Hello all. I am new here so please don’t shout at me if I’m posting int he wrong place. I couldn’t find any other hardware chat.
I am upgrading from a 27inch iMac to a Mac Studio, but I am in a quandary about what display to go for. I have read many reviews but they seem to be range from terrible to OK. Does anyone have one of the new 27inch Mac Displays and are you happy with it? Is the camera OK? Is it worth the money?
Alternatively if you have a better option please shout!
Many thanks
I’m interested in the response, too. I have been doing some looking around to replace my aging 27" iMac. If anyone has an opinion about the standard glass vs. the nano-textured glass on the Apple Studio Display, that would be helpful.
Congrats on the Mac Studio upgrade. I’ve got the 27inch Mac Display camera’s decent, display quality great. Pricey but a solid investment for work. Worth considering if it fits your needs and budget.
I can’t comment on the Mac Studio display, I was upgraded to a Mac Studio at work recently though. The agency is buying $500 Samsung displays to pair with them and I quite like those. At home I’m using a relatively old Thunderbolt monitor hooked up to my relatively old MacBook Pro. My next computer will be the best Mac Studio I can buy…I think.
As always, it depends. Do you need to do colour-critical work with this display?
Is your work more for video or online or print? How controllable is your lighting environment (reflections)?
For print design, I recommend these at very different price points (and corresponding qualities)
EIZO CG2700X
EIZO CG2700S
EIZO CS2740
EIZO CS2731
BENQ SW271C
– colour-critical work with the above mentioned models –
BENQ SW272U
BENQ PD2705Q
ASUS PA279CRV
ASUS PA278QV
VIEWSONIC VP2768A
I use the BENQ SW271C with a ‘calibrite/xrite colorchecker display pro’ and am very happy with it.
The only reason I chose Benq over EIZO was for HDR10 compatibility, which in hindsight turned out to be unnecessary on this model as I would have lost colour accuracy in this mode.
Today, I would choose an EIZO for between €1600 and €2000 including 20% VAT (hardware calibrateable) and make sure that the pixel density is below 160ppi (if necessary, a larger screen with the same number of pixels) so that there are fewer reflections in the picture. The higher the pixel density, the less glare can be reduced.
For print design, you would want good coverage of the ISOcoated colour space for cmyk and perhaps Adobe RGB for RGB. The DCI-P3 used by Apple in most displays like the Studio Display cannot cover CMYK as well as Adobe RGB.
If you can read German, take a look here Top 10 Bestenliste 27 Zoll Grafikmonitore - Prad.de
There are also extensive test reports, such as this one Test EIZO CG2700X: Grafik-Profi mit UHD-Auflösung - Prad.de.
The prices embedded by Amazon via affiliate links are not always correct and may in fact be lower.
Thanks all. This is really helpful. I work across print and digital equally so need something good for both. I find my current iMac 27inch displays colours brighter than they print (which is obvious) but I always have to keep that in mind when working on print projects.
I looked into the EIZO and there seemed to be an issue connecting to the M1-M3 series chips in the Mac Studio/Ultra range. I was actually just looking at a Benq design one. They seem to be on top of the chip issue with a variety of advice and patches. Mainly advising to connect via HDMI.
Interesting to hear that you company is choosing Samsung @dgolas.
Thanks all. Appreciate it.
I have a iiyama 27 inch monitor and couldn’t be happier with it.
It does the job and didn’t cost an arm or a leg.
ProLite
XUB2792QSN
XUB2792QSC
I’m skeptical of the need for graphic designers to use 5K monitors. I’m using a 32-inch 4K LG monitor for around $1200, and it’s easily the best monitor I’ve ever owned. For Christmas, I bought my wife a 4K 27-inch LG display for around $300, and it’s every bit as nice of a display as my $1200 32-inch LG.
I have no problem buying high-end equipment, but there comes a point where the supposed extras aren’t worth the extra price. I’d gladly pay $1600 to $6000 for an Apple 27–32" 5–6K display if I thought the extra price was worth it, but for me, it isn’t.
Maybe for you 20-something-year-olds with eyes that can see individual atomic nuclei, A 5–6K monitor is worth it. For me, even with reading glasses, the pixels on my 4K displays are too small to really notice.
Then again, I’ve never used a $6000 Apple, 32", 6K Pro Display XDR with Nano-texture glass, so maybe I don’t know what I’m missing (but I have saved about $4500, and I’m perfectly happy with my LG)
Maybe for you 20-something-year-olds with eyes that can see individual atomic nuclei, A 5–6K monitor is worth it.
I completely take your point. If I knew that the studio display would give me everything I need the price tag would be worth it. I’ll look into LG. Did you have any issues connecting it?
Ooh, haven’t heard of iiyama before. Will have a look. I knew asking you guys would give me options!! Thanks
No problems. Just plug them in and turn them on. On my Mac Mini, I connected the display via USB C. On my wife’s MacBook Pro, I plugged in the display using an HDMI cable.
With the Mac M1 + chips we’ve had to use HDMI in all instances to avoid an irritating, almost subliminal “flicker.”
I work in print and realize that I don’t have the profiles for all my outsources, so two $400 Viewsonics are what I use at work. But I do have them calibrated fairly close to what i expect something should look like when printed. At home I also have a Viewsonic. I unfortunately got a Mac mini at home about a year before the Studio dropped. I have the Studio at work and whew! Fast machine! Love it.
I went mobile with a Macbook Pro (and three displays when stationary) after trying the first Mac Studio, but since then the Mac Mini M2 Pro and now the upcoming Mac Mini M3 Pro seem to be the sweet spot for graphic designers with a multi-screen setup.
EIZO - Apple compatibility list
Back of my mac Studio unit (plus two more thunderbolts and a camera card reader on the front.)
It doesn’t sound too promising, the M3 update to the Mini M2 sounds like it won’t be a speed improvement. My work Studio unit screams compared to the home Mini, which is no slouch.
Monitors in my world are meh… I do production. On monitors, I got nothin’.
I upgraded to,the Mac studio and studio display a couple of months back. The display blew me away. Expensive, but worth the money. Type is incredibly crisp. The camera is everything it’s cracked up to be – of course, that depends on the connection of the person you are talking to.
Just yesterday I was on a zoom meeting with a client and I needed to demonstrate something in another part of the studio. The camera just follows you. When I first saw that advertised as a feature, I thought it a bit gimmicky, but actually a couple of times now, it has proved useful.
As an aside, too, I run two other monitors off the Mac studio too. The colours were ropey at best off the old iMac, but the video drivers in the new studio, even made these two old 24” monitors much better. Not a patch on the studio display, but for palettes and pulling other things out the way, far better than before.
Also, now the computer doesn’t get in the way of what I want it to do. It’s quick.
God, in sound like an evangelist! It has made a big difference to my working life though.
That’s really helpful thanks. I think I am erring on the side of a studio monitor, just because the good front runners I have seen are not that different in price, but are 4k and I want my tech to be as future proof as I can make it.
Did you get the regular glass or the nano-textured glass?
Can you use your 27" iMac as a monitor?
FWIW I plan to get a big touchscreen when I upgrade. Not sure if this appeals.
This would be ideal, but no. Aparently it’s not possible.
