Eizo launches photographer-friendly AdobeRGB monitors, puts color management in the cloud
posted Friday, April 4, 2014 at 11:57 AM EDT
High-end Japanese monitor-maker EIZO Corp. has today unveiled two new ColorEdge-series monitors aimed at professional and enthusiast uses including photography, as well as a new service that puts color management right where everything else is headed these days -- in the cloud.
The Eizo ColorEdge CG247 and CX241 monitors are both based around wide-gamut, 24.1-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 pixel IPS panels capable of reproducing the Adobe RGB color space almost in its entirity, with a manufacturer-claimed 99% coverage. Of the pair, the Eizo CG247 is the higher-specified unit, aimed at professional photographers and videographers, as well as those in printing and post-production.
It features the company's clever SelfCalibration Sensor system, which allows the monitor to automatically calibrate itself on a predefined schedule -- even when switched off or without a computer connected, so long as the power cable is plugged in. The calibration sensor swings up out of the monitor bezel as needed, and any correction is stored in the monitor itself. The system can be correlated to an external sensor, if you need to reproduce the same calibration across multiple monitors.
Other features of the ColorEdge CG247 include Eizo's Digital Uniformity Equalizer technology, which corrects for uneven backlighting and chromaticity, factory-applied gamma correction, a claimed seven-minute time from startup to display stability, support for 10-bit DisplayPort graphics cards, a shading hood that's compatible with both landscape and portrait orientations, support for 24p native video playback and a safe area marker overlay, and more.
The Eizo ColorEdge CX241, meanwhile, is intended for enthusiast use, and while it too has a small calibration sensor built-in, this is used only for maintaining calibration after first calibrating with an external sensor. It also lacks the video-specific features of the CG247, but in other respects the Eizo CX241 seems pretty similar to the pro model.
Pricing hasn't been revealed for either the Eizo CG247 or CX241, but both are said to be available immediately. And where things get really interesting is that the duo both support remote color management using a combination of the optional ColorNavigator Network and ColorNavigator NX software packages. This allows larger studios to maintain consistent color across multiple monitors -- even in separate locations -- from one administration site. The administrator can remotely specify the calibration schedule, activate a key-lock on the monitors, import or export settings, specify a color mode, and more. While that's overkill if you only have a few monitors to deal with, when you have dozens to hundreds, it could be a big timesaver and a boon to consistency.
As noted, though, this is an optional extra. Both new monitors ship instead with ColorNavigator 6, which is intended for local color management.