p.1 #1 · Does a monitor I DON'T have to profile exist?
I finally upgraded to a new Mac and I am ditching my old Thunderbolt Display. I'd like to buy a new 28"-ish or so monitor that I can plug my new 16" MacBook Pro M4-Max into and hopefully not have to deal with profiling the display. Are there any monitors on the market in the $500 to $700 range between 26" and 30" that are magically calibrated perfectly, or nearly so, right out of the box?
If not, I guess I have to buy a new ColorMunki or whatever and go back to my old ways but it would be nice if I didn't have to do this.
Thanks.
I edit as much video as I do edit photos but I don't think that makes any difference.
p.1 #2 · Does a monitor I DON'T have to profile exist?
Greg Matty wrote:
I finally upgraded to a new Mac and I am ditching my old Thunderbolt Display. I'd like to buy a new 28"-ish or so monitor that I can plug my new 16" MacBook Pro M4-Max into and hopefully not have to deal with profiling the display. Are there any monitors on the market in the $500 to $700 range between 26" and 30" that are magically calibrated perfectly, or nearly so, right out of the box?
If not, I guess I have to buy a new ColorMunki or whatever and go back to my old ways but it would be nice if I didn't have to do this.
Thanks.
I edit as much video as I do edit photos but I don't think that makes any difference.
For general photography, web, or P3/sRGB workflows
→ ASUS ProArt PA279CV/CRV, BenQ PD2706U, ViewSonic VP2768a, or Dell UltraSharp.
For serious print-matching and Adobe RGB work
→ BenQ SW270C is the best match in this price bracket.
Even with these models, a quick calibration is still worthwhile —
but on the better units, recalibration usually makes only small corrections.
As a caveat, you still need to set luminosity on the monitor to get good matching from display to display or display to print. This also assumes your are fine with the whtie point that the monitor is shipped with.
Just my suggesetions on best bets for what you are looking for
John Wheeler
p.1 #4 · Does a monitor I DON'T have to profile exist?
To the question "Are there monitors which do not require calibration?" Google says:
No, technically all monitors benefit from calibration for color accuracy as they drift over time, but some high-end professional monitors offer features like factory calibration reports or built-in calibration (e.g., BenQ DesignVue monitors with ICCsync) to reduce or eliminate the need for initial or frequent adjustments for typical users, though regular checks are still recommended for critical work. For general use, Macs and some modern displays provide good out-of-the-box experience, but for professional photo/video editing, calibration is essential for consistent, accurate colors.
Monitors That Seem to Require Less Calibration
Factory Calibrated Monitors: Some professional displays (like certain BenQ, Eizo eizo.com
p.1 #10 · Does a monitor I DON'T have to profile exist?
Self-calibrating Eizo is the closest thing. In the best scenario you profile it once (=set it up to your working environment and requirements), and it will keep itself calibrated for years to come. I have mine setup so that it will power up and calibrate itself at the middle of the night once every month. I only change it, if I have to - and for that too I have different one-click presets that allow me to change the color space and all in a matter of a second. Highly recommended.
