I finally upgraded my editing monitor, and I was surprised by what changed

[-ST-]

The best analogy I can give is a lens comparison many of us know well:

• Sony 300 mm f/2.8 GM at 300 mm (even stopped down)
  versus
• Sony 200-600 f/5.6-6.3 G at 300 mm

Both lenses can produce excellent images.

But the experience of shooting with the 300 mm f2.8 GM is different. It feels smoother, more confident, and more predictable. You notice it immediately both in the shooting and later in the result, even though the outcomes should be similar.

That is exactly what happened with the monitor upgrade.

I did not buy the new Studio Display XDR monitor because I needed the specs. I bought it because I suspected my old monitor was holding back the experience of editing.

And here is the part I did not expect: The new monitor has changed my perception of which images are worth a little extra effort. Images I would have discarded before now show subtle colour transitions, micro contrast, and tonal separation that I simply could not see. My threshold for keepers has shifted, not because the files changed, but because I can finally see them.

It is the same kind of qualitative jump you get when you move from a good lens to the right lens. Not necessary for everyone. But if your monitor is the weakest link in your workflow, the upgrade feels bigger than the specifications suggest.

One caveat. Adding the new monitor, keeping the old monitor, and using my older iPad as an extended desktop for Capture One tool panels has increased memory pressure on my Mac Studio. There is a slight but noticeable impact on performance. I could eliminate all of that by running only the new monitor, but the Mac Studio makes it extremely easy to run three screens, and I like working that way. For me, the small performance hit is a reasonable trade-off.

My older monitor turned out to be the weakest link in my photography workflow, and I had no idea how much that was affecting my results. Seeing the images properly has changed how I edit, what I keep, and what I publish.

 

[AlphaWorld]

Cool choice of new monitor. Did you get it with standard glass?

I haven't considered using an Apple monitor because I thought they couldn't be calibrated, but I just looked it up, and they can! Oh, it looks like that is quite new (the articles about it all seem to be this year) - that's a good addition.

While I was looking into it, I found an article which reports that the Apple XDR monitors are very well calibrated, and hold that calibration for years (so different from when we were using CRTs and had to calibrate monthly). You might find this interesting reading: https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/apple-xdr-monitor-calibration-accuracy/

I do like having a larger display, and it's a pity Apple discontinued their 32" Pro Display XDR (although my wallet is probably glad they did - it was horribly expensive!)

 

[iamdlewis]

I don't know why people skimp on monitors, you use no other part more and it can be used for multiple devices. That said nobody should pay the ridiculous apple tax for a good one. BenQ makes monitors that are higher rated and widely used by professionals at 1/3 the price of the apple ones. In most cases the Dell UltraSharp monitors also rate higher for less.

 

[-ST-]

Hey Tony

Cool choice of new monitor. Did you get it with standard glass?

I went with the Nano Texture Glass. I have a skylight above and slightly behind my work area, so the reduced reflections make a noticeable difference.

I haven't considered using an Apple monitor because I thought they couldn't be calibrated, but I just looked it up, and they can! Oh, it looks like that is quite new (the articles about it all seem to be this year) - that's a good addition.

While I was looking into it, I found an article which reports that the Apple XDR monitors are very well calibrated, and hold that calibration for years (so different from when we were using CRTs and had to calibrate monthly). You might find this interesting reading: https://gregbenzphotography.com/hdr-photos/apple-xdr-monitor-calibration-accuracy/

Thanks for the article — great information. It’s reassuring to see how stable the calibration is over time.

I do like having a larger display, and it's a pity Apple discontinued their 32" Pro Display XDR (although my wallet is probably glad they did - it was horribly expensive!)

I actually started off looking at the 32" Pro Display XDR. “In for a penny, in for a pound,” as they say. If Apple had released a 32" version of the new XDR, I would have bought it.

But the more I dug into it, the more the 27" XDR (a real product) seemed like the better value for what I needed with newer backlight architecture, more dimming zones, higher HDR peak brightness, better local contrast, faster refresh, and more advanced HDR reference modes.

Since I’ve moved the Capture One tool panels over to an older 12.9" iPad Pro I wasn’t using, and I’m still running my older monitor for non‑editing tasks, I’ve ended up with the same practical workspace I was looking for in a 6K display.

 

[-ST-]

Hi, David.

I don't know why people skimp on monitors, you use no other part more and it can be used for multiple devices.

This is exactly what prompted me to post about upgrading to a new monitor.

What I appreciate, having moved to an HDR monitor, is now, I can actually see my photos. I’m getting the subtle colour transitions, tonal separation, and small details the camera and lens capture. It feels as though I upgraded all my other gear.

When it comes to editing, it's like performing live music. You can't fix what you can't hear, and in this case, you can't fix what you can't see.

I hadn’t realized that my monitor was the weakest link in the chain from the subject in front of the camera to the person viewing the final image.