BenQ PD3200U

[Shutterbug365]

Hi

Does anyone have any experience of the BenQ PD3200U monitor?

I am looking at 32" 4K screens and the reviews on this one seem to be total opposites depending on where you read them. Its either fantastic or its rubbish.

Obviously happy to hear of any alternatives here in the UK also?

Thanks

Paul

[DanK]

No, but when I shopped for a 27 inch wide gamut monitor a few years ago, I had exactly the same experience. Some users (Manfred is one) were entirely satisfied, but I found numerous reports of bad units. Despite the fact that the BenQ was much cheaper than the two logical alternatives, Eizo and NEC, I finally decided to buy a NEC unit.

[Shutterbug365]

Thanks it is indeed frustrating, unfortunately the NEC and EIZO screens are outside of my price range.

Whilst I am not a professional photographer I am a very much enthusiastic amateur so need to try and balance cost with what will work / that I need if you know what I mean.

[senojbor]

Hi

Does anyone have any experience of the BenQ PD3200U monitor?

I am looking at 32" 4K screens and the reviews on this one seem to be total opposites depending on where you read them. Its either fantastic or its rubbish.

Obviously happy to hear of any alternatives here in the UK also?

Thanks

Paul

Hi Paul, may I ask you for what purpose?

[Shutterbug365]

I am very much an enthusiastic amateur photographer who is looking for a 100% sRGB monitor for photo editing. I don't tend to print images as all the competitions in my local camera club are digital and likewise I enter / will be entering online exhibitions. I do have one of the XRite calibration tools.

I also do various computer programming bits and pieces that would work well using such a large monitor but obviously for those it would not have to be photography standard.

[DanK]

OK, problem solved.

Monitors that reproduce nearly all of the sRGB gamut are common and much cheaper. The purpose of a wide-gamut monitor from BenQ, NEC, or Eizo is to reproduce colors outside of the sRGB gamut because good printers have wider gamuts than sRGB. If you are only presenting online, you will get no benefit from this, as sRGB is the online standard, and you have to use the sRGB gamut to have them look right.

So my advice is to buy a decent sRGB monitor. If you are displaying online, there is no need for 4K either, since most people will see the image at a much lower resolution.

[Manfred M]

The problems with online comments are that they are made by people who have generally had either a very bad or very good experience with the product. I would be far more interested in what the technology review sites say about the screen and where it excels and where it lags.

Based on my personal needs (and like Dan, I do a lot of prints, including for photo competitions), an Adobe RGB compliant screen was important to me. I don't need a 4K screen (more useful for gamers and movie watchers, so developers and video editors would opt for that screen), so did not go in that direction. When I look at the BenQ site, the screen that you are looking at appears to be targeted at the video editing market, so while it appears to do the job, is it the best screen for your needs? If the screen ships with the Palette Master Elements calibration tool, it is aimed at the higher end image processing market (note - that software will not work with the lower end xRite ColorMunki tools and requires the higher end i1 units or recent Datacolor Spyder profiling / calibration tools).

As Dan has mentioned, I do have the 27" BenQ Adobe RGB screen (and have had it for 4 years) that have been quite satisfied with its performance. It does ship with an anti-glare hood and that does make a difference.

[Shutterbug365]

Thanks all.

I was looking at the DesignVue series rather than the PhotoVue series because the DesignVue did 100% sRGB and stopped at that point whereas the more expensive PhotoVue ones went as far as 99% AdobeRGB which would be something I would not use.

The calibration tool I have is the XRite X1 Display Pro.

In terms of 4k it would be possibly be helpful in other aspects of what I do for hobbies etc not just photography.

[xpatUSA]

... If you are only presenting online, you will get no benefit from this, as sRGB is the online standard, and you have to use the sRGB gamut to have them look right.

Not strictly true, Dan -although I get your drift. For example, I could post a JPEG with a ProPhoto profile and it would look OK on most people's monitors irrespective of type.

Nevertheless, good advice because some apps don't always embed a profile and then color-managed stuff should assume sRGB ...