follows:
CAL1: sRGB (or sRGB gamut, D65 white but 2.2 gamma instead os sRGB, I like this option) for general use.
CAL2: native gamut, your desired white for photo printing.
REMEMBER that if you change for one OSD mode to another you have to switch associated ICC profile to display in OS settings.
Thanks for your suggestions/help, I will follow your instructions and look forward to start editing photos and video’s on this monitor
Hi Nasim,
I just purchased the Dell’s UltraSharp 27 4K PremierColor Monitor to go along with my MacBook Pro. I’m a designer and want the display to be consistent with what I see on my MacBook Pro. My display is looking super bright, even after adjusting the Luminance on the display panel. If I follow the DisplayCAL Software Calibration as you stated in the article, do you think color consistency will be achieved between the two? I’m not the best with trouble shooting this sort of thing. Thanks!
Since a Dell U/UP has RGB gains or HW cal and macs don’t, get 1st your mac to your desired target (hint: macos color management engine is faulty and native whitepoint is not white). Keep in mind that if you have an i1d3 colorimeter you’ll need proper spectral correction, two families: old macs (sRGB WLED) and new macs (P3 WLED PFS). Also keep in mind severe profile limitation in mac due to their faulty OS or OS embeded color management engine: you need to use the extremely simplifies profile types, not the detailed ones. DisplayCAL for macOS is configured this way by default.
Once you have macbook calibrated to your target, check what you get: wp coordinates and luminance. This will be your target for your Dell.
Option 1) Try HW cal with DUCCS, set those settings (native gamut, same WP & luminance, g2.2). Check results. DUCCS has some flaws and may miss. In most models even after HW cal brightness is not locked so yo can tweak it. WP is locked so if you want to correct it it needs to be done in GPU, with DisplayCAL. You can try numeric approach or a visual match (displaycal visual whitepoint editor)
Option 2) GPU calibration for your Dell. DIsplayCAL, choose proper spectral correction for your UHD (sRGB: WLED; widegamut: GB-LED: U2413 correction or WLED PFS full AdobeRGB, HP Z24x correction). Go to “Custom Color” OSD mode and tweak gains. Try to keep 1 channel at 100, lower the other two. If after that there is no whietpint match visually, do a visual approach , displaycal’s whitepoint editor. Get a WP match in color & luminance, then continue with calibration & profiling.
Thank you so much for taking the time to reply!I will do some trouble shooting and test this out. Thanks again!
Thanks Nasim for the review! Stumbled onto your site and the depth of the reviews is really top notch! I’m a enthusiast photographer but had been out of the hobby for a while. I’ve started looking at monitor reviews (or forums like luminous landscape) and from time to time but never felt anything with good enough value to replace the 2407. Consumer review sites are just garbage or mostly fluff piece. Great job!
Want to pick your brain on this Dell and other choices. FYI I had been using my Dell 2407WFP for god knows how many years and it seems to just keep on going. Used to calibrate it with spyder2express but not invested again after it failed 8 or so years ago. While I’m not a pro, I see value of buying great monitors (the 2407WFP replaced an Eizo Flexscan) and keep it for a much long time than the PC itself. I’m also into home theaters and do calibrate my TV/monitor displays for content consumption. While HDR and WCG do wonders for HT/movies, I believed it is NOT relevant for hobbyists on PC/Mac. Or am I missing some benefit of HDR/WCG that may also apply for non-professional content creator use?
Given my very satisfied investment on the 2407, I am naturally inclined to get another Dell, but this UP2720Q is in the same price range as Eizo screens. With no critical use cases at all, would I be better off with the Dell or Eizo CS2731? Or even I intend to run them for 5-8 or more years these are still overkill and the sensible choice would be a Benq PD/SW or the Dell U models?
Much appreciated and so glad I find this site!
Current U dells and PD Benqs are sRGB monitors, OK for their price.
SW are widegamuts with poor QC and color uniformity issues. Avoid them. Even more caution with widegamuts Asus, LG,…
Nasim’s UP is good too. CS2731 is the cheapest quality entry level Adobergb monitor. It’s QHD instead of UHD (Nasim’s), 1000euro. My 1st choice. If you need UHD then Nasim’s or CS2740 or PA311D, but they are more expensive.
All of these monitors ARE NOT HDR, all of them are SDR (but some of them Widegamut Adobergb+p3), but some of them accept HDR10 signal. Once inside monitor witha lut3d/tone mapping translate to panel capabilities.
Windows users can do the same with a widegamut that does not accept HDR: use madVR+software LUT3D. AFAIK there is no equivalent to madVR in Macos, or it ot exists I do not know it.
Anyway so you can consume (Windows) HDR content as long as source can be processed by madVR compatible players (MPC-BE, MPC-HC, potplayer…)
Thanks CC for your insights. I am pretty sure I won’t need HDR on my monitor as I will not do any video editing or watching. Having given more thoughts to WCG, I think I’ll be doing less printing and even less color critical ones, so WCG is out too?
So it’s sorta down to 27QHD, 27UHD, and 32UHD, probably from the Dell U or Benq PD. For sRGB monitors, any other brand/series I should look at?
Seems ok choosing sRGB in your situation.
Regarding sRGB monitors Viewsonic have some sRGB equivalents to those ones but with HW calibration. Viewsonic app is close to/clone to DUCCS. Use it with retail i1displaypro, do not buy their i1d3.
NEC has EA series too, sRGB with HW cal (grey) and uniformity compensation, but NEC software is paid and their 27″ UHD model have a slighly larger gamut than sRGB, so for non color managed apps you may be forced to use built in factory sRGB mode. EA models are about +200-300euro than U/PD counterparts.
Thanks again CC! Just took a quick look at the Viewsonics and seems also worthwhile. NEC EAs might be a bit of a tweener neither here nor there as you pointed out. And I’m researching I’m also pretty bummed to learn 16:10 ihad gone away completely. I can only find Dell UP3017Q that is sorta still on the market, albeit at QHD only. A hypothetical U3020 at 4K sRGB 16:10 would have been perfect for me. Do let me know if there is some 16:10 candidates on the horizon!
Great timing for me on this review. I am looking at the Dell UP2720Q vs the Eizo CG279X and the CG2730. This will primarily be used for print editing. Based on your comment below I am leaning towards the Eizo’s. Which of these Eizo’s would you recommend?
Don’t know if I need the one with HDR. It would be nice to have the one with HDR for future if I ever begin video editing but don’t know if I will ever go there. What are the trade off in the specs like contrast ratio and so forth between the two monitors. The goal is to have best editing for photos but if the tradeoff is not too much it might be nice to future proof for having the HDR.
They are close enough in price to go either way, just want the best specs for photo editing first.
Thanks for the help!
Most of monitors advertised as HDR are not HDR. A true HDR monitor cost 20-30k euro, most of them use Panasonic dual panel tech with WLED PFS AdobeRGB backlights like those CG (and perhaps Nasim’s UP , I do not remember which backlight it has)
So as you can read in “Reply to Vince L June 6, 2020 6:23 am”, all of these monitors are SDR, but widegamut.
For printing you just need:
-widegamut (all o them)
-superb uniformity (all of three)
-reliable calibration software (I have complains about Dell’s DUCCS)
Nasim’s is UHD so when you softproof at “actual print size zoom” it will be sharper than a QHD or a 24″ WUXGA.
There are another eizos with less contrast than CGs (1000:1 nominal from traditional IPS vs 1300-1500:1 of CG panasonic IPS), CS2731 and CS2740, QHD and UHD, much cheaper and same calibration capabilities, with the exception of CG279X which has LUT3D and is more veratile. Usually photographers do not need LUT3D, just lut-maxtrix-lut HW like the other ones, superb uniformity and reliable software.
So if you are a photographer, do not edit much video and QHD is eniugh for you I’ll go for CS2731.
If you need QHD there is Nasim’s Dell or CS2740.
If you really need to simulate on the fly other devices CG279X or a NEC PA (since tehre are some issues with PA271Q, I’ll go for PA311D, 32″ UHD, more expensive, 2500 euro range)… but usually people whi actually need this feature ask for it and look for it… so I would say you do not need it.
Is it correct to say that it is better to have pixel density close to 100 for better viewing for print editing. Like on a 2560 x 1440 vs a 4k. Without considering the price, I am looking at the Eizo CG2730 as the best choice for quality.
Unless you need 1500:1 for video (black under 0.10 @ 100nits), it is not. QHD: Best quality CG279X, best quality/price ratio CS2731.
Also, buy an i1DisplayPro, integrated colorimeter in CG2730 is not very good and has extremely limited functionality. If you really needed a CG2730 over a CS2731 you’ll figure this when trying to make a software LUT3D.
Regarding dpi I only find it useful when doing zoom at print size view.
Is the EX3 Calibration Sensor necessary to buy with CS2740?
The EX3 (all the EXs) is an useless rebranded Spyder. You need an i1Displaypro.
I have a colormunki photo that can run with the i1Displaypro software. It is good enough or it has to be the i1Displaypro.
Colormunki photo is an spectrophotometer and cannot use the same software as the one bundled with i1DisplayPro (i1profiler), it has its own software. It can use 3rd party software like ArgyllCMS/DisplayCAL, NEC HW cal software, Eizo HW cal software…
It cannot use Dell HW cal software, this SW is limited to i1displayrpo colorimeter or the high end spectrophotometer family, the “i1Pro” (1/2/3).
Anyway, Xrite’s spectrophotometers by default (without ArgyllCMS drivers) report spectral power distribution (SPD) at 10nm interval (Argyll 3nm). This means up to 3dE error (mostly b* axis) in a display “easy to read” like a GBLED (vs ~1dE with Argyll).
Displays with “difficult” SPD like WLED PFS phosphor like newer NEC PAs or Eizo CGs (the ones with almost full P3 coverage) will have too high errors if measured at 10nm.
You can see a 2D plot of an SPD from WLED PFS backlight with DisplayCAL or Argyll: very very narrow spikes in red channel (the phosphors for a red primary covering almost full P3)
Your device may be good for making hobbyst printer profiles (although no OBA calculation & paper waste!), but it’s far from being an accurate device for use it as an ***standalone*** device for display calibration. Same holds for i1Pro2 family regarding displays.
Used with an i1displaypro colorimeter (actual measurements) and ArgyllCMS driver for 3nm readings can provide a reasonably good correction for colorimeters & unknown displays’ SPD. (= not standalone tool but as a helper tool for actual measurement device: colorimeter)
TL;DR: Get an i1displaypro for an UP2720Q, an EIzo CS2731, an Eizo CS2731… etc.
Typo: I meant CS2740 in last model name
just got my copy of CS2740 and i1displaypro. performs great. Thanks. :)
Do you mind sharing with us actual contrast at D65 white with DUE: brightness? Is it more in the 800:1 range or 900:1 range?
It is dependent on native panel white which can vary within units. The one at prad.de is more in the 800 range at D65 so its native white was “cool” although Color Navigator and OSD worked fine.
What do you think about the u2520d, have you done a review for him? It is important for me to know if he has flicker free
Flicker free testing usually requires from specialized equipment that is not in the toolbox of a photographer, even a pro. Look for that information in prad.de or tftcentral reviews.
But look for actual uniformity data here or prad.de… most of the others don’t do it properly ;-)
Dell is targeting Designers with the cheaperU2720Q 4k monitor. I know it won’t be similar to the UP monitor you reviewed here. But what is your opinion towards U2720Q?
Looking at it from the POV of a still photographer, hobbyist.
sRGB U vs widegamut UP
Thx so much for that review!
I´m struggeling at the moment of buying a new monitor for video (Davinci Resolve) and photo (Lightroom).
I ordered the BenQ SW 271 and BenQ SW270c and I sended them both back. I just couldnt get enough shadowdetail after self hardwarecalibration with my i1 display pro and the backlight was way brighter in the blacks than the “factory calibrated” profiles.
So now I ordered and Eizo CS2731 and the BenQ UP2720q.
What are your thoughts about these monitors compared to each other?
I also found out that it´s not possible to create a 3D LUT if you dont have the Calman Software, wich costs extra. Is that true? If yes, is there another way to create one for examples with DisplayCal?
You´ll find the sourde in the link below:
downloads.dell.com/manua…_en-us.pdf
Thx in Advance
Greetings Patrick
CS have no internal LUT3D. I would say the same for all these Dells. They emulate smaller gamuts with a Lut-matrix-lut. A simpler approach. There is a Dell HW cal article about this and a Dell SDK with C++ interfaces if you want to go deeper about this.
Davinci Resolve DOES NOT need monitor to have an internal LUT3D emulating some colorspace like Rec709 g2.4. It can read a file in your computer with the LUT3D (the static, fixed, “written on stone”, transformation from video source colorspace to display colorspace).
This file with LUT3D can be generated with several apps like Calman (not very serious), Lightspace (paid) and DisplayCAL (free). My recommendation is to use DisplayCAL.
Typical workflow:
-calibrate your CS/UP to NATIVE gamut and typical content white point (D65) and native (typical 2.2) or content gamma (typical 2.4 but you may want 2.2).
-Profile that calibrated OSD mode with displaycal. Profile = measure and store in an ICC file how display behaved. Usually you want an extremely accurate description of actual display response (XYZLUT profile without blackpoint compensation)
-now that you have an accurate description of profile make a LUT3D with displaycal LUT3D maker. Source: content colorspace (Rec709 g2.4, example), Destination: your new & accurate display profile. Create LUT3D
-Asociate your Resolve project to that LUT3D.
There is a detailed guide in many forums and DisplayCAL doc. This is just a summary.
Great thank you so much! Would you prefer the Dell UP2720Q over the Eizo CS2731?
UHD vs QHD, CS is cheaper because it’s QHD, just 1000 euro. UHD CS is CS2740 about 1500 euro. Read the other comments.
I like ColorNavigator (CN) over Dell DUCCS because visual white point editor after calibration. DUCCS has improved in latest versions but if out of the box grey is not neutral in your display there is a chance that cannot be corrected. It is discussed in other articles here about Dell & HW cal. It is spotted visually or with a*b* range against a true neutral grey reference (a=b=0) in a displaycal report.
Same could apply for CN (they take just a few measurements for calibrating), but CS have always neutral grey.
Nassim’s UP uniformity is good, much better that any other previous dell model as you can read in his review.
IMHO CS2731 is the MINIMUM you can choose between 27″ widegamuts. You can get more features in more expensive displays with bigger budget, as long as you stay in Eizo, NEC or Nassim’s model UP2720Q.
Avoid ALL benq SW. ALL is ALL. Also avoid those low quality Asus & otthers.
Clarification: I’m talking about AdobeRGB wideagmuts.
So after reading this review as well as many sites I have narrowed my choice to these monitors:
Eizo CG279x – the most expensive but also the most options.
Eizo CS2731 – the “entry level of the Eizo series
NEC PA271Q – the upgraded and up-sized version of what I had.
Dell UP2729 – priced between the low end Eizo / NEC and the CG series.
I am a still photographer who is moving into a bit of video using Sony A9 &A7III cameras.
I have used an NEC PA241W for the past 8 years, which just died and needs replaced.
I am a complete novice with video. Correct me if I am wrong but it appears there are three main specs when dealing with video: the bit-rate of the LUT and whether it is 3D, the percent of DCI-P3 and/or REC 709 the monitor can do and the contrast ratio.
NEC PA271Q – has the highest contrast ratio but a lower bitrate than the Eizo’s. Shares the panel with the Eizo CG. PRAD rates 4.3 and only “good” when calibrated. One of the lower cost options but many have apparently had issues with calibration – is that in the past now?
Eizo CS2731 – no 3D LUT (but could add a BM Decklink for ~$200) and lower contrast than the others at 1000:1. Very highly rated on PRAD at 4.6. Could this be similar to the CX271s ability?
Eizo CG279X – build in colorimeter. Some question QHD resolution not fitting any output resolution in common use. PRAD rated 4.7 with highest recommendation.
Dell UP2729 – very highly recommended by Nasim but not reviewed by PRAD. The only 4K monitor of my choices. Also very hard to find reviews other than here.
On another site I saw where an Eizo CX271 was tested to see if would be an acceptable affordable color grading monitor, which it was concluded to be. The CS2731 looks to be the latest version of the CX271 so I wonder if this still holds true?
Would greatly appreciate any thoughts on the above four choices, or any others I should be looking at. I would like to stay below $2500 and would be perfectly fine at half that if something fits the bill. I ruled out the Benq, Asus, Dell, etc… as there were just too many issues with uniformity even if color was spot on. I do use a PC built to the specs Nasim laid out in another post. One last question – I have heard that Eizo handles video better than NEC but not sure how or why.
Color Consultant – would appreciate any thoughts on my choices.
Nasim – which of my choices would you make or would there be another alltogether?
Thanks in advance for any advice.
Doug, I think it is a question of budget, isn’t it? If I could afford an Eizo, I would buy one. The next in line would be either NEC or Dell for me…
“I have heard that Eizo handles video better than NEC but not sure how or why. ”
24Hz input without jumps. PAs older than 271Q had issues, new ones support it but IDNK if it shows some visual artifacts. You’ll need to check reviews. This is a feature that I do not use but video guys may find it interesting.
Download monitor manual, resoulution x subpixel x bits x Hz are explained there. Read it carefully
CS2731 is best for money, 1000 euro. If you do not need black under 0.1 at 100nit white, that will be my first choice. You can run software LUT3D for Resolve.
If you need higher contrast, skip CSs.
“I am a still photographer who is moving into a bit of video using Sony A9 &A7III cameras.”
FYI:
-Premiere CC2020 looks like color managed, at least partially (I’m using a matrix display profile, 1 TRC, I’ve not tested more complex types).
-Vegas is not.
-Resolve has LUT3D