Dell 24" monitor

[golfer]

I am looking a the new 24" Dell monitor for my photo editing and wonder if there are any thoughts good or bad.
Also noted there are 2 different ones; 2405FPW and the 2407WFP. Can someone point me in the right direction?
Thanks for your help, Best wishes.

[Athena]

I'm interested too. I'm considering the same monitor and weighing it against the Apple Cinema 23".

[mrdale]

See the review at this link.

NEC and LaCie Lead On Professional LCD Gear | Tom's Hardware

Its from last year but I think still relevant.

dale

[golfer]

athena, mrdale, maybe we could get a few more to weigh in on this. Obviously it looks like the Lacie or Nec is the better way to go; I just was hoping to not spend that much $$$. Also there are 2 monitors; 2405FPW, and the 2407WFP.
Can anyone shed some light on these units. Additional there was a post to bet the 3rd upgrade/edition viewer as it was the better.
Thanks again for your help.

[Jwilmot]

Ok lets start with the apple 23 inch.
Color and contrast are lower than the dell.
The dot pitch is much better.
Cost is $350 more.

The 2 Dell monitors listed in the first post are basically last years model and this years model. With the 2407 being the newer model. They made some changed but the core components are the same. The color on the 2407 is 500 and the contrast is 1000:1. Both are great for photography. The refresh rate of 6ms on the 2407 is much better than on the 2405 or the Apple.

After reading several reviews on all 3 monitors and over 6 years experience as a computer tech I would have to say the Dell 2407 is the best choice overall for your use. You could find a better monitor but your going to pay thought the nose for it.

So my 2 Cents worth of the posted monitors would be the Dell 2407.

[brian.austin]

I have a 2407 sitting in front of me right now. It was well worth the money at $800 when I bought it and is even lower in price at $629 now according to the Dell site.

It supports multiple inputs and the ability to switch between them on the fly. Performance is excellent for me but I don't compare a lot of high end monitors.

I understand that both the LaCie and NEC are comparatively better...but considerably more expensive. If I was doing this on a professional level, I might consider it. For what I'm doing, though, it's plenty.

[golfer]

Brian thanks so much for your reply.
I see your monitor is the 2407; can you tell me what the 2405 is? Is it just an older unit or something different?
Do you use it at the higher resolutions required for raw work? Anything special with your vidio card?
Forgive me for asking so many questions.
Best wishes.

[Jwilmot]

Originally Posted by Jwilmot

The 2 Dell monitors listed in the first post are basically last years model and this years model. With the 2407 being the newer model. They made some changed but the core components are the same. The color on the 2407 is 500 and the contrast is 1000:1. Both are great for photography. The refresh rate of 6ms on the 2407 is much better than on the 2405 or the Apple.

And please see the full post for the rest of the info.

Cheers,

[golfer]

Somehow I completely overlooked your review. What a tremendous help. Thanks so much. I hope athena got to see it as well.
Best to you.

[brian.austin]

Originally Posted by golfer

Brian thanks so much for your reply.
I see your monitor is the 2407; can you tell me what the 2405 is? Is it just an older unit or something different?
Do you use it at the higher resolutions required for raw work? Anything special with your vidio card?
Forgive me for asking so many questions.
Best wishes.

As someone noted, the actual screen of the 2405 and 2407 are essentially the same with a few differences.

- The backlight on the 2407 was changed for more even distribution. Dell found that, over time, it seemed to get bright in the center and fall off at the edges in some models.

- The stand was changed, with a reduction in overall height range by 2-1/2".

- The card reader (located on the left side of the monitor) was improved slightly. Not having a 2405, I'm not sure what the improvements are.

That said, some people prefer the 2405 to the first versions of the 2407. The 2407 had some banding issues in versions A00 - A02. A03 seems to have fixed them from what I've read. My own is a A03 and I haven't seen any problems with it.

I have a Nvidia video card (don't remember the model since I'm at work right now) with two DVI outputs for multiple monitor support. It also has 256Mb of video RAM. I'd suggest something on the higher powered side, with DVI, to get the most out of the monitor but it's not required. The monitor accepts DVI or VGA inputs. I haven't tested the differences and went straight to DVI.

I use any LCD monitor at its native resolution. LCD gives its best picture at native resolution, regardless of the monitor. The 2407 is a 1920x1200 resolution. You'll want to make sure your video card supports it for the best possible image.

[tomtom]

I've been using a BenQ 24" LCD recently, and can safely say it's by far the sharpest and most accurate monitor I've ever used (even compared to the Apple 24"). I'd recommend checking one out before making a decision. TrustedReviews - BenQ FP241W 24in Widescreen Monitor

[Athena]

Thanks for all the information guys!
The Dell is still on my shopping list. Have had some trouble sourcing it here (rural Asia), so if push comes to shove I might have to go with the Apple for that reason. Would rather not though because I don't want the bother of changing the video card too...

[golfer]

Athena has it right, the Dell 2407 version 3 is what I plan to shop for. Would love to have another thousand dollars for the LaCie, but just can't hack it.

[Tom Swaman]

I hope all you LCD monitor experts are still around. I am trying to buy a new monitor and I have more or less chosen either the Samsung 245BW or the Dell 2407-hc(made by BenQ). I would welcome any suggestions on whether there are any big differences between these. The Samsung is a bit cheaper at present, but there are advantages to dealing with DELL when you have DELL computing products. HE:P PLEASE??

Thank you,
Tom

[trentchau]

if I remember correctly also the 2407 has hdcp support, which allows hdtv output of 1080p on the monitor.

I used a 2405 for a long time, and the 3007wfp was a great replacement for it.

[Athena]

These monitors are dual voltage, aren't they? I wonder what my chances of smuggling one back to Thailand with me are... (just kidding)

[Crotographer]

I've been using the Dell 2407 WFP for a few months now and love it. Calibrated with the Eye One Display 2 it is superior to my older Samsung and Sony. When I say superior I mean by leaps and bounds. I should mention that I am not one to run out and buy the most expensive gadgets for photography. I am very careful who I give a part of my income to. Unless it is a lens. Even then I am disposed to by an excellent used lens over a brand new Nikon or Mamiya lens.

I only mention the "thrifty" part as I, when I was younger, had to have the latest and greatest and got burned more than once. Now, I am very careful to do my homework before buying anything photographic.