.....
I realise my requirements are a lot simpler than many here on Nikongear and am grateful to have seen some of the other considerations for high end gear.
I reckon a more accurate way to explain that would that your requirements may be a lot simpler than SOME .. not so much the many you referred too.
Me for example. Not a pro, don't care for publishing and suchlike, just a regular hobbyist/enthusiast/amateur .. I believe like so many others on NG.
So you're not alone!
(only difference maybe that I'm a gearhead, in that I tinker with all manner of stuff, and PCs and components are one of those aspects)
Resolution is good. more = better! simple as that.
Back about 10 years ago, I had the usual gear back then too. TFT screens, etc.
I had a thing for not very regular, but updating PC gear on an as needed basis ... more importantly value for money PC equipment!
If it was cheap, and it did the job, that'd be more than enough(for me).
Anyhow, many screen updates later, I'm happy with the screen I have, but I know I could have got better value for money from the thousand dollars saved that could have gone to holidays(which I'm not interested in) .. and more likely more other gear of some type.
So, now I have a massive 32" 4K Samsung screen, after much to-ing and fro-ing, I finally settled on. Main sell point on this screen is the built in hardware calibration setup. That is, I can hardware calibrate the monitor and not just software, ie. I can use the monitor on any OS now, and it's still calibrated.
The jump from HD(1920x1080) I can tell you is a very nice feature. Something that almost everyone appreciates, so resolution is important.
This is also off the fact that many of us hobbyists also use our computers for other things, and most likely don't have a dedicated computer for (say) just photo editing.
All software benefits from a resolution increase, even the simplest software like a browser! .. as long as the software was coded with 4K in mind(like CNX-D and VNX-i weren't for a long time).
Most is tho, so if you do spreadsheets, or whatever else .. that extra resolution sure if handy to have.
This is where I've realised my major benefit in having a 4K screen .. spreadsheets and web browser. It's nice to see more(better) detail in your images, but the ability to see more in other apps is probably the biggest advantage.
In fact, it's annoying going back to a lower res screen and having to put up with it.
But you need to have the right PC equipment to handle the data throughput, of higher resolution.
eg. if you don't have a graphics card to output to the screen, and you rely on the onboard graphics chip, it's most likely not going to give a nice 4K experience(if at all).
If you list your PCs hardware specs, it'll be an easy task to determine this.
Also, do you have a calibrator(of any type)?
So, 10 years ago my first LCD screen update was a simple and very cheap(and nasty) LG 2442 screen. Still works, calibrates well and I've printed a few very nice large(ish) prints for family and friends when they requested them.
Prints were done at a high quality pro level printing lab(for anyone in Melbourne, Prism Graphics are highly recommended!)
At the time I was worried about the print coming out as I saw in on the low gamut capabilities of this LG screen. Man at the printers took me in loaded up my image(off a D300) showed me on his multi thousand dollar screen .. no issues.
What I saw on my screen I then saw on his screen too .. so, no issues with this lower gamut difference. AND YES! all my images are raw only. File taken to printers was high quality TIF on a CF card.
That was my first ever large print(30"). My concern was that it contained a lot of green(foliage) and I was worried about out of gamut greens(due to the LG screens "supposed" limitations).
I'd kept that LG screen up until about 6 months ago when son asked for a second screen(here at my house). He does graphics type stuff(3D animations stuff I care nothing for) and just required a second screen for his stuff.
I got my 32" Samsung about 6 years ago, it calibrates very well, and for most of those 6 years, I had it and the LG screen side by side.
On an almost perfectly Samsung calibrated screen(very low, 0.3 Delta) and the LG(more like 0.9), I could see no difference(other than the massive resolution difference). And you won't see any difference, unless it's a very bad cheapie, hard to find nowadays, or if it doesn't calibrate well at all.
From memory a DeltaE of about 1.5 or lower is imperceptible to the human eye .. only a machine can determine any differences.
In terms of colour accuracy(screen to print to physical subject), having done a few prints for my sisters button shop, colours are near perfect seeing the button vs the print(on the LG).
Sister took the tif files I gave her and she printed them at the local chemist/photo print store!
I get what the more affluent members will tell you .. get a higher quality this or that .. I get that. IN many instances it's usually better.
But for some of us, that more expensive $700 item, or thousand dollar item .. isn't worth 5x the $200 equivalent!
I will end up getting another second screen to replace the LG I donated to son. I could easily just take it back, it's only 3 fee away, but a PITA to dismount, disconnect, and remount to my monitor stand.
I'm expecting to spend not too much more than about $400 or so myself, will most likely get another 4K(my graphics card can handle 2x 4K streams). Not sure if I do 24"(like the LG) or 27".
Dell usually has a very good lineup. Some of their older generation screens(like the 2413, or whatever) have very high quality outputs. They don't have mod cons like USB3 ports, or thunderbolt or whatever other usually meaningless thing, but screens can be of a very high quality. Low res tho if you think that higher res would be of benefit.
I just had a quick peek at the Dell(UK) site and of the three 24" models they currently have on offer(under 200), the older U2415 is the better deal, in your neck of the woods.
